I’m bored of the lawn, mowing it feels utterly futile. I’d quite like a vegetable garden (there’s actually reward for spending time doing that…) so will need to convert lawn to veggie patch. My question is: what’s the best way to go about this?

From a quick google my options seem to be taking up the turf or tilling it. I’d prefer the taking up turf option as then I don’t keep the same weeds(?) but does this method mean that I need to get hold of some top soil to lay back down?

There is a significant chance that I’m overthinking this…

You shouldn’t need topsoil, but defo need to mix in some organic matter I’d reckon.

Remove the turf with a sharp flat spade.
Dig over at least a fork depth.
Plant (albeit it’s a touch late now as the soil will likely be lumpy and not break down to well till next spring after a bit of frost)
Oh, and buy a Hoe.

Kill the grass then turn it over in sections so that it becomes compost for what you propose to grow. Be careful with using e.g. horse manure as this is often full of grass and weed seeds. It is good initially to grow potatoes (charlottes? pink fur apple?) as they crowd out the weeds. Onions and garlic are also rewarding and easy to grow, just space them properly so that you can hoe easily. Courgettes and squash go mad on my allotment and are very productive.

Thanks both, this sounds simple enough – getting organic matter shouldn’t be an issue either. I’m probably going to be aiming to start planting next year as it is a bit late now.

In that case do the hard work in Autumn when there’s been some rain on it. Much easier to dig. The grounds rock hard at the moment.

Take the turf up and stack it with cover over it and let it rot down. You can reuse later. Get a couple of compost bins started asap, us this with the rotted turf on your veg bed(s). Try and have more than on veg bed so you you do a bit of rotation. A bit of thought on what you’d like and how to go about it will save time and effort later. good luck.

For organic matter start a compost heap and gather leaves this autumn to make leaf mold which helps improve the structure of the soil. Guano pellets can be had cheaply from e.g. Wilkinsons.

I have two of these:

They’re full of grass trimmings, some vegetable matter from the kitchen etc… that I’m planning on tipping out into a compost heap so I can turn it and actually use it. Will have a think about multiple beds too, should be doable.

If you’re near Leeds can help you out with a rotivator. Makes mincemeat out of soil, so to speak.

Thanks for the offer but pretty far off in Aberystwyth!

if you can get over to the Centre for Alternative Technology north Machynlleth for a day out. Have a look at how they grow stuff, loads of produce but less effort.

Aye, bit far! Good luck though 🙂

Beware of growing potatoes on areas that were grass. iIRC wireworms will be a problem in spuds grown on areas that were recently grass.

http://www.which.co.uk/documents/pdf/wireworms-153717.pdf

There is some stuff you can plant nowish for an early harvest next spring – spring cabbage and garlic spring to mind (garlic needs a good frost to get going).

Depending on what you are wanting to plant you don’t want to be adding manure, things like carrots don’t like it, encourages forking.

When I changed some of my lawn over, I use concrete slaps laid down for a few weeks to kill the grass off, and also to get nice rectangular plots, which left nice grass for paths inbetween, don’t go too wide on your plots as it’s nice to be able to work on them without walking on them.

how old is your house?

a mate of mine started to do this recently in a 3 yr old estate – one of the national housebuilders. he got the turf off the entire garden then discovered a bare 2-3 inches of compacted building rubble across the entire back garden.

He ended up building raised beds and buying topsoil from a builders merchant.

that aside, go for it – its the best thing ever when you have an entire meal out of the garden!

I’ve got some traditional veg patch and some raised beds. 8’x4′ is good for raised beds. I guess as longs as you like but the critical thing is keep it to 4 ft wide as you can reach in to the middle from both sides so you never have to walk on the soil of the bed like you would on a normal veg patch. Saves loads of digging if you don’t need to compact the soil.

Go for it, keep it simple and grow stuff that tastes best fresh. I used the raised beds for salad stuff and French beans etc. keep the spuds etc in the normal beds.

A mate of mine asked me to help him put a rabbit fence around a new veg plot. He made it E shape, it was mad, more paths than plot and when I went back a few months later he’d filled it with onions, potatoes, cabbage and turnips or something. All veg that is cheap, stores well and you could buy anywhere….. The gardening thing didn’t last long….