Need advice on how to manage land while building gardens

My husband and I are buying a new home that is to be built. Normally the builder seeds 50' in front and back and 30' on either side. But I have always thought it would be cool to have no lawn - just lots of trees, pathways & gardens. I can have him grade it, but it will take me a few years to achieve the look that I want, so my questions is - how can I stop the place from becoming a weed jungle? I was thinking maybe an annual grass??? If there is such a thing. My husband suggested covering the ground with tarps! I'd appreciate any suggestions at all.

Thanks, Jean

Hi Jean
I had to laugh when I read your post because my poor husband keeps trying to grow grass on a resistant piece ground on the north side of our house. He seeds, conditions the soil, aerates it, limes it, talks to it and does a fertility dance under the full moon....everything!! and his grass always turns out to be an "annual"!

Could you treat your new property like we treat our wooded areas? Pine needles (or whatever mulch is proper for your area) to keep the mud down and most of the weeds, and then just keep using a vegetation killer as things crop up? I have used that Brush B Gone (maybe overkill) but it sure keeps the area clear and if you don't worry about runoff or have a problem with chemicals it may work for you in the short run. It is great that you have a blank canvas and can ask your builder to clear/contour the land with his earth movers right from the get-go so you can have flat areas where you want the paths, and berms, etc., where you need height. Good Luck. Dorothy

This message was edited Jul 16, 2007 6:26 PM

Thanks for the advice and good luck to your husband! The Brush-B-Gone is a good idea, but I want to use it as a last resort to avoid the chemicals. It is such a pristine area I'd like to keep it that way. The pine needles are a good idea - I just don't know where to get them, but I have time to research it. Thanks again for your ideas.

You could always use bark mulch too, whatever's readily available in your area.

Might try laying landscaping fabric down under whatever mulch you use. That would keep the weeds down as you work your way around on landscaping each area.

do you get a price break if you don't have the builder seed the lawn? is seeding the lawn more expensive than these alternatives? lawn isn't very difficult to get rid of when building new garden beds, especially builder lawns. i would just have them seed the lawn. once it is established it is a great weed suppressor. in your case, i would make sure to use organic and non chemical lawn care products, though. that way you are enriching the soil in the meantime instead of building up salts in the soil from chemical fertilizers, etc.

one thing for sure though, builders usually seed on top of only a couple inches of decent soil. that's something i never understood. after they do their excavation and site work, they're left with hardpan and instead of putting all the topsoil they dug out back, they only put down a minuscule amount and haul the rest away. maybe they sell it? and then the homeowners are left wondering why they can't get their lawn to grow well.

especially if you want to convert most of the yard to garden beds in the future, see if they can put down a good 8 inches of topsoil. it may not be as big of a deal in your location, but around here we have clay soil and only a couple inches of soil on top of hardpan can barely sustain a lawn.

Hi Artjean, I think Wickedelph raises a very valid point re the builders taking away all the good top soil, (if it aint clay) hang on to it as it is worth it's weight in gold, another option to keep the area clear from weeds could be to just buy a weed burner and once the weed raise their ugly head, burn them off, that way, all the goodness goes back into the soil, better than the chemical way I feel, especially as you wish to plant into the soil once the house is finnished, shrub beds and boders are a fair bit of work till they become established and need constant weeding till the shrubs and trees become established enough to block out the ground so weeds dont get light to grow, so maybe lawn aint to bad an idea, that way you can cut the shapes and borders into the lawn and plant, then just keep the grass/path area mowed till all the rest of your work is complete, that way, you just dig the turf into the beds, turn it upside down and it will compost itself down into the soil, that might be the cleaner, easier option than having to keep weeding for Lord knows how long till you find the time and energy to do the plans you reach. good luck. WeeNel.

Hi All,

I am very lad for this posting of Landscaping.

I am renting but I have been here three years and like to look after the place like it was mine.

I am wondering if anybody has any ideas about gardens that have had plastic put down and only about two inches of dirt on top.

It is such a pain, the plastic must me disintergrating as the garden I want to do is full of grass growing.
I am a cancer survivor, so I don't have alot of energy at once.

I have to do things in small bursts. What is the best way to get rid of grass permenantly?
Should I poison it as I winder then if it will leave residue for any plants that I will put in after grass is gone.

It is a garden bed as it has cement trimming to shape it.
I will post a picture for you to see my problem.

Thanks so anyone that maybe able to help me, I appreciate it.

A Friend from DownUnder,
Debi

Degarotty, it depends on how much grass you need to get rid of. If not too much, you could put several layers of newspaper down and leave it until the grass dies. Or, most grass killers tell you on the container how long it will be before you can replant. You could ask a knowledgeable nursery person to recommend the least problematic grass killer. There are also more knowledgeable folks on this site. You may want to start a new thread with your question because some may not come back to old threads.

i believe there is herbicides that just kill the grass (monocots) without harming anything else.

Hi Guys, I thought I would give you a look at the yard in the daylight.

I it's heaps of work, if I pull it out, it grows back???

So it looks like a chemical of some sort, where I can plant not long after.

Debi

Here's one for you. It works like a charm, but is the tackiest thing you can possibly do.

Find old carpets that are being thrown out or talk to a carpet outlet and see if they have a number of jobs in the near future. Then roll out the carpet on the lawn. Keeps all the weeds down and allows moisture to get into the ground.

Like I said...REALLY TACKY.

Tacky, but it works, shrubb...one of the few things I've found that can take on my quack grass and win! I bummed some leftovers from a friend and have been using pieces here and there around my flower beds with great success. I also located some horticultural grade vinegar I want to try on some of the larger patches. The stuff is persistent.

Sounds like you've had some fun with weeds.

I first learned about the carpet idea from an old girlfriend's grandparents. Their entire vegetable garden was carpet.

Thanks Guys,

That's a great idea!

Tomorrow I will go in search of some carpet.

Even if I do a patch at a time.

Thank you, heaps,

Debi

No problem and good luck. Please let us know how it goes for you. :)