Cleaning out the strawberry patch
By webeishere
@webeishere (36313)
United States
May 1, 2009 9:29am CST
This photo shows plastic etc laid out on the lawn to kill it off. I do this so the ground is easier to dig up next year for planting etc. This is my strawberry patch and will be huge once done in a year or two. Do you cover grassy areas etc to prepare it for next years plantings?
HAPPY POSTINGS FROM GRANDPA BOB!!~
3 people like this
10 responses
@tyc415 (5706)
• United States
1 May 09
A couple of years ago my son got some plastic for the flower bed out front. He cleaned it out really good and then put it down and those pesky weeds found a way to get through it. If I didn't want it to die then it would but wanting it do die it won't. Do you think the day will come when your entire yard will be garden? Flowers, veggies and fruit? That would be awesome.
4 people like this
@webeishere (36313)
• United States
1 May 09
Nahhh my wife likes the lawn too much. We have a large yard so no chance it all being garden etc. Photo added in response #4 now.
HAPPY POSTINGS FROM GRANDPA BOB!!~
3 people like this
@PurpleTeddyBear (6685)
• Canada
1 May 09
That would be neat if it were all garden, but I can understand your wife wanting some grass!
1 person likes this
@BarBaraPrz (48867)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
1 May 09
I've never done that, but there is a similar method called
"lasagna gardening"where you build up layers of stuff, starting with old wet newspapers to kill the grass.
You keep piling up layers of stuff (grass clippings, compost, leaves, seaweed, what-have-you)
and end up building soil.
Rodale Press put out a book about it a few years back (written by Patricia Lanza).
@blackbriar (9075)
• United States
1 May 09
Your right and I'm one of the book owners. I've read and reread that book to the point it's pretty worn out by now. lol I have several lasagna gardens going at once on top of an old gravel driveway. One of them produced tons of spuds last year. This year I might grow beans in them or my tomatoes/peppers. It's kinda like a huge compost pile that you plant directly into it.
4 people like this
@BarBaraPrz (48867)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
1 May 09
I love the illustrations in the book.
3 people like this

@blackbriar (9075)
• United States
1 May 09
I never have to do that cause the areas I end up planting in are pretty much bare spots. I've started planting spring-flowering perennials through-out my yard this spring. Every bare spot gets a flower planted in. Tired of trying to grow grass in those spots and if I don't plant something, the weeds will fill them in. Found an old washtub that someone threw out so I just planted my cantaloupe in it last night in the yard where the creeping charlie likes to grow. Once my watermelon is big enough, I'll be planting that there as well. The vines have a lot of room to spread out there since it's too bare to mow. Now, if it would just stop raining for a few days so my garden can dry up enough to till, I'll be happy. lol
3 people like this
@webeishere (36313)
• United States
1 May 09
I am looking for a 50's era washtub to use as a flower or spice planter out back myself.
HAPPY POSTINGS FROM GRANDPA BOB!!~
2 people like this
@blackbriar (9075)
• United States
1 May 09
I have several thanks to people that throw them out once the bottom rots a hole. Guess some people don't see an excellent planter like we do, eh?
2 people like this
@carolscash (9492)
• United States
1 May 09
That is a great idea. We haven't ever done that but I might try it sometime. We just planted a garden a few days ago and it has rained non stop since. I feel that our plants may be washed away if it doesn't stop soon or they may drown. I hope not as I am hoping to become a little more self suffient soon.
3 people like this
@dragon54u (31634)
• United States
1 May 09
No, I don't do that but it's a great idea! I'll try that next spring. Grass isn't really the problem here, though, it's all these pretty weeds that spread along the ground with their pretty purple flowers. I have to go out, as soon as it dries up from all this rain, and pull the stuff up.
As someone else said, no photo. That's a shame, I wanted to see it.
3 people like this
@webeishere (36313)
• United States
1 May 09
It kills most everything but the dandelions and other weeds that survive the winter and have deep roots. Heres the photo.
HAPPY POSTINGS FROM GRANDPA BOB!!~
2 people like this
@webeishere (36313)
• United States
1 May 09
Yeah I've creeping charlie as well. UGHH!!
HAPPY POSTINGS FROM GRANDPA BOB!!~
1 person likes this
@blackbriar (9075)
• United States
1 May 09
lol @ pretty weeds. That's creeping charlie and the stuff is near impossible to eradicate from the yard. Round-up kills it but will kill anything else it comes in contact with so that's out of the question for the yard. They do smell nice when you mow the flowers, though.
3 people like this

@tamarafireheart (15384)
•
1 May 09
Hi GRANDPA BOB,
No picture GRANDPA BOB, but I know with all that hard work, your ground would be ok for the next two years.
Tamara
2 people like this
@webeishere (36313)
• United States
1 May 09
I added the phot to response number 4 in my comment.
HAPPY POSTINGS FROM GRANDPA BOB!!~
1 person likes this
@PurpleTeddyBear (6685)
• Canada
1 May 09
That is something I will definitely keep in mind Grandpa Bob for when we do move into our own house and have a garden. Thanks for the tip!
2 people like this
@guybrush (4658)
• Australia
2 May 09
We used to put plastic down, but these days we put down thick layers of damp newspaper and cover them in lawn clippings. This keeps the soil nice and moist, and the worms are able to go about their job while the weeds die off, so the earth stays nice and healthy.
