New plot, ground advice, please!

Good Day,

I'm wanting to add some new plots for growing vegetables on a strip of land down the side of my home. It's currently overgrown with weeds, when I began removing them I discovered that i have only half an inch of soil and then 3inches of hardcore. Under neath the hardcore soil with quite a lot of clay.

Could anyone kindly offer me advice on whether I should dig up the hardcore, work with the soil there and create a new border, or leave the hardcore and build raised beds on top adding new top soil on top of the hardcore. I'm happy doing either, I'm not sure if how much soil I'd need on top if i do the latter, I plan to grow most vegetables here.

Or any other advice would be welcomed.

Thanks in advance.

Sam

 

Hi @Sam F

Welcome to Gardeners Corner



If it was me I'd go for raised beds, however @Scrungee is an expert vegetable grower so hopefully now I've tagged him he'll be here soon and be able to advise you better.

PS.... love your avatar photo, is that you ?

 

Thanks KFF for the quick reply.

That's promising as that's what I'm preferring work load wise! If @Scrungee agrees I'd love to hear how deep he suggests the soil be with future proofing for most varieties of vegetable growing.

Yes that is me, although I find growing trees more enjoyable than crashing into them, these days. I'll have to find a more apt photo for the forum in due course!

Thanks.

 

On new build construction the Landscape Architect in our multi-disciplinary practice would would specificy 150mm/6" for grassed areas and 300mm/12" for growing areas (and a whopping 450mm for shrubery areas, but I think that was he thought more about plants than gardeners).

I've always aimed for 300mm (or a spade depth as a minimum), but if using raised beds it doesn't need to be over he entire, just the footprint of the beds. Lettuce, raddish, etc can be only say 150mm.

 

Thanks for the advice, I'll begin.

 

Could that be the buried remains of an old vehicular access/hardstanding, and the thin layer of 'soil' the rotted remains of weeds, windblown leaves/dust etc.? Which could mean the clay subsoil underneath is compacted.

If raising ground levels take care to ensure they remain at least 150mm below your damp proof course, and don't create any areas of surface water ponding.