Preparing ground for a Polytunnel?.

saltyseadog · Post by **saltyseadog** » Tue Feb 28, 2023 10:41 am

We bought a polytunnel at the back end of last year with the intention of assembling it this spring. It measures 4.5 x 3mtrs and I intended to take off the turf from the area in our side garden where it would be sited. At 75, this winter has been unkind to say the least on my knees and I think digging up that turf is likely do do more damage than good. Our plan was to have two sections, one on each side of the tunnel boxed in with 6" x 1" treated fence planking leaving a small 2.5' - 3' passage down the middle as a paved walkway. The two planting boxes created would be filled with compost. Before I advertise for a local handyman/gardner to if possible prep the ground is it absolutely necessary to remove the turf or could we just put the compost over the top of the existing grass and the grass would just rot into the soil?.

dewaltdisney · Post by **dewaltdisney** » Tue Feb 28, 2023 11:15 am

I think I would just simply lay a weed control fabric https://www.screwfix.com/p/apollo-weed- ... x-1m/33004 it will do the job and save you a load of work.

DWD

Someone-Else · Post by **Someone-Else** » Tue Feb 28, 2023 12:24 pm

I was wondering (you can tell I am NOT an avid gardener) if you dumped compost etc directly on the grass, the grass will not know you don't want it to grow, so it will grow through the compost. (Not instantly, but if it does, and you have compost in the way..............)

wine~o · Post by **wine~o** » Tue Feb 28, 2023 5:14 pm

Lay cardboard down over the grass then add your compost, incidentally you'll get better long term results mixing comost with topsoil, topsoil retains nutrients better. random video on the cardboard from you tube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzKQYP_ ... iaGardener

mikew1972 · Post by **mikew1972** » Tue Feb 28, 2023 5:31 pm

What Wine~o said.

Another channel for you to check out on YouTube is Charles Dowding who has a market garden based on no-dig principals.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/@CharlesDowding1nodig[/youtube]

wine~o · Post by **wine~o** » Tue Feb 28, 2023 6:31 pm

mikew1972, Thanks for that, a much better video than the one I linked to...