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Dreaming of a vegetable garden this coming year? Here’s some advice from Roy Jonsson, author of newly released book which is full of tips for B.C. gardeners: Garden Sense – Secrets of an Experienced Gardener.
If you decide to convert a section of lawn into a vegetable garden, don’t haul the turf away; cut it into rectangular blocks of manageable size and stack the moist blocks upside down in a metre-square (3-ft.) area in the middle of your new garden.
Between each layer of turf add a light dusting of lawn or high-nitrogen fertilizer. Cover the pile of inverted sod with black plastic and tie a cord around the base to secure the plastic.
After six to eight months or the next growing season, you can cut small holes in the plastic on the sides or top of the pile and plant seed potatoes that will grow and cascade down the sides of the pile. Any heat-loving plant, such as corn, cucumbers, squash or pumpkin will also respond well in a pile of old turf.
At the end of the growing season, remove the plastic and spread the well-decayed turf over the rest of your vegetable garden. If you have access to waste turf, the procedure can be repeated until you have enough topsoil for your raised beds.