I just got a community garden plot. I have until next spring to get it all cleaned up for planting. The problem is, it was abandoned all year and is completely covered in weeds. It's pretty much a big patch of tall grass. (the plot is 20'x20') What's the best way to get rid of it all, including the roots, so that it won't grow back later? I'm not allowed to use any chemicals so it needs to be an organic solution.

Any other tips on having a successful vegetable garden would be appreciated too!

cut all weeds as low as possable and rake debris up and remove from plot. till area good and rake grass and roots up and remove. repeat process until soil is clean and then till in some amendments like peat moss or chichen or turkey manure or black cow manure from the store. have a soil test done and they will tell you how much lime and fertilizer to apply and till this in good too and rake again. till and rake again in the spring.

I'm tired of always worrying about not washing out all the pesticides, herbicides and god knows what els out of my vegtables. So i decided that i should grow my own vegatebles. But i've never grown anything in my life. Does anyone have any tips that will help me start out right. I want to grow tomatoes, bell peppers, carrots, squash, and possible my own green tea. Where should I go shopping?

Begin with what you have and prepare the soil for next year. Healthy soil grows healthy plants. Doing it organically means it takes a bit more time for things to break down and beneficial soil communities, including actinomycetes and arbuscular mycorrhizae, need to recover if you till in any amendments. They are your partners in preparing the soil and growing the plants. Know your beneficial flora & fauna in the soil and on top. It seems like a lot to learn but it really will help.

compost

http://www.css.cornell.edu/compost/invertebrates.html
http://www.ext.vt.edu/departments/entomology/ornamentals/beneficials.html
http://www.govlink.org/hazwaste/house/yard/problems/goodbugs.cfm

To begin asses your soil. What is the mineral content: sand, silt and clay ratio. Next how much organic is in the soil. Here are two methods to familiarize yourself with the soil. Optimum soil percentages are: Sand – 30-50%, Silt – 30-50%, Clay – 20- 30%, Organic material – 5-10%.
You need 1 quart jar, 2 cups water, 1 T water softener OR three drops detergent. Just enough to separate the minerals not to foam up.

Take a soil sample from the top 12 inches in your garden beds. Since your soil may vary throughout your property, take samples from each area you plan to amend and test each one separately.

Place your soil sample, water and water softener in a quart jar. Cover with a tight fitting lid on the jar, shake vigorously until everything is floating in the water. (If it foams you used to much soap.) Set the jar aside for 24 hours.

What settles first is the sand, the next layer is the silt, followed by the clay, and frosting all the layers is the organic material on top. When everything has settled after 24 hours, measure each layer. Then divide the thickness of each layer by the total depth of all layers together. To get the percentages, multiply the answers by 100.

Alternate assessment method
Check your soil's texture by picking up a handful and squeeze gently: If it feels sticky and stays in a tight mass, your soil is likely too high in clay. If it feels harsh or gritty and won't hold any shape or crumbles it is likely too high in sand. If it feels silky smooth or floury and won't hold any shape, it's likely too high in silt. If it molds into your hand yet crumbles apart when squeezed, it has the perfect texture. It is loam.
If it formed a sticky ball try to squeeze it upward to form a ribbon. Measure the length of the ribbon. Now wet the soil in your palm til muddy. Rub the soil against your palm with your other fingertips. Is it smooth, gritty or both?
1” gritty ribbon is sandy loam
1” smooth ribbon is silty loam
1” both is loam
1-2” gritty ribbon is sandy clay loam
1-2” smooth ribbon is silty clay loam
1-2” both is clay loam
GT 2” gritty ribbon is sandy clay
GT 2” smooth ribbon is silty clay
GT 2” both is clay
Black color indicates high organic matter; gray indicates medium organic matter. Red, tan or blue color indicates little organic matter and high clay. Blue color indicates that there is no oxygen in the clay. Therefore, no roots will grow in blue clay. Normally, the organic matter is mainly in the topsoil.
Next you take a fertility test for the pH and nitrogen, phosphorous, & potassium content. You can easily do this or send off for it. The results of the test tell you exactly how much you need to add to bring the soil to its optimal fertility without adding extra that will end up in the water runoff. Testing saves you money and prevents polluting the water.

If you need help calculating how much and what to add there are lots of sites that specialize in organic gardening.

In 1995, Ellen Sandbeck, a homemaker, gardener, and graphic designer in Minnesota, concerned by the fact that 500,000 tons of pesticides are used every year in the U.S. alone, self-published an unusually humorous book on non-toxic housekeeping and gardening filled with practical and healthy alternatives to commercial chemicals and cleansers. Light in tone but heavy in knowledge, Slug Bread became an instant hit with the target market, selling 7000 copies as a self-published edition and later 19,500 copies as a Broadway tradepaperback original.

In “Eat More Dirt,” Ellen shifts her focus strictly to the outdoors to present a lively, practical guide to growing and maintaining an organic pleasure garden. Written with same deliciously witty, slightly macabre sense of humor (it’s hard to talk about exploding roaches with a straight face), the book explains the benefits of organic gardening — both to the gardener and the planet — and outlines the nuts and bolts of planting, pruning, and of course, keeping nasty pests at bay. It also shares Ellen’s philosophy of gardening — namely that gardens offer a wonderful opportunity to promote well-being through exercise, relaxation, and connecting with the earth. Ellen walks readers through the process of designing a garden and preparing the land; understanding topsoil and how maintain a healthy bed of earth; choosing plants that are compatible and reflect your taste and vision; planting a garden healthily and efficiently; and finding joy in garden maintenance. As with Slug Bread, Ellen provides a wealth of amusing techniques for handling garden pests and predators in an organic fashion — such as picking beetles with homemadeherbicides.

Charming and full of home-spun stories and information, “Eat More Dirt” is a delightful alternative to the encyclopedic gardening tomes that fill the shelves — the perfect guide for the casual or first-time gardener, or anyone whose green, eco-friendly sensibilities match their green thumb.

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