Planting and sowing seeds in a small garden area
Start planting trees and shrubs or even start sowing your lawn once the building or alteration procedures are done. Remember that you have a whole range of different designs to choose from. Undertake a course of soil improvement first if you have poor soil quality.
The planting plan:
Start by creating a planting plan and then mark down the locations of trees and shrubs. Remember that trees grow very fast so you should have enough space between them. Make sure when you buy any plants that you get a catalogue or pamphlet with the recommended spacing if it is not on their labels. For shrubberies to look good during the first years, it is best to plant them more densely than recommended. As part of the routine annual jobs in your garden, you can move plants that are growing too closely together after a year or two.
Soil preparation:
To avoid soil damages during the building process it will be wise to remove the topsoil and lower layer during dry weather and store it in separate heaps. Sow a crop of green fertilizer on the heaps for protection. Mechanically broke up the compacted soil around the house when the construction of the house is finished. Replace the lower layer of soil again in dry weather and let it settle before you cover it with the topsoil. Loosen up already established, compacted soil areas in the garden with a rotavator. You can get the help of builders or agricultural machine suppliers to help you with this. In preparation for sowing a lawn, a vegetable patch and summer flowerbeds just dig over the topsoil surface. Autumn, just before the ground becomes frozen, will be the best time for this.
Tips For Different Soils:
Wet soils, that have frozen superficially on the surface, are very easy to dig over. First rake over this area before sowing or planting in spring. Work over heavy soils with a machine where necessary. This treatment will let the soil look looser but it will become even harder and more solid afterwards. Use a rotary hoe in sandy, slightly loamy soils.
Buying Topsoil:
Buy extra topsoil only if yours have become contaminated with building rubble. To buy loose sieved topsoil will be expensive but it will pay for itself in the long run. Check on the quality when delivered.
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When you have a rich brown color it indicates that you have a high humus content.
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Make sure that the soil is slightly sandy and loamy.
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Remove any objects like large stones or plastic debris.
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Remove the roots of tough and durable weeds like couch grass or convolvulus from the soil.
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Make sure that no lime-rich building rubble or even debris from rendering or painting get dumped into the garden whilst the house is being built.
Improving The Soil:
For the best conditions of nutrients and water retention for your soil organisms and plant roots, use humus rich soil mixed with sand and clay. Improve your topsoil if it does not meet these requirements.
Soils poor in humus:
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Add bark humus, compost, peat or animal manure (+/- 600 liters per 100 sqm).
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Plant green fertilizer severe
ral times if necessary.
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Potatoes loosen the soil that's why it will be very wise the plant them in the first year.
Clay-rich soils:
Mix in a thick layer of sand (+/- 5cm). Sow green fertilizer and roughly dig it over in autumn.
Sandy soils:
Sow green fertilizer and spread compost. Mix in clay-rich soil.