Quick organic gardening fix to poor soil in urban gardens

Just moved in and want a garden this spring, but there is none at your new home? Here's a quick and dirty way – pun intended – to get a garden and you don't even have to till up the ground or remove the sod.

Step 1: Locate a sunny spot in the area of the yard you want the garden. Check it morning, noon and afternoon to see how the shadows of your house or other building around it might fall onto the area. It's okay if shadows fall, but you want it to receive light 70 percent of the time.

Step 2: Decide on the size you want. Sometimes it's wise to start small, building only one or two garden beds if you are starting from scratch. A no-till garden will have beds that are four to five feet wide and eight to 25 feet long. Once constructed, you never should walk on them, but will care for them by reaching in from the sides.

Step 3: Construct the frame of the bed. Any material except treated lumber can be used. Many gardeners will use stones or landscaping bricks to outline the beds. Others will buy lumber and make wooden frames – just remember, because the wood isn't treated, you will have to replace the frame every three to five years.

Step 4: Place several layers of newspaper in the bed over the grass. Be sure to cover the corners and edges as the newspapers will be what will kill the grass so you don't have to remove the sod. After the first year, the grass will be dead and you can use shovels or spades and turn the soil over in preparation for the next year.

Step 5: Buy 10 to 20 bags of top soil (not potting mix) and a bag of peat moss. See my story on how peat is a great fast start material. Mix the soil and peat on a tarp or in a wheel barrow and dump it carefully into the bed. Mix enough peat so you have a light fluffy soil mixture at least six to eight inches thick over the newspapers.

Step 6: You are ready to plant. Be sure not to dig too deep if you put transplants in so the newspaper will not be disturbed. Within 45 to 60 days the grass will have died and you can do anything you would with any other garden after that.

Top soil costs less than $1.50 for a 40 pound bag, so this is a quick fix to get anyone going on a garden bed or two. You can expand your garden in the fall by digging more beds and using your own compost to build your gardens – it’s the best route to building a rich garden soil and true organic methods.