First time gardener, what to do about new plot?

After having 'Very Fruitfully' gardened for about 44-45 years and having encountered several different garden sites and many different types of soils and weed situations.....since I can't see your site or soil conditions, and seeing we are getting closer to winter every day, I would probably start like this:

1. I'd probably scrap any hopes of planting anything until next spring.

2. I'd begin the weeding process, even if it means watering the area heavily for a week so the soil is soft enough to release the weeds' "roots". I would NOT use a weed whacker, unless you want to see them come back after the rains are over next spring. I can already hear 'By Hand?? U must be kidding!' Sorry, but yes, it's part of a garden's _price_ that will pay off later.

3. I'd use a "roto-tiller", shovel or spade and heavy metal rake to loosen and remove the large rocks. If some are really just hard dirt clods, and not rocks, break them up using the back of a shovel and the blade to chop at them. Add gypsum and nitrogen to the loose soil. Water it every day for at least a month to allow settling back. This will help 'rejuvenate' the underlying soil.

4. I'd next add several cubic yards of "Planting Mix" to bring the soil level Up to your desired height. Such planting mixtures vary in content, but most contain things like sandy loam soil, manure, compost like maybe finely ground wood chips, PEAT, gypsum, fine sand, composted leaves & plants etc (but NOT weeds). Some weeds will always survive no matter what tho.

5. To calculate how many yards of Planting Mix you'll need, just remember that one cubic yard covers exactly 81 sq. ft. that is 3½" thick. You'll need to consult your planter mix supplier to see if they calculate a yard as 'compacted' or 'uncompacted' mix. It WILL alter your calculations, and I'm sure they can assist you. If not, find a different supplier that will help!

6. Hopefully, the weather & your work pace will allow you to complete the above before heavy rains set in. If not, you'll need to do it as weather allows. If it rains after this is all done, and small weeds appear in spring, remove those young seedlings and you should be ready to plant. Just remember a 'little' fertilizer is great, but "a lot" can & often is 'deadly'. Happy Gardening!! ;)

LOL!!! at Debi...I am a man and I had a wonderful garden. :) Now I live in an apartment so.... :(

First you have to till the soil and remove the big rocks. Small rocks or pebbles (about half inch in diameter) are good to have. Tilling allows the soil to break up and let in air. If the patch has been previously used, remove some of the soil. The community might help you dispose of it. Buy some top soil (the grade depends on what you want to grow). Add nitrogen products (they stink though) and some peat. Mix it all in thoroughly and water it daily. Let it sit for a week (actually a month would be better). Water it everyday. This allows the soil to mix well with the other items and also helps it settle naturally. Lot of work preparing the soil if you want a good garden. You may have to buy quite a bit of top soil.

Lot of work. If you are prepared to do it and take care of it like you would take care of a baby (lots of care and love), you will have a wonderful garden. Have fun and enjoy your gardening. :)

Remove all the weeds by hand and trash, because the weeds on your new plot probably have gone to seed and when they are just dug under will grow happily back again. It will take most likely several weed removals. Use a screen to remove the rocks. Rake the soil fairly even. Spread compost or old manure on top and dig under. Rake even. Now the fun part of seeding and planting can begin. When you just want to cover your uncultivated plot with new soil it is best to put a heavy layer of newspaper down first to suppress the weeds and then add a 10 inch layer of a good soil mix. You will find a good Garden Book like " The Illustrated Guide to Gardening" from Reader's Digest very helpful.Libraries offer a large selection of books on gardening and when you like one, try to buy it used. I acquired many books from Value Village.

Lay down 7 to 9 layers of news paper(or 2 layers of cardboard), cover with 2" of leaves, top with 2" + of straw, then 2" of top soil. You can plant directly in this. Newspaper kills weeds, other ingredients add to the organic compound of the soil, your back is saved the strain of pulling weeds. Have fun!

If this is not required organic gardening....first kill the weeds with Round Up or something....when they die...then start picking out the bigger rocks....next use Preen, a pre-emergence to keep weeds coming back...then use a good grandular fertilizer for vegetables and flowers and seeds. Next, since you can't bring in top soil to replace 12" of soil, just add lots of organic matter or compost.....till real good or do it by hand, mixing all these good things together. http://www.gardenweb.com/sesbania/newgard.html

I don't know why I tried to tell you when it is all posted on this site...have fun..

You might want to get a garden rake (as opposed to a flexible leaf rake) to help you get the rocks out of the soil. You can add topsoil or compost to your area to make it more productive, and you may want to mix some kind of all-purpose garden fertilizer into the mix before you put it on your plot. It may be some work to get it started, but it will significantly increase your yield. Enjoy your gardening!

A hard garden rake is a good idea...........Just break up the clumps of dirt with it..........Also you may want to add some top soil (can't tell you how much b/cause don't know the size of your plot)..Your best bet from here is to go to a garden store to find out what to plant and what else you need....Let them know the size of the plot............Save your rocks.You may want to incorporate them into your garden for an eye catcher design around something.............Always add flowers to your garden for added beauty...Good Luck.....Don't forget to plant some spices like Rosemary(good for Pork)

Kill the weeds, til the dirt, this makes it easier to rake out the rocks and stones. preen-n-green works great put down before good soil. you can also cover with mulched leaves then til again after they break down somewhat is you can wait that long. if using preen use acouple years in a row then for the next 2 you won't have any weeds. this stuff is great

I think you’ve been given a lot of great advice already. Realize that all the effort put into site preparation pays off with a more abundant crop.

As to what to plant, grow vegetables that you know you will enjoy eating, or using in cooking. Gardening will be much more enjoyable if you know you will enjoy what whatever you harvest.

I always like it intermingle herbs with vegetables. The aromas of the common culinary herbs help to deter pests and there’s noting like fresh herbs it if you enjoy cooking. They are also very easy to grow and don't require much space.

If you need more information for growing specific plants for your area, please just ask.

Whatever you do don't let a man work on it. All the weeds will grow back the next spring. Trust me. I know.