Question
Hello,

          I am currently having my garden landscaped. When I say garden it is actually to the rear of the property and is approx 1.5 acres.  At present the digger has scraped the top layer as it was literally a wilderness with weeds... my problem is that the soil and weeds that has been scraped off 1.5acres is now in a massive heap in the far corner of the site and I cannot get it taken away.... the rest of the area is being rotavated and sewn with grass until Spring when I can decide where to go with it.  Have you any suggestions as to what I can do with this massive mound of earth that is taking up so much space.


                     Thankyou

                      Marian  ( Ireland )

Answer
Hey, Marina.

Well, first, I hate to see soil of any type hauled away from a property. I believe that gardens are best if they use indigenous soil, with a few exceptions such as a vegetable garden.

If I were in your situation and had already had the top layer scraped like that, then I would create some raised areas throughout the 1.5 acres so that it is not totally flat. After all, you live in Ireland, not Kansas. Those raised areas can be used to create some secluded, private spots in your garden.

Soil that is "bad" and needs to be "scraped" doesn't really need that at all. If it's fully of weeds it can be tilled with some weed killer and left to sit for a couple of months. Then some weed-prevention cloth can be laid down on the soil to prevent weeds from getting a good grip. Pre-emergent weed killer also works very well for keeping weeds from re-appearing, and a good layer of mulch can do the same.

In some form or fashion, though, I believe you should use that soil to create some nice landscaping effects.

Hope I've helped some.