How to resurect a garden???

[Gus]

First of all let me say that I am completely new to gardening. I moved into a house last summer that had a previous garden. The previous owners however didn't garden. It basically became a lawn clipping dumping ground and weed bed. Except for the rhubarb of course.

I want to take a stab at growing some tomatoes, onions, and peppers to make my own salsa.

What should I do to the garden to get it into growing shape?

Current vegetation (at least last summer) included waist high grasses, thistles, and other weeds. Clumps of old lawn clippings. I could not see to the dirt.

I'm thinking of rototilling the entire area? Will that mix it up good enough? Or do I need to rake out all the old vegitation? What about keeping the weeds from starting? Is there any kind of week killer that is ok to use when gardening? Let me know anything that might get me started. I'm new to gardening.

Thanks.

[sparcebag]

I'd till it up and either weed often or till and use the weed barrier ( black cloth material)I used the barrier once, it worked but the cheap stuff is worthless.

[IFallsRon]

Like sparce said. Pull up the weeds and try to keep as many of the seeds and stuff from falling into the soil. Till it up as soon as the ground is ready, water it really good and throw a plastic (black or clear) over it until at at least Memorial Day and chances are you'll be ok. The plastic and sunshine will help build steam and heat and that will essentially sterilize the soil as best as can be expected.

After planting, keep up with the weeds as they come. I put a couple inches of grass clippings on my garden and it helps keep the weeds down as well as building up the soil as it rots.

[fishing farmer]

i think you may have to spray with roundup in the spring when the grass is starting to grow pulling the grass is impossible . wait 7 to 10 days after spraying the grass will be dead you can rake out the dead grass and weeds and then till

[Moose]

I,m with IF Ron.

Right now I would put the BLACK PLASTIC over your garden. The black will keep the sunlight out to prevent photosynthesis and it will warm the ground up enough to do something with the weeds and get the grass clippings thawed out.

Once they are thawed take out the clippings and and pull as much of the weeds as you can then put the plastic back on as close to the soil as possible and leave it till memorial day. As the sun heats up the ground it should cook the seeds in the ground and sterilizes them. Then I would pull as much of the rest of the stuff as possible.

Then I would go to your local compost center and get some to put on the garden and mix it in either with a tiller or my prefered method is to have me Executive Assistatns {boys}take the spade and spade the entire area as deep as you can to mix in the compost and turn over the soil.

Then I would mix in some 10-10-10 fertilizer and rake the entire area and plant away. There will be some weeds the first year so you will need to pick them out.

Every year I take the left over dirt from my Loves plants and throw it in the garden for the next year. I also throw in the left over minnows and fish guts from fishing in the winter and mix those things in when I spade we spade it the next year.