[bo]

This is where I got most of my onion info.

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/archives/parsons/publications/onions/oniongro.html

I plan to spray some herbicide down to kill the grass, then turn it after a couple of days. Then the raised beds will be filled. I will lay mulch and perhaps gravel around the planters to keep the grass at bay. It will grow up the inside and is a real PITA to eradicate.

man, don't use herbicides! why spend the money to get healthy soil trucked in and then poison it? That stuff is bad for works, soil bacteria and therefore long term health of your soil. mulch with 6 or 8 inches of compost or even plastic or cardboard around the planters to keep the grass down. remember those grass roots, although annoying will break down and add structure to your soil!

+ a bazillion.  No need to spray, just cut it short and cover it with many many layers of old newspaper and put your fill on top.

Not to promote a Monsanto product, but Roundup goes pretty much inert when it hits the soil. I wouldn't have a problem using it as long as it's some I already have around. I won't give those a-holes any more money.

[Hokerer]

+ a bazillion.  No need to spray, just cut it short and cover it with many many layers of old newspaper and put your fill on top.

Not to promote a Monsanto product, but Roundup goes pretty much inert when it hits the soil. I wouldn't have a problem using it as long as it's some I already have around. I won't give those a-holes any more money.

If you just really, really, absolutely feel the need to kill that grass, boiling water would be 100% safe.  Just redirect the output of your chiller from your next batch into the bed and voila!  (and no $$ to Monsanto either )

[denny]

+ a bazillion.  No need to spray, just cut it short and cover it with many many layers of old newspaper and put your fill on top.

+ a bazillion and one!  We've been doing that for years and it works great!

[morticaixavier]

If anyone is interested in lots more info on how to avoid a)using chem/supporting monsanto and b) working less hard in the garden this guy Sepp Holtzer is something of a luminary in the permaculture world.

He grown citrus...in Austria.

http://www.richsoil.com/sepp-holzer/sepp-holzer-permaculture.jsp

now back to your regularly schedule programming

[euge]

I have the Round-up! Anyway it has caused me some concern especially with my projected timeline so maybe the newspaper approach would be more appropriate.

I also have the Ortho Southern lawn concentrate. Knocks out the weeds and leaves the grass alone! Works badass. It's been a long war against the weeds over the years since my lawn died from the drought- I won't let that happen again no matter what water restrictions are placed on the community. Best to hope for rain!

[Hokerer]

It's been a long war against the weeds over the years since my lawn died from the drought- I won't let that happen again no matter what water restrictions are placed on the community. Best to hope for rain!

Or just learn to live with the weeds.  It's all green

[morticaixavier]

I have the Round-up! Anyway it has caused me some concern especially with my projected timeline so maybe the newspaper approach would be more appropriate.

I also have the Ortho Southern lawn concentrate. Knocks out the weeds and leaves the grass alone! Works badass. It's been a long war against the weeds over the years since my lawn died from the drought- I won't let that happen again no matter what water restrictions are placed on the community. Best to hope for rain!

or figure out how to work with native species to create a 'lawn' that doesn't require as much water, chem etc.

Sorry Euge, you hit a sore spot for me. You do what you think is right and what you want to do. If you are at all interested/curious check out that permaculture link. You would be amazed what those folks are doing and after a couple of years of hard work the amount of continued work goes WAY down.

[denny]

It's been a long war against the weeds over the years since my lawn died from the drought- I won't let that happen again no matter what water restrictions are placed on the community. Best to hope for rain!

Or just learn to live with the weeds.  It's all green

That's my philosophy!

[bo]

I have the Round-up! Anyway it has caused me some concern especially with my projected timeline so maybe the newspaper approach would be more appropriate.

I also have the Ortho Southern lawn concentrate. Knocks out the weeds and leaves the grass alone! Works badass. It's been a long war against the weeds over the years since my lawn died from the drought- I won't let that happen again no matter what water restrictions are placed on the community. Best to hope for rain!

I would never advocate the use of herbicides or pesticides unless you're losing the war. I've been there, so I feel your pain.

[euge]

Well I live in a city that has laws about how things look and neighbors as well. So it's a catch-22 situation and looking at the devastation after I let my yard die (being a good citizen) I swore never again. Then the losing war against the weeds... I couldn't keep up. Other than the odd spray with the Southern lawn at the beginning of each particular weed season my yard is back and healthy and grows a bunch of edible dandelions. I just mow it and spot-water when it needs it. The weeds can't compete with my grass very well because I cut it at the mower's tallest setting.

Anyway the hugelkultur speaks to me. I'm revamping my plan to see if it can be modified cause I got some old prime hugelkultur wood laying around. I can't do anything on the scale I'd like to- seven feet tall? My yard ain't that big.

I'll bore you with my reasoning for my approach. When I moved in to this house in 08 we were under the same drought conditions- except things are worse now. I had now idea how badly it floods back there until we had one of those incredible but typical Texas thunderstorm systems come through.

It gets as much as a foot deep back there spanning about 6 backyards with the deepest part in mine. I installed a sub-pump to drain the thousands of gallons of water. The soil is a rich but heavy clay so it only absorbs so much. I can't have a lake back there for weeks as it evaporates. My neighbors love me for that pump!

The "garden" is a project to raise the level of the yard so I can more easily divert the water to the pump. However I like the garden so it'll rise as the dirt does.

 

[bo]

Forget the pump, stock Lake Euge with some fish. 

[morticaixavier]

Forget the pump, stock Lake Euge with some fish. 

seriously, it's something to think about. when you get a super wet spot like that it can be an opportunity to build yourself a pond, This would also probably help drain the neighboring yards as well. course that kind of depends on what's underneath your lawn. pond/sewer line, not so good.

On the hugelkultur beds, Mine is only about 3 feet tall. I don't know how well it will work yet but I have read that you can do shorter beds, they just don't last quite as long. Youc an also dig a trench a couple feet deep and then build the mound in that so 7' become 5' above grade.

[euge]

Forget the pump, stock Lake Euge with some fish. 

seriously, it's something to think about. when you get a super wet spot like that it can be an opportunity to build yourself a pond, This would also probably help drain the neighboring yards as well. course that kind of depends on what's underneath your lawn. pond/sewer line, not so good.

On the hugelkultur beds, Mine is only about 3 feet tall. I don't know how well it will work yet but I have read that you can do shorter beds, they just don't last quite as long. Youc an also dig a trench a couple feet deep and then build the mound in that so 7' become 5' above grade.

Mosquitoes. No likey standing water and the grackles ate all the fish out of my neighbors pond. LOL

Yup digging a trench loaded with wood with a raised bed on top! I like the idea. Oh I see some back-breaking digging in my future...

Damn heavy clay is like glue.

[pinnah]

Hella cool. all the responses on how the heck to get nice fat onions.  Thanks.

Sorry to put the euge on the spot for grass killin.
the Devil Monsanto Roundup works well, and is easy
yet you have your imprint defined by the pine box.
I might go for the elbow grease and spade the footprint
then smother with the Morticai Layer...and soil. 
Still wow on teh import.


Yes the perennial rhubarb not dissimilar to the chard.
Me likes a little Bright Lights strategically placed at traveling nodes within the garden.

[erockrph]

Another trick for converting lawn to beds is to cut an outline around the bed by pressing straight down with a spade all around. Then you just treat it like sod and flip the whole section over like a carpet. The grass breaks down real quick and becomes good earthworm food.

As far as your pond goes, if you can't do fish maybe invest in some ducks instead. They're great bug control for the garden, and you get tasty eggs as a bonus.