I live at the top of a very rocky hill in the Northern Beaches. After buying the property, I had to tear out many of the small natives in our front garden due to years of neglect which had turned a 10m x 14m garden space into an overgrown mess. Then I had to rip up all the chicken wire that had been laid to deter brush turkeys (didn't work- don't recommend). The area is not level - there are holes and undulations and a fairly steep slope in places. It has extremely poor soil (clay and rocks) that has eroded quite a bit, and we get a lot of leaf fall from the surrounding gums. I also recently discovered the previous owners laid plastic matting under the soil.
So in all, not a great starting point. Oh, and the only access to this part of the garden requires a large crane.
My questions:
1. Before I bring in tons of new topsoil and lay turf, I would like to smooth out the slope as much as possible - what filler should I use before adding the topsoil?
2. Given that the existing soil is rubbish, how much topsoil is required? I have seen suggestions ranging from 100mm to 150mm to 200mm. Given the size of my garden area, that is a big price difference at roughly $80 per cubic metre.
3. Once I have added the topsoil, and before I lay the turf, should I add anything to the soil to enhance it?
4. Finally, to kill the weeds in my existing soil before adding the topsoil, can you recommend a weed killer that is environmentally friendly? I won't use Roundup or any other pesticides with forever chemicals in them.
Thanks!
AmandaV
