what to grow

[0DRLddMMyyyy0Falseen-USTrue]

After renovating the house. I have started the garden. Today I have been demolishing two huge bonfires full of iron bits, sharp bits of glass, syringes with the needes in, lightbulbs. I think the entire garden was a ash heap, some now has iron incorporated in it from the bonfire; other soil seems very fine. What would be a good thing to grow on ash, iron? Garden gets sun all afternoon and gets very hot. I also have creeping over from my neighbours garden a Japanese knotweed, which my neigbours refuse to believe is a pest because it's pretty. Thank you Molly

[Mozman]

Of course this very much depends on where you are in France. And also the size of your plot....or how much of it you intend to plant, rather than lawn or gravel etc.

So a few more details would help in terms of advice re planting.

What I would say is that, given the soil is poor quality, you are going to be limited in what can thrive. This may well be OK for some...or even most....of the garden area as there are plants to suit any type of soil and somethings will always do well.

However, it is a good idea to select at least part of your plot where you improve the soil. Add organic matter etc, import some decent top soil. Believe me, anything you do before planting will be far easier and have more benefit than adding manure etc later on. And it means there will be part of your garden...either a border or a raised bed....where you can plant a wider variety of things without the danger of wasting money on expensive plants that don't grow well.

[Ty Korrigan]

Never mind the subject... I should begin a sneaky spray programme to control the knotweed...  or nothing will ever grow in your garden!

Developers have to go to huge efforts to get rid of the stuff back in the 53rd state. I would never buy a property with the stuff on or near it unless I could control it. It is truly a plant out of Dr Who! 

[Ty Korrigan]

Back to the thread... Consider cultivating the soil and sowing a green fertiliser (available from Point Vert) over the winter months.

Come spring, there will have been a great deal of breaking down of the rubbish/ashes in the soil and before you turn the green fertiliser back in take a sample of the soil to Point vert for testing. Ashes and burnt rusting iron may add to the acidity of your soil.