How to start garden in overgrown area?

I have an area in my yard that is overgrown.. i tried spraying, tilling it, ect so i can start a garden in that area but no luck weeds always come back.... would it be easier to dig it all out and put store-bought soil there?

How to start garden in overgrown area?
Yes, ideally you want to lay weedblocking sheeting on ground then place top soil. However this does affect your garden as you cannot till it or change the sprinkler system as an example, for it may damage the weedblocker and then you repeat the trouble again.
Reply:Oh, sometimes I wonder if that is a crazy idea! No, you are going about it correctly.



Remember you have years and decades of seeds just waiting for you in the soil. How nice that you are providing light and water!! They are rewarding your effort with growth.......darn it.



You can try solarization, cooking the soil. Lay clear plastic sheets over moist soil, secure the edges and let sit for 10 days, remove, turn the soil and replace the plastic. In theory you could do this for a season, but you'd cook your soil dead. As it is, you are destroying the microorganisms that help you garden while you also kill weed seeds. A nasty trade off. Anyway, after several "cookings" remove the plastic, add compost to the soil (necessary to bring back the soil organisms) and garden. Make certain though you mulch heavily between the plants to keep any weeds that do germinate in the dark.



It will take a few years to get the soil where you want it. Be patient, took me about 5 years.