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Hi all, we are building a house that's going to be finished next month. Unfortunately we won't have enough money to hire landscaping services so we'll have to DIY.
I've already got a plan of what I want to do, but my main concern is the soil. We'll mostly use plants for screening and ground cover, but the amount of sand from the construction and weeds is insane. I know that previously our whole land use to be someone else's backyard, so there may be some okay soil underneath.
Now, keeping in mind that we are in Perth, and the soil is sandy anyway. My question is: should I try and dispose of the construction sand and replace it with soil, or should I just work with it? Also, in either case, how big of a layer of the new soil?
Second part of the problem: the weeds. As we're not paving anything, how do I get rid of them without compromising the growth of the new plants, and how do I keep them at bay for the long term?
I'm uploading some images of the current situation.
Thanking you all in advance!
Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @andressa-franca. It's wonderful to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about lascaping a new property.
When it comes to deciding whether to keep or remove the soil, it largely depends on your plans for the area and how the soil level compares to the level of your property. If you're intending to have large lawns and the current sand is at the same level as your house slab, you'll need to remove about 150mm of it and replace it with topsoil to give the grass a suitable environment to grow. Grass requires nutrient-rich soil, and the sandy base wouldn't provide the necessary support.
On the other hand, if you're not planning to have a lawn, you might be fine working with the existing sand. If you are mulching or adding gravel to areas, that doesn't require the same quality of soil, so as long as the area is level and stable, you shouldn't need to remove it.
If you're considering extensive garden beds, it might be more practical to use raised garden beds. Sandy soil isn't ideal for most plants, and improving it to the point where it supports healthy plant growth can be labour-intensive and costly. Raised beds allow you to control the soil quality more easily and can be a better solution for the Perth conditions, which is already quite dry and sandy.
Regarding the weeds, you might want to start by removing as many weeds as possible, either by hand or using a non-residual herbicide like Round-up that won't affect the new plants. After that, laying down a thick layer of mulch can help suppress weed growth while retaining moisture in the soil. For long-term control, you might need to periodically spot-treat any weeds that do pop up and maintain a consistent mulch layer to prevent them from taking over again.
Whilst you are in the planning stage, check out our Top 10 most popular backyard projects for inspiration. There are some awesome ideas in there that you could use in your own backyard.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Mitchell
Thanks Mitchell!
We won't be using lawn. At the front we'll have natives and mulch. On the sides and some parts of the back we'll have stepping stones with dichondra to fill in the gaps, and garden beds alongside the fence. At the bigger opening at the back we'll have a square area for a fire pit with pebbles.
If I were to work with what I've got, should I just pour the new soil on the top of the sand, or should I mix it up a bit?
Thanks again! 
That depends on whether you want to build up mounds to grow in or plant at the current soil level @andressa-franca. For larger plants, I'd suggest removing a quantity of sand and mixing organic soil with what's remaining. Although natives can tolerate sandy soil, it's best to establish them in some organic material.
For the area around the stepping stones where the dichondra will be going, I'd remove the sand and use soil.
For the garden beds along the fence, you might like to build a low-level raised garden bed, say 200mm high, and fill it with soil.
Mitchell
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