2016 Lawn thread
Discussion
this is it. thanks
Aftercut
AFTERCUT LAWN FEED & CONDITIONER Feeds and conditions for a richer, greener and healthier lawn in just 3 days. Regular applications will create a thicker, harder wearing lawn and help suppress weeds and moss. Non-scorch formula protects plants. NPK 3-1-3 +2Fe+1Mg
Aftercut
AFTERCUT LAWN FEED & CONDITIONER Feeds and conditions for a richer, greener and healthier lawn in just 3 days. Regular applications will create a thicker, harder wearing lawn and help suppress weeds and moss. Non-scorch formula protects plants. NPK 3-1-3 +2Fe+1Mg
Ok Gents.
It is nearly time to start the turfing of my back garden, I will attempt to turf either October or if this is missed early next year after the frost.
If anyone has been following my garden build thread http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a... You'll know that the ground is heavy clay.
The grass will be pretty much a circle, I have dug down about 5 inches from the top of where the grass will go to remove clay, have put french drainage in (see stone in the grass) I will then be laying 4 inches (possibly deeper in places) topsoil onto the awful clay soil (which is currently fairly compacted due to walking on it constantly while doing the garden).
The turf I hope to get (for cheap, as we work with the company) is http://www.inturf.com/turf-products/really-tough-t... to hopefully cope with the north east facing garden and the sometimes boggy conditions.
Is there anything else I can do to help in the preparation, as currently it's all guess work. When we took the old turf up (new build) it had not knitted to the rubbish underneath (clay/cement mixer parts/old tonne bags/etc)
Some photos to see my current situation:
Grass going to left:
You can see french drains here:
Some top soil in:
view now the path is down:
So any help appreciated, I can't take out anymore clay soil, that isn't an option. Hoping the french drains help in some way, they have done in the heavy rain we've had, used to be a bog, now only boggy in a couple of small areas.
It is nearly time to start the turfing of my back garden, I will attempt to turf either October or if this is missed early next year after the frost.
If anyone has been following my garden build thread http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a... You'll know that the ground is heavy clay.
The grass will be pretty much a circle, I have dug down about 5 inches from the top of where the grass will go to remove clay, have put french drainage in (see stone in the grass) I will then be laying 4 inches (possibly deeper in places) topsoil onto the awful clay soil (which is currently fairly compacted due to walking on it constantly while doing the garden).
The turf I hope to get (for cheap, as we work with the company) is http://www.inturf.com/turf-products/really-tough-t... to hopefully cope with the north east facing garden and the sometimes boggy conditions.
Is there anything else I can do to help in the preparation, as currently it's all guess work. When we took the old turf up (new build) it had not knitted to the rubbish underneath (clay/cement mixer parts/old tonne bags/etc)
Some photos to see my current situation:
Grass going to left:
You can see french drains here:
Some top soil in:
view now the path is down:
So any help appreciated, I can't take out anymore clay soil, that isn't an option. Hoping the french drains help in some way, they have done in the heavy rain we've had, used to be a bog, now only boggy in a couple of small areas.
wjwren said:
this is it. thanks
Aftercut
AFTERCUT LAWN FEED & CONDITIONER Feeds and conditions for a richer, greener and healthier lawn in just 3 days. Regular applications will create a thicker, harder wearing lawn and help suppress weeds and moss. Non-scorch formula protects plants. NPK 3-1-3 +2Fe+1Mg
Should be fine. Something with more P would be ideal, but it'll still help and isn't overly high in N which is the main thing.Aftercut
AFTERCUT LAWN FEED & CONDITIONER Feeds and conditions for a richer, greener and healthier lawn in just 3 days. Regular applications will create a thicker, harder wearing lawn and help suppress weeds and moss. Non-scorch formula protects plants. NPK 3-1-3 +2Fe+1Mg
joestifff said:
Ok Gents....
The drains will help a lot, but ideally a deeper layer of topsoil would've been better (6 to 9 inches). Mixing some of the topsoil with the upper clay layers to transition from clay to topsoil will prevent a distinct soil horizon forming between them. Grass roots will be unlikely to cross such a horizon, so you won't get the full rooting depth from your new turf. Deep aeration periodically with a garden fork will also help to tie the layers together and encourage deeper rooting.WinstonWolf said:
Hmm, what's doing this to my lawn? Lots of tufts of dead grass and holes about 5mm across. Is it a bird looking for worms or the start of something sinister?
It only started this week.
Could be a sign of leatherjacket grubs under the surface. Very tasty if you're a bird, not so good if you're a grass root. I would peel back some of the turf in places and see if you can see any. Nematodes are the answer if you do. Not something that you want to ignore as a severe infestation can destroy a lawn very quickly. It only started this week.
This time of the year is usually one of 2 things, birds going after the crane fly as they emerge, in which case it's worth putting down some leather jacket nematodes. Or could be chafer grubs which are abit more of a pain in the ass!
Easy way to tell if you have a chafer grub infestation is to form a U shape with a spade and see if the lawn peels back like a carpet. If it does it will usually reveal a number of these grubs too. I've seen a massive rise in chafer grub infestations this year in areas not usually affected.
Easy way to tell if you have a chafer grub infestation is to form a U shape with a spade and see if the lawn peels back like a carpet. If it does it will usually reveal a number of these grubs too. I've seen a massive rise in chafer grub infestations this year in areas not usually affected.
I doubt you would find any actual leather jackets at this time of the year, so don't stress if you can't find any. I would say it is still worth treating for them though as nematodes work best when the larvae is small, so best do it now than in the spring. Also for then to work their best you need to make sure you keep the lawn well watered afterwards for around 2 weeks
Autumn scarify etc done. Not much moss which is great considering the state it was in when we bought it in November last year. My lawn has come on in leaps and bounds, the previous owners who were lazy monkeys wouldnt recognise it.
One question, I have one very shady corner that is almost always damp regardless of time of year, its quite clay-ee too which doesnt help. Ive added lots of holes with my fork to try and improve drainage /airate but I wondered about getting some sand into the area. What sort do I need? I read sharp sand, but is it really the gritty yellowy nasty stuff you see in b and q?
One question, I have one very shady corner that is almost always damp regardless of time of year, its quite clay-ee too which doesnt help. Ive added lots of holes with my fork to try and improve drainage /airate but I wondered about getting some sand into the area. What sort do I need? I read sharp sand, but is it really the gritty yellowy nasty stuff you see in b and q?
8-P said:
One question, I have one very shady corner that is almost always damp regardless of time of year, its quite clay-ee too which doesnt help. Ive added lots of holes with my fork to try and improve drainage /airate but I wondered about getting some sand into the area. What sort do I need? I read sharp sand, but is it really the gritty yellowy nasty stuff you see in b and q?
The risk with sand and clay soil is that, depending on the clay, you can end up creating a concrete like substance if you don't add enough sand (ie equal amounts). If you're going to topdress, then topsoil mixed with plenty of compost is a safer bet. Organic matter aids drainage in clay soils, and helps retain moisture in sandy soils - wonderful stuff. Keeping the area well aerated is good to prevent compaction and the exclusion of air, but it's likely to always be a bit soggy without major work especially if it's in a low spot. That's not necessarily a bad thing so long as the grass selection is right for those conditions and it's not on a well trodden route. Clay soil does have some advantages, ie lower fertiliser and irrigation requirements.
Evanivitch said:
25sqm of turf has gone down at the bottom of the garden, don't think it'll need any water in the current conditions but maybe over weekend.
One issue, I have a hover mower. Is this going to make the first cut too harsh?
It should be fine, but set the mower blades to the highest cut. Ideally you want to just be taking the tops off the grass, then gradually lower the cutting height over subsequent weeks. If you're taking off too much on the first cut even at the highest setting then it's worth trying to borrow a rotary mower for the first couple of cuts intead if you can.One issue, I have a hover mower. Is this going to make the first cut too harsh?
Starting to deal with our lawn today
We have about 2-3 ins of top soil on London clay ,so the grass is either bone dry and tufty with brown patches or a quagmire ,so first is a turf lifter to remove whats left of the lawn , then deep rotovation with a hire shop rotovator to get down 8-10 ins then over a period of time with a smaller rotovator ( shop-soiled but new with warrantee from ebay )break the soil down with continual passes and mix organic matter and sand /grit in to improve drainage .
Then in a couple of weeks time hopefully lay the new turf , slight problem is the turf cutting season is winding down
So the lawn and stage one
Turf lifted no problem
But then it starts , firstly due to access problems , we were limited to the type of rotovator we could use , Link only as rain has stopped play
https://www.hss.com/hire/p/power-digger-rotavator
The hard compacted clay , made the rotovator we have skip over the surface , so it is taking many passes to break down the soil, more passes tomorrow in the hope we will get deep enough
To be cont ......
We have about 2-3 ins of top soil on London clay ,so the grass is either bone dry and tufty with brown patches or a quagmire ,so first is a turf lifter to remove whats left of the lawn , then deep rotovation with a hire shop rotovator to get down 8-10 ins then over a period of time with a smaller rotovator ( shop-soiled but new with warrantee from ebay )break the soil down with continual passes and mix organic matter and sand /grit in to improve drainage .
Then in a couple of weeks time hopefully lay the new turf , slight problem is the turf cutting season is winding down
So the lawn and stage one
Turf lifted no problem
But then it starts , firstly due to access problems , we were limited to the type of rotovator we could use , Link only as rain has stopped play
https://www.hss.com/hire/p/power-digger-rotavator
The hard compacted clay , made the rotovator we have skip over the surface , so it is taking many passes to break down the soil, more passes tomorrow in the hope we will get deep enough
To be cont ......
jagnet said:
It should be fine, but set the mower blades to the highest cut. Ideally you want to just be taking the tops off the grass, then gradually lower the cutting height over subsequent weeks. If you're taking off too much on the first cut even at the highest setting then it's worth trying to borrow a rotary mower for the first couple of cuts intead if you can.
Thanks for the tips. It rained loads today, so my seeding was well timed. Doubt Ill need to water it much. Once that has established Ill plan my way forward with it. The rest of the garden seems much less boggy, Im sure its just lack of sun more than anything, certain plants love it!i seeded mine about 8 days ago. the ground was all turned over and good compost and soil added - the ground looks a bit "puffed" up as if it needs a roller over it. When is the best time to do this as I feel if i put the mower over it in a couple weeks il be digging up soil with the mower.
wjwren said:
i seeded mine about 8 days ago. the ground was all turned over and good compost and soil added - the ground looks a bit "puffed" up as if it needs a roller over it. When is the best time to do this as I feel if i put the mower over it in a couple weeks il be digging up soil with the mower.
You would normally run a roller mower (blades disengaged) or light garden roller over the grass once or twice shortly before the first cut to firm the ground. Definitely don't do it yet. If you seeded 8 days ago, and assuming that the seed was buried under a light covering of soil, then the puffiness is likely to be the seedlings trying to push through and lifting the light cap of soil. This cap should break down naturally with rain and watering. See if you can gently break up one of the "puffs" and you may well see green shoots underneath.
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