gardening advice

[ssray]

just off topic i know, but i`m re-lawing at the weekend, the old stuff seems to have been there since the house was built(1970ish). i`m getting a mini digger to sort of s****y the old stuff off but how far down do i go? and then replacing the clay we have now with a few tons of top soil and then turf any ideas?? cheers ray

[Chillitt]

just off topic i know, but i`m re-lawing at the weekend, the old stuff seems to have been there since the house was built(1970ish). i`m getting a mini digger to sort of s****e the old stuff off but how far down do i go? and then replacing the clay we have now with a few tons of top soil and then turf any ideas?? cheers ray

6" should be plenty, under a lawn. make sure its rolled down or trampled down firm before you turf it. if you can dump some sand in the bottom to help it drain all to the good. keep a sprinkler on it untill the roots are down. if you are having borders or planting any thing like trees, go deeper, make sure you got a good foot of soil around any roots.
good gardening!

[AndyLala]

Drainage is a major issue here, if it is a clay soil base you will get no drainage, and that will cause problems long term.


If you go down a few inches, and add feathered (feather pattern) grooves then fill those with gravel (so that the water has somewhere to go, rather than sit there), add you top soil and do the rain dance to compact it down (but not too much), then add your turfs or seed. Plenty of dressing, through the autumn, repeat as needed (till its nice an level) and within about three years it should be pretty well established....

Synopsis of "Turf Culture", a good read if you are really bored and have trouble sleeping.


***
that was my devil post...
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[Bogus]

Surf N Turf

Surf Forum has become a turf form. Maybe its a Surf n Turf forum. Dont know whether its a vehicle, gardening or food forum now. In any case I hope you find a space for a shed on this lawn of yours. Youll need it to keep all the shiny new tools you will have to buy to keep the new bowling green finish aerated. spiked, manured, cut, edged and all the other graft it will bring.

Happy Turfing and Surfing if you ever get the time again

Bogus

[laser_jock99]

Maybe its a Surf n Turf forum.

Bogus

Verrrrry good!


Main thing with newly laid turf is to keep it well watered- has a nasty habit of dying quickly if you don't.

[da SLUG man]

SurfnTurf Semi Professional surfer
30th October 200314211th July 2005 Hertford

[ssray]

Cheers guys, i`ll post a pic after(about 10 beers)

[Guest]

just off topic i know, but i`m re-lawing at the weekend, the old stuff seems to have been there since the house was built(1970ish). i`m getting a mini digger to sort of s****e the old stuff off but how far down do i go? and then replacing the clay we have now with a few tons of top soil and then turf any ideas?? cheers ray

Ray.

In Hemel we have horrible clay soil. Underneath a lawn here I would go down at least 12 inches, then lay 6 inches of new topsoil, 3 inches of sand and topsoil mixed 50/50 then another 3 inches of topsoil. That way you will get decent drainage under the lawn. If it is like my garden there is a hard pan about 8 inches down that you really need to break up.

However when you have good drainage yu will also need to water well especially when it is new, if you are using turf then water daily through the first summer.

Cheers

[Philip]

Turf

WHATS TURF??
Is that the stone slabs painted green. If it looks good maybe i'll try that.
My hobby is watching trees grow (small ones), especiaslly from seed. Don't have to walk them and only occassionally give them a trim. Its very relaxing and not too energetic. Must be keeping them right size as dog hasn't cocked his leg against any of them.

[Linda]

Drainage is a major issue here,

Here too - only our drainage is too good (chalk about 4 inches down,) so you have to water, water, water all the time!!

[AndyLala]

How about astroturf instead... just need a hoover and a stout brush... to lean on whilst you watch it not grow...

[Verbal]

just off topic i know, but i`m re-lawing at the weekend, the old stuff seems to have been there since the house was built(1970ish). i`m getting a mini digger to sort of s****e the old stuff off but how far down do i go? and then replacing the clay we have now with a few tons of top soil and then turf any ideas?? cheers ray

I should really show my expertise here, as I`m a head greenkeeper

It all depends on how good a lawn you want. As you are talking about digging out etc, I take it you want a very manicured old English lawn ?

If so dig out about 6-8 inches of the clay. If you have a water problem, you may want to put in additional drainage prior to putting on the new topsoil. If so dig a main trench down the middle of the lawn area (into the clay) about 2 foot deep and run spurs into the main drain from the outsides (see photo)

Fill the drain to the top with 20mm washed drainage gravel (make sure you have a run on the drain from front to back). You can put a flexy drainage pipe in the bottom if you lifke, but its best in to have something to run a pipe into. If you just fill with gravel, you can always run it into a drainage sump (big deep hole filled with more gravel or big stones).

Then put on your topsoil, try to find as free draining topsoil as you can. If there is not much around, mix what you have with sand.

When putting the topsoil down, make sure and tramp it (walk like a penguin over the whoel area) then rake it level, and repeat until its nice and firm.

Then you need to decide wether you are going to turf the lawn or seed it out. You can seed it out at this time of year as long as you water it well until the grass becomes more established.

If there are good turf nurseries around, its often easier to use turf and you get a finished lawn very quickly, if turfing you really need to water it until its competely rooted.

Good grasses to look for in seed, are Chewing Fecue, Brown Top Bent, and some creeping red fescue . If you go to a turf nursery for the turf, you could probably get a Golf Tee's turf, as that is hard wearing and won`t require being fed too much.

Wish you luck and if you have any other questions, please feel free to ask.

[da SLUG man]

Chewing Fecue.

and fecue too!!... hehehe!!

[Verbal]

and fecue too!!... hehehe!!

Thats what happens with us Scots, we try to be cival and just start swearing

[kitesurf_phil]

Here too - only our drainage is too good (chalk about 4 inches down,) so you have to water, water, water all the time!!

You need to rot down some of the produce from your horses and mix spread it on the soil. That will help hold the moisture. I'm sure Tony could come up with a device to chop it nice and fine.......................... when he's not busy.