My mudpatch into a lawn.

[Madame Mucksprout]

Hello. I hope here is the right place to.ask. My back garden lawn is now a slippery, slimey, wreck of trenches, clay, puddles and mountains. I have to fill in the old works (trenches and soak away hole) and grass in time for summer hols (june).

So all I read is wet clay need tonnes and tonnes of sharp send digging through it the new turf on top.
It's 100m2..... and I am just me. Is there anything more effective and lighter weight that 25 tonnes of sand ?

I'm also worried about the grass underneath all the dumped clay from the holes..... will this be a problem...? All compacted from the digger rolling over it? Will my little rotavator thing be ok for this if i csn barros all that sand round the back?

I don't know where to start it's quite overwhelming.

Many thanks

[nickdub]

a) any chance of some photos ?
b) is the June grass requirement down to a desire for summer garden parties, or kids' play area ?
c) make sure your passport is in date, as Ryan Air do some very cheap summer get-aways - and given your circs, doing a runner might be the only viable option.

[veggiechicken]

Are you still thinking of water storage in the hole?
How about a Walipini? http://opensourceecology.org/w/images/1/1c/Walipini.pdf

[Stan79]

Are you trying to fill in all the holes with sand?

As above, pics would be helpful.

[Martin H]

Pictures would help ... but assuming you just want a level area that looks nice for general purpose playing on, I would just:
- level the ground as far as possible with what is there by shovelling the mounds into the ditches and holes
- if a mound is already covered in grass, don't worry, shovel it into a hole anyway
- if necessary, buy in a small amount of cheap topsoil to finish getting it level
- buy some hardwearing rye grass seed mix and a bag or two of multipurpose compost
- mix the grass seed with the multipurpose and scatter it over all thin and bare patches
- wait for nature to do its thing.

Remember you see lush playing fields and grass verges all over the place that haven't had the soil improved in any way. Grass loves to grow! If come the autumn there are still thin patches you can improve it with spiking and brushing sand into the holes but I wouldn't worry about it until then.

Of course if you want to play crown green bowls on it you'll need to put a bit more effort in...

[ESBkevin]

I assume the surface is essentially level if a little rough. I would suggest you use a good quantity of compost and mostly soil improver(which is cheaper). Spread it on the current surface as thick as you can (minimum 2" would be the suggestion) and hire a rotavator to turn it into the top 4" of clay/soil that you have. Trample firm and rake level, now spread a layer of sand about 1/2" over everything and keep a bag or two aside. Don't mix this in.
As you lay turf you can run your fingers through the sand easily so that the turf surface is level once laid, add another handful (hence keep some aside) here or there to cover low patches or for uneveness on the bottom of the turf.
Keep it watered but only once a week, the grass roots force thier way down into the soil through the thin sand layer and establish themselves firmly.
In the autumn top dress with lawn sand and fine compost if you wish but it's optional if you just want grass.

[Madame Mucksprout]

Pictures

Hello. Thanks so much for your great replies. I'm so greatful.
Yes the June thing was for little one to play out.
I'm traveling home at the moment but I'll attach what photos I have already untill I can take some proppe r ones.

Yes I'm still trying the sunken butt. Fortune favours the brave....... and I feel boued by your help so am going for it.

[Madame Mucksprout]

I can't get it to upload a photo from my phone. I'll keep trying

[nickdub]

Hello. Thanks so much for your great replies. I'm so greatful.
Yes the June thing was for little one to play out.
I'm traveling home at the moment but I'll attach what photos I have already untill I can take some proppe r ones.

Yes I'm still trying the sunken butt. Fortune favours the brave....... and I feel boued by your help so am going for it.

OK that makes the aim clearer, I'm not too sure I'm any nearer offering useful advice though. The main problem as I see it (and I'm by no means any sort of expert on lawns) is that growing a new hard wearing lawn and having a space for children to play on by June are very nearly incompatible.

as an "off the wall" suggestion, would it be a possibility to divide the space in some way, so that you could work on the lawn bit and let it grow relatively unused for this Summer - while creating some sort of sandy area covered with artificial grass which can be played on without fear of damage to either the payers or the garden ?

[bikermike]

OK that makes the aim clearer, I'm not too sure I'm any nearer offering useful advice though. The main problem as I see it (and I'm by no means any sort of expert on lawns) is that growing a new hard wearing lawn and having a space for children to play on by June are very nearly incompatible.

this is my problem too - not helped by the fact that there is one real "path" through the grass. I suspect turf will be the way to go, as it will need some time to bed in, but not as long as seed.

Is it big enough to do half-and-half? turf (and fence off) one half and then do the other when that has settled down?

(incidentally, on the M4, there is a turf farm - it's very odd to see what looks like a massive lawn in the middle of farmland...)

[rary]

If you are looking for a lawn by June it would need to be by laying turf, if you have holes or pits to fill start filling them with any sub soil that's in your mountains, remember to tamp the soil down as you from fill it this will save it sinking too much as it settles, once they are filled rake level, and lay the turf as advised by ESBkevin

[Madame Mucksprout]

Just got home. snapped this before the light fades.



Claypatch mountains and trenches

The bricks and whatnots will be a patio one day, lawn goes down to trampoline (balancing ontheedge of the retaining wall I built to level the lawn a bit).
The orange net is guarding a massive hole (this will be filled in with the big water but and soil and stuff.

[bikermike]

hmmm, have you considered sandbags, machine guns and barbed wire...?

Be careful with that hole - that netting may not catch you, and certainly won't give you any visual reminder that you are near the hole...

I'd put as much of the clay as you can into the hole around the watertank (subject to whatever the manufacturer says), any topsoil can then go on top... I suspect you'll also need to roll/compact the newly-filled areas before you do your final top layers to avoid it sinking as it slowly compacts.

It'll be a while before that's fully done. As an interim, could you get some membrane and bark chips to make an area for the little one to play on?

[Madame Mucksprout]

THIS is hugely heartening! thanks. I think the problem with trying to google what to do with clay soil/lay turf etc - it sound so technical and labor intensive that I got scared. Not to mention the cost of the huge amount of sand and soil improvent I keep reading about.
But yes, you are right, theres grass in all sorts of places that havent had such grand scale work on them.

[Madame Mucksprout]

hmmm, have you considered sandbags, machine guns and barbed wire...?

Be careful with that hole - that netting may not catch you, and certainly won't give you any visual reminder that you are near the hole...

I'd put as much of the clay as you can into the hole around the watertank (subject to whatever the manufacturer says), any topsoil can then go on top... I suspect you'll also need to roll/compact the newly-filled areas before you do your final top layers to avoid it sinking as it slowly compacts.

It'll be a while before that's fully done. As an interim, could you get some membrane and bark chips to make an area for the little one to play on?

ah, this sort of helps one of my questions . when ive levelled it (ish) do I "tread" it down or not. I keep reading about compacting the clay it terrible thing to do, but I also read if you dont tred it down it will sink and be really wobbly. ???

So your vote is tred it down then ?