Will my lawn grow?

Might be a bit late in the Winter now, but rough-dug the frost would break down a lot of the lumps over the Winter, and then in Spring it would be easier to rake into a fine tilth.

If you dig it, to break up the compaction and improve drainage so that it dries out better, you could then easily rotavate it to break up all the lumps and make a nice tilth. Important to rotavate it when it is not too wet though, but if you catch it at the right time when it has dried well then a rotavator will smash up all the lumps lovely-jubbly

 

Pictures would help us get a better idea of the plot and conditions

 

I doubt the grass will grow on 2 inches of gravel. Grass roots grow to a maximum of three to four inches, so it will struggle. I'd be inclined to remove as much gravel as possible and dig in what's left to help the drainage with the clay.

 

Right guys, I've done one trench to the depth of the spade. When I started doing the second one, I went a little but deep, but about 12-13" deep there is polystyrene! Yes polystyrene!

What do I do? I presume I will have to remove it, but how? As it keeps breaking up. I have no idea how much is under there as I can only see about 1"x1" of it.

Thanks for all your help again sorry to be a pain!

 

All the builders rubbish needs to come out, ideally. Breaking up the polystyrene won't hurt (in small pieces it will probably help drainiange), but it would be better it wasn't in large pieces.

Why do builders get away with this?

 

are you in a new build house ?, may be just one piece , at least it is porous little bits I wouldn't be that bothered about (others may disagree ) but a large piece I would try and remove at least it is not a boulder.

Glad you have got started , but dont over do it take your time , but we want it completed by the end of March , ready for the next stage, are you going to sow seed ? you will save your in-laws a packet if you do let us know and I will find the link to a good grass seed merchant that specialises in shady lawns .

Spruce

 

Oh and the soil closest to the house, next to the patio is mostly a sand, I'm starting to think I should have just left it lol. I've now got to try and even out the sand to the rest of the garden to get it even.

Oh well at least I have got 3-4 weeks to get it done!

 

Ok I shall try and get as much out as possible. It means going an extra 2-3". My poor back and arms lol

 

yes and its all free £££

you can have one of these when you have finished


As you are finding out it is hard at times but once it is done its done ...

then its just spring , summer , autumn maintenance (it never ends with a lawn)


Spruce

 

Armature, you are doing great. Just break up polystyrene, lumps, etc. that depth of 12 - 13 inches is excellent. Great exercise, great preparation and seed for shade ...all good. Can you add some fertiliser? Lidls usually have lawn fertiliser in soon and it's cheap. Getting surface level by raking and re raking and getting a fine tilth is all key to good lawn.

 

Thanks, just when I needed a pep pill you say that! Lol

 

No I don't have any funds for fertiliser. I've still got lumps about 1cm in diameter, will that be ok? Or does all the soil need to be a fine tilth?

The biggest pain is breaking up the huge lumps of soil coming out.

 

do all the digging 1st and when all complete you can start the raking

 

So don't break up the lumps whilst digging? Thought it would save me time doing it later, but I guess it won't be even that way.

Well I'll get my daughter to start breaking them up, as she wants to help. Can't beat a bit of child labour haha!

 

I wouldn't put much effort into breaking it up now, but I wouldn't leave it in huge spade-sized clumps either.

The weather will help break it down, so rough digging now (including getting any builder's rubbish out) is all you need. Leaving it a few weeks before then trying to make it smooth will help - rain and dry will do some of the work for you, and if you get it when its just dry enough it will break up and move about more easily than now - when its wet and ghastly to try to work with.