The Gardening Forum

[winjim]

It might take a while to recover from the builder. If you want it ready for the little one later this year, I would suggest that you get some quotes for turf.
Then avoid going on it when it's wet. Protect it from future builders with planks and pallets etc.

I think the builder's a bit of a red herring tbh, and the drainage. Here's a picture from a different angle:

It's the patchy bits in the foreground and under the bush at back left which concern me most. My preferred course of action I think would be to reseed it, but I would like to know how, when and what with. Anything that involves major upheaval or expense simply isn't an option, so no digging up for additional drainage etc. This was done two years ago and isn't necessary I think.

 

[summerdays]

You should ask an expect such as @Crackle

 

[summerdays]

But I would say that it looks like it isn't getting enough light.... Where is south.... It is probably worth pruning back the bush a little judging from the moss on the edging strip. Maybe reseeding using grass seed selected for the shade.

 

[Crackle]

Look all right to me that.

 

[summerdays]

Look all right to me that.

Better than yours?

 

[Crackle]

Better than yours?

Well at it's height, no but after I played tug of war with the dog recently..........

 

[winjim]

But I would say that it looks like it isn't getting enough light.... Where is south.... It is probably worth pruning back the bush a little judging from the moss on the edging strip. Maybe reseeding using grass seed selected for the shade.

South is where the house is. The bit by the bush gets bugger all light and I don't think even pruning the bush would help with that. What I need is a strain of grass seed that thrives in shade and is resistant to cat piss. Does such a thing exist?

 

[summerdays]

South is where the house is. The bit by the bush gets bugger all light and I don't think even pruning the bush would help with that. What I need is a strain of grass seed that thrives in shade and is resistant to cat piss. Does such a thing exist?

Have you heard of the variety that goes by the name of..... AstroTurf ?

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

@Marmion is the go-to-person for gardens. What he doesn't know, isn't worth knowing.

Well, he knows a lot about falling leaves.

I also know about daffodils. Like you

 

[accountantpete]

The easiest thing is wait for some warmish weather then skim the top off the existing lawn.

Then add some top soil and ensure you have a flat surface.

Finally get a few rolls of turf and just lay them in position - they will take a few weeks to root fully to walk on but the cats should be able to go on straight away.

 

[Katherine]

I don't know how you stop cats peeing on it. I didn't even think they used grass, I thought they liked soft soil. Perhaps make a cleared area of soil for the cat that it would prefer?

 

[accountantpete]

I don't know how you stop cats peeing on it. I didn't even think they used grass,

Spend an hour or so carefully preparing and seeding a vegetable plot alongside.

 

[winjim]

I don't know how you stop cats peeing on it. I didn't even think they used grass, I thought they liked soft soil. Perhaps make a cleared area of soil for the cat that it would prefer?

To be fair, the cats use it more when the grass gets long, so if we kept on top of the mowing it wouldn't be such a problem.

Spend an hour or so carefully preparing and seeding a vegetable plot alongside.

The adjoining beds are like a scene from Apoocalypse Now.

 

[Levo-Lon]

I didn't even think they used grass?

they keep quiet about their Grass habit,but the eyes give them away...

 

[Dave 123]

@winjim

Grass seed will only germinate in temps above 10°c, unless you get some specialist seed like I have at work that will germinate down at 4°c. It's expensive and comes in 20kg sacks!

In the meantime either get a normal garden fork, or a hollow tine fork that removes cores from the soil. After this brush in either sharp sand or cat litter. The grass roots will grow down the edges of the holes deeper, this makes the grass more robust, drought tolerant and greener.

At the end of March buy some seed and oversees the whole lot. Mix it with sharp sand and some sieved topsoil.