The Gardening Forum

[flyingfifi]

OK then, I've joined up over there and asked the question. I'll ask it here as well.

http://www.qvcuk.com/Richard-Jackso...t.502957.html?cm_sp=VIEWPOSITION-_-2-_-502957 i use this all the time after the dog keeps weeing on it and rolling around

 

[classic33]

Just dilute it as soon as possible. It's like pouring an equal amount of bleach on it. The ammonia kills its, if there's too much.

 

[growingvegetables]

That's sort of what I'm asking how to do.

And the bigger question? What is the soil like underneath the current lawn? That'll suggest remedies that may work!

I'm guessing from the photos - but could easily be wrong. That the turf roots form a mat maybe an inch thick; don't go much below that? Probably a clay soil, with a "thin mat" of turf? Which ..... well, it basically slides around on the soil surface because lawn grass roots aren't strong enough to bore more deeply through the soil.

Peel back a wee bit of turf, and take a handful of the soil. Squeeze it into a ball with your hand. Then - gently break the ball.

• If it breaks and crumbs really easily, then I'm wrong, and it ain't a clay soil.
• If it sticks together, holds its shape, and feels kinda sticky - then it is a clay soil.

Do that wee test - tell us what your soil ball (!) feels like.

 

[winjim]

And the bigger question? What is the soil like underneath the current lawn? That'll suggest remedies that may work!

I'm guessing from the photos - but could easily be wrong. That the turf roots form a mat maybe an inch thick; don't go much below that? Probably a clay soil, with a "thin mat" of turf? Which ..... well, it basically slides around on the soil surface because lawn grass roots aren't strong enough to bore more deeply through the soil.

Peel back a wee bit of turf, and take a handful of the soil. Squeeze it into a ball with your hand. Then - gently break the ball.

• If it breaks and crumbs really easily, then I'm wrong, and it ain't a clay soil.
• If it sticks together, holds its shape, and feels kinda sticky - then it is a clay soil.

Do that wee test - tell us what your soil ball (!) feels like.

It was laid a couple of year ago. Plenty of sand, covered in topsoil and then turfed. I don't think it's too clayey, but if I've time later I'll nip out and do the ball squeeze test.

 

[User32269]

I discovered the perfect solution to having a decent lawn a couple of years ago. Unfortunately my missus said I wasn't allowed to sell the kids so it still looks like a bomb site.

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Just chuck a shed load of grass seed and fertiliser on it, and walk away for a few months.

Or - dig it up and grow veggies

 

[Tin Pot]

Or - dig it up and grow veggies

Yeah, I finally grew some lettuce last autumn. Got a big patch of mixed leaf out there through winter now

 

[Tin Pot]

Any advice on what can be planted right now? - the birds round here reckon it's spring already.

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Yeah, I finally grew some lettuce last autumn. Got a big patch of mixed leaf out there through winter now

Every time I've moved house I've dug up great chunks of "lawn" for veggie growing. My current "lawns" do have grass but I encourage diversity. Had a couple of wild orchids move in amongst loads of other interesting stuff. Each to their own of course but a mono culture of perfect lawn is boring IMHO.

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Any advice on what can be planted right now? - the birds round here reckon it's spring already.

Broad Beans (aqua dulce variety) and Japanese (or winter) onion sets. Keep the barsteward pigeons off.

 

[winjim]

Every time I've moved house I've dug up great chunks of "lawn" for veggie growing. My current "lawns" do have grass but I encourage diversity. Had a couple of wild orchids move in amongst loads of other interesting stuff. Each to their own of course but a mono culture of perfect lawn is boring IMHO.

Back in the days when everbody grew their own, a lawn was a sign of affluence, ie you were so wealthy that you didn't need the space to grow veg, but could afford to buy it. Or so I've heard anyway.