Hi,
I'm after some advice / help. Moved into a 10 year old home back in December so just over 6 Months now. The back lawn had always been very wet, mossy and generally lack of grass.
I was hoping it was just a general over raining issue over the winter, but now I have come to a different decision.
Even in some light rain walking across the grass has a general squelch.
I've read loads of information on the forum and across the whole of the internet and I've come to the conclusion that I need to put some drainage into the whole of the area.
Over the weekend I dug a 400mm x 400mm x 400mm hole and filled with water. 24 hours later the level of the water had dropped about 1 inch, so I dug down and found that the soil under is full of clay. It is soaking away but very very slowly. (Pictures below)
This is my thoughts..........
> Use a rotavator to turn over all the soil and break it up get some air into the soil and treat with some Fish, Blood and Bone to try and get some breakdown of the clay. (I read it on some other gardening forum)
> Install french drains 450mm deep approx stoned with perforated pipe in herringbone shape. Pipe to a silt trap and then pipe away through surface water drainage. (am I allowed to do this?)
> Replace top of soil with a sand / top soil 100mm deep then lawn on top.
That’s my basic plan.......I just need help confirming if this is the right way to go.
Cheers
Ant
I'm after some advice / help. Moved into a 10 year old home back in December so just over 6 Months now. The back lawn had always been very wet, mossy and generally lack of grass.
I was hoping it was just a general over raining issue over the winter, but now I have come to a different decision.
Even in some light rain walking across the grass has a general squelch.
I've read loads of information on the forum and across the whole of the internet and I've come to the conclusion that I need to put some drainage into the whole of the area.
Over the weekend I dug a 400mm x 400mm x 400mm hole and filled with water. 24 hours later the level of the water had dropped about 1 inch, so I dug down and found that the soil under is full of clay. It is soaking away but very very slowly. (Pictures below)
This is my thoughts..........
> Use a rotavator to turn over all the soil and break it up get some air into the soil and treat with some Fish, Blood and Bone to try and get some breakdown of the clay. (I read it on some other gardening forum)
> Install french drains 450mm deep approx stoned with perforated pipe in herringbone shape. Pipe to a silt trap and then pipe away through surface water drainage. (am I allowed to do this?)
> Replace top of soil with a sand / top soil 100mm deep then lawn on top.
That’s my basic plan.......I just need help confirming if this is the right way to go.
Cheers
Ant
