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Lawn and soil advice

#1 · 16th June 2023, 2:51 pm

My old lawn has not been growing for last 2 years, always yellow and dead despite watering feeding etc, so this year I have had the lawn removed, the person who laid the lawn last time used a compactor on the soil and it has left the soil very hard, unable to get a fork into many areas, also have a tree nearby with fibrous roots which has also caused the soil to be like a carpet just under the surface.

So I am now digging and sifting (to 13mm) my soil and removing the roots, stones etc, intend to do this all over the grass area (9Mtrs x 3Mtrs), not a quick task for me at 70 years old 😊

Can anybody advise me on how deep I should dig the old soil, I have read 50mm, 100mm and 150mm, obviously deeper means more work for me.

Afterwards I was thinking of adding some topsoil over my sifted existing soil, but do I need to add compost and topsoil or just topsoil?

I have paving stones around 3 sides of the lawn area, how much space above topsoil should I leave for the turf so its level with the paving when I lay the turf?

Should I put fertilizer on the topsoil before laying turf?

Thanks for any assistance.

#2 · 19th June 2023, 8:02 am

Hi @fred_h

Sorry to hear you're dealing with such poor soil. I've added several of my video guides for lawns and soil care into this answer, as sometimes showing is better than explaining. It should also help other people trying to improve poor turf or soil condityions in the garden.

Whilst we always consolidate tilth or finely prepared soil for turf, we never want to compact it. It means that turf struggles to root and, in extreme weather, turns yellow and can die off as it doesn't have enough rot structure to survive extremities!

The converse is also true with overt working the soil. I wouldn't dig more than 150mm for most compacted soil. The reason being its a heck of a lot of work to do 'two spades spit' or two spades depth. Also, it can damage the soil.

What's best is to loosen up the top layer, add some organic matter like peat-free compost and then let plant roots to the rest. Adding an autumn mulch of more compost means that bacteria and beneficial insects and worms can then pen up and erate the soil, far better than when we try and do it ourselves.

Add a mix of fresh, topsoil and peat-free compost in a ratio of 1:4 to stop it from dipping too much. I'd have the turf level with the paving then you can mow straight over.

Should I fertilize soil before laying turf?

Absolutely not. This will both inhibit rooting and make the turf lazy. It's, in my opinion, the biggest waste of money and problem causer when laying turf. Feed in year 3 onwards for new turf. Never in the first year, the turf or seed simply doesn't need it.

You can read more on plant foods and how they work here on in my latest video guide.

Good luck and happy gardening!

#3 · 19th June 2023, 7:20 pm

Hi Lee,

Many thanks for your reply and advice, especially the videos, I have watched them all:)

I have made progress today in my bid to sieve the soil where my old grass was, however it is a slow process and from your vids you mention compacted soil only needs the top layer loosened, however my soil has so many roots I am having to dig deeper to remove the majority of them, each wheelbarrow of sifted soil I have a large bucket of roots, as well as many stones, I think these roots were one reason why my old grass died off, have added photos.

Once I have sifted the existing soil it appears to be very good and I will be using it with maybe some topsoil added on top before turfing to get the right hight, would you suggest I add some compost or soil improver to my sifted soil, if so what would you suggest?

Photos added to show my progress, although very slow I think the results should look good and last longer than my last lawn, which was only 4 years.

Thanks again,

Fred

Uploaded files:

#4 · 20th June 2023, 1:47 pm

Hi @fred_h

Thats a serious amount of work and I take my hat off to you!

In terms of soil improving any peat free compost or high quality top soil mix will do. The more you can spend on top soil the better the quality and less debris that’s in it as it’s screened to a higher level. Ie bits of crap get sieved out and there’s more organic matter present than the cheap top soil. That should help retain a bit more moisture and air into the soil for the turf and surrounding plants.

I’m glad the videos have been helpful. Please keep us updated with pictures once you’re finished.

All the best

Lee

#5 · 5th September 2023, 2:14 pm

Hi Lee,

Well I have finally finished my new lawn, looking good now.

Had dug out 4 tons of soil, dug done 8 inches (length of fork prongs) and removed all weeds, root, stones etc by sifting by hand, then levelled (which was not easy as I kept thinking I could see dips etc ), then applied 2 tons of topsoil from Rolawn, they also supplied the turf. Just had its first cut after being down for 2 weeks.

Took me a few months but no rush and for a 70 year old who had a heart valve transplant 18 months ago, its not bad 🙂

Added some pics for you, as requested.

Many thanks for your help and guidance.

Fred