Replacing a small lawn

paddy147

If it were me then heres what I would do....

1-Get in small skip or skpibag.

2-Remove grass sod into skip.

3-Build raised beds on each side,and fill with your soil,compost,manure,grit.

4-Install small/narrrow coble/paver pathway along side of garden to back shed/area.

5-Plant up new raised beds

6-De-stone and smooth soil area ready to sow seeds.

7-Sow grass seed.

8-Enjoy your new back garden.

paddy147

Instead of sowing seed,you could buy in good quality lawn turf rolls and simply roll them out and install them to create a nice new lawn.


That may be another option for you to look at.

brokenarms

redser7 wrote: »

There is great loam in the grass sods, so keep it. Turn it upside down and cover with paper, win win all round

Aye there is . Just popped out and took another 6 meters of sod off. Loads of top soil in the bed now. Im hoping the sand and the few bin linners of horse poo will replace the missing soil on the lawn.

Thanks for advise so far. Quite enjoyable hard work. The soil is nice and soft when a little damp. the oul axe is slicing through it:pac:

Im trying to do this on a tight budget. So far for the sleepers, sand and roundup its cost 140 . Im guessing turf will cost 7 times more than seed . I have been thinking about stepping stones to stop the new soil getting compacted on the way to the shed.

Will keep and eye out for big flat stones when out and about.

padi89

Use the manure in the raised bed, if you dig that into the lawn area you'll be cutting grass constantly, can't imagine it being good for seed either.

brokenarms

Raised beds are in now with 9x4 pressure treated timbers. 17 euro each in chadwicks. I could have got some real railway sleepers from Irish rail but the stuff in them to preserve the wood, plus a life time of diesel and train sewage spills make them nasty as hell to be growing veg I think.
The bags of washed plastering sand are 4.50 each. Might get more of it.

I have half filled them with sod cut from the garden and a bag of horse manure . handfull of epsom salts and some potash .
Top up with some general compost later. Wet week ahead so everything is on hold. Plus the grass is still not dead.

redser7

Good work, keep it up

jimini0

looking good broken.
im making raised beds out of old scaffold planks got them for free. have to preserve them first.

padi89

Would be worth reading up on pressure treated timber before you decide to grow veg in them, opinions vary so you can make your own mind up.

paddy147

brokenarms wrote: »

Raised beds are in now with 9x4 pressure treated timbers. 17 euro each in chadwicks. I could have got some real railway sleepers from Irish rail but the stuff in them to preserve the wood, plus a life time of diesel and train sewage spills make them nasty as hell to be growing veg I think.
The bags of washed plastering sand are 4.50 each. Might get more of it.

I have half filled them with sod cut from the garden and a bag of horse manure . handfull of epsom salts and some potash .
Top up with some general compost later. Wet week ahead so everything is on hold. Plus the grass is still not dead.

Looking good.:)

Very nice clean cuts on the sleepers too.

What did you use to cut them?

PS-I would also install a piece of DPC (Damp Proof Coarse) or some form of plastic sheeting along the bottom of your wooden fencing.Then install the rest of your soil/compost.

Otherwize it will rot away in no time once its in direct contact with the soil.

brokenarms

paddy147 wrote: »

Looking good.:)

Very nice clean cuts on the sleepers too.

What did you use to cut them?

PS-I would also install a piece of DPC (Damp Proof Coarse) or some form of plastic sheeting along the bottom of your wooden fencing.Then install the rest of your soil/compost.

Otherwize it will rot away in no time once its in direct contact with the soil.

Used a big chop saw and bull nosed the edges with a router .

brokenarms

Right then . I got my few days of dry weather and rented a small honda rotovator. Marvelous machine . Bit of a handfull to use but churned up a good 10" of top soil. Added all the sand and a bag of manure.
A bit of raking later I used a ladder to level the the garden after footing the whole area to compress the top soil.


I used a bit of a mix of seed . Although the cam is pointed south, the rear of the garden is shaded with the hedge. I consulted the nice men in Johnstown Garden center and they suggested the mix of shaded grass seed and repair for quicker results.


I managed to get the rotavator into the raised bed and chopped up all that old sod into a decent soil .
Have the big one planted with spuds and an assortment of flowers and veg in the lower bed.
Lookin forward to summer and a nice new lawn


Cost
130 for sleepers and sand
20 for round up weed killer
28 for the rotovator rental in Sallin Hire
18 for the grass seed

Got a new garden for under 200 euro so im very happy.

Lots of elbow grease added though.

paddy147

brokenarms wrote: »

Right then . I got my few days of dry weather and rented a small honda rotovator. Marvelous machine . Bit of a handfull to use but churned up a good 10" of top soil. Added all the sand and a bag of manure.
A bit of raking later I used a ladder to level the the garden after footing the whole area to compress the top soil.


I used a bit of a mix of seed . Although the cam is pointed south, the rear of the garden is shaded with the hedge. I consulted the nice men in Johnstown Garden center and they suggested the mix of shaded grass seed and repair for quicker results.


I managed to get the rotavator into the raised bed and chopped up all that old sod into a decent soil .
Have the big one planted with spuds and an assortment of flowers and veg in the lower bed.
Lookin forward to summer and a nice new lawn


Cost
130 for sleepers and sand
20 for round up weed killer
28 for the rotovator rental in Sallin Hire
18 for the grass seed

Got a new garden for under 200 euro so im very happy.

Lots of elbow grease added though.

Fantastic and delighted for you.:)

Well done indeed.:D

redser7

Brilliant!! Well done

padi89

Looks good. Would definitely put in some kind of walkway or stepping stones to access your shed and raised beds after all that work.

brokenarms

padi89 wrote: »

Looks good. Would definitely put in some kind of walkway or stepping stones to access your shed and raised beds after all that work.

Thinking about it alright. I can do it anytime . If I see the right product at the right price I will give it a go.

paddy147

brokenarms wrote: »

Thinking about it alright. I can do it anytime . If I see the right product at the right price I will give it a go.

What about "wood effect" concrete paving slabs?

You could use them as stepping stones/broken pathway down to the shed perhaps.


They can be had in a larch type grey colour or a darker brown colour.

They are 3 inches thick,8 inches wide and 24 inches long.

They look rather realistic.

brokenarms

Yes. That looks well.

Who does them?

paddy147

brokenarms wrote: »

Yes. That looks well.

Who does them?

Kilsaran HQ in Clonee.

They make them there.


Nice place to visit,grab a free cuppa tea or coffee in the showrooms,and then go for a stroll through their display gardens.:)

http://www.kilsaran.ie/home/products/paving-blocks/


Display Gardens
http://www.kilsaran.ie/home/our-display-gardens/






You also have Plantagen Garden Centre right beside them,so you can pop in there for a nice bite to eat in their cafe,and buy some nice plants and flowers aswell.:)


Then for even more of an adventure,take a trip up the road about 4 miles into Rathoath and visit Rathoath Garden Centre.

They have some very nice and also rare plants there,and the owner is one of the nicest people you could ever wish to meet.

Lovely wildlife pond there too.:)