Re-booting our Garden

fergiesfolly

After building an extension to our home and extending an existing patio, we’re left with a fairly small lawn area of 18 x 20 feet. It’s lawn in name only as the grass was obliterated during the build.
I got a rotivator in at the weekend , spent several hours at that, then levelling and picking out ( what seemed like)several tonnes of stones.
It’s also three inches below the patio and we’d like to raise it up to meet it.
How much topsoil would we need to raise an area of 18 x 20 feet, by 3 inches?
We’re toying with the idea of laying grass sods rather than sowing grass seed. How much less topsoil do we need if we go down that route( and which would you recommend doing…seeding or laying sod)
Also, we wanted to plant some hedging around two edges of the garden.
Could we do all this all at the same time or would it be better to let the grass grow before planning anything near it?
Thanks for reading.
Any help appreciated

Norfolk Enchants_

fergiesfolly wrote: »

After building an extension to our home and extending an existing patio, we’re left with a fairly small lawn area of 18 x 20 feet. It’s lawn in name only as the grass was obliterated during the build.
I got a rotivator in at the weekend , spent several hours at that, then levelling and picking out ( what seemed like)several tonnes of stones.
It’s also three inches below the patio and we’d like to raise it up to meet it.
How much topsoil would we need to raise an area of 18 x 20 feet, by 3 inches?
We’re toying with the idea of laying grass sods rather than sowing grass seed. How much less topsoil do we need if we go down that route( and which would you recommend doing…seeding or laying sod)
Also, we wanted to plant some hedging around two edges of the garden.
Could we do all this all at the same time or would it be better to let the grass grow before planning anything near it?
Thanks for reading.
Any help appreciated

Have you tried turning it off and on?

Doop

18 feet (5.47m)
20 feet (6.1m)
0.25 feet (0.76m)

= 25.4m3

Cant really help with the rest except im sure ive heard seed is a better option than sods, unless ur looking for an instant fix.

fergiesfolly

Norfolk Enchants_ wrote: »

Have you tried turning it off and on?

I've tried closing and opening the curtains in the kitchen, but its still out there lookin back at me.
We're looking at it now for 9 months, so the quicker I can see results the better Doop. Why is seeding better?

Norfolk Enchants_

fergiesfolly wrote: »

I've tried closing and opening the curtains in the kitchen, but its still out there lookin back at me.
We're looking at it now for 9 months, so the quicker I can see results the better Doop. Why is seeding better?

Do you plan on doing the work yourself?, if not I'd recommend getting prices from local landscape companies.

looksee

If you are going to put more topsoil on it then the stone-picking was a bit of a waste of time :-) Provided they are not rocks that are going to damage a lawn mower, a few stones are no harm at all.

Why not put in the hedge, then put in the lawn?

Citizenpain

Doop wrote: »

18 feet (5.47m)
20 feet (6.1m)
0.25 feet (0.76m)

= 25.4m3

Cant really help with the rest except im sure ive heard seed is a better option than sods, unless ur looking for an instant fix.

Might want to check your maths much less topsoil needed - about 2.5 tonne

Doop

Citizenpain wrote: »

Might want to check your maths much less topsoil needed - about 2.5 tonne

18 feet (5.47m)
20 feet (6.1m)
0.25 feet (0.76m)

= 25.4m3

haha you might be right :eek: left out a little zero there!

3 inches = 0.076

= 2.53 cubic metres reqd not 25! :rolleyes:

fergiesfolly

In reply to various posts...
I am doing the work myself. Don't mind a bit of graft. At least I can brag to wife and child of my magnificent achievement:D
The stones in our garden outnumber the actual soil, so we had to take some out.
We were going to seed it but I like the instant result of laying sod.

I think we're definately going to go with the sod option, once we've raised the level of the garden a bit. There seems to be a bit more work in it but once it's done , it's done and I'm not watching the garden 24/7 waiting for the seed to grow.

And Doop...Thanks for your help. But you might check the batteries in your calculator:P

Norfolk Enchants_

fergiesfolly wrote: »

In reply to various posts...
I am doing the work myself. Don't mind a bit of graft. At least I can brag to wife and child of my magnificent achievement:D
The stones in our garden outnumber the actual soil, so we had to take some out.
We were going to seed it but I like the instant result of laying sod.

I think we're definately going to go with the sod option, once we've raised the level of the garden a bit. There seems to be a bit more work in it but once it's done , it's done and I'm not watching the garden 24/7 waiting for the seed to grow.

And Doop...Thanks for your help. But you might check the batteries in your calculator:P

Ah that's grand, so as someone above mentioned get the soil in first, then plant your hedge and after that mark out and measure the remaining area you want to lay the turf on.
No need to leave the ground lower than the existing patio, as ideally you want the lawn proud (higher)of the patio for ease of mowing.
Note that new soil will settle(sink) so allow for that before you lay your new lawn. One way to counter the sinking effect is to firm in the new soil by stepping on it in a tight sideways pattern or roll it with a sufficently heavy roller.
Your welcome, send the cheque in the post.

fergiesfolly

Norfolk Enchants_ wrote: »

Ah that's grand, so as someone above mentioned get the soil in first, then plant your hedge and after that mark out and measure the remaining area you want to lay the turf on.
No need to leave the ground lower than the existing patio, as ideally you want the lawn proud (higher)of the patio for ease of mowing.
Note that new soil will settle(sink) so allow for that before you lay your new lawn. One way to counter the sinking effect is to firm in the new soil by stepping on it in a tight sideways pattern or roll it with a sufficently heavy roller.
Your welcome, send the cheque in the post.

I'll post that cheque as soon as you're finished laying the sod in my garden.
I can tell you're only dying to get stuck in there.

ifah

Better off with the rollout lawn for that instant finish.

Prices are available on Summer hill lawns website.

fergiesfolly

Feel free to slap me if this is a stupid question.
I was ringing around, pricing topsoil.
Some advertised loose loads of one ton and others had one ton bags.
Is the one ton bag measured as volume or weight.
We've gotten gravel etc. delivered in these bags and they're always filled to the same level and these materials have different densities.
So, how can they always weigh one ton, regardleaa of the material?

baaba maal

It is total misnomer- you are of course right, different materials with different densities will have different weights, so the only way of comparing is to ensure you get a filled to level bag. Make sure when you buy to let them know that the delivered bag will only be accepted by you if it is filled to the top (or as near as is practical).

LurkerNo1

Volume. Anyway it's not something you want to scrimp on go look at it first before it gets delivered, all kinds of sh1te gets sold as topsoil these days.

Norfolk Enchants_

The one tone bag isn't a one ton bag, it's a cubic metre bag, but for some unknown reason it is commonly (incorrectly) referred to as a one ton bag.

fergiesfolly

Thanks for all the replies lads.
It didn't make sense to me how they could advertise " One Ton Bags", when it is being delivered by volume.
No wiser as to the weight of a "one cubic metre" bag of topsoil, so I'll stick to loose.