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diy garden restoration

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  • 12-07-2018 10:40am
    #1
    bungaro79
    Registered Users Posts: 1,213 ✭✭✭


    hi all
    so we moved into our house last summer and there was a big cabin out the back but no place for our two smallies to play. so the last few months we've gone about clearing out the back and getting it ready for planting grass and whatever else we want.
    so, now that the majority of the back is cleared, i want to plant grass seed when the weather is a bit more suitable. should i get a cultivator to help with this or is the old fashioned way with a pitch fork fine? considering that the soil has has not exposure to anything the last 10 years, should i be mixing in manure or something else to bring up the nutrients in the soil? i was then thinking of putting more topsoil on top of this and then rolling it, letting it settle for about a month and then planting grass seed?
    any advice on this or anything else with getting the garden ready would be appreciated!
    thanks


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    #2
    magicbastarder
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 49,526 CMod ✭✭✭✭magicbastarder


    manure certainly won't hurt, but one of the main issues would be lack of moisture over that period - all the microorganisms you get in healthy soil would have died off. not that you can hose it down at the moment...


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    #3
    bungaro79
    Registered Users Posts: 1,213 ✭✭✭bungaro79


    anything you'd recommend?? there was a soil enricher in b&q yesterday so not sure which would be better, that or the manure??


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    #4
    _Brian
    Registered Users Posts: 18,565 ✭✭✭✭_Brian


    I agree that much of the microorganisms in the soil will have perished, but all they need are the correct conditions and they come flooding back very quickly.

    I’d till the area, mix in fresh compost and when the moisture levels return it will be fine again. There will be enough microorganisms in the compost you mix in to populate it plenty.


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    #5
    unattendedbag
    Registered Users Posts: 456 ✭✭unattendedbag


    Id hate to start into that with a garden fork. Rent a rotivator. Easily done in a day. You could get a soil test kit and test it but honestly for this size of an area just throw in some compost and fertiliser and the grass will be happy. Certainly won't hurt it.

    I'd rotivate the soil then rake some compost in over the top before planting the seed. Now is a great time to level the lawn and throw some of that gravel down under the soil for drainage. Get rid of any building materials and roots. If you get the grass well established and we'll fed by the end of growing season then it will look great in about 12 months time.


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