Setting a Lawn

K09

Hi,

My "lawn" :rolleyes: is covered with black plastic and covered with few inches of pebble stone.

I want to grow a proper lawn there. What would be my best solution? It has been suggested to 1) remove the stone, 2) take up a few inches of soil, and 3) put the stone down as drainage and the soil on top of this.

Would this be a solution worthwhile?

Thanks!

Anatom

K09 I'm actually doing this at the moment. I had a big job done last Sept on my back garden and when the beds and patio were done I set about looking at the lawn.

I didn't have any pebbles/plastic, but I did bring in a truckload of topsoil and I spread it out. It turns out to have been absolute rubbish :mad: - I think the supplier just dug it up from the side of a road because there was a huge amount of stone and plastic and metal strips etc. in it. Basically, I weeded out the stone and plastic etc. and spread it out. I'm now at the stage where I am raking it smooth now. Leaving it for the winter really broke down the sods that were in it and I'm going to roll it and lay rolls of grass out in the next few weeks. I'm actually looking for a supplier at the moment.

My advice to you would be to pull out the plastic and leave the pebbles where they are. Get a load of (good) topsoil, spread it out. The pebbles, provided there aren't too many of them and they're not too deep, will aid drainage in the future. You can then sow or roll out your grass...:D

If that's too much, then your 2) and 3) solution would be the best...

K09

Thanks.

Turns out there is a couple of inches deep of pebbles. Took up one strip and the soil underneath is rock hard after the plastic.

So don't think I will dig up and use stone as drainage. Just way too much work. Will remove the stone and hope a lawn develops with plenty of seeding??

But is this wishful thinking?

Menas

I had a similar set up on our garden when we moved in. We removed the stones completely, pulled up the protective membrane that was between the soil and the stones.
The 'soil' underneath was very compacted and looked very unhealthy.
We rotovated it and then raked it to an even level. Then we put about 2 inces of top soil over this and rolled turf on top of that.
It worked out perfect for us.

Rinker

Definitely get rid of the stones first. Then you need to turn the compacted ground. Leave for a week in the fine weather. next good weekend you get run over it a few times with the rotovator then rake it level, remove stones from surface, trample all over lawn area (or roll) to ensure there are no soft spots. Rake over again to get a fine tilth and then sow.

K09

Thanks. Don't know how to get rid of the stones though.

What did you do with them?

blackharvester

if you dont wona reuse them stones in front garden or somewhere else, you can put advert with some pictures (www.adverts.ie) and someone could be intrested in taking them away for free for his garden. or if you dont wona wait you can get skip for them, i think the cheaper skip bag cost about 80e

K09

OK. Any idea if the stone is worth anything?