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To dig or not to dig ?

SarahgillSarahgill Posts: 4
in Garden design

image

Hi 

digging out my garden.  However it's chucking it today. 

The ground is going to be soggy and my house very muddy  

Is it a good idea to continue or stop for a day ? I thought best to stop but don't want to waste time either.

Advice please. 

Also how long will this water take to drain any idea ? So that I can get back to work  

Thanks 

Sarah. 

Posts

  • Kitty 2Kitty 2 Posts: 5,150

    Look left Pansy.  I think Sarah is shifting a ton of gravel and weed membrane out of the garden.

    Hope it's not too compacted Sarah. Are you digging in preparation to lay a lawn?

  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090

    Digging compacted soil in wet weather is not a good idea as it will be very hard work and risk compacting it further.   How long it takes to drain will depend on how much clay is in the soil composition, how deep and how compacted it is and also what lies beneath it.

    If you're still planning on plastic grass, you'd be better off just piercing deep holes with your fork, wiggling it back and forth to enlarge them and pouring on a good layer of sharp sand - not wet, rounded builders' sand - to provide drainage.  I assume the artificial grass will be on some kind of woven mesh base to allow drainage.

    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • SarahgillSarahgill Posts: 4
    Kitty 2 says:

    Look left Pansy.  I think Sarah is shifting a ton of gravel and weed membrane out of the garden.

    Hope it's not too compacted Sarah. Are you digging in preparation to lay a lawn?

    See original post

     Hi kitty. 

    Digging is still on going. Loostened the mud today. However didn't get much done as the gas engineer came and spent 2 hou in my way !  That was after the rain had stopped. So I was well annoyed. 

    Yes moved out gravel and have now got to move out some top soil to front garden. I will be eventually creating raised flower beds at front Because I have ton of too soil to use up. 

    I'm digging in preperation to lay artificial grass. I know people dont like it but I'm laying it for personal reasons After a lot of deliberation. 

    Anyway so yes I did dig Today. 

  • Kitty 2Kitty 2 Posts: 5,150

    Hi Sarah image. I've only ever made one small seeded lawn in my tiny garden so no expert, the digging can be back breaking on clay. I expect that the ground prep for an artificial lawn is much the same regarding drainage and leveling the site.

    To check out the subsoil you can dig a hole (maybe 1ft across, 1ft down ??) to see what's underneath, and how thick the clay is. Fill it with water, and see how long it takes to drain away.  I can't remember how fast/slow is good/bad, hope someone else jumps in on that one. I read it on the forum....somewhere image.

    Good idea to use extra topsoil to fill your raised beds, saves on £££ too image.

    Good luck with the project, and I hope you get better weather soon ⛅

  • mostynharveymostynharvey Posts: 8

    i would never have been convinced by plastic grass, and was always against the idea of it, but then i saw my sisters new lawn and i have to have mine done aswel, they look fantastic!

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