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How to rejuvinate dead/old suffocated earth for a new garden?

tom4bluestom4blues Posts: 3
in Problem solving

Hi all,

Hopefully this thread has found the correct area, i am new to the forum and looking for some advice on our first garden project at our house.

A bit of information as it stands:

-The garden is roughly 20meters long and 6 meters wide

-It has been fully slabbed until this week, the slabs were resting on around 1-2inches of sand which was replaced over blue tarpaulin.

-The garden has now been cleared, leaving the bare earth underneath.

-Although a little wet, the earth appears to be compressed, claggy and quite dark compared with normal bedding soil. The local area is renowned for being a sandy area, but this is probably a meter down. There have been some worms however under the tarp, not sure how many is good but promising.

-Previous owners lived there around 14 years, i would estimate that it has been slabbed for a long time, and hasnt breathed/seen any light until this week.

The plans:

Quite basic really. i would like to make a large lawn (from seed), with borders for planting a variety of plants and veg.

I am looking forward to getting stuck in with the design and all aspects of the garden, hence trying to get some good advice to give it the best start!

Questions:

-Can anyone please advise as to what the best product may be to turn into the ground to breath some life back into it? I don't know whether a generic multi purpose compost would suffice, or whether something more specific/a blend of things would be better?

-I imagine spreading the additions out on the surface and then rotovating would be ok?

-Any ideas on how long to leave this rotovated earth before seeding the lawn?

-Would i be best using one type of additive all over, or different things for the lawn and the beds?

-Is there anything further we should do or maybe we haven't considered?

We would really appreciate any advice anyone may have!

Thanks in advance :)

Posts

  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090

    I would advise against rotavating while the soil is so deeply compacted as they don't go very deep and generally just tickle the top few inches.  Try instead to fork it over bit by bit - mind your back.  You don't have to go deep at this stage or lift great clods.  Just loosen the soil and let air in and some rain and then spread on as much well rotted garden compost and manure as you can get your hands on.  Leave it a week or two and then hire or borrow a rotavator to turn it over.   

    If you want really good soil repeat the process of compost/manure and rotavating then let it settle a week or two again.  You can then mark out beds and a lawn area and rake the lawn area level ready for sowing seed or turfing in autumn when temperatures and rainfall are best for establishing new lawns.

    Plenty of advice on preparing for lawns on the RHS website :-

    Seed - https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=424

    Turf - https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=410 

    Video - https://www.rhs.org.uk/videos/advice/laying-a-lawn-from-seed-and-turf 

    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
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147

    Absolutely agree with Obelixx.  Lots of organic matter and some time image


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • tom4bluestom4blues Posts: 3

    Thank you for the replies, good to know that i was in the right kind of area ideas wise (not a lot to go wrong i admit), but the idea of a double dose of organic matter seems a better idea in the long run.

    I will have a read later of those suggested links too, thank you for posting those.

    I know its maybe upto personal preference, but is there a particular amount of coverage i should aim for ie 2inches all round? I know that it may be 'the more the merrier', but just trying to think about how much i should be buying.

  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090

    For the permanent lawn area go for 4" if poss cos once its won or laid, there's no going back.

     For flower beds start with at least 2 inches but more if you can then add another couple of inches every autumn once the perennials die back and after planting any spring bulbs.  Just leave it on the surface for worms and micro organisms to work in over winter and you'll have wonderful soil in no time.

    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
  • tom4bluestom4blues Posts: 3

    Thank you, i really appreciate the help. It makes sense what you said about the lawn, and in practise it will be seeded this autumn with the borders being done next spring anyway, so your suggestion would work.

  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090

    Good.  Hope it goes well.  Post some pics of the before, during and after when you need encouragement.

    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
  • IamweedyIamweedy Posts: 1,364

    If you have some very persistent weeds do clear as many as possible by digging before rotovating the ground.

    You really do not want to chop up the very persistent weeds as any shoots from them will spread easily and make the weed situation really bad.




    'You must have some bread with it me duck!'

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