When I said lay a sand and topsoil 50/50 mix I wasn't suggesting mixing the sand with the clay soil, I meant laying on top to build up levels.
Glad you found better draining material underneath. It's possible that the digger - and general lawn usage - has created a layer of compacted 'puddled' clay and you've managed to excavate beneath it.
Stay off it until it is dry. That means until you can pick up a piece and it crumbles in your hand rather than being like plasticine.
When it is properly dry you can decompact to about 450mm. At work we use single tine rippers on the front of a mini digger. But under no circumstance bring that sort of a machine into the space while the ground is wet for the reasons stressed above.
"What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour".
I am at about 0.4m down, and the soil is crumbling when picking this up, plan to go a little further down in a few days once its dried out more and then fork the ground below that up.
I was hitting blue clay on the way down and then it become more iron looking, which is a good sign.
I was planing the back fill with grit, hardcore, manure, topsoil and then maybe have a slightly raised hump of bark or wood chips. (will also look at the sand and topsoil mix)
Is 5-10mm gravel ok for base layer? Is Ballast an option for next layer or just use a 10-20mm gravel?
Not sure what I've done is even right, but I dug out more this morning, so now at 0.6m deep, I then put the fork all the way in and upturned the layer I had dug down too, looked dry and crumbly braking up well. I left it until 1230 to dry out. Added some water just to see if it would drain, I never added lots just enough to coat the bottom, and coming up for 2 hrs later the water is still there.
I can clear the hole, add grit and gravel and re test but if its not draining with a light coating of water then that seems a problem to me?
Not sure i would be too concerned about water 2ft down. In theory your plants will be taking up some of the water and removing 4 conifers won't have helped In all honesty I don't think there is anything else you can do except maybe build raised beds and choose plants that will recover from being water logged for a while.
My thinking is that if its not draining 2ft down then even if that is back filled with grit, hardcore, manure, topsoil and then maybe have a slightly raised hump of bark or wood chips it will eventually back up, if not draining?
Am I wrong on think this? I honestly dont know anymore
I can leave it over weekend and see if it clears, but I would have expected it after nearly 3 hrs now to have drained away or at least signs of it going and maybe just being damp and muddy now, but not standing water.
Raised beds is an option but its just masking over the issue below.
I don't wish to say anything really stupid but do you think you have a pan down there - an area of really compacted clay that sets like concrete and prevents drainage? If you do, breaking it up and adding organic material and grit might help. Otherwise you have gone beyond my experience.
I believe that is what had been created on top with the work that was done, but digging down 2ft and forking that and its still the same I am also at a loss.
Nothing is really stupid, this is why we are here to try and find out form others
The thing I cant get my head around is that by back filling with what I proposed, I dont understand how it will work if 2ft down the water is just sitting there.
I was hitting blue clay on the way down and then it become more iron looking, which is a good sign.
My theory is G333 has broken through the pan, and is now into the material underneath. In which case all he has to do is wait for the soil to dry out and break up that pan, which will probably improve things a lot.
If it doesn't work, raising the lawn by 6" with free draining soil as discussed will probably help the lawn surface be less muddy. Simple and definitely will work.
I don't think digging it all out and infilling with hardcore and manure and whatever is a particularly practical solution. Or maybe I'm lazy and don't like the idea of all that work for something that probably won't be effective?
"What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour".
The soil has been dry underneath, under the depth I have dug too, I have forked and spade the pan to break this up. There seems to be no improved water is still there now after 5 hrs.
I had to try digging out a fairly big section to see if it worked, if it worked then digging out, getting rid of the clay that has been dug out and back filling with what I was thinking was what I would have done if it worked, reading online it seems to suggest that is the way to do it.
The issue I have tho is going 2ft down, breaking the pan and its still not draining. I dont want to backfill or dig anymore that I have if its not going to improve.
Posts
Glad you found better draining material underneath. It's possible that the digger - and general lawn usage - has created a layer of compacted 'puddled' clay and you've managed to excavate beneath it.
Stay off it until it is dry. That means until you can pick up a piece and it crumbles in your hand rather than being like plasticine.
When it is properly dry you can decompact to about 450mm. At work we use single tine rippers on the front of a mini digger. But under no circumstance bring that sort of a machine into the space while the ground is wet for the reasons stressed above.
I can clear the hole, add grit and gravel and re test but if its not draining with a light coating of water then that seems a problem to me?
In all honesty I don't think there is anything else you can do except maybe build raised beds and
choose plants that will recover from being water logged for a while.
Am I wrong on think this? I honestly dont know anymore
I can leave it over weekend and see if it clears, but I would have expected it after nearly 3 hrs now to have drained away or at least signs of it going and maybe just being damp and muddy now, but not standing water.
Raised beds is an option but its just masking over the issue below.
Nothing is really stupid, this is why we are here to try and find out form others
The thing I cant get my head around is that by back filling with what I proposed, I dont understand how it will work if 2ft down the water is just sitting there.
My theory is G333 has broken through the pan, and is now into the material underneath. In which case all he has to do is wait for the soil to dry out and break up that pan, which will probably improve things a lot.
If it doesn't work, raising the lawn by 6" with free draining soil as discussed will probably help the lawn surface be less muddy. Simple and definitely will work.
I don't think digging it all out and infilling with hardcore and manure and whatever is a particularly practical solution. Or maybe I'm lazy and don't like the idea of all that work for something that probably won't be effective?
I had to try digging out a fairly big section to see if it worked, if it worked then digging out, getting rid of the clay that has been dug out and back filling with what I was thinking was what I would have done if it worked, reading online it seems to suggest that is the way to do it.
The issue I have tho is going 2ft down, breaking the pan and its still not draining. I dont want to backfill or dig anymore that I have if its not going to improve.