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New lawn was levelled with a Compactor / Wacker Plate (is this salvageable?)
champpal24482
Posts: 1
Hi,
Need some advice please.
A builder installed a new lawn and used a compactor / wacker plate to level it.
Me been rather ignorant of such things didn't take much notice until it started raining.
You guessed it.
Rain runs off it, flooding the yard and results in the lawn been water logged.
The builder reacted by installing a storm drain (still messy / unslightly as you have mini streams of rain water all converging at one point) and said that the lawn drainage will improve as it settles down.
I assumed that's hoping that the grass which was seeded will loosen the soil up.
About 5 weeks later the lawn is patchy and the parts of it which does have grass growing is turning yellow (let's say about 1/3 of the grass) which I assume is due to the water logging issue.
The area has also become a bit of a mosquitto hotspot. Having a bit of a warm October here atm.
What can I do?
Was thinking of various options.
(1) Dig Up / Rotavate
How deep would I have to go to get good drainage?
I've seen a few threads whereby people were turning ex patio sites into lawns so I assume they would have had a similar level of compaction to deal with.
I know rotavation is generally frowned up but given the level of compaction and me not having a lot of free time and not been in the best shape, I really don't have much choice unless I hire some help.
(2) Multiple Core Aerations
Wishful thinking given the severe compaction and that the grass isn't even established properly yet and probably can't.
(3) Give Up And Install A Patio Where The Lawn Is With Dedicated Drainage
Since it's so compacted it's possibly easier to install a patio possibly with artificial grass with dedicated drainage (back to the sewer system).
I would like a natural lawn but after having received 12+ mosquitto bites in one day (and too scared to open my Window) I want to solve the issue of water logging attracting mosquittos more.
Please advise.
Need some advice please.
A builder installed a new lawn and used a compactor / wacker plate to level it.
Me been rather ignorant of such things didn't take much notice until it started raining.
You guessed it.
Rain runs off it, flooding the yard and results in the lawn been water logged.
The builder reacted by installing a storm drain (still messy / unslightly as you have mini streams of rain water all converging at one point) and said that the lawn drainage will improve as it settles down.
I assumed that's hoping that the grass which was seeded will loosen the soil up.
About 5 weeks later the lawn is patchy and the parts of it which does have grass growing is turning yellow (let's say about 1/3 of the grass) which I assume is due to the water logging issue.
The area has also become a bit of a mosquitto hotspot. Having a bit of a warm October here atm.
What can I do?
Was thinking of various options.
(1) Dig Up / Rotavate
How deep would I have to go to get good drainage?
I've seen a few threads whereby people were turning ex patio sites into lawns so I assume they would have had a similar level of compaction to deal with.
I know rotavation is generally frowned up but given the level of compaction and me not having a lot of free time and not been in the best shape, I really don't have much choice unless I hire some help.
(2) Multiple Core Aerations
Wishful thinking given the severe compaction and that the grass isn't even established properly yet and probably can't.
(3) Give Up And Install A Patio Where The Lawn Is With Dedicated Drainage
Since it's so compacted it's possibly easier to install a patio possibly with artificial grass with dedicated drainage (back to the sewer system).
I would like a natural lawn but after having received 12+ mosquitto bites in one day (and too scared to open my Window) I want to solve the issue of water logging attracting mosquittos more.
Please advise.
0
Posts
Bumping this up for any lawn experts, but in the meantime can you say whereabouts you are (a general location will do), and maybe supply a couple of photos?
In the meantime @champpal24482 , location and photos, as @AnniD says, will be helpful. The compaction certainly won't have been ideal for your seed to germinate and thrive, but I'm sure it can be resolved if you can get the soil broken up well enough. That should have been done to ensure there was a viable base for the seed - usually just by raking, but it doesn't sound as if that would even have been enough if the ground was really packed down hard. Most domestic lawns are just firmed by feet, then raked, and repeated if necessary, to get a decent level and a nice base.
Not your fault though, but very annoying.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...