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Soil help? How can I seed my grandfather grave 💔

stewill64564211stewill64564211 Posts: 4
edited 5 March in Problem solving
Hi thanks for your time
Ivr come here for advice as it' seams that you all know your stuff. 
My grandfather recently passed, and I asked for topsoil so I could lay seed down , council but this clay cement type soil on it ? Or is it more mud I don't have clue What will this do will it go hard can I seed this do I leave it for a while . Take it up and topsoil it.? I don't know if this is normal practice but doesn't look good is there a way to improve it I know nothing about soil and wether I can even seed this stuff.

Any directions or advice would help tremendously because I can't bare to see his resting place as it is .



All the best . Take care . And thanks for reading

Posts

  • philippasmith2philippasmith2 Posts: 3,742
    Is the grave in an official Cemetary or elsewhere ?  Cemetaries in current use are normally tended on a regular basis so if this is the case, contact the officials and see what they can suggest.
    I can only see the main pic which shows the grave stone dated 2021 but there appears to be grass growing around it ?  The vases and ornaments will presumably have compacted the ground somewhat and the grass is struggling to cover the area.
    If the grave is on private ground then it may be an idea to contact the landowner for advice. Removing everything and then raking over and seeding could be the answer to your dilemma.

  • Busy-LizzieBusy-Lizzie Posts: 24,043
    edited 5 March
    When that happened to my father's grave I removed the lumps of clay on top, dug in a bag of compost and planted 3 fuchsias on it. I had seen that some other graves had fuchsias that were doing well. The lavenders on other graves didn't look happy. The graveyard where my brother is doesn't have anything but grass as they just like to mow over it all. I had planted a rose but it got mown down.
    Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
  • stewill64564211stewill64564211 Posts: 4
    We haven't seeded it yet I'm thinking to remove as much as the clay and add topsoil it's a council cemetery with rules to follow you can leave a sign to say to leave to the family to mow . So then we can leave things like flowers and ornaments its 2023 and new about 8 months. Busy Lizzie you think that be my best bet to remove clay and add topsoil and seed 
  • stewill64564211stewill64564211 Posts: 4
    Thanks again 
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    In my experience the soil level on new graves can continue to sink for a good few years after the grave is closed … a lot depends on the type of soil … it might be as well to ask about timings with  whoever is in charge of the cemetery as it would be a shame to have to keep redoing it. 😊 

    A good idea is to use flowering bulbs and temporary bedding etc for the first few years until the infill has settled and is ready for something more permanent. 

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





  • stewill64564211stewill64564211 Posts: 4
    What is temporary bedding soil?
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Sorry I didn’t explain clearly … I meant temporary bedding plants … annuals that have to be replaced each spring  rather than perennial plants which you plant expecting them to last a good few years or more. 

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





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