Clay patches after laying new turf

ctaylor_12811548 · 7 March

Hi! Hope someone can advise me. I moved into a new build 2 days after turf was laid in my back garden last July. I kept it watered and mowed it at the time advised and it looked great for 2 months but in Sept last year several clay patches appeared and now it just looks so bad. How much topsoil should they have used and should they have done anything else before turfing clay ground? Thank you to whoever can help.

JennyJ · 7 March

They should have dug/forked over the soil, removing any old builders rubble etc and relieving the compaction from machinery etc before levelling, adding topsoil (with some organic matter content) to replace what's usually stripped before building starts (I believe there's a minimum specified in building regs - 4" springs to mind but I might have go that wrong), firming properly by treading it over, then raking to smooth the surface. But my rather cynical guess is that developers of new builds usually don't do proper preparation, just flatten it with machinery burying their rubbish, spread the minimum amount of topsoil and lay the turf on top, with inevitable consequences.

The RHS page on turfing is here https://www.rhs.org.uk/lawns/lawns-from-turf

If you prefer a video, there's one here with Alan Titchmarch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2Tv-ML36r0

ctaylor_12811548 · 7 March

Thank you so so much Jenny. The only information aftercare team gave me was they put 150mm of topsoil down. So never mention the other preparations and I bet they stretched the amount for one lawn into two lawns. But as no-one is around to check them we buyers have no idea what they’ve done. Thank you again for the time you’ve spent replying this evening and I’ll check the links you’ve sent me. Carol.

Fairygirl · 7 March

Unfortunately @ctaylor_12811548, this is a very common query we see on the forum- it's one of those things that happens everywhere with new builds. The ground gets very compacted due to building work, and the people who lay the turf have little or no knowledge, and probably aren't too bothered about prepping because they just want the thing finished off. A garden/lawn isn't high on the list of priorities, and it's a lottery when the purchasers then move in.
It isn't always easy to resolve, other than adding more soil, spiking and adding drainage etc, and reseeding. If it's a small area, it can be stripped off and proper prep done, but it's a lot of work, and expense.
I hope you can get a solution that isn't too long drawn out or pricey. Unless you're really desperate to have perfection, or a bowling green though, it isn't always as bad as it seems.

ctaylor_12811548 · 7 March

Thank you so much for your reply. I just wasn’t expecting the problems I’m experiencing. The lawn is just one. It’s been like this 2 months after moving. The clay patches are so slippery too. I’m not looking for perfection but it is going to be a cost I didn’t account for and the property developer fobs me off with lame excuses and said as soon as I completed the lawn it is my responsibility to look after. Thanks again. Carol.

Fairygirl · 7 March

I'm so sorry you're having such a lot of problems @ctaylor_12811548. New builds can seem like a good ideam but the reality nowadays is that there can be lots of things left unfinished, and never resolved. Snagging never used to be quite so plentiful, but fobbing off completely is becoming more and more common

The only other thing I can suggest is that you put a few photos onto the forum, and we can maybe offer some more advice on how to tackle it. Your general location and climate are also important factors, as that can affect the type of grass seed or turf you use, but decent prep of the ground gets rid of the majority of problems. That's not always easy to fix if it means lifting it all and starting again, but iti can sometimes be sorted fairly easily from above ground.
Clay is a great medium for all sorts of plants, but it needs amended to really work well or it gets soggy and waterlogged through long wet spells, and can dry out completely in long dry ones, making it harder for the grass to thrive well. Where I am, the ground doesn't really dry out like that, so it's usually extra drainage that's needed. In many areas of the country where there's regular droughts, people have no green grass for months because of that lack of rainfall.

ctaylor_12811548 · 7 March

ctaylor_12811548 · 7 March

Thank you again. This photo was taken in Oct last year. There are many patches like these 5 months later. My small garden is about 5m x 5m and on a slope. I can post another photograph tomorrow in daylight.

ctaylor_12811548 · 7 March

I live in east Somerset, east of Mendip hills.

Fairygirl · 8 March

You might be ok just to give patches like that a scrape with a rake or similar and re seed. The grass looks pretty decent otherwise - mine rarely looks that good at that time of year as the moss starts to take hold!
If the ground stays wet through summer, a bit of aerating with a fork can often help. Normally you make those vertical holes and add grit or something similar which can help with drainage over time. There are more specialised tools which take a column of soil out, and that's good if it's a really heavy, boggy area. It also depends on which direction your plot faces and if there's anything else affecting the amount of sun/light the grass gets, and you can get seed which suits those varying aspects. It's not a huge area, so it really comes down to whether you really want to spend money getting someone in and replacing it all, or the cheaper option of doing it yourself. If you just need somewhere to sit in summer, a bit for the washing to go out, or for kids to play etc, that's usually where the end decision comes in. Most gardeners aren't too bothered about perfection - just having a reasonably green space.

Your conditions will be quite different to mine, but hopefully others who are nearer might be able to advise. I understand how frustrating it is though, when you've forked out for a new house and you just want to get on with your life without too many issues that shouldn't have arisen anyway.

A photo from further away will probably help too.

ctaylor_12811548 · 8 March

Thank you again for the advice. I will try seeding it as you’ve suggested.

Clay patches after laying new turf

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