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soggy grass
Hi,
Can anyone help, my grass gets very soggy, especially over the winter, the soil seems to have a high clay content, following a rain storm, the water sits on the grass for ages before being absorbed.
Would aerating help? I have seen real big aerators, however not sure where to get them from. Alternatively would a layer of topsoil and then turf help solve the problem and could I put this directly over the poor quality grass?
Thanks in advance
John
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Posts
Laying soil on top isn't going to work John it just creates a mud bath. There's no quick fix it's a case of adding grit consistently over time, several years to improve the drainage. There is one slightly quicker method but that involves dumping pea shingle on a lawn and letting that work its way into the soil. But it still takes time to work and its not attractive for six months. Aeration and brushing grit in is the preferred method.
You're either going to need a petrol driven hole-poking machine (it's early, ok!), or a garden fork and lots of patience. As many rows of holes as you can manage, then go over them with a mix of sharp sand and grit. Repeat yearly until the drainage sort itself out.
Or you could remove all the turf and dig drainage pits and channels.
Thanks for you feedback, I am struggling to find a hole poking machine, I know the one you mean, very heavy piece of kit, think I have seen them on golf courses, very hard to get a hold of domestically, not sure of the correct terminology either.