I have an old cracked tennis court in my backyard. Came with the house. I would love to turn it into a lawn, but I'm concerned it'll turn into a huge pile of mud. Any ideas on how to turn a tennis court into a low maintenance garden?
Is is a dirt floor or blacktop or cement. Dirt could be tilled and amended nicely. The other surfaces need elbow grease then the amending and tilling.
Start by digging a hole in it to see what is underneath. You don't want to be incorporating a whole lot of rock, builder's rubbish or other mess into your garden.
I would rip up and remove whatever it is made of unless it is grass. Even if it is just clay it will be inches thick and very compacted due to repeated rollings. Pure clay makes very poor garden soil which will require much ammendment to be any good even if you loosen it up. Easier to get rid of it. The aim with a tennin court (except grass) is for plants to NOT grow on it. When you see what is underneath you can decide on how to proceed then.
If it is grass then it will need to be ripped or plowed in some way as although grass grows there the soil is still quite compacted.
Doing this by hand would be murderously hard work even if you are young and fit. A tiller or cultivator is also unlikely to get through it, some heavy equipment will be required. Around here you would get a neighbour with a tractor and start with a single-point deep ripper and then change it for a plow. A bobcat or some other digger would be needed to remove material if that is required.
After you have got to something that resembles soil you will need to add compost/mulch/manure etc in fairly large amounts to improve the texture and fertilty. A tiller would be OK to turn this in or just run the plow over it again.
David
g'day,
use raised beds, i'd suggest it won't matter a heap whether you have concrete or packed earth.
see our site for ideas
With peace and brightest of blessings,
len & bev
-- "Be Content With What You Have And May You Find Serenity and Tranquillity In A World That You May Not Understand."
Read the article about raised gardens on pavement and roof tops at
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.