We built a rear extension and once this was all completed, the garden is now a disaster. No grass and rubble all over. I am clueless about gardening, but very interested. I would like to clear this up myself and regenerate grass.
Can someone advise how I do it (sorry for being daft).
Thanks!!
Grass pretty much grows all by itself... your only problem is that you're clueless and daft about physical labor.
Since you're using gardenbanter, I'll guess it's spring where you are. That's the second best time to plant grass seed. Fall is the best.
Go for it. Rake up the rubble, scratch up the ground and plant the seed. Refer to youtube or one of the thousands of sites for techniques.
There are lots of other details. Some of them aren't 100% necessary.
Minimum tools:
Lawnmower Rake Bag of seed
Gentle Reader, don't think that this is an April Fool joke or a one-off aberration, he's as charming as this all the time! Ask a simple question and get insulted by a stranger for no good reason, such fun. Some think he sucks too hard on the bottle. Nah. He's that clever without chemical assistance.
D
I would add that, if the construction has been heavy with vehicles crossing the soil etc, doing a bit more to loosen and amend the soil might be in order. This might be as little as running a plug aerator (rentable) over the area after thoroughly cleaning up the debris then removing and recycling the plugs and raking compost into the aerator holes. Or it might extend to using a rototiller (also rentable) to stir in soil amendments. In either case smoothing of the loosened soil and removal of roots which have surfaced with a rake and seeding would follow.
Why are yoose imbeciles suggesting that the lazy bastard first clean up the rubble... the daft doofus knows it's there, he says so... what he wants if for one of yoose imbeciles to do it for him. Sheesh!
Thanks all for the comments - I just got myself some garden tools - fork and spade set and a lopper for now, think I will spend the next two weekends clearing the rubble and loosening up the soil, once it is in a decent state, I will plant the seeds! True I have not done much physical labour, but I am quite looking forward to it!
While I honor your enthusiasm, I hope you'll take it slow at the outset. The "morning after" will probably be a little stiff and sore, so treat the ouches like any athletic injury. Ice first, heat later. Rub-in stuff. I used to teach at a gym where the older guys would come roaring in determined to prove -- whatever -- and found out the hard way that Rome wasn't built in a day, so to speak.
If there's really a whole ****load of soil loosening to be done, maybe you could rent a cultivator?
Enoy the job. You will be SO proud of the finished job.
HB
Truth be told, he is an asshole. Happy gardening.
I agree with Bozon, that if you're not used to manual labor, or you have no interest in manual labor, till the garden area the first year with a roto tiller. It will allow you to work in any amendments you may want (sand, clay, manure, or other organic material). My advice is that should also be the last time that you turn your soil. After the first year employ the "no dig" approach to gardening.
No dig gardening is an approach to cultivation favoured by many organic gardeners. The primary reasons for digging the soil are to remove weeds, to loosen and aerate the soil and to incorporate organic matter such as compost or manure. However there is a strong case against digging, which argues that in the long term it can be deleterious to the soil's health. Whilst digging is an effective way of removing perennial weed roots, it can also cause dormant seeds to come to the surface and germinate. Digging can also damage soil structure and cause problems like compaction, can disturb and damage balances amongst soil life and by exposure to the air, tends to burn up nutrients which then need to be replenished.
No dig methods rely on nature to carry out cultivation operations. Organic matter such as well rotted manure, compost, leaf mold, spent mushroom compost, old straw, etc, is added directly to the soil surface as a mulch at least 2 or 3 inches deep, which is then incorporated by the actions of worms pulling it downwards. Worms and other soil life also assist in building up the soil's structure, their tunnels providing aeration and drainage, and their excretions bind together soil crumbs. No dig systems are said to be freer of pests and disease, possibly due to a more balanced soil population being allowed to build up in this comparatively undisturbed environment, and by encouraging the build up of beneficial rather than harmful soil fungi. Moisture is also retained more efficiently under mulch than on the surface of bare earth.
Converting to a no dig system is however a long term process, and is reliant upon having plentiful organic matter to provide mulch material. It is also necessary to thoroughly remove any perennial weed roots from the area beforehand, although their hold can be weakened by applying a light excluding surface layer such as large sheets of cardboard or several thicknesses of opened out newspaper (overlapped to provide thorough cover) before adding the compost mulch.
No dig is not a technique that is appropriate in all situations, but organic gardeners and farmers should at least consider minimising soil disturbing practices if they are to reverse soil damage and erosion.
You won't learn gardening quickly, because your patch of the planet will be somewhat different than other patches (amount of rain, amount of sunlight, type of soil, climat, and so on). Add to that that each plant has it's own needs (amount of rain, amount of sunlight, type of soil, climat, and so on). How you make that work in a small area will keep the little "grey" cells busy for awhile.
Bonne chance, vieux garçon.
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.