Newbie Lawn Prep

[throttleaddict]

Hi, I have recently moved into a property that had a paved garden. I am planning to lawn this by spreading seeds but I firstly need some help on preparing the area (17ft x 6ft).

The makeup is as follows from top to bottom:-

Paving stones Sand/cement Soil Slate Soil

Firstly, I have removed the paving stones and the left over sand/cement mix. There are some stones (pebble sized) that need to be forked and removed, then there is roughly an inch of soil before about 2/3 inches of crushed slate (must have been used as something to bed onto and compacted), then back to soil again.

My question is, do I need to remove all the slate layer and make all back to soil? Or will the lawn grow quite happily on the top soil layer (about an inch thick)?

At a later date, I will probably make a border and maybe a vegetable patch too.

[trader4]

To have a decent lawn you generally should have a min of 3 inches of soil, preferably 5. The roots need room to grow down. It also depends on whether you intend to irrigate it or rely on rainfall, where you're located, what type of grass, etc.

If grading is not an issue, the easiest solution would be to bring in some good, screened topsoil. You also should check the soil PH and adjust if needed, particularly when using new topsoil or having regraded.