Preparing clay for turf

[Helen J]

Hello

I'm new to the forum and had a quick look around and couldn't find any other posts which answer this question.

I have an area of ground (11m x 4m) which I would like to have turfed in April. The soil in my garden is black and clay like to a depth of 30-40 cm with yellow clay beneath and there is a drainage problem in that all the water from the field at the back of my house runs onto my carden so it does get waterclogged.

I have put in some drains which removes a lot of the water however a substantial ammount of it still rests on top of any compacted soil areas. I want to make sure that when I lay the turf the soil underneath is as well prepared as possible and try and get it draining a bit better.

I was thinking of getting 30 bags of sharp sand (about the size of a 20l bag of compost) and 30 x 60/70l bags of cheap compost and mixing them in to my soil before I lay the turf. Its also been suggested that laying topsoil may be better but this would be more expensive and it seems a waste given my 'top'soil is very rich in nutrients.

Does anyone know what the best thing to do is?

Thanks

Helen

[trader4]

Adding sand and organic matter as you suggest is what I would do. The sand should be coarse rather than fine. The choice of exactly what organic matter depends on what is available locally. For example, here in my municipality in the USA, the township collects leaves in the Fall, turns them into compost, and it;s available free.

I'd make sure to till it in well and also test and adjust the PH as necessary. It's also not clear how much water is still running into this area. If it's too much, you may still have problems. For example, it's a pain to cut grass when it's wet and muddy. You may want to consider if there is a way to intercept more of the water and direct it away.

[Helen J]

I suspected as much, thanks for the advice. I'm going to construct some sort of ridge to stop the water running into my garden so much.

Our council does collect organic waste but it sells it on rather than offering it to residents at a free/discounted price.