Muddy garden :-(

mamamay

Hi Everyone,
Im in need of some advice....
I have a very large garden and due to all this rain we have been having and having 2 dogs it has become VERY muddy. Is there anything I can do? I don't want to have to stop my dogs from going out there but it is in a right mess.
Is there anything I can do to stop it from being so muddy or maybe something to make it look a little better? It's up for sale so don't want to be spending lots of money on it.
Thanks

Nan_Dingle

http://www.nationaltoolhireshops.co.uk/product/petrol-lawn-hollow-tiner-for-hire/

wallbash

If you think that will help , is exactly the right time of the year .
Our golf course is using a bigger version this last week.

gibson123

It's quite expensive but you can buy grass mesh for the worst areas, what I did before pulling up my lawn and gravelling was I had some wooden slats from inside an old bed frame which I laid over the muddiest bit until it recovered and then moved it around. my garden is mostly gravel now but I have a "wild" area at the side of my hut where my dog can do his business, this works well for both of us.

Conrad

This subject is close to my heart.

My solution was to apply tons - and I do mean tons, of sharp sand. I do about an inch layer twice per year. The grass has never died, but I do fast rake the whole lawn a couple of times in the following weeks. If in doubt, go for a shallower layer.
It really cuts down on all the mud mess.

Sometimes I add about 1/4 fine compost and a few buckets of blood fish n bone and on occasion add grass seed to the mix.

You have to apply the sand twice a year or so. If there is a danger you will kill off some grass, do add reliable grass seed with the blood fish n bone Grass will root anywhere, even on tarmac so don't believe people who say you need a deep tilth when patching a lawn. When adding seed I would add some fine compost as I say, just to improve chances of it taking.

Again you will likely need an awful lot of seed. No point getting 2 boxes - get some bags of it - I learned the hardway that skimping is more costlh long run.

Best way is to get a massive delivery loose by lorry.

If your'e not up to spreading and raking, get a lad in for a day, but personally I relish the excercise so I kill 2 birds with 1 stone.

Lastly - if you want to do the job really well, ideally you would address the underlying existing soil to, by airating it (takes forever with a fork) and where necessary rotavating it but this last step would kill off existing grass of course.

Ideally your'e after creating a much lighter better drained soil.

Really badly drained gardens also needs gravel soakaways etc

mansars

I would agree with a mixture of the previous posters.

Personally I would (depending on the size of your garden) hollow tine and infill with a 50/50 mixture of sand and loam/topsoil mixed with plenty of grass seed. You can buy a hollow tine/corer from B&Q for £10. I would then top this off with again loads of grass seed.....make sure you set up some bird scarers or your just putting down bird feed and not grass.

You could always cordon off your garden so that they get turn about on certain parts., thereby reducing the wear on the garden giving the other parts time to recover.

If you are still there next year try over seeding with a tough grass and cutting your gress at a slightly higher setting around say 3-5 cm. To toughen it up even more rake the grass regularly to get rid of thatch and moss which hold the moisture and cintribute to muddy gardens imho.

A final solution (and the cheapest) is to walk your dogs more often....the same distance each day but just in 4-5 short walks.

glasgowdan

There is no way to keep a clay damp lawn nice if your dogs are on it regularly. That's the simple fact of the matter.

There is also no point in hollow tining it just now unless you plan further works (i.e. addition of 3-4kg silca sand topdressing per m2). Sharp sand isn't the best for lawns as it works loosely and won't hold the structure as well as a proper lawn dressing but it does work. Builders sand will kill the grass.

It's too late in the season to seed.

I would do the following:
Hire a rotovator. Turn the whole lawn over. Add 3-4kg sand per m2 and rotovate again. rake it all out, stamp level by foot, rake again, stamp level, hire a drag mat and a wide builder's or lawn rake to help create a proper perfect smooth and level finish. Lay new turf and keep the dogs OFF it until 4-5 weeks have passed, and even then try to keep them from running around the whole lawn and turning it into a mud rink again.

The advice above about regular significant top dressing with sand is good. How big is this lawn?

Longer term some drain/soakaway installation is a good option.

palyniam

I was wondering if I cover my whole mud garden in sand will it be any good. I have the whole garden open up to hens and I have been told that sand will stop the mud?

forgotmyname

When i was on the lorries i spotted a guy up the enbankment with a bag. I thought what is he doing. Then it clicked. He was collecting the grass seed.

Obviously got the timing right as a few weeks later the council trimmed it all down.