Grass killed by oil when oil tank was drained

10_66

I've just had to have a new oil tank fitted and unfortunately, they drained the oil from the old tank into bins that they'd put on the grass (without putting any tarpaulin underneath the bins ). Consequently, I've got a dozen patches of dead grass now, some of the diameters' up to a foot. I diluted it with detergent as best as I could (don't know whether or not that will have helped or hindered ), but I was wondering if anyone can tell me whether or not the grass is likely to re-grow, or whether I'm going to have to re-seed (which I don't really want to have to do, if time will sort it out).

Cliecost

I had a similar problem with white spirits.

No is the quick answer. The grass is dead and the soil is contaminated. I'm not sure the soap will have hindered but it certainly wouldn't have helped because oil based products ruin grass almost instantly.

Wait until next year and then reseed or try patch magic this year, I've used it loads, works brilliantly.

theoretica

Surely for only a dozen small patches you have grass plants growing as weeds/where not wanted occasionally and could transplant them. Hopefully the soil is not so contaminated they will die too.

10_66

Cliecost wrote: »

...Wait until next year and then reseed or try patch magic this year, I've used it loads, works brilliantly.

I Googled patch magic so I knew what I was looking for at my local garden centre (as I'd never heard of it before), and someone had put in their review that it's an annual grass and dies over the winter (I didn't know you could get annual grass - you can tell I'm not particularly green fingered!). Have you had any problems with this happening?

forgotmyname

Dig the patch out down to a depth of one foot if you can, Then chuck a bag of topsoil in there.

And add some grass seed.

My dad used to bury the oil from the oil changes on his cars back when you could.
The grass always grew back fairly quickly. And it never killed the rose bush nearby also.

Cliecost

10_66 wrote: »

I Googled patch magic so I knew what I was looking for at my local garden centre (as I'd never heard of it before), and someone had put in their review that it's an annual grass and dies over the winter (I didn't know you could get annual grass - you can tell I'm not particularly green fingered!). Have you had any problems with this happening?

I've used it loads. The only time I've heard of annual grass is ornamental grass. This is just normal garden grass.

You shake a coating out onto the patch, soak it heavily, let the water soak in (it's impressive watching it expand), if there are peaks in the soil soak it again. Make sure it always stays dark brown and pretty soon (about 2 weeks) you'll have little shoots growing.

:exclamati One word of warning, do not let the grass around the patch grow
long enough to shadow the shoots or they will die :exclamati