Garden - changing from fake grass to real grass.
Discussion
I've moved into a house that has fake grass/astroturf instead of a proper lawn (yes, this is Essex!)
I know that originally when a newbuild there was a real lawn so presume the soil base is still there but will pull a bit up to check.
Can anyone advise if there is an ideal time of year to change back to real grass - should I wait for Spring now?
Has anyone here done this? Trying to figure out if we should go with reseeding or buying new turf and getting it laid by a pro?
Any pitfalls to be aware of when making the switch?
I know that originally when a newbuild there was a real lawn so presume the soil base is still there but will pull a bit up to check.
Can anyone advise if there is an ideal time of year to change back to real grass - should I wait for Spring now?
Has anyone here done this? Trying to figure out if we should go with reseeding or buying new turf and getting it laid by a pro?
Any pitfalls to be aware of when making the switch?
Do it in late April or early May. The growers will have had plenty of time to get the "winter" out of their fields by then and you will have to do less watering.
Whats there now depends on who has done it. For a proper install they will have removed about 100mm of soil and put in mot/1 or 20mm single size to about 60-70mm and then topped that with sand. There may also be a timber frame under there.
Your best bet is to lift it in March and dig down and see what you got. If its a proper install hire a skip and dig it out (keep a bit of the sand) and then backfill with top soil and the sand you kept mixed in.
However a lot of people just wang down some sand and call it good. So check. Either way - having the soil air out for a week or two will do it a lot of good.
But IMO its a job for the spring anyway.
Whats there now depends on who has done it. For a proper install they will have removed about 100mm of soil and put in mot/1 or 20mm single size to about 60-70mm and then topped that with sand. There may also be a timber frame under there.
Your best bet is to lift it in March and dig down and see what you got. If its a proper install hire a skip and dig it out (keep a bit of the sand) and then backfill with top soil and the sand you kept mixed in.
However a lot of people just wang down some sand and call it good. So check. Either way - having the soil air out for a week or two will do it a lot of good.
But IMO its a job for the spring anyway.
Sorry to hijack the thread but is there any negative to putting seed down now?
I viewed my rental property yesterday and somehow - in 18 months - the tenants that are leaving have turned my grass into 80% bare mud. It was fine for the 23 years I was there and for the 2 years of the previous tenants so I assume that somehow it's caused by their dog.
Since there will be tenants in there by spring I can only really put grass seed in at the the of October. Will it start growing in the spring?
I viewed my rental property yesterday and somehow - in 18 months - the tenants that are leaving have turned my grass into 80% bare mud. It was fine for the 23 years I was there and for the 2 years of the previous tenants so I assume that somehow it's caused by their dog.
Since there will be tenants in there by spring I can only really put grass seed in at the the of October. Will it start growing in the spring?
davek_964 said:
It was fine for the 23 years I was there and for the 2 years of the previous tenants so I assume that somehow it's caused by their dog.
The hot summer's been an absolute killer for lawns. I wouldn't be too quick to blame the dog. Ours is mostly recovered, but some parts still look totally dead. silentbrown said:
The hot summer's been an absolute killer for lawns. I wouldn't be too quick to blame the dog. Ours is mostly recovered, but some parts still look totally dead.
Ours is the same. But 'looking totally dead' is different - still has grass, it's just pretty brown. What I'm talking about is bare earth. It's bizarre
It would still be fine to do now if you do it quickly.
As you say, the soil underneath should be fine, so I'd buy some new topsoil, thrown some seed down with some pre seed fertilser, and cover it so the birds don't eat the seed, and also to protect from the leaves falling on them, and it should be fine.
I've done some more seeing in the past week (in Yorkshire) and its taken well.
Suppose the only though it whether you want to use the area over winter. If not, do it now, however if you do then it likely won't fully thicken up this time of year so wait until next spring.
As you say, the soil underneath should be fine, so I'd buy some new topsoil, thrown some seed down with some pre seed fertilser, and cover it so the birds don't eat the seed, and also to protect from the leaves falling on them, and it should be fine.
I've done some more seeing in the past week (in Yorkshire) and its taken well.
Suppose the only though it whether you want to use the area over winter. If not, do it now, however if you do then it likely won't fully thicken up this time of year so wait until next spring.
Do it soon and you'll get some root growth in to whats below, come next spring it can really take off.
Farm up the road has just ploughed 20 acres and will be putting seed in within a few days, so there's still time this year as Simpo 2 says.
Might even find some cheaper turf, suppliers could be keen to clear up this years stuff.
Farm up the road has just ploughed 20 acres and will be putting seed in within a few days, so there's still time this year as Simpo 2 says.
Might even find some cheaper turf, suppliers could be keen to clear up this years stuff.
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