Advice On Preparing Ground Grass Seed

Hi,

I've just finished removing paving slabs and decking from our back garden and we're now planning on putting down some grass seed.

I'm a complete newbie when it comes to doing this though so could do with some advice on the best way to tackle it as I want to make sure I get it right.

The ground underneath is very compact and there's a layer of small stones across most of it after removing all the slabs and cement. I had planned on leveling it all out, then covering it with top soil before seeding but I'm not sure if this is the best option?

Any advice on the best way to tackle it would be greatly appreciated.

 

Welcome to Gardeners Corner

I'd loosen it with a fork to ensure good drainage, and i'd use spent mushroom compost rather than topsoil, all you're likely to get come up with that is the odd mushroom.

Advised one of our customers to get some to bring a bed up a while back, but they ordered 2 ton of topsoil instead, it was full of bindweed roots and glod knows what else

 

Thanks!

Should I be removing the top layer of stony ground before forking or will that not matter so much with soil/compost going on top? I'll have a look at the mushroom compost as an alternative, thank you.

 

Pleasure

Shouldn't really matter, might help with drainage too.

Bit more expensive, unless you can find sterilised topsoil, not sure they do that though.

 

Must topsoil is just screened

 

Welcome PJ21
Dig over the ground to a spit deep....Depth of 30 to 40cm......removing stones, debris and any roots. Add top soil if you know it is good and add compost ....not too much but enough to give it a bit of a boost. Rake to a level and firm....use your heels to do this. This is the very best way to settle the soil. Take your time; rake and firm several times. do this half a dozen times until you are satisifed it is level and firm and showing a good tilth.
I would not add any fertiliser ....I would do so if it was March or April.....because there will be reasonable nutrient value in the added compost. Ordinary multi purpose compost is fine to help achieve a nice friable mix.
Choose a grass seed like dwarf rye and sow half of it in one direction. Lightly rake. Sow half in the opposite direction and again lightly rake it in
Lightly water if rain is not imminent.
Grass seed should germinate in a couple to three weeks.
You could cover with fleece....it protects against birds and torrential rain...but not essential.
The most important part is levelling and firming...dont skimp on this.
In spring you may need to oversow any areas that have not responded well to autumn sowing. In mid spring you can apply a lawn fertiliser.....not weed or moss killer. Mow with blades reasonably high and do so once a week.
Oh! Enjoy your lawn next summer

 

Plenty of good advice above. BUT it is getting a little late. Where are you? I would not sow later than the first few days of October in southern England. You may get lucky with the weather but.....you may not. Light soils will cope better than heavy ones now. Once temperatures drop and certainly if there is any sign of frost, it's too late.

 

Hence the fleece suggestion Redwing.
Pretty sure the seed would germinate......again my suggestion to oversow in spring if necessary.
I would sow seed in next couple of weeks but time spent preparing the site over the winter and seed sown in spring is sensible. However a brown earth space over winter is not desirable ! If spring over sowing is required the preparation would have been done so, on balance, go for it PJ21

 

Thanks for all the advice. I'm in Sheffield and planning on doing it all in the next week or 2. Hoping that will be OK.

 

Excellent PJ21
Remember the levelling and firming is paramount.
However, I find preparing a lawn highly enjoyable so have fun

 

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Thanks for all the previous advice on this, the seed has been down a few weeks now and the grass is coming through nicely in a lot of places.

In places where it's a little slower coming through or the seed looks sparse, would it be worthwhile throwing down a little more seed now or should I just wait until the spring to fill in gaps given how late in the year it is?