Laying turf on rubble?

So, I have moved into a lovely new house with a garden which has been filled with rubble, waste cement and a layer of gravel on top.

Since we have a baby on the way, I am keen to give junior some grass to run around on, so I am determined to reclaim some of the wasteland and grow some grass. (There are some mature trees and flowerbeds which I am currently renovating but the big challeng is the lawn - and the knot garden is looking great thanks to English Woodlands at Heathfield!).

The area to be turfed is approx 50m2. I have been gardening for many years, but have no idea what to do. I am not looking for a putting green but a robust high quality lawn. If I lay top soil and sharp sand on top of the existing mess to eg 3 inches, level it and turf it, will I get away with it? There are no problems with drainage or shade.

 

your main problem is going sinkage, if you put soil + sand and level it off you will find that this will get washed into the spaces between the rubble etc.
I know it will be a pain but I think you should move as much of the rubble etc as you can, or you may suffer problems later.
You could try putting the sharp sand on first and putting a hose on it and see how much gets washed down before going to the expense of doing the whole job.

 

I speak as one who has inherited a so-called "lawn" from someone who did what you're thinking of doing, Sevenoaksgardener - and I didn't thank my predecessor!! I'm currently having to dig out all the rubbish, as the gras is in a terrible state - do what Rossco says - he knows what he's talking about - and you'll have a much better quality lawn for junior!

 

Thanks for the quick response, rossco and dendrobium. Having done some preliminary digging, there seems to be a firm sublayer where the builders have laid poor quality cement (!) over the top of the rubble. This was broken up quite easily with a pickaxe but I am not sure if this is the right strategy if I want to prevent sinkage. I will probably remove all of the loose material inc. gravel, lay topsoil and sand and then turf it. Oh, and there is a hosepipe ban, so things really are not looking too positive!

 

astroturf!!and plenty of ointment for junior's knees!!