Lawn help needed.

[Westi]

My back lawn could be bog garden - between dog & nature it is trashed & needs urgent work as that slimy stuff I have mentioned before is also moving in & it is pretty lethal as so slippery - looks like pond slime which the conditions would suit. Took dog down today but she was OK - kitchen floor not so!

I have been out putting the fork in to aid drainage but surface water is going nowhere & in some places can't dig it in the full depth of the tines as the builder rubble appears to be working it's way up through the top soil. Any suggestions as to the best way forward or do I just give up & pave it, but personally don't think that would last if the rubble is rising as then instead of slipping I'd be tripping.

Any advice appreciated.

[Pa Snip]

I would work as many tines in as possible, to whatever depth you can. Then fill the holes with sharp sand (not builders sand)

Then in a couple of weeks repeat the exercise, it will be a bit like painting the forth bridge at first seemingly never ending, as you will need to do it a few times to have any effect upon the drainage.

[tigerburnie]

You'd have thought the builders rubble would have helped with drainage.

[Westi]

Hi Tiger & Pa.

I think it probably did help initially but with 30 years of dirt falling under it as it rises that has caused this problem as now can only drain to the depth of where the rubble is which is not deep. I will do as you suggest Pa as that makes sense as it will also fall down deeper as well & eventually aid the lower drainage. Found myself looking at artificial stuff today at the garden centre but the glow in the dark, neon green bits did not convince me it was a suitable alternative.

[oldherbaceous]

Fabric and shingle.....

[Pa Snip]

Fabric and shingle.....

Having worked with various fabrics & shingles I can vouch for how painful working with shingles can be

[tigerburnie]

I'd be tempted to put raised beds on top of the area and grow fruit and veg.

[Westi]

A plan indeed Tiger, but would have to be pond liner under, not fabric! If it ever stops raining I'll post a pic. It's not exaggeration with the bog garden bit I guarantee!

[rowbow]

When I was marshalling on are golf course if I came upon a puddle on the greens or fairways I would bash a spike in to get through the compacted soil, the water would go down like a plug hole.

[Westi]

Hi rowbow!

I was considering a crowbar to make bigger holes as fork tines are too shallow, but I'm going to need an awful lot of sharp sand. My final solution is to get the professionals in to sort it in the spring - or probably should say when it ever stops raining - will that be spring???

[peter]

A posthole auger?

[robo]

I've got an 8 inch diameter augur that will drill down 10 feet ,I bought it to try and drain our plot you can borrow that if you want but it didn't work very well on our plot ,the clay is deeper than the augur

[Westi]

Hey Robo!

Thanks for the offer & know I live near the beach but that would challenge the amount of sand needed to fill a 10' hole every few feet as well!