Problems with lawn

[alimc]

Can anyone please recommend a lawn specialist who can advise us what to do with our lawn. It's a mess. It's patchy and muddy and lumpy and there appear to be lots of (what we think are) worm casts in it. It's just rubbish. We've had some people come to look at it but no-one can really solve the problem. Thanks.

[snooks]

Its a long shot but Richard Jackson's Lawn Magic is really gooooood. He operates on QVC and boasts some of his best work is on bowling greens, football pitches and of course domestic homes

[Jeremy]

Lawns often are very lumpy after the winter. To level it out, get a few bags of top soil and rake it over the lawn. Put down some grass seed while you're at it, if coverage is very patchy. Put down some lawn feed. Water it if it doesn't rain. That's pretty much it really...

[tomdhu]

It sounds like you have a challenge that faces many gardeners in Dulwich and it comes down to poor drainage as a result of having clay soil close to the surface. Walking on such a lawn when it is soggy compacts the clay soil and makes it lumpy. This also leads to overall compaction which further exacerbates the problems of drainage. The best long term solution is to dig it over in late autumn and let the frost break down the compaction. Aftet that give it a good tilling then apply new top soil together with compost. Ideally you want to create a slight crowned profile on the lawn so that some water will run off to the edges. Then reseed or returf..

The other way of getting a long term solution is what I have done . This is to put in underground drainage using 80mm perforated pipe ( clothed in a non woven filter fabric). This pipe is laid in a trench lined (on four sides) with permeable membrane and backfilled with shingle. If the trench is 400mm deep use 280mm shingle and then 120mm topsoil on top. If you dont have a natural fall on your lawn, have the pipe(s) drain into an underground tank ( say 500 litres minimum) and then use a submersible pump to get rid of it.

Have a look here... http://www.pavingexpert.com/drain03.htm

If you want a top class lawn, there is no easy way or cheap way when you have a clay subsoil but many consider it worthwhile because a decent lawn makes a bold statement.

If you would like, I am more than willing to come and have a look. No charge and I may even have some 80mm pipe left over you can have.

Tom

[alimc]

Hi all, just to let you know that I used D.G. Services to work on our lawn and I cannot recommend Steve enough. He was very polite and efficient and worked so hard. Highly recommended. Alison.

[Sue]

It's probably sorted after over three years 🤣