Hello everyone,
After moving into our mid-terrace house last year, we want to start working on the garden this spring and redesign it a bit. The garden is very small (about 35 or 40 sqm (375 or 430 sq ft)). There is also a roughly 4 sqm (43 sq ft) stone slab patio that was originally built there, but it has become quite uneven and sunken over time. Since we don’t need it, we want to remove it and replace it with lawn. The stone slabs come up easily, and underneath there is just a thin layer of gravel mixed with soil. Additionally, at the front area, there is a larger section covered with bark mulch, which we have mostly removed and only want to keep on the left side. Unfortunately, some mulch remnants have mixed into the soil. It won’t be possible to get all of it out.
Now the questions: We want to be able to walk on the lawn already in spring. Sod (rolled turf) seems like the best option for that, right? Seeding would probably take several weeks. Is it possible to lay sod on just part of an area like this? We don’t mind if the surface is not perfectly even or the lawn is not completely uniform. The right part of the garden slopes up a bit towards the neighbor’s property, but that area is planted with shrubs. The weed barrier fabric is going to be removed. I’m attaching a photo to give an idea of the garden’s small size.
After moving into our mid-terrace house last year, we want to start working on the garden this spring and redesign it a bit. The garden is very small (about 35 or 40 sqm (375 or 430 sq ft)). There is also a roughly 4 sqm (43 sq ft) stone slab patio that was originally built there, but it has become quite uneven and sunken over time. Since we don’t need it, we want to remove it and replace it with lawn. The stone slabs come up easily, and underneath there is just a thin layer of gravel mixed with soil. Additionally, at the front area, there is a larger section covered with bark mulch, which we have mostly removed and only want to keep on the left side. Unfortunately, some mulch remnants have mixed into the soil. It won’t be possible to get all of it out.
Now the questions: We want to be able to walk on the lawn already in spring. Sod (rolled turf) seems like the best option for that, right? Seeding would probably take several weeks. Is it possible to lay sod on just part of an area like this? We don’t mind if the surface is not perfectly even or the lawn is not completely uniform. The right part of the garden slopes up a bit towards the neighbor’s property, but that area is planted with shrubs. The weed barrier fabric is going to be removed. I’m attaching a photo to give an idea of the garden’s small size.
C
Costruttrice14 Mar 2023 19:04If things go wrong, it can also be due to the current temperatures… The ground temperature should consistently be above 10°C (50°F).
H
HubiTrubi4014 Mar 2023 19:22mr.xyz1 schrieb:
Buy 15 sqm (160 sq ft) of turf.Ok. I’ll have to google that again. Thanks.Make it easy on yourself and just dig everything up 😉 Adjusting the levels will be difficult otherwise—once you remove the slabs, you’ll end up with a hole. While you’re at it, you can mix some sand into the soil. Lawns especially benefit from that. The rest of your lawn also doesn’t look very neat anymore.
You can easily order turf online in small quantities. Don’t underestimate how quickly 30m² (320ft²) of turf will be used up. When laying it, also install an edge strip for mowing, so you can work cleanly.
At the current temperatures, not much will happen. It’s possible that only the weed seeds will germinate, and the fine nice grass may rot. Then instead of a lawn, you’ll get more of a wild meadow.
You can easily order turf online in small quantities. Don’t underestimate how quickly 30m² (320ft²) of turf will be used up. When laying it, also install an edge strip for mowing, so you can work cleanly.
At the current temperatures, not much will happen. It’s possible that only the weed seeds will germinate, and the fine nice grass may rot. Then instead of a lawn, you’ll get more of a wild meadow.
H
HubiTrubi4027 Mar 2023 01:18Costruttrice schrieb:
If things go wrong, it can also be due to the current temperatures… Ground temperature should be consistently above 10°C (50°F). It still seems to be too cold. Unfortunately, nothing has sprouted yet and the 10 days are over 🙁
H
HubiTrubi4031 Mar 2023 08:29The lawn has started to sprout after a few days. It just seems to have taken a bit longer, probably due to the temperatures.
I am planning to remove the stone slabs soon (see photo) at the beginning of the thread. In theory, I found a supplier for sod turf where you can also order small quantities. However, as one user mentioned earlier in this thread, I suspect it won’t look good in the end—a mix of sod turf and seeded lawn. Therefore, I will probably sow seeds there as well and see how it develops.
However, I will definitely need more soil. Since we only have access to the garden through the basement via the house, this will be a bit tricky. Where can I get topsoil? I think I need it for an area of 4 sqm (43 sq ft) and a depth of about 5–10 cm (2–4 inches). That makes a volume of 200–400 liters (about 53–106 gallons). Bags of soil from the home improvement store are probably expensive.
I am planning to remove the stone slabs soon (see photo) at the beginning of the thread. In theory, I found a supplier for sod turf where you can also order small quantities. However, as one user mentioned earlier in this thread, I suspect it won’t look good in the end—a mix of sod turf and seeded lawn. Therefore, I will probably sow seeds there as well and see how it develops.
However, I will definitely need more soil. Since we only have access to the garden through the basement via the house, this will be a bit tricky. Where can I get topsoil? I think I need it for an area of 4 sqm (43 sq ft) and a depth of about 5–10 cm (2–4 inches). That makes a volume of 200–400 liters (about 53–106 gallons). Bags of soil from the home improvement store are probably expensive.