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Old 08-03-2008, 12:58 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening
Stephen Stewart Stephen Stewart is offline
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First recorded activity by GardenBanter: Jul 2006
Posts: 21
Default Lawn, sharp sand, garden forks et al


"pied piper" wrote in message
...

"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...

In article ,
"pied piper" writes:
|
| | Of course u can mix clay with sand but if u have a high clay
content
| just
| | throwing sharp builders sand on it will have no benefit.If u
bothered
| to
| | read the whole thread u might have learnt something as it was
suggested
| to
| | dress using a 70 30 sand loam mixture.Its a fact that applying a
| dressing of
| | sharp sand will cause a root break as it will not blend in .This
is not
| my
| | idea but a fact.
|
| You can, of course, provide evidence for that statement?
|
| yes having worked for over 30 years in the sports pitch construction
| industry and having a diploma in groundsmanship I can .

Then please do.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Years of seeing sharp sand being put on sportpitches the damage it causes
in sever cases the whole pitch had to have the top 4 inches removed and
suitable loam replaced . Its false economy people use it because its cheap
but it does more harm than good.Before u bang on about it I am talking
about SHARP SAND.For proof just buy any book on grass maintenance printed
in the past 5 years.


Here's what the RHS recommends.

"Top dressing corrects surface irregularities and improves the texture of
difficult soils, consequently encouraging greater rooting and thickening of
turf. A simple mixture is three parts sandy loam, six parts sharp sand and
one part compost or leafmould (by volume). Apply 2-3kg per sq m, working the
dressing in well with the back of a rake."



Stephen