Jake wrote:
On Wed, 22 Sep 2010 17:29:00 +0100, "Greg"
wrote:

Hello, new to this group,had a quick peak at the faq and found loads
of good advice.

I want to lay an area of approx 64sq of turf on a previously wood
barked back garden . After shifting all the bark I am left with a
very heavy clayey foundation,now I read in the faq I will need to
dig in plenty of sharp sand,but my question is can the well used
bark be dug back in also along with a few bags of multi purpose
compost ?

My location is in east yorkshire, thanks in advance.

Greg

Welcome to the group. I'll assume you mean 64 square feet - if you
mean metres then hiring a rotovator is probably your best bet!

As a general rule, I wouldn't dig the bark in. As it breaks down, the
bark will draw nitrogen from the soil and that's one of the key
components for a lush green lawn. Bark is best used as a surface
dressing (in the right place) or stacked away somewhere to really rot
down when it's useful for mixing in the compost heap with loads of
grass clippings.

Equally I wouldn't bother with multi-purpose compost. It won't add
anything to the soil and if you use a lot of it, it will simply
settle, compress and you'll have a sinking lawn.

It sounds like you will need to lighten the soil a bit if it's really
heavy clay. A good quantity of coarse grit might be better than sharp
sand but difficult for us to judge this without being there.

Essentially, I would dig the soil over to about the depth of a fork,
removing any stones you find and breaking it up well. Then spread your
load of grit or sand over the surface and, working backwards (so you
don't compress the soil) turn the soil over to mix the grit or sand
in. Rake over the surface to get it level and try to avoid walking on
the soil afterwards. Get some stout long boards and use these,
including when you lay the lawn.

About a week or two before you plan to lay the turf, give the ground a
good feed with something like Growmore.

I wonder if it's practical in your particular situation to suggest
preparing the soil now, and then waiting for winter to settle it down
naturally. I'd then rake it over in the spring, get out any deep-rooted
weeds that have popped up, check for bumps and hollows, and sow seed:
far cheaper than turf, and often gives a better result. But if you don't
want a mud-patch for a few months, then of course you have to do it now.

--
Mike.