On Tue, 29 Mar 2011 15:37:17 +0100, Chris Hogg wrote:

On Tue, 29 Mar 2011 14:19:01 +0100, "Tim W"
wrote:


"Adam Funk" wrote in message
...
The small garden has a very muddy, almost barren strip down the middle
from getting my bike in & out of the shed over the winter. The soil
is fairly compacted & seems to have quite a bit of clay underneath. I
want to grow some grass really well this year so it lasts a bit better
over next winter, and I think aerating or otherwise "uncompacting" the
soil may help the seed grow instead of just feeding the birds. But
it's a small garden so I don't want to buy & store a big piece of
rotivating equipment.

Suggestions, comments?

Has anyone tried those spiked sandals, for example? (The idea makes
sense, but I've heard that they are bunk.)

If it's solid clay then nothing will be much use, but if it's really a
narrow strip of a small garden you could just plunge a garden fork
vigourously into it and shake it around. Do it before it dries hard.

Tim W

I'd second that. Get a garden fork, drive it in, wiggle it about a bit
to enlarge the holes, and when you've done the whole strip, brush in
some coarse sand.

The OP's comment about spiked shoes being bunk is almost certainly
correct. Never tried them but all they are likely to do is anchor you
to the spot. Don't bother with one of those hollow tine lawn aerator
jobs either, the ones that are supposed to remove a plug of soil.
After a couple of insertions, the tubes just block up and have to be
laboriously unblocked by hand. BTDTGTTS (and a useless aerator!). Use
a fork.

And then make a path along the side, stripping the turf and using it
to repair the middle. Or forget that, and make the path down the
middle.

--
Mike.