On Sun, 24 Jul 2011 16:21:17 +0100, Jake Nospam@invalid wrote:

On Sun, 24 Jul 2011 14:51:46 GMT, Baz wrote:

Jake Nospam@invalid wrote in
m:

I would rotovate but not use a roller - if the soil is "cloddy" which
means heavy, rolling will simply pack it again; just use the usual
heeling routine. Digging (or rotovating) in a mix of sharp sand plus
larger grit will help. Then you've got August to watch for developing
weed seedlings and remove them before seeding in early September. With
the modern fast-germinating seeds, you'll have grass growing nicely by
October.

For so-called rolling of a lawn, the roller on the back of a lawn
mower will usually be heavy enough to run over each spring - just push
the handle down so only the roller is in contact with the ground.


Cheers
Jake
==============================================
Gardening at the dry end (east) of Swansea Bay
in between reading anything by JRR Tolkien.

www.rivendell.org.uk


Jake,
With respect to you, I have 'done' many many lawns over the years in both
light and clay soils.
We are talking clay soil here and cloddy?
A heavy roller is a MUST before and after seeding. This is to ensure an
even surface if that is required, and I think it is! Who needs sand?

Please don't think I am criticising your method or you.
Baz

No probs, Baz.

I added "grit" to the list out of respect for Harry who simply
suggested sharp sand, which I don't think is enough in clay soil. FWIW
I would leave out the sharp sand and add more grit.

We can agree to differ on rolling a clay soil and Tim will have to
make his own decision. I'm in the camp that says the old fashioned
lawn rolling idea is dated on anything other than a very light, sandy
soil.( For a laugh have a look at a pic on my web site at:

http://www.rivendell.org.uk/gallery/...?album=2&pos=7

though I was only little then!) IMO, the biggest lawn problem these
days is compaction which is what rolling with a heavy thing achieves.
All I give a lawn is a gentle treatment in the spring to counteract
the winter effect.

I'm not a rolling fan, either. Apart from its unsuitability for claggy
soils, one problem our OP might, or would, have when starting from
scratch, is that you don't necessarily get a real level surface with
the roller. Instead, you can have high spots _temporarily_ levelled
off by being squashed to match the neighbouring low spots. Whether or
not you roll, the official approach is to level off the tilth with a
"lute" (no relation to the musical one): it's a board of convenient
length with a couple of holes for attaching a rope which you use to
drag it up and down and across your patch to level it. Then you can
think about rolling if that's what turns you on.

--
Mike.