laying turf on a stony slope
 

Hi

I'm new to this forum and need some help please!
We have recently rotivated an overgrown slope at the end of our garden and want to lay turf with the idea that it will keep the weeds at bay. However, it has lots of stones and chalk. We are raking off the surface stones but when we dig over there are lots more stones and chalk below the surface. Will it be alright to lay turf on such stony ground? We won't be walking on it as its a fairly steep slope.

Thanks everyone!

laying turf on a stony slope
 

On 7/1/2016 1:33 PM, Jane 22 wrote:
Hi

I'm new to this forum and need some help please!
We have recently rotivated an overgrown slope at the end of our garden
and want to lay turf with the idea that it will keep the weeds at bay.
However, it has lots of stones and chalk. We are raking off the surface
stones but when we dig over there are lots more stones and chalk below
the surface. Will it be alright to lay turf on such stony ground? We
won't be walking on it as its a fairly steep slope.

Thanks everyone!

If you want grass, you will want an ornamental grass that does not
require mowing. Mowing will be a severe problem on a slope. You might
try red fescue (Festuca rubra). This grows about 1-2 feet tall and
flops over, creating a turf about 6 inches thick.

However, a slope might be subject to erosion. Grasses generally do not
root deeply enough to hold a steep slope in place. I would suggest
English ivy (Hedera helix). If the area is not very large, the dwarf
variety (H. helix 'Hahn's') can be used; it is far less invasive than
the regular variety.

--
David E. Ross
http://www.rossde.com/.

Is it true that Donald Trump refuses to reveal his
income tax returns because he uses so many questionable
loopholes that he pays no taxes? See
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/06/15/new-evidence-donald-trump-didn-t-pay-taxes.html.

laying turf on a stony slope
 

Jane 22 wrote:

Hi

I'm new to this forum and need some help please!
We have recently rotivated an overgrown slope at the end of our garden
and want to lay turf with the idea that it will keep the weeds at bay.
However, it has lots of stones and chalk. We are raking off the surface
stones but when we dig over there are lots more stones and chalk below
the surface. Will it be alright to lay turf on such stony ground? We
won't be walking on it as its a fairly steep slope.

Thanks everyone!

an overgrown slope and you tilled it? eek!
gonna be a mess...

yes, you could put turf over that and eventually
it will either die off or degrade and the overgrown
state will return. everytime you mow it or do
something to it the slope is disturbed and new rocks
will appear.

i would instead recommend a mix of species which
are adapted to growing on thin and poor soil, small
grasses, wildflowers (annual and perennial poppies,
pinks, basically anything you can find that will
grow in from seed, species tulips, crocus, love in
a mist, creeping phlox, etc.) it won't be uniform,
it won't look neat, but it will function as an
ecosystem and have diversity, some flowers here or
there to support wild bees and butterflies. as you go
through time you will find certain plants that go
very well there. it will be much more interesting
than yet another hillside of turf.

if you enjoy meditive arts you could start making
small terraces using the rocks which appear to hold
any topsoil that exists and that would encourage
certain plants more to hold the soil in place (and
any moisture :) ). using the larger rocks as
stepping stones/stairs to get here or there without
disturbing the surface.


songbird

laying turf on a stony slope
 

On Sat, 2 Jul 2016 07:13:33 -0400, songbird
wrote:

Jane 22 wrote:

Hi

I'm new to this forum and need some help please!
We have recently rotivated an overgrown slope at the end of our garden
and want to lay turf with the idea that it will keep the weeds at bay.
However, it has lots of stones and chalk. We are raking off the surface
stones but when we dig over there are lots more stones and chalk below
the surface. Will it be alright to lay turf on such stony ground? We
won't be walking on it as its a fairly steep slope.

Thanks everyone!

an overgrown slope and you tilled it? eek!
gonna be a mess...

yes, you could put turf over that and eventually
it will either die off or degrade and the overgrown
state will return. everytime you mow it or do
something to it the slope is disturbed and new rocks
will appear.

i would instead recommend a mix of species which
are adapted to growing on thin and poor soil, small
grasses, wildflowers (annual and perennial poppies,
pinks, basically anything you can find that will
grow in from seed, species tulips, crocus, love in
a mist, creeping phlox, etc.) it won't be uniform,
it won't look neat, but it will function as an
ecosystem and have diversity, some flowers here or
there to support wild bees and butterflies. as you go
through time you will find certain plants that go
very well there. it will be much more interesting
than yet another hillside of turf.

if you enjoy meditive arts you could start making
small terraces using the rocks which appear to hold
any topsoil that exists and that would encourage
certain plants more to hold the soil in place (and
any moisture :) ). using the larger rocks as
stepping stones/stairs to get here or there without
disturbing the surface.


songbird

A steep slope will be difficult/dangerous to mow. I agree with the
terracing... depending on the features of a rocky slope it may also be
suitable for a water feature. Without more detail (area size, grade
angle, sun/shade, etc.) it's difficult to offer meaningful advice,
photos would help.

laying turf on a stony slope
 

On 7/2/2016 5:28 AM, Brooklyn1 wrote:
On Sat, 2 Jul 2016 07:13:33 -0400, songbird
wrote:

Jane 22 wrote:

Hi

I'm new to this forum and need some help please!
We have recently rotivated an overgrown slope at the end of our garden
and want to lay turf with the idea that it will keep the weeds at bay.
However, it has lots of stones and chalk. We are raking off the surface
stones but when we dig over there are lots more stones and chalk below
the surface. Will it be alright to lay turf on such stony ground? We
won't be walking on it as its a fairly steep slope.

Thanks everyone!

an overgrown slope and you tilled it? eek!
gonna be a mess...

yes, you could put turf over that and eventually
it will either die off or degrade and the overgrown
state will return. everytime you mow it or do
something to it the slope is disturbed and new rocks
will appear.

i would instead recommend a mix of species which
are adapted to growing on thin and poor soil, small
grasses, wildflowers (annual and perennial poppies,
pinks, basically anything you can find that will
grow in from seed, species tulips, crocus, love in
a mist, creeping phlox, etc.) it won't be uniform,
it won't look neat, but it will function as an
ecosystem and have diversity, some flowers here or
there to support wild bees and butterflies. as you go
through time you will find certain plants that go
very well there. it will be much more interesting
than yet another hillside of turf.

if you enjoy meditive arts you could start making
small terraces using the rocks which appear to hold
any topsoil that exists and that would encourage
certain plants more to hold the soil in place (and
any moisture :) ). using the larger rocks as
stepping stones/stairs to get here or there without
disturbing the surface.


songbird

A steep slope will be difficult/dangerous to mow. I agree with the
terracing... depending on the features of a rocky slope it may also be
suitable for a water feature. Without more detail (area size, grade
angle, sun/shade, etc.) it's difficult to offer meaningful advice,
photos would help.


I saw nothing in the O.P. to suggest it was a steep slope.

Personally, I would recommend planting seed rather than sod, but this
might not be a good time for either.

laying turf on a stony slope
 

On 7/3/2016 4:46 PM, Bob F wrote:

I saw nothing in the O.P. to suggest it was a steep slope.

Personally, I would recommend planting seed rather than sod, but this
might not be a good time for either.



The last sentence of the main paragraph of the original message in this
thread read:
We
won't be walking on it as its a fairly steep slope.

--
David E. Ross
http://www.rossde.com/.

Is it true that Donald Trump refuses to reveal his
income tax returns because he uses so many questionable
loopholes that he pays no taxes? See
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/06/15/new-evidence-donald-trump-didn-t-pay-taxes.html.

laying turf on a stony slope
 

On Sun, 3 Jul 2016 17:14:25 -0700, "David E. Ross"
wrote:

On 7/3/2016 4:46 PM, Bob F wrote:

I saw nothing in the O.P. to suggest it was a steep slope.

Personally, I would recommend planting seed rather than sod, but this
might not be a good time for either.

The last sentence of the main paragraph of the original message in this
thread read:
We won't be walking on it as its a fairly steep slope.

That's what I remember.... if too steep to walk it's unsafe to mow.
Pachysandra grows well on a shaded slope with poor stoney soil. I
like pachysandra as it's slow growing, non invasive, easy to contain,
nor does it climb like English ivy.

laying turf on a stony slope
 

On 7/1/2016 3:33 PM, Jane 22 wrote:
Hi

I'm new to this forum and need some help please!
We have recently rotivated an overgrown slope at the end of our garden
and want to lay turf with the idea that it will keep the weeds at bay.
However, it has lots of stones and chalk. We are raking off the surface
stones but when we dig over there are lots more stones and chalk below
the surface. Will it be alright to lay turf on such stony ground? We
won't be walking on it as its a fairly steep slope.

I live in a very hilly neighborhood. Take it from me, you don't want
to plant something on a steep or tall bank that will require regular
maintenance. Grass is not a good choice, since it requires regular
mowing, and on steep slopes that it tiring and often hazardous.

I've just completed a two-year project of planting my back slope with
low-growing shrubbery. I'm currently using a string trimmer on the
grass between the shrubs; my hope is that by next year the shrubs will
have filled out and suckered to the point where there will no longer
be grass between them.

My advice to you would be to consult with an expert in your area to
obtain recommendations as to ground covers or shrubs suitable for
planting on embankments.