We have just bought a new property in Northern Ireland and the garden is causing us nightmares. The soil is very peaty and is black in colour. It also retains a lot of water, but has a tendancy to crust over in hotter weather.

At the moment the garden is a blank canvas as we have no idea what to do with it. We would like to plant a lawn and have some colour in the garden. Can anyone offer any advise on how to work with the garden and maybe any recommendations for lawn and plant types?

I can email pictures of the garden and soil to anyone who may be interested in helping.

Thanks in advance.

Sorry, should have added, I was under the impression that peaty soils have very few nutrients and can remain waterlogged during critical sowing times - is this correct or am I moaning about something I shouldn't be? I'm new to gardening and am just going off what I've read.

We can't even walk on the soil without risking losing a boot. And pools of stagnant water that won't drain away can get pretty smelly!

The only thing that is growing in the surrounding fields is heather, so I guess we should take a cue from nature. Still want a lawn though, can anyone suggest the best way to add drainage to the soil?

The message
from michelestokes contains
these words:

We have just bought a new property in Northern Ireland and the garden is
causing us nightmares. The soil is very peaty and is black in colour. It
also retains a lot of water, but has a tendancy to crust over in hotter
weather.

At the moment the garden is a blank canvas as we have no idea what to
do with it. We would like to plant a lawn and have some colour in the
garden. Can anyone offer any advise on how to work with the garden and
maybe any recommendations for lawn and plant types?

It depends on just how much work you are prepared to do: you could drain
it, and the best people to ask about that is a local(ish) agricultural
contractor.

In any case, I'd give the lawny bits plenty of ground chalk and sharp
sand, and dig it in. The worms will take care of mixing it.

The beds depend on what you intend growing, but some well-rotted manure
usually goes down well, but that won't adjust the pH a lot.

The traditional treatment for peaty soil is to drag the thatch from your
house in the late spring - what's that? Your house isn't......

Oh well, put all your weeding and vegetable waste on a compost heap, and
if you can get it, add stable or byre cleanings, and again, if you can
get it, add lots of seaweed from the beach - stuff which has been washed
ashore - you don't need to harvest it from its habitat.

That's the traditional way crofters used to treat peaty soil, and
believe me, it works.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

Thank you. You've giving us a place to start, so thanks.

The message
from michelestokes contains
these words:

Sorry, should have added, I was under the impression that peaty soils
have very few nutrients and can remain waterlogged during critical
sowing times - is this correct or am I moaning about something I
shouldn't be? I'm new to gardening and am just going off what I've
read.

Generally correct, but it depends on what the subsoil is. That's why I
suggested sharp sand. The chalk provides lime which grass likes.

You can add sprinklings of lawn fertiliser for the grass.

The beds may need a lot of work though: try double-digging and see if
you bring up any subsoil. Another idea to bear in mind is that crushed
rock can improve the fertility and drainage of poor soils. There's an
experiment in Scotland which is getting spectacular results, and details
should be easily found by googling.

We can't even walk on the soil without risking losing a boot. And pools
of stagnant water that won't drain away can get pretty smelly!

Ah, that's not good. Sounds like you may need to drain it. Is there
anywhere (like a nearby ditch) you could drain to? And, have you any
willows growing nearby? (I could tell you how to construct bush drains
in the east Anglian fashion.)

The only thing that is growing in the surrounding fields is heather, so
I guess we should take a cue from nature. Still want a lawn though, can
anyone suggest the best way to add drainage to the soil?

Sharp sand. Crushed stone, cow/pig/horse/rabbit/ginea-pig manure and
vegetable compost, and the worms those attract will help.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

On Mon, 2 May 2005 15:14:33 +0000, michelestokes
wrote:


Sorry, should have added, I was under the impression that peaty soils
have very few nutrients and can remain waterlogged during critical
sowing times - is this correct or am I moaning about something I
shouldn't be? I'm new to gardening and am just going off what I've
read.

We can't even walk on the soil without risking losing a boot. And pools
of stagnant water that won't drain away can get pretty smelly!

The only thing that is growing in the surrounding fields is heather, so
I guess we should take a cue from nature. Still want a lawn though, can
anyone suggest the best way to add drainage to the soil?

Take Rusty's advice, then add some shade and shelter and potentially
you have a garden to die for. Rhodos, Camellias, Magnolias, Acers,
Embothrium, Meconopsis, Cornus, Amelanchier, Heathers,
Candelabra Primulas..........................................
How long have you got?

=================================================

Rod

Weed my email address to reply.
http://website.lineone.net/~rodcraddock/index.html

michelestokes writes

Thank you. You've giving us a place to start, so thanks.


--

michelestokes

Hi,

I realise you are a newbie, any chance you and your colleagues on
gardenbanter can see how to connect your reply to the existing dialogues
and not set up new threads every time? You might not be aware this is
happening :-)
--
David

The message
from Dave contains these words:

I realise you are a newbie, any chance you and your colleagues on
gardenbanter can see how to connect your reply to the existing dialogues
and not set up new threads every time? You might not be aware this is
happening :-)

I think this must be a peculiarity of Turnpike - threading's perfectly
normal here.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

I am a newbie here, but not to forums and the 'Post Reply' button is as clear here as it is on any other forum, so nothing to learn. The messages are following on fine here, in just the one thread.