Here Comes the Rain Again

All this rain we've been having is causing havoc with a number of lawns and Hedgehoggs Gardening looks after. Lawn that was a lush thick green carpet a few weeks ago has turned to a soggy brown sponge. Turf will survive these conditions just fine, assuming it's not walked on. The ground is totally saturated in places at the moment so any traffic is going to churn it up and turn it into a muddy compacted mess.

A lot of time and effort will have gone into making sure the ground is level before laying new turf. This can come undone by walking on it when it's waterlogged.  One of the best ways to prevent this from happening is to aerate the lawn and to ensure that your lawn has good drainage before the winter starts. It's past the point for preventative measures at this point in the season, however.

Putting boards down minimises damage
Photo: sissinghurstcastle.wordpress.com

When we absolutely have to work in a wet area we put large plank boards on the ground to reduce the load. It prevents compacting and breaking down the turf when we are working from the edge of a lawn and saves compacting the soil if we're working within the border itself.

The fact is that the best advice is to not step on a lawn at all for a number of weeks. For many people, however, this is not an option...especially people with dogs. In that case, you may want to consider installing a row of stepping stones or lay a mulch or gravel path down instead. Otherwise, you'll want to wait until spring when the ground dries out and you can address any drainage issues and reseed/returf...but until then make sure you take you shoes off before you step inside!

Photo: Shutterstock