Does anyone have any advice please....
I have been asked to replace the grass (currently mostly moss) on a short steep bank in front of a house... The total area is probably no more than 40' long by 8' - the 8' being the very steep slope. The client has had garden designer in who has sold in a complete scheme, including this.
The area was re-turfed around 3 years ago, but that area (and the whole garden) has not been looked after properly and has ended up as moss and weeds.
What sort of turf should I use?... or would it be better to seed it?, if so are there any varieties of grass that will survive better on a steep slope??
Any ideas would be welcome. While the weather is ideal to do this work now, (warm and wet) we will probably wait till the autumn.
Thanks
Adam
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I would be looking at the cultural issues first to see why the previous grass has 'failed'.
Has the Designer considered what is the orientation of the slope in relation to the sun ? Is it shaded?, is it constantly damp?, has anyone taken some soil samples ?
If you do not get to the bottom of the existing issues...it will just spin and you/they will be back with the same situation in a few years.
That's what I would be doing first, before deciding on sod, seed, time of year etc....
It could possibly have been cut badly and scalped with a strimmer over the years hence the moss. Sorry I can't help regards what type of grass to use, but that'd be my guess.
Thank you to all 3 of you...I suspect all three points are worth considering, the wild flower bit would have to be cleared through the garden designer though.
I'll just add my two pennyworth. The orientation as Gary said is very important as a 'sunny slope' will attract the full rays of the sun and rainfall penetration will be limited in the summer months due to run off, so the slopes micro climate will almost be Mediteranean. Also, slopes tend to have been 'scrapped' of soil depth.
If all is fine and you go ahead with turfing, then each turf will need to be pegged to hold them in place until well rooted. We just used to chop pegs similar to fire lighting wood and knock them in just below grass level. I'm sure there is some new-fangled arrangement available now - at a price!
Hi Adam,
Late into this - sorry.
A seed will be easier to apply once the area has been stripped back and the weeds sprayed/ removed. Any seed mix should be heavier on the fescues & bents species as they tend to grow slower but also their roots are creeping and will knit the soil together improving stabilisation. We have a Coastal site grass seed that is meant for poor soils in harsh conditions that might just do the job. You can add a kilo of wildflower seeds to the mix too!
Richard@Progreen
(01778) 394052
Who is going to cut the grass if on a steep slope?
Maybe it failed before because it was not tended at all or not properly.