Founded in 2008. The Landscape Juice Network (LJN) is the largest and fastest growing professional landscaping and horticultural association in the United Kingdom.
LJN's professional business forum is unrivalled and open to anyone within within the UK landscape industry
LJN's Business Objectives Group (BOG) is for any Pro serious about building their business.
For the researching visitor there's a wealth of landscaping ideas, garden design ideas, lawn advice tips and advice about garden maintenance.
Replies
Grass seed
Thanks H.B looking into other solutions grass seed is a possibility .
I do like to keep it watered which still poses a problem .
An Autumn sowing might be the way forward , hopefully more moisture in the atmosphere .
Can you hire a bowser ready filled?
Thanks Glen yes had thought about this I was unsure about getting any pressure behind the flow to attach to a sprinkler .
Peter below confirms it's difficult
We had a similar issue on a new residential development of flats. Very large site which we planted, as usual the specifiers giving no thought to water , we got hold of an IBC which hold a 1000lts, put it on the back of one of our vehicles attached a hose to the outlet. The downside being as it is gravity fed the water flow is very slow ! Certainly wouldn't be enough pressure to work a sprinkler we just flooded an area at a time from the hose, moving the hose once an area was sufficiently wet, very slow job but it worked, obviously had to fill the IBC elsewhere. The other alternative would be to hire a towable bowser with integral pump which are either run from the 12volt socket on your vehicle or have a separate petrol engine integral to the bowser. Or hire a petrol powered pressure washer that has the facility to suck water from an IBC or bowser. Hope that helps.
Thanks Peter for detailed reply from your experience .
1000 litres seems to be capacity which can be towed , it sounds alot , will check how many cubic metres involved from a bowser company but I suspect it won't be enough .
The main problem I envisage is it won't be a user friendly solution for the customer as I know it can be difficult even where there is an outside tap with sprinkler attached and having to move sprinkler about on a large area .
Too little or too much water etc until turf gets established .
I will compile all solutions , I feel regular monitoring will be the way forward and eat into customers budget if they are set on turf .
Grass seed might be the way to go but it's never instant gratification initially while it's germinating .
The best time to lay turf is winter. But, the best and easiest time to prepare the ground [particularly if rotovating] is in the drier months. If there is no water on site, I would advise the client that you will prepare the ground for turf in September/October and then lay the turf mid to late November. I used to do a lot of turfing over winter – several hundred metres every year. I never had to water any of it.
"The main problem I envisage is it won't be a user friendly solution for the customer"
Without trying to be too pig headed about it, that's their problem isn't it, if they're not willing/prepared to fit outside tap?
Or like Vic say, advise to wait till autumn.
It's a problem which could be resolved in a nano second if their neighbour below would cooperate and allow their outside tap to be used but it locked inside a covered box
It's a large stone property divided into two flats customer upstairs and neighbour downstairs but the neighbours don't like the customer .
The garden and drive have a complicated deed layout , neighbours very territorial and vindictive .
Customers are lovely , honestly nice people , I have no idea what set it off , the customers husband disabled and wife struggles to cope with his mobility up and down spiral staircase when another entrance owned by neighbour would be much easier , I guess there have been confrontations in the past .
They have a gardener to manage their land but finding it too expensive too maintain .
so he suggested having it turfed but doesn't do turfing which I enjoy doing
Neighbour also has a gardener but no anymosity between gardeners but instructed to make life difficult for customers gardener which of course he ignores like any civilised gardener would but he doesn't have a key to the tap .
I can get a plumber to fix an outside tap under the. Customers kitchen window up above but this encroaches neighbours land and they just refuse to cooperate .
I have tried to talk nice to them but got door slammed in my face , usually I am a peacemaker as you become in this job but some people ?
I don't need the hassle or the work but in this job you become a problem solver it comes naturally almost like a dog with a bone there has to be a way .
Vic is actually spot on with a practical approach I feel it's the best and professional approach without getting drawn into customer politics ,
I will leave the November turf laying suggestion at their door , they will have to compromise with their current gardener and hopefully he will be able to do the preparation hopefully and keep the lawn maintained once established as required
Tell them you can't do it until autumn unless they fit an outside tap.