Hi all,
i would like to establish a clover lawn for my elderly neighbour (their request). They already have a patch of lawn - a mix of dandelion, buttercup and grass. The soil is London clay and is compacted (probably why the dandelion is doing so well). Time and money are constraints. Neatness is not important but being relatively level so as not to be a trip hazard is important (no lumpy bumps)
I would like to run an idea by you all - tell me what i am missing!
From permaculture community gardens, I have seen the method of covering a patch of field in cardboard, then topping this with a load of soil (mulch, manure etc) and then sowing / planting directly into this. The following year the cardboard and any grass underneath has died and gone back into the soil.
My plan is to cut back the existing grass and dandelions, cover with cardboard, cover again with topsoil, level, sow clover directly.
Do you reckon I can do this with a clover lawn? Especially, if my neighbour is willing to water it in during its first summer?
Will the cardboard underneath help retain any moisture or am i creating a very shallow pot for the clover?
Will the decomposing grass underneath create dips in the soil, causing trip hazards over time?
Seems to me a very quick way of pressing "reset" on the lawn, and I dont want to dig clay at this time of year. The dandelions will surely come back but thats not an issue (there are so many seeds in the air anyway).
let me know your thoughts, especially if you have experience doing such experiments!
Stan
i would like to establish a clover lawn for my elderly neighbour (their request). They already have a patch of lawn - a mix of dandelion, buttercup and grass. The soil is London clay and is compacted (probably why the dandelion is doing so well). Time and money are constraints. Neatness is not important but being relatively level so as not to be a trip hazard is important (no lumpy bumps)
I would like to run an idea by you all - tell me what i am missing!
From permaculture community gardens, I have seen the method of covering a patch of field in cardboard, then topping this with a load of soil (mulch, manure etc) and then sowing / planting directly into this. The following year the cardboard and any grass underneath has died and gone back into the soil.
My plan is to cut back the existing grass and dandelions, cover with cardboard, cover again with topsoil, level, sow clover directly.
Do you reckon I can do this with a clover lawn? Especially, if my neighbour is willing to water it in during its first summer?
Will the cardboard underneath help retain any moisture or am i creating a very shallow pot for the clover?
Will the decomposing grass underneath create dips in the soil, causing trip hazards over time?
Seems to me a very quick way of pressing "reset" on the lawn, and I dont want to dig clay at this time of year. The dandelions will surely come back but thats not an issue (there are so many seeds in the air anyway).
let me know your thoughts, especially if you have experience doing such experiments!
Stan