bi22le
|
| posted on 9/4/15 at 11:52 AM |
|
|
Way OT: How to level my garden
Hi,
I moved recently and am mid garden rejig.
Shed - Moved
Greenhouse - Gone
Grass - Gone
I am now left with a bald dirt garden ( beg your parden!) with 2" peaks and troughs that need levelling. The ground seems to hard to just walk
around with a shovel moving dirt around. What I was thinking was to:
Hammer wooden stakes in a grid network and use a piece of wood to check the ground inbetween each one.
The problem I have is how do I actually up root the dirt and weeds? Is it a case of fork \ spade \ rake or can I use a better tool?
Any advice welcome.
Biz
Track days ARE the best thing since sliced bread, until I get a supercharger that is!
Please read my ring story:
http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/forum/13/viewthread.php?tid=139152&page=1
Me doing a sub 56sec lap around Brands Indy. I need a geo set up! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHksfvIGB3I
|
|
|
|
|
Angel Acevedo
|
| posted on 9/4/15 at 12:12 PM |
|
|
I'd ask...
How big is it?
What's the budget?
What's Te time frame?
Shovel may not a bad idea if you are not in a hurry and want to do some excercise.
If yard too big, renting small earth mover may not be that bad and not too expensive either.
HTH
AA
Beware of what you wish.. for it may come true....
|
|
|
bi22le
|
| posted on 9/4/15 at 12:22 PM |
|
|
All good questions!!!
Area is probably 80sqM.
A mini digger has been suggested and may not be a bad idea. Although I am talking about inches and small changes, not anything major.
Track days ARE the best thing since sliced bread, until I get a supercharger that is!
Please read my ring story:
http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/forum/13/viewthread.php?tid=139152&page=1
Me doing a sub 56sec lap around Brands Indy. I need a geo set up! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHksfvIGB3I
|
|
|
trextr7monkey
|
| posted on 9/4/15 at 12:38 PM |
|
|
Spray the whole area with round up first
Depending on distance material needs moving a mattock and rake might be useful. Pegs and string or plank will get it level enough . split it into
smaller sections so you can see the progress.
It is surprising how much you can shift if you Start early. Try and get some mates round too!
Happy digging!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/14016102@N00/ (cut and paste this dodgey link)
Our most recent pics are here:
http://s129.photobucket.com/albums/p211/trextr7monkey/
|
|
|
fesycresy
|
| posted on 9/4/15 at 12:53 PM |
|
|
I'm no gardener, but I sorted out a similar garden albeit a bit bigger.
I borrowed a cultivator and ripped the sh1t out of everything. Had a gang of mates with rakes / shovels / barrows and levelled it by eye. We pulled
weeds up as we went, good idea with the Roundup though. Used planks and a water filled roller to compress it. Only after compressing could we see the
unevenness.
A few years down the line now and there's a few 'sink holes' where I pulled out trees that could do with levelling over.
Just a little tip, don't start in the evenings with the wife on the BBQ and dishing out Strongbow. The progress dips and the p1ssing about
seriously increases after a couple of hours!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The sooner you fall behind, the more time you'll have to catch up.
|
|
|
geoff shep
|
| posted on 9/4/15 at 12:53 PM |
|
|
What are you levelling it for - turf or hard landscaping? Can you just fill the troughs or do you want the surface to be lower than the current
peaks? Do you mean level - or smooth i.e. still on a slant but not undulating?
|
|
|
Irony
|
| posted on 9/4/15 at 12:57 PM |
|
|
quote:
Originally posted by trextr7monkey
Spray the whole area with round up first
Depending on distance material needs moving a mattock and rake might be useful. Pegs and string or plank will get it level enough . split it into
smaller sections so you can see the progress.
It is surprising how much you can shift if you Start early. Try and get some mates round too!
Happy digging!
I used to be a Landscape Gardeners assistant (i.e Chief Shoveller) and we would spray roundup, then maybe rotivate and then level with string and
rakes. Do not miss out the Roundup stage. You'll end up with lots of weeds once the seeds currently in the ground germinate.
|
|
|
britishtrident
|
| posted on 9/4/15 at 01:05 PM |
|
|
Grubbing Matlock looks like a cross between a pick ax and an adze.
[I] “ What use our work, Bennet, if we cannot care for those we love? .”
― From BBC TV/Amazon's Ripper Street.
[/I]
|
|
|
trextr7monkey
|
| posted on 9/4/15 at 01:14 PM |
|
|
Mattock is a brilliant tool for this sort of caper and worth it's weight in gold for laying flagstones. Pretty cheap at Wickes etc or
traditional hardware stored
http://www.flickr.com/photos/14016102@N00/ (cut and paste this dodgey link)
Our most recent pics are here:
http://s129.photobucket.com/albums/p211/trextr7monkey/
|
|
|
ste
|
| posted on 9/4/15 at 06:27 PM |
|
|
Sorry, too OT for me
|
|
|
bi22le
|
| posted on 9/4/15 at 06:52 PM |
|
|
Thanks for the insight.
It is going to have turf laid back on it (not seed), I want to keep the approx 1 in 50 slope but make it more smooth \ flat.
I thought roundup was a special ground breaking tool until I googled it, I am a tool!!
A nice wide mattock \ adze may help skim the high ground better than a shovel. Great suggestion.
I pulled the mates card last weekend for 4 days, the garden has had a lot of laughs put in already! I think I am almost on my own now so want simple
efficient working methods.
Further questions:
- What can I do about sink holes? I have lifted 3 tress and a massive concrete base where a shed and greenhouse stood.
- Do I need to sieve all stones and bits out of the top 1" or so to prevent issues or is it a case that if the water roller rolls it flat its
fine?
Track days ARE the best thing since sliced bread, until I get a supercharger that is!
Please read my ring story:
http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/forum/13/viewthread.php?tid=139152&page=1
Me doing a sub 56sec lap around Brands Indy. I need a geo set up! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHksfvIGB3I
|
|
|
geoff shep
|
| posted on 9/4/15 at 07:00 PM |
|
|
In that case I think I would hire a rotavator and give a good going over then level it with a rake. If you need to raise it at all you could add
sharp sand to the soil or spread a thin layer of topsoil.
|
|
|
mark chandler
|
| posted on 9/4/15 at 07:40 PM |
|
|
Beware the rotavating, it will fill the soil with air so make sure you have a decent roller to follow on.
You do need to remove the stones, rubble and big weeds that will get thrown up, sieving by hand is back braking, I made an electric sieve from an old
pallet with chicken wire with an motor to agitate it.
To finish string is the best way.
If you are planning a patio, decent concrete base and foundations for garage etc have a look at buying a digger as you can resell to cover your costs
and it will save lots of effort and makes it enjoyable.
|
|
|
.jpg){kind=avatar}
