Is this an existing lawn or one you are creating?

Its an existing lawn sloped up and away from the house north facing but I maybe going to level it in stages

Its an existing lawn sloped up and away from the house north facing but I maybe going to level it in stages

You can't dig anything into an existing lawn, nor apply a mulch - spiking all over with a garden fork if you don't have a hollow tine instrument will help, but if the problem is really serious, you may need to install drainage. you say your lawn is northfacing, so I'd expect it to be very wet during winter, but if its wet all summer too, then drainage would seem appropriate. Odd if its on a slope though, it should drain down to the bottom at least.

thanks for all your answers, this will be my first year in the garden so i will see what the seasons bring

Hi Keen! What is your drainage problem here? Is it all at the bottom of the slope, or is it soggy all the way down the slope? Whatever the problem is, you can't do any harm by aerating it as Bamboo suggests. Best thing is to get your fork right in and wiggle about to get a visible hole, then get some sharp sand and brush it in so that the holes stay 'open' and allow the water to drain away. It's really hard work, and you need to scarify first..that's rake out all the dead thatch. This is best done in autumn, but you can do it lightly in spring. You can buy a machine to do it for you as it's really killing work...I have one, cost about 40 pounds from B&Q and I wouldn't be without it. Does a great job. Alternatively, there are specialist firms out there doing the work for you, for a price. If it's new build, like mine, the problem is probably compaction under the lawn and it's really hard to overhaul without lifting the whole lot up. Best of luck with it!! I'm still battling with mine! :))

Regular applications of compost tea will improve the drainage, too. If the soil is clay, lime (for low pH) or gypsum (for medium to high pH) will also help.

Adding this to GoYpedia Sloping Garden Ideas ...
useful answers from everyone ...

Tugbrethil ... could you please explain what you mean by compost tea... thanks...

For small quantities, you put compost in a cloth bag, and hang the bag in a big bucket of water for a day or two, stirring the water a few times a day. Adding fish emulsion and seaweed extract makes it an excellent liquid plant food, but it isn't necessary to the aeration effect. When it's ready, just spray it on the soil, about 1 gallon per 9 square meters, and water it in deeply. For large quantities, equipment can be rented to stir and oxygenate a big vat of the stuff. I wish they sold it in bottles at the garden center, but If you can find something with humic acid in it, that does at least half the job.

Thank you for the explanation :o)

Your welcome, Terratoonie (twice)! : )

:o)

I'm growing some exotic swamp plants from madagascar at the moment

While doing some research into what to to grow them in, I consulted with member s of the international aroid society both on their site and on facebook with other IAS members I chat to regularly. As a result I was advised to grow them in a mix of sphagnum and a product called Turface - a calcined clay product that was unfortunately only available from the USA.

I was also directed to a study at a US university of growing rice that had better root structuring results using a product (another calcined clay product) called Profile 'Greens'

This Profile product is actually available over here in the UK from rigbytaylor.com and is traditionally added to golf courses to assist drainage - so could be the very thing you are looking for to add to your lawn structure

here's the bumf off their website

Profile Greens Grade Soil Amendment is a porous soil amendment for high performance root zones in amenity turf. Profile Greens Grade reduces compaction and improves soil aeration and drainage.

Improves root zones by adding water, nutrient and air holding capacity to the soil structure
Improves the soil structure
Excellent stability-still stable after 30 years
High, permanent Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC)
Consistent USGA particle size distribution – 99% between 0.15-1.0mm

Active ingredients

A true, porous ceramic granule. The base mineral of illite clay and amorphous silica is fired by a special process which converts it into a stable, porous, non-clay granule.

Application

Profile Greens has a range of application rates depending on the usage required and can be used on golf greens, bowling greens and fine turf areas. Download the Product Brochure from this page for more information.