[Casey76]

My front garden is trashed, after the nettles and butter cups and shrub suckers have been dug up, and the log pile moved I'm going to end up with a sea of mud... so now do I start from scratch and reseed, or do I buy turf rolls? (though the delivery fee on the turf may be the deciding factor!)

My only potential issue with using seed, is that I'm not sure what the germination would be like under the cherry tree, even if the tree is given a severe hair cut to allow the light through.

Also, altbough I can avoid walking on a seeded surface, I have three cats which I don't keep indoors...

Thoughs and suggestions on a postacd please

[Goosegirl]

Never bought turf but I know it is relatively expensive and needs watering care until it gets established, then so does seed. I also don't know if you can buy different varieties of grass turves for different areas. With seed, you can get a choice, so you could sow seed more suitable to the shady area under your tree and choose another variety for the rest which you could mix in with the other one closer to the tree. Lawn sowing is usually done in around September here, but may be warmer where you are so, if it is, I'd go for seed. I have four cats and yes - they love newly-dug soil but, if the ground is firmed down well then, even if you have the odd scrape, it shouldn't  do any real damage; also, you could always dig over another area for their toilette.  :happy:

[Casey76]

My cats all heve their "natural litter box" underneath a big conifer, as the ground is deep with needles and easily "dug over"

Work on the garden will continue over the winter, so I won't get a new lawn down until spring next year.

While everything is dug up I need to decide where my paths are going, the ground itself needs serious levelling, and I may want to redesign my borders.

The top (current "lawn") needs stripping off as it is just one mass of nettle and buttercup roots with a bit of moss thrown in.  :blink:

[Goosegirl]

Leaving it bare over winter will help you decide where your paths are to go, as you will naturally walk a particular "path" to get to places. Sounds like you have a lot of work to do - best of luck!

[Casey76]

I'l take a couple of photos tomorrow in daylight

[Casey76]

So here it is... my garden in progress...

[Yorkie]

What a fab area and project 

[grinling]

my deciding factor was price as it would cost £100 to turf compared to a box of seed. I was able to fence off the area with chook wire to keep the chooks off.
Because of the weather over the previous winter and summer, germination was not fantastic and seed coverage wasn't too great, so used 2 different makes of seed with 2 different sowings.
Different seed germinate at different rates and temperatures!!!
I still had to hand pick the weeds and poppies out of the new grass. It looks fab now, even with the swings!!

[pepsi100]

Sorry for jumping on your thread, but when is the best time to reseed and area after the chooks have been scratching about it ?

Is this fast germinating seed really worth the extra cost ?

Lots of bare areas, dips and stuff

I always wash the droppings in to the ground with a hose, I dunno if it harms or feeds the grass

I have an area that regularly gets flooded, water just sits there for a few days, anything I can plant there ?

[grinling]

could you put drainage in...dig down at least 2 spades depth going downwards and put in shingle or a pipe with/out shingle and back fill.
Not very good on plants though.