The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Smallholding => Techniques and skills => Topic started by: ScotsGirl on February 06, 2015, 08:37:40 am
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i want to try and deal with the areas in front of my field shelters. When ponies are there there is about 6" of mud which they hate going through and I don't like it much either.
I can only think of two options. Put down limestone but not sure where best place is to get this. Or get some of the geogrid sections like they use in carparks etc.
Presumably with both I would have to remove some of the mud but how deep do I have to go and how much scalpings (if required) would I need to put down? If I use geogrid I would want to put grass seed down on it but would that work if based on scalpings?
I think I need a man!
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Our lambing sheds were fronted with about 7cm of scalpings, many years ago, and it works very well. Never had to replace them or top them up - grass has grown over them by itself. I'd be inclined to get it done in summer, though, to give them a chance to be trodden into a really solid layer before they start sinking into the mud.
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SG ..if you use a geo fabric to stop the stones sinking in the soft soil the grass will eventually invade the area but giving it a helping hand by lightly sowing seed is very useful .
You may well be able to get away with 120 mm of compacted scalpings simply laid on the geo fabric . so that the covered area stands proud of the ground thus giving it a bit of drainage .
If I were to do it again I'd dig a narrow 400 mm deep trench either side of the gateway and tuck the ends of the geo fabric down into the bottom ,then back fill with scalping's so it holds the fabric edges down and gives you a bit of a water channel for any surface water to run in to. The grass will like as not grow better in this damper area .
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Limestone small-to-dust ( also called MOT) works very well to produce a porous but really solid base. When its weathered in it sets really well. Our driveways, stable yard and a large wet field gateway are made of this. I like it very much, and in time grass will soften the look of it nicely.
Planings (I think these might be the same as "scalpings" referred to above) do not set , they stay loose. But planings are a lot cheaper than limestone and some people prefer the darker colour of planings.
Google your local stone quarry first for limestone as that's likely to be your cheapest source