lawn sand

[johnycarper]

Can anyone please advise me what the french equivalent of lawn sand is as we do not seem to be able to find it over here,i believe its also the same as sharp sand.

Thanks

[Chancer]

Sharp sand comes in grades according to the biggest particle size, sable à macon zero/deux,  sable à riviere zero/quatre, the finest is sable fin a carrelage which if dried can be used as joint sand for block paving, my neighbour in the UK used kiln dried jont sand for her astroturf, it cost a fortune.

Finally a poor substitute for soft builders sand is sable à lapin. 

[ukhostland]

Lawn sand is a combined moss killer and lawn fertiliser, (comprising ammonium

sulphate, iron sulphate and fine sand).  It

should be applied between April and September, in

dry conditions, but preferably when rain is expected

within a couple of days. Other sand may help the drainage but they are not quite the same thing. I've not seen lawn sand in France but you could try buying washed sand and adding your own chemicals: Twenty parts clean sand, 3 parts sulphate of ammonia and one part sulphate of iron is the formula.

Colin

[sid]

I've forgotten what it's like to have a lawn! [:D]

[johnycarper]

   so has the head gardener that's why she has set her sights on trying to get one this year.

[andyh4]

An "English" lawn is very hard work in the UK.

In France it is close to impossible.  Just when you think you have got rid of the moss, got the weeds in check etc. out comes the sun; on comes the watering ban and within a week the green sward is a brown patch of dirt.

 

Good luck, but I don't give much to your chances.

[Robin]

Her outdoors wanted a lawn in our new house.

So I converted the inherited gravel pit into one. It was max 9 inches gravel and reddish/brown Languedoc soil on limestone - with rocky outcrops.

Prescription:

1. Forget everything you ever knew about lawns in England.

2. If you don't have a forage then perhaps forget it. It will cost spades if you use town water.

3. Get a large amount of Mr Brico 'gazon rustique' seed.

4. If you have moist soil then throw on a lot of gravel and rake it in together with some engrais.

5. Put twice as much seed on as it says on the packet or as you would in England and rake it in very deep. Then rake it in deeper.

6. Keep watering several times a day and when you've stopped watering, start again.

7. After a month, you can see the bare patches, so seed the patches again, raking in deep.

8. When it's long enough to cut, do not box the clippings, leave them to mulch.

It depends whether you want a lawn or not. The one I have now, after 4 months is better than any I ever had in England. I suspect the gravel helps.

Things to watch out for:

If it gets very hot/sunny while the seed is germinating then you will lose them. The sprouts will not survive a midday baking. If you water them while hot, you are essentially boiling "bean" sprouts.

Put lots of water on in the evening when it will sink in without evaporating.

I raked back to the edge of the rocky outcrops and made them a feature. 2 inches gravel/soil was minimum.

It can be done! Just don't start in August (or July)

[sid]

Well done, but I have to agree with Andy, it's unlikely to work long-term.

I don't know about where you are, but here in 79 it's been a very odd year for the garden. At the moment our "lawns" [:D][:D] are growing like crazy and look very fresh and green., but this is the first time in 7 years that we have had any grass to cut in September. Usually the grass is reduced to crispy straw during July and August and by September is just about starting to show some signs of recovery. It's the same for the rest of the garden too, we have stuff looking very healthy just now (apart from the Meribell tree which has shed all its leaves very early).

I've become resigned to just keeping the grass tidy, and that's enough work in itself.

We avoided a hosepipe ban this year and use those "droplet" hoses for the vegetables. It would be impossible in other years to keep a lawn healthy.