Wellington backyard revival – Budget-friendly plan for rock-hard, patchy dirt (and totally clueless newbie!)
Hey team,
Chasing some advice for my backyard up here in Wellington. As you can see from the photos, it’s looking pretty bare, patchy, and the ground is exceptionally hard.
For some context: I’ve already done an initial weed and feed, but the results were pretty average. I’m more than happy to hit it with Roundup if a full reset is the smarter play. There’s also been a fair bit of bark falling onto it, which I’ll clean up, and I’m planning to tidy it up with some proper edging.
I’m completely clueless when it comes to lawns, so apologies if this is a bit rough around the edges!
My main goals are:
– Thicker and durable grass
– Budget-conscious: Keeping costs down, though I’m willing to put in the physical work and hire gear (like a scarifier/aerator) if needed.
Given the Wellington conditions and rock-hard soil, what’s the best step-by-step game plan to rescue this?
Specifically wondering:
The Reset: Since the weed and feed was average, should I nuke the remaining patches with Roundup and start fresh, or work with what’s there?
Hard Ground & Soil: The ground is extremely hard. What’s the best budget approach to break up the compaction before seeding?
Seed Choice: What seed mix would you recommend for a high-traffic area that can handle the local wind and shade?
Appreciate any guidance, product recommendations, or patience with a beginner. Cheers!
(Note: Used AI to help format this post).
Nuke it completely with Glyphosate, maybe need another application.
Once all weeds are dead, mow as low as you go.
Scarify and remove thatch any dead material, then get an aerator and remove as much compaction as you can.
You’d want to put down a fresh layer of topsoil , get the lawn mix delivered from the City Council. For reference, I have a 170m2 lawn, and got 4m3 which was the sweet spot.
Order your starter fert, seed of choice, meso and etho and follow the Reno guide.
Endorse WCC/ Capital Compost has good quality!
Awesome thank you for your detailed comment. In regards to the city council - thats a good option i didn't know about. For clarity are you saying use their lawn mix as the topsoil?
Cheers!
Follow the NZLA renovation guide under the tools tab.
I’d be looking at giving it a really good scarify, potentially even a light rotary hoe, followed by core aeration. Basically, give it the works!
You could also look at incorporating some sand to help improve drainage, depending on your existing soil profile.
At the same time, I’d start introducing some soil amendments. Gypsum is relatively cheap and worth considering, particularly if you’ve got sodic or dispersive clay soils.
I’d also look at NZLA Penetrate, Aerate and Wetter 3W. All three are soil conditioning products that can help improve moisture movement through the soil profile, address hydrophobic conditions and encourage better water penetration and distribution.
The idea is to improve the soil structure and get water moving through the profile more effectively, rather than just sitting on the surface.
Screwdriver test for compaction. High resistance we've got problems as water or air can't get in .
I'd advise a complete kill start over hopefully no water restrictions come in .
Rock hard compacted soil. Soil wetter to alleviate hydrophobic conditions, this will allow better water penetration. Core aeration or rotary hoe or a drill with 25mm drill bit . Aerator and rotary hoe need good soil moisture to work. (Yep seen rotary hoes bounce in hard soil). A guy built a long drill bit to reduce back strain .
Filling the holes , lawn mix or your own compost sand brew . .
We need to breath life back into the soil . Remember lawn thousands of plants .
But unless we can get water in most plants stop living .