Does anyone know how to repair a hen-ravaged lawn?!

[Mushroomsandegg]

We’ve bought a house and are moving in in a month’s time. The previous owners had chickens and so the lawn is currently a mud field. I’m not sure whether to leave it be and see what happens, plant grass seeds or just totally returf it- does anyone know the best thing to do? We have a toddler as well so we’ll be wanting to use it when we move in.

A bit of grass seed and see what happens. Re turfing it would be extremely expensive in comparison and it may recover quite quickly.

Will you be in a current bird flu area?

@GandhiDeclaredWarOnYou thank you! That’s what I was thinking, we’ve already spent enough fixing up the house. Presumably a quick take over first? (Can you tell I’m a highly experienced gardener?!)

@senua hadn’t thought of that but we seem to be out of affected areas

April is a good month for grass seed. If you have a pile of twiggy sticks from cutting back any overgrown trees or shrubs, they can be useful laid over where you’ve seeded to discourage birds eating all the grass seed and cats digging in it.

There will be instructions on the bag/box of seed or amounts etc.

In general when moving to a new garden the advice is to wait a year before doing anything drastic so you can see what’s already there, where the sunny places to sit are, which bulbs/flowers etc turn up when. Either keep a note of it or - my preferred easy option - take photos every month and compare them all in winter when you’re deciding what to keep and what to change.

Thank you! Good advice re taking a monthly photo, will try and remember to do that

Consider white clover instead of grass; it's tough, attractive and provides nectar for pollinators. Easy to sow.