Hi Sibe,

I will be moving soon and was informed by the old tenant that the builders next door were using lime. Some of it got blown into my new garden and has killed off the plants and the grass is also looking sorry for itself. What will I have to do to help my lawn get back to normal and grow new plants when I move in?

Grannysmith

Our Gardening Expert replies:

Hello Grannysmith,

Well, lime in reasonable quantities is actually a plant food so I doubt that lime simply blowing into your garden will have killed any plants. The builders may have been using lime mortar, which is a mixture of lime and cement. If cement dust has been blowing in, this could certainly have scorched your plants, though is very unlikely to kill them off completely.

I wonder if the old tenant actually had a dog and it was dog urine that was killing the plants off but didn't want to tell you about this? Either cause should be quite easily rectified by washing away any remains that are still present. If your lawn is badly affected you may need to re-seed areas. See UKTV Style's practical gardening guide on Creating a Lawn From Seed for more information.

As for plants in the borders being killed off, well if they don't actually burst into growth in the spring it may be that they have been killed by a particular cause. If this is the case and you see weed growth on the borders then there's probably no traces left of whatever caused the damage so you should be quite safe to replant. If there is little growth of weeds then it may be worth experimenting with a few bedding plants to see if these plants thrive before buying any more permanent plants.

Good luck!

Sibe

See Lawn Maintenance and Watering Tips for more advice on keeping your garden looking great!