A NEWBUILD homeowner has shared a shocking before and after look at her ‘garden ‘nightmare’.
Charley Mary, a from the UK, explained that when she and her man moved into their , the grass in their garden was perfect.
But, before long, a horrifying turned the into a muddy pit.
Posting on , the shared a close-up look at her ’s downfall, leaving many totally stunned.
Alongside the short clip of her “garden nightmare”;, the savvy mum begged: “Send help.”;
At the start of the video, viewers saw Charley’s garden shortly after she and her moved in.
She wrote: “What it looked like before...so fluffy and green.”;
But moments later, alongside a crying emoji, Charley added: “Then the came ...and now this is what it looks like.”;
The stunning was practically nowhere to be seen, with her garden merely soil with a few patches of sparse grass.
What are leatherjackets?
, Ben Agnew, a grass expert at Lawnsmith, warned gurus to be on the lookout for signs of – a common pest that destroys grass from the roots up.
The pro said: “Although small, these grubs can be a nightmare for your .
“An infestation can undo all the hard work you’ve put in and leave you with nothing.
“They thrive by eating the roots of grass and , killing their food source as they go.
“As they exist under the surface of your lawn, the first sign of an issue is your lawn dying, leaving yellow patches that then turn brown.
“The damp, wet conditions experienced in the UK during create the perfect environment for the eggs to hatch into leatherjackets.”;
are legless grubs with tough, leathery skin.
They are typically grey or brown in colour and can grow up to three cm in length.
For those looking to take action to avoid maximum damage, Ben advised: “Prevention is easier than the cure for a leatherjacket infestation.
“Effective treatment comes in the form of microscopic bacterial worms, called nematodes, specifically ‘Steinernema feltiae’.
Although small, these grubs can be a nightmare for your lawn
Ben Agnew
“Nematodes get rid of leatherjackets by infiltrating their outer casing and subsequently killing them.
“Leatherjackets can cause considerable damage, and even after treatment, it can be challenging to restore your lawn to its former state.
“It can take your garden some time to return to its former glory.”;
Additionally, Ben recommended: “ your lawn can help improve drainage. To do this, simply create holes in the turf to allow it to breathe and encourage water to disperse.”;
Not only this, but Ben also acknowledged that heavily shaded gardens can also suffer, so removing thick branches of overhanging trees and bushes can help more sunlight reach the turf.
Ben also stressed: “Some soils are better than others for drainage. For example, nutrient-dense clay soils can make gardens more prone to flooding.
“If you often see water pooling in your garden, investigate the type of soil so you know how to nurture the lawn correctly.”;
Social media users react
Charley’s clip, which was posted under the username @charleymaryy, has clearly left many open-mouthed, as it has quickly gone viral and racked up 9.9 million views.
Not only this, but it’s also amassed 482,700 likes, 2,722 comments and 19,000 saves.
Social media users were gobsmacked at the and many eagerly flocked to the comments to share their thoughts.
Not only this, but other also confessed that they too have experienced the same issue with their grass.
The EXACT same thing has happened to all the gardens on my estate too
TikTok user
One person said: “Reason why I would never buy a new build number 10287399.”;
Another added: “We have the same. Heard it’s a mixture of clay soil, lack of drainage, not enough topsoil, no vegetation and non stop rain.”;
Alongside shocked face , a third simply commented: “Brutal.”;
Meanwhile, another homeowner shared: “The EXACT same thing has happened to all the gardens on my estate too.”;
Not only this, but someone else claimed: “It seems like every new build has this problem.”;
At the same time, one user advised: “Speak with your new build company, ours is the same and they’re redoing it for us.”;
