Lawn Care Thread
Discussion
I always thought that the main tasks to recover an old tired lawn were to scarify to remove the offending thatch and moss. Then to aerate the plant bed by spiking. This will also help surface drainage, where the ground had been compacted over the years. This makes life harder for the moss, and easier for the grass.
Entirely contrary to this thread though, last week I sprinkled glyphosphate all over the front lawn. Next job, enlist some help at the end of April to skim off the roots, rotavate, rake a seed bed and sow with....
http://www.wildflower.org.uk/department/wildflower...
My guess is the neighbours will think I'm sowing grass and that it's coming up rather weed ridden!
The surrounding front gardens are all very urban with smart lawns or minimalist gravel beds and pots. We're going for a riot of colour - wish us luck!
Entirely contrary to this thread though, last week I sprinkled glyphosphate all over the front lawn. Next job, enlist some help at the end of April to skim off the roots, rotavate, rake a seed bed and sow with....
http://www.wildflower.org.uk/department/wildflower...
My guess is the neighbours will think I'm sowing grass and that it's coming up rather weed ridden!
The surrounding front gardens are all very urban with smart lawns or minimalist gravel beds and pots. We're going for a riot of colour - wish us luck!
Last spring I rented a scarifier and a hollow-tine aerator for a weekend. I aerated, scarified and over-seeded with a fine grass mix (I'm trying to alter the balance of grasses in my lawn, which is currently dominated by ugly coarse grasses).
I was planning to do the same again this year, to continue the process of altering that balance.
However, the hosepipe ban will prevent me from watering the new seed. Should I continue with my plan anyway? Should I bother over-seeding at all, or should I even scratch the whole plan for this year?
The other thing I did later last year was to apply glyphosate to some particularly dense patches of the ugliest coarse stuff, then reseed those patches. But I won't be doing that this year.
I was planning to do the same again this year, to continue the process of altering that balance.
However, the hosepipe ban will prevent me from watering the new seed. Should I continue with my plan anyway? Should I bother over-seeding at all, or should I even scratch the whole plan for this year?
The other thing I did later last year was to apply glyphosate to some particularly dense patches of the ugliest coarse stuff, then reseed those patches. But I won't be doing that this year.
Edited by Dr Mike Oxgreen on Thursday 22 March 06:28
Dr Mike Oxgreen said:
Last spring I rented a scarifier and a hollow-tine aerator for a weekend. I aerated, scarified and over-seeded with a fine grass mix (I'm trying to alter the balance of grasses in my lawn, which is currently dominated by ugly coarse grasses).
I was planning to do the same again this year, to continue the process of altering that balance.
However, the hosepipe ban will prevent me from watering the new seed. Should I continue with my plan anyway? Should I bother over-seeding at all, or should I even scratch the whole plan for this year?
The other thing I did later last year was to apply glyphosate to some particularly dense patches of the ugliest coarse stuff, then reseed those patches. But I won't be doing that this year.
I would. I was planning to do the same again this year, to continue the process of altering that balance.
However, the hosepipe ban will prevent me from watering the new seed. Should I continue with my plan anyway? Should I bother over-seeding at all, or should I even scratch the whole plan for this year?
The other thing I did later last year was to apply glyphosate to some particularly dense patches of the ugliest coarse stuff, then reseed those patches. But I won't be doing that this year.
Edited by Dr Mike Oxgreen on Thursday 22 March 06:28
The scarifying and aerating is a good thing regardless of adding more seed or not. If you add new seed in the very near future it will have chance to get going before the hotter drier weather is here.
If it gets very hot and some/most all of the new growth dies off I wouldn't see it as a great loss, because grass seed is relatively cheap and easy apply.
Bonefish Blues said:
Garden soil's generally too nutrient-rich, AIUI..sow at 5g per square metre into a clean well raked level area. Annuals prefer a rich soil, so if in doubt, add your usual fertilizer. Poor soil will result in stunted growth. Surface sow and keep well watered in dry spells...
I'm using a mixture of annuals for flowers this year, and perennials for future flowers.
Oh, and it's a small estate type front garden, I'm able to get round it with a few watering cans.
kentmotorcompany said:
Roo said:
Impressive work KMC.
You're not far from me. Fancy a weekend job?
Cheers!You're not far from me. Fancy a weekend job?
I should be selling cars at the weekend, but at this rate I'm available. What do you need a Gardener or a Sales Manager?
If I gave you a Sales Manager job I'd be putting myself out of work.
Paul Drawmer said:
Bonefish Blues said:
Garden soil's generally too nutrient-rich, AIUI..sow at 5g per square metre into a clean well raked level area. Annuals prefer a rich soil, so if in doubt, add your usual fertilizer. Poor soil will result in stunted growth. Surface sow and keep well watered in dry spells...
I'm using a mixture of annuals for flowers this year, and perennials for future flowers.
Oh, and it's a small estate type front garden, I'm able to get round it with a few watering cans.
I know you aren't planting a meadow, but even so:Wild flower Meadow - Creating a Wildflower Meadow.
Creating a wildflower meadow or area is all about creating the right condition for the wild flowers that naturally grow in your area. Unlike most of the work you will do in your garden adding organic matter and improving the fertility of your soil a wildflower meadow requires lean and poor soil. The reason for this is that wildflowers need these impoverished soils to keep the competition from more rampant plants such as grass at bay.
ETA from BBC Gardening Guide:
What to do
Lawn preparation
Lawns that are naturally low in fertility are ideal, but if yours isn't, there are several things you can do to bring the nutrient levels down and prevent vigorous grasses from taking over. Stop using fertilisers and weed killers, and mow the lawn regularly, keeping the grass very short.
Remove all clippings to prevent nutrients being returned to the soil. You may need to keep this up for two years until it's ready to be planted with wildflowers.
B17NNS said:
This is a cracking little book for all things lawn based.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Lawn-Expert-Dr-Hessayo...
+ 1http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Lawn-Expert-Dr-Hessayo...
You beat me to it!
Dr Mike Oxgreen said:
Last spring I rented a scarifier and a hollow-tine aerator for a weekend. I aerated, scarified and over-seeded with a fine grass mix (I'm trying to alter the balance of grasses in my lawn, which is currently dominated by ugly coarse grasses).
I was planning to do the same again this year, to continue the process of altering that balance.
However, the hosepipe ban will prevent me from watering the new seed. Should I continue with my plan anyway? Should I bother over-seeding at all, or should I even scratch the whole plan for this year?
The other thing I did later last year was to apply glyphosate to some particularly dense patches of the ugliest coarse stuff, then reseed those patches. But I won't be doing that this year.
No, is the answer, but your idea is correct.I was planning to do the same again this year, to continue the process of altering that balance.
However, the hosepipe ban will prevent me from watering the new seed. Should I continue with my plan anyway? Should I bother over-seeding at all, or should I even scratch the whole plan for this year?
The other thing I did later last year was to apply glyphosate to some particularly dense patches of the ugliest coarse stuff, then reseed those patches. But I won't be doing that this year.
Edited by Dr Mike Oxgreen on Thursday 22 March 06:28
Wait till September, if you scarify now the remaining grass won't put out any side shoots which is one of the benefits. As said, wait till September as that is the perfect time.
Of some relevance to the thread, if anyone's in the vicinity of Bicester and wants one of these Scotts Lawn Spreaders in exchange for a pint or similar, give me a shout (I haven't used it since Green Thumb started doing the job a few years ago)
http://tools4thegarden.co.uk/scotts-drop-spreader?...
http://tools4thegarden.co.uk/scotts-drop-spreader?...
allgonepetetong said:
Scott's Feed Weed and Moss Control. A much better product than Evergreen or B&Q s own for about £1 more.
Take a look at the active ingredients on the side of the packaging and Scotts has twice as much.
Can anybody recommend a moss control, feed, weed and seed product which is safe for pets? Every one I look at seems to state that I need to keep the pets off the lawn until watered in, bit difficult to tell a cat to stay off the grass.Take a look at the active ingredients on the side of the packaging and Scotts has twice as much.
K77 CTR said:
Can anybody recommend a moss control, feed, weed and seed product which is safe for pets? Every one I look at seems to state that I need to keep the pets off the lawn until watered in, bit difficult to tell a cat to stay off the grass.
They all have to carry that warning, the other version being 'until the spray has dried'. In reality I really don't think there's anything to worry about because the dose of active ingredient applied per unit area is very small, and the actives are not particularly harmful anyway (unless you drink a neat bottleful of course!)If the actives were that harmful there'd be dead and dying cats and dogs and bunny rabbits all over the place... and there aren't
There's lots of good advice on this thread, I was all set to rake my lawn this weekend, but may wait until the end of summer.
The lawn used to be pristine, but the last few years the elderly gentleman who owned the house wasn't able to look after it as well the last few years, so it was only cut once a month. It is still in pretty good condition, but I'd like to get it back to how it was.
My plan had been to cut it on highest setting, apply 3 in 1, rake the moss out etc and then overseed. Is this overkill for the spring? Should I just keep cutting it every week, then apply a treatment/rake the moss in the autumn? Is there anything else I should be doing now?
The lawn used to be pristine, but the last few years the elderly gentleman who owned the house wasn't able to look after it as well the last few years, so it was only cut once a month. It is still in pretty good condition, but I'd like to get it back to how it was.
My plan had been to cut it on highest setting, apply 3 in 1, rake the moss out etc and then overseed. Is this overkill for the spring? Should I just keep cutting it every week, then apply a treatment/rake the moss in the autumn? Is there anything else I should be doing now?
B17NNS said:
I'd get some weed and feed down as soon as your lawn starts to grow. Let it do it's thing then a good rake to get rid of any thatch followed by a bit of aeration, seed and top dressing. Should be nice for summer then.
Thanks.How does weed and feed affect other surrounding plants? (For instance veg plots)
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