2015 Lawn thread

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tim0409 said:

I've just picked up a spreader from my friend's hardware shop (£13 with discount) - I've never had much luck with spreading feed evenly so hope this will help - will experiment with flow rate when my seed arrives on Tuesday,

Have you used it yet ? I used a similar looking one bought from Argos for fertilizer it didn't spread the stuff evenly and dumped it in clumps (I wish I had read the reviews on Argos) it made a right mess of my lawn took months to recover I was gutted, I wouldn't use one a again would just spread it by hand.

[Nick_MSM]

This is mine at the moment. Just had a late summer feed, still growing rapidly needing a cut every few days.

[lhw455]

Nick_MSM said:

This is mine at the moment. Just had a late summer feed, still growing rapidly needing a cut every few days.

That's looking lovely (from a long time lurker and avid lawn enthusiast)

[jagnet]

lhw455 said:

Nick_MSM said:

This is mine at the moment. Just had a late summer feed, still growing rapidly needing a cut every few days.

That's looking lovely (from a long time lurker and avid lawn enthusiast)

That is looking good. It's a concern though when even the family dog feels jealous enough of the lawn that it has to paint itself green in a vain attempt to get some attention

And to another lawn enthusiast. That's what I like about this thread - a place where lawn enthusiasts can gather without feeling judged for getting up at dawn to brush the dew off so as to get a quick cut in before going to work. Or is that still just me?

A virtual to tim0409 for starting the thread.

[Richyboy]

Well it all went tits up. I come home after being away for a few days and some squirrels have digged up half the lawn. Now they won't go, even banging on the window they just sit there watching me.

[Nick_MSM]

Thanks, I can't take all of the credit as I do have Greenthumb in four times a year. Just lots of regular cutting, leaving lawn a decent length and plenty of watering when we actually have a dry spell!

The dog might be green, but at least it doesn't crap on the lawn like my cat

[hacksaw]

Gents, hoping for some help. Planning ahead for 2016, I've decided it's time for a change of mower. I believe I've reached the limit of what my old bosch rotak is capable of.

The lawn is small, approximately 7m x 7m. For the benefit of a nicer cut / finish and stripes, I'm looking for a cylinder and roller mower. There are good choices of atco / Webb mowers out there but wondering if these are overkill for me as I have seen this http://www.webblawnmowers.co.uk/shop/webb-h12r-12-... Anyone have any thoughts?

Also, I'm reasonable handy on the tools and I'm considering restoring and old english mower, such as this http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-Collectable-Qual... Again, anyone have any thoughts? I'd quite enjoy pottering about with this but it must produce a good cut.

Would I just be better with one of these http://www.webblawnmowers.co.uk/shop/webb-c14e-14-...

Anyone have any other options?

[Philemon]

hacksaw said:

Gents, hoping for some help. Planning ahead for 2016, I've decided it's time for a change of mower. I believe I've reached the limit of what my old bosch rotak is capable of.

The lawn is small, approximately 7m x 7m. For the benefit of a nicer cut / finish and stripes, I'm looking for a cylinder and roller mower. There are good choices of atco / Webb mowers out there but wondering if these are overkill for me as I have seen this http://www.webblawnmowers.co.uk/shop/webb-h12r-12-... Anyone have any thoughts?

Also, I'm reasonable handy on the tools and I'm considering restoring and old english mower, such as this http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-Collectable-Qual... Again, anyone have any thoughts? I'd quite enjoy pottering about with this but it must produce a good cut.

Would I just be better with one of these http://www.webblawnmowers.co.uk/shop/webb-c14e-14-...

Anyone have any other options?

Where do you live?

[hacksaw]

Philemon said:

Where do you live?

East Yorkshire.

[jagnet]

hacksaw said:

Gents, hoping for some help. Planning ahead for 2016, I've decided it's time for a change of mower...

I don't think that you can beat a good manual push mower for a quality finish on a smaller lawn, and I find them far easier to use and far more convenient than electric mowers. I wince when I see how long it takes people to cut the smallest of lawns with a flymo, to the point that I leant my neighbour my Husqvarna 64 - he's now a convert to the manual push mower. Plus what could be nicer on a summer afternoon - the quiet genteel swish of a manual cylinder mower or the incessant whine of an electric one.

The older ones such as the one you linked to do give a very nice finish. Others like that worth looking at are the 12" Ransomes Ajax, which was produced over many many years up until the Mk5 in the early 70s, the JP Maxees which was very well built indeed, and various Webb mowers. The older ones tend to be heavier than the new versions which helps with striping, although even then the stripes will tend to be a little more subtle than you can achieve with a petrol cylinder mower simply because the mower is that much lighter.

As with any front roller cylinder mower, there's a limit to how high they can cut so if you prefer a higher cut then a side wheeled mower such as the Husqvarna 64 or Brill Razorcut are a better choice. They're also very light and extremely maneuverable, so it's perfectly possible to mow the lawn one handed with a beverage of your choice in the other hand - that has a certain touch of class to it whilst your neighbours struggle with their electric mowers or over sized petrol ones

Having said that, they are somewhat compromised at the edges of lawns by having side wheels as it's all to easy to drop a wheel off the edge and scalp the grass if you're not careful. A good pair of lawn sheers is useful to have for finishing off. Also they tend to be limited as to how low they can go - half an inch tends to be their lowest setting and you can get ribbing at that height due to the reel and gearing's longer clip distance. You'll also find that the cylinder and bottom blade are much thinner than the old mowers which were similarly built to the powered versions. Usually the side wheeled mowers have collection boxes that aren't worth bothering with - far easier to let the clippings lie.

Even most of the traditional manual mowers have a lower limit when aiming for a very good finish - if you're intending to cut down to 5mm or so then the choice of suitable manual mowers is very limited. Most will cut that low, but again it's a case of the clip distance being too long for the very best finish at the lowest cutting heights.

[jagnet]

Richyboy said:

Well it all went tits up. I come home after being away for a few days and some squirrels have digged up half the lawn. Now they won't go, even banging on the window they just sit there watching me.

You have my sympathies - I loath squirrells. Time to take up a new hobby - rifle shooting, archery, hammer throwing?

Nick_MSM said:

Thanks, I can't take all of the credit as I do have Greenthumb in four times a year. Just lots of regular cutting, leaving lawn a decent length and plenty of watering when we actually have a dry spell!

The dog might be green, but at least it doesn't crap on the lawn like my cat

It's amazing how just cutting the grass higher improves things no end. The shorter you go the more and more time you have to spend on the lawn to keep it healthy.

[moles]

How long should I let the lawnsmith ornamental seed grow before its first cut is about 40-50mm long so far but seems to have stopped growing as fast this week?. Cold nights?.

[jagnet]

That sounds plenty long enough now for its first cut. If you can, give it a light roll a couple of days beforehand. As usual, don't take more than a third off and then gradually reduce the height of cut to your desired level. Take it easy with the mower on turns so as not to damage the young grass.

[moles]

Cheers jag I did use the mower to roll it over Friday night and I did mangle a few patches down the end where the soil was still a bit wet. Will have a blast later when it's dried out a bit more

[Nick_MSM]

jagnet said:

It's amazing how just cutting the grass higher improves things no end. The shorter you go the more and more time you have to spend on the lawn to keep it healthy.

Exactly - far too many people seem intent on cutting ridiculously low because it either saves having to mow more regularly, or it 'looks like a bowling green'. I tend to cut mine every 5 days during summer months leaving it a decent height but it looks a hell of a lot healthier for it! As my lawn isn't exactly large, Green Thumb charge a fiver a month - almost cheaper than feeding it myself. Usually have it aerated once a year too, again as it's small it does suffer from compaction with the kids running around.

[jagnet]

moles said:

... I did mangle a few patches down the end where the soil was still a bit wet

I've done that before now, especially when starting off uphill. Some people take it a bit further though... https://youtu.be/Zj2aPZWP2u8?t=30s

Nick_MSM said:

Exactly - far too many people seem intent on cutting ridiculously low because it either saves having to mow more regularly, or it 'looks like a bowling green'. I tend to cut mine every 5 days during summer months leaving it a decent height but it looks a hell of a lot healthier for it! As my lawn isn't exactly large, Green Thumb charge a fiver a month - almost cheaper than feeding it myself. Usually have it aerated once a year too, again as it's small it does suffer from compaction with the kids running around.

I wish it saved having to mow regularly. Actually no I don't, what am I saying, I love giving the lawn a cut

It could just be wishful thinking, but the earthworm casts on the lawn are starting to get less numerous now. I did give the grass a very light top dressing at 1kg/m2 on Friday, another light liquid seaweed feed and a final overseed on the thinnest patches. The sward is definitely starting to thicken now that it's getting cut regularly.



The Godalming Bowls Club green was a hive of activity yesterday with its autumn renovations. I admit to looking on with envy at the equipment their contractors were using - Sisis auto rotorake, powered seeder, top dresser, etc. Admittedly their green is a touch larger than my lawn, but I can always dream - even if I'd have to crane half of the equipment in to get around the access problems

[moles]

I didn't mow it in the end I bottled it, thought I would throw some more seed down as the weather looked warmer this week for the bald patches.

[richierich37]

Great thread, wish I had found it earlier in the year?!?! I live just outside Glasgow and wanted a lush lawn that was moss free........started at the end of February removing all the moss and dead thatch...........





I used a hollow tine and put holes all over then filled them with sand and dressing. A fine covering of dressing the seeded the full area. It was a battle with the pigeons tbh, I tried various distractions and ended up netting the full area. This is how it looks just now after a cut and feed..........



The tree root is very close to the surface causing a slight change in colour, I'll fix that next year!!!!

[jagnet]

richierich37 said:

Great thread, wish I had found it earlier in the year?!?! I live just outside Glasgow and wanted a lush lawn that was moss free........started at the end of February removing all the moss and dead thatch...........





I used a hollow tine and put holes all over then filled them with sand and dressing. A fine covering of dressing the seeded the full area. It was a battle with the pigeons tbh, I tried various distractions and ended up netting the full area. This is how it looks just now after a cut and feed..........



The tree root is very close to the surface causing a slight change in colour, I'll fix that next year!!!!

Going by the post scarification photo, that's a massive improvement on what must've been there (or not been there as the case may be) before. That's looking lovely now

Keeping the grass looking good under a tree is always tricky. Regular overseeding really helps, and regular applications of top dressing will help to build up a deeper soil depth above the roots. At least it's not a conifer, they're about the worst to try growing grass under with a perfect storm of competitive mechanisms in place to keep grass at bay.

moles said:

I didn't mow it in the end I bottled it, thought I would throw some more seed down as the weather looked warmer this week for the bald patches.

the first cut is always nerve wracking.

[richierich37]

Thanks Jagnet, I think I'll need to top up with dressing and seed next year to build depth as you say!