2015 Lawn thread
Discussion
Have you fed it? If not, feed it with a granular feed - don't use a product with weedkiller or moss killer because you don't have either of those problems and it just introduces the risk of scorching. Use a product that is only a feed. Google for Scotts Lawn Builder, and get the summer feed version. For a lawn that size, I'd just weigh out the right amount to give the right coverage and then scatter it by hand, unless you fancy spending £30 on a drop spreader (which is a good tool to have).
Having spread some feed, I'd also get a garden fork and spike the whole lawn. Stick the fork well in, wiggle it about and withdraw. Repeat every six inches over the whole lawn.
Then, get the sprinkler out and give it a good hour. Repeat this a week later. The lawn will start looking much better in a couple of weeks. Keep mowing regularly (once a week or even twice) so that you never remove more than a third of the length at a time. Don't go too short with the mower; I'd say your current length is about right.
In late August or September, it looks like it would benefit from scarifying. It's not too expensive to rent a machine for the day. The lawn will look pretty awful afterwards, but keep the faith - it'll come back stronger than ever. Consider overseeding after scarifying, and water the lawn every day for a week or two (unless it rains of course).
Having spread some feed, I'd also get a garden fork and spike the whole lawn. Stick the fork well in, wiggle it about and withdraw. Repeat every six inches over the whole lawn.
Then, get the sprinkler out and give it a good hour. Repeat this a week later. The lawn will start looking much better in a couple of weeks. Keep mowing regularly (once a week or even twice) so that you never remove more than a third of the length at a time. Don't go too short with the mower; I'd say your current length is about right.
In late August or September, it looks like it would benefit from scarifying. It's not too expensive to rent a machine for the day. The lawn will look pretty awful afterwards, but keep the faith - it'll come back stronger than ever. Consider overseeding after scarifying, and water the lawn every day for a week or two (unless it rains of course).
What about irrigation for when I rotivate my lawn and start again is it worth laying pipe work in with sprinklers?, have looked at rain bird pop ups and gardina systems and leakypipe but unsure wether it's worth it in on a water meter so this year have got a 3000litre container fitted with a 3.5bar pump set up to use but not sure wether to stick with a single sprinkler on surface or fit leakypipe under soil while it's all up?. Lawn is about 250m2 but an irregular shape.
Thanks for the advice chaps, we had some good rain last night so that should have helped. I'll delay cutting again until tomorrow to let the ground dry a bit and rake then spike the lawn with a fork. Then I'll get some lawn feed and chuck that around.
I'll cut again at the same length and then go a bit shorter next time I think.
Will give it a few weeks and take some pics for comparison.
I'll cut again at the same length and then go a bit shorter next time I think.
Will give it a few weeks and take some pics for comparison.
jagnet said:
Imho you're on the right track. Because it was allowed to grow so long and then cut right back, much of the brown that you're seeing is the tough basal leaf sheaths that would ordinarily be far less visible. It also explains why the grass coverage is quite thin.
The new growth looks nice and healthy and the ground doesn't look dry. I'd give the lawn a rake before you next cut it to remove some of the debris.
It will eventually sort itself out, but you can help speed things up and introduce some finer grasses next month. I'd keep lowering the cutting height as you are doing, then in August, provided we're not in the middle of a heat wave, scalp it by cutting as low as you can (the grass will recover from this), scarify or rake heavily to remove all the thatch and break up the soil surface, then overseed heavily (at new lawn rates) with some Lawnsmith classic lawn seed which is a nice blend of dwarf perennial rye, fescues and browntop bent.
My new lawn looks very similar to that that you've replied on .........The new growth looks nice and healthy and the ground doesn't look dry. I'd give the lawn a rake before you next cut it to remove some of the debris.
It will eventually sort itself out, but you can help speed things up and introduce some finer grasses next month. I'd keep lowering the cutting height as you are doing, then in August, provided we're not in the middle of a heat wave, scalp it by cutting as low as you can (the grass will recover from this), scarify or rake heavily to remove all the thatch and break up the soil surface, then overseed heavily (at new lawn rates) with some Lawnsmith classic lawn seed which is a nice blend of dwarf perennial rye, fescues and browntop bent.
I need to top dress mine as there are quite a few low spots despite my best efforts of laying the turf on a level surface.
Any reason why lawnsmiths ornamental mix couldn't/shouldn't be used?
Cactussed said:
So I've decided to experiment a little.
3 small hollows in the lawn.
1 - filled with topsoil.
2 - filled with topsoil and seeded
3 - filled with topsoil and seeded then covered with clear plastic like a mini greenhouse.
Will keep all 3 well watered then see how they progress over the next 2 weeks or so, ahead of tackling the larger areas that need levelling.
Thought I'd update a little on this. 3 small hollows in the lawn.
1 - filled with topsoil.
2 - filled with topsoil and seeded
3 - filled with topsoil and seeded then covered with clear plastic like a mini greenhouse.
Will keep all 3 well watered then see how they progress over the next 2 weeks or so, ahead of tackling the larger areas that need levelling.
1. Not much has grown through as yet apart from a few weeds (which surprised me)
2. Plenty of new green shoots popping up. Has had regular watering and lots of sun over the past 2 weeks.
3. Also plenty of new grass shoots (and no more than the uncovered part). Difference is that it required far less watering as the plastic trapped all the moisture in the ground, so much more of a set and forget method (and arguably a good idea pre a 2 week holiday for some patch repairs
moles said:
What have you got for your gardena setup?. How big is your garden?.
See this vid for a visual of the garden and the sprinklers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8a6IewepwQGot two pop-up sprinklers, a 6 way distributor and the water computer.
Cactussed said:
3. Also plenty of new grass shoots (and no more than the uncovered part). Difference is that it required far less watering as the plastic trapped all the moisture in the ground, so much more of a set and forget method (and arguably a good idea pre a 2 week holiday for some patch repairs
Good idea - how did did you attach the plastic sheeting? Squiggs said:
My new lawn looks very similar to that that you've replied on .........
I need to top dress mine as there are quite a few low spots despite my best efforts of laying the turf on a level surface.
Any reason why lawnsmiths ornamental mix couldn't/shouldn't be used?
The ornamental seed mix would work fine, but tbh if you're not planning on changing the lawn in that direction with fine grasses only, no ryegrass and a very short HoC (and if you are then give some thought to just starting again) the Classic lawn seed would just be more suitable and easier to look after. The Classic will be harder wearing and have a deeper green colour thanks to the dwarf perennial ryegrass. The SS meadow grass in the Classic is very drought tolerant and good at regenerating.I need to top dress mine as there are quite a few low spots despite my best efforts of laying the turf on a level surface.
Any reason why lawnsmiths ornamental mix couldn't/shouldn't be used?
Either will make for a very good looking lawn at normal cutting heights.
jagnet said:
Squiggs said:
My new lawn looks very similar to that that you've replied on .........
I need to top dress mine as there are quite a few low spots despite my best efforts of laying the turf on a level surface.
Any reason why lawnsmiths ornamental mix couldn't/shouldn't be used?
The ornamental seed mix would work fine, but tbh if you're not planning on changing the lawn in that direction with fine grasses only, no ryegrass and a very short HoC (and if you are then give some thought to just starting again) the Classic lawn seed would just be more suitable and easier to look after. The Classic will be harder wearing and have a deeper green colour thanks to the dwarf perennial ryegrass. The SS meadow grass in the Classic is very drought tolerant and good at regenerating.I need to top dress mine as there are quite a few low spots despite my best efforts of laying the turf on a level surface.
Any reason why lawnsmiths ornamental mix couldn't/shouldn't be used?
Either will make for a very good looking lawn at normal cutting heights.
If you are moving to a more ornamental lawn, then the ryegrass won't like a very short cut and it needs more feeding than the finer grasses, so it's relatively easy to create conditions that favour the fescues and bents. Just keep overseeding in spring and autumn. You may find that the lawn looks a little mottled for a while with patches of deeper green from where the ryegrass is surviving better, but keep at it.
With the high proportion of browntop bent in the Ornamental seed mix from Lawnsmith, avoid burying the seed too much as bent seeds really are tiny. They also take quite a long time to germinate.
With the high proportion of browntop bent in the Ornamental seed mix from Lawnsmith, avoid burying the seed too much as bent seeds really are tiny. They also take quite a long time to germinate.
Have a read here: http://www.lawnsmith.co.uk/lawn-alerts/lawn-read-t...
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