2021 Lawn thread
Discussion
r44flyer said:
CubanPete said:
Where's the best place to buy the combined weed / feed / moss killer? The various large bags all seem to work out at about £27 ea. We have about half an acre of lawn, so need 4 bags at a time and it would be nice to get the cost down a bit.
That's largely the going rate, I would say. I get most stuff from Pitchcare. I would say combined products are more domestic retail than professional use but they do one granular product ( https://www.pitchcare.com/shop/icl-sportsmaster-re... ) that works out at 3 bags per half acre, but once you've added postage etc...If you buy in bulk they will offer a trade price so call them.
I'll give them a shout and see if it is worth buying a couple of years worth...
Has anyone else started their autumn lawn renovation yet?
I’m doing it early this year, because I’m currently at home so will be able to actively manage the watering, even if we get a hot spell.
I’ve scarified, overseeded, and currently mid-way through sprinkling a thin layer of compost top-dressing. The latter I find improves the yield of the seed greatly, first by hiding the seed from the pigeons and second by holding a bit of moisture underneath.
I’m doing it early this year, because I’m currently at home so will be able to actively manage the watering, even if we get a hot spell.
I’ve scarified, overseeded, and currently mid-way through sprinkling a thin layer of compost top-dressing. The latter I find improves the yield of the seed greatly, first by hiding the seed from the pigeons and second by holding a bit of moisture underneath.
Edited by Dr Mike Oxgreen on Friday 20th August 12:07
randlemarcus said:
That's an interesting scarification pattern. I know you are a Guru, but do you scarify 12" stripes on alternate years? Mine is a vertical, clear, then a horizontal, and it looks like the Somme afterwards...
It is indeed interesting, and I’ve been pondering the possible causes.It’s not deliberate, and It’s not a cock-up with the scarifier, because I also did at least one run at 45° so you’d expect to see the effect of that as well.
I can only surmise that it’s something to do with the fact that I’m a bit lazy, and I nearly always mow in that direction. This must somehow have resulted in bands of grass that have resisted scarification better than the bits in between. Perhaps I have bands of shallower rooted grass, maybe more weed grasses that have been pulled out more.
Edited to add: It could simply be that the mower wheels have caused very slight compaction, even by only a few millimetres, which has resulted in the scarifier penetrating slightly less deeply along the wheel tracks. Perhaps I should offset my mowing by half a mower-width every other time I mow.
I think it’s a graphic illustration of the fact that I should mow cross-ways a lot more often than I do!
Edited by Dr Mike Oxgreen on Friday 20th August 14:15
I'm prepping my autumn program. Scarifier oil change, and blade check this weekend. 1st weekend in September for me here in the South East.
Need to be more careful this year, since I need to avoid the Robot mower wire around the perimeter of the rear lawn...
Mike Ox - is that your lawn the you killed and grew from scratch 2/3 years ago?
Need to be more careful this year, since I need to avoid the Robot mower wire around the perimeter of the rear lawn...
Mike Ox - is that your lawn the you killed and grew from scratch 2/3 years ago?
Semmelweiss said:
Mike Ox - is that your lawn the you killed and grew from scratch 2/3 years ago?
Yes, although can you believe that it was in 2015?!To be honest, I’ve been really disappointed with the outcome. I did it as a “reset”, hoping that I’d be starting with a blank sheet and my problems with weed grasses would be behind me.
I underestimated the power of the weed grasses’ bank of seeds in the soil. By the following spring, I was more or less back where I started, and to this day I haven’t kicked the problem.
Edited by Dr Mike Oxgreen on Friday 20th August 16:03
That's disappointing for you.
I had the weedgrass/couch grass. Have you heard of the product called "Tenacity"? I used it last year and it made an astonishing difference to my lawn. After 4 weeks they were gone.
I had the weedgrass/couch grass. Have you heard of the product called "Tenacity"? I used it last year and it made an astonishing difference to my lawn. After 4 weeks they were gone.
Edited by Semmelweiss on Friday 20th August 17:03
Edited by Semmelweiss on Friday 20th August 17:04
Edited by Semmelweiss on Friday 20th August 17:07
Edited by Semmelweiss on Saturday 21st August 14:11
RichB said:
Are you sure because fescues and rye grass are both monocots according to Wiki. 
Could be the other way around then...My photos of the front lawn before and 3 weeks after tells the story of "does it work?"
Rear lawn will be done next Spring. It's the bleeding birds crapping on the lawn and leaving their ingested seeds in the poo which then germinate, I think?
Semmelweiss said:
RichB said:
Are you sure because fescues and rye grass are both monocots according to Wiki.
Could be the other way around then... My photos of the front lawn before and 3 weeks after tells the story of "does it work?" Rear lawn will be done next Spring. It's the bleeding birds crapping on the lawn and leaving their ingested seeds in the poo which then germinate, I think?Thoughts on blending and old and new lawn?
We extended the lawn which was previously in fairly poor condition, seeded the new section July last year with Lawnsmiths Staygreen. Then this spring have airated, heavy scarified, heavly top dressed, and overseeded the old lawn area with the same seed. The old area is now health and growing for the first time in the three years we have been here, the new bit is thick and reasonably mature, and in May-June it looked almost seamless. However it seems over this wet August a lot of the older grasses have made a bit of a comeback and while is looks ok in isolation and there isnt much Poa, it's not the same level of fineness or quite and dark green.
I guess with time it will only improve, and maybe some of the courser grasses will even spread to the new bit, and we can over seed again this autumn.
However I'm also wondering what else I can do to promote the new grasses, weaken the old, encourage blending and matching?
Cheers
We extended the lawn which was previously in fairly poor condition, seeded the new section July last year with Lawnsmiths Staygreen. Then this spring have airated, heavy scarified, heavly top dressed, and overseeded the old lawn area with the same seed. The old area is now health and growing for the first time in the three years we have been here, the new bit is thick and reasonably mature, and in May-June it looked almost seamless. However it seems over this wet August a lot of the older grasses have made a bit of a comeback and while is looks ok in isolation and there isnt much Poa, it's not the same level of fineness or quite and dark green.
I guess with time it will only improve, and maybe some of the courser grasses will even spread to the new bit, and we can over seed again this autumn.
However I'm also wondering what else I can do to promote the new grasses, weaken the old, encourage blending and matching?
Cheers
t about the size of a car to get rid of! Rained in the night & morning so soil was damp. I think I'll need to over seed though as have brown patches where all the s
Dr Mike Oxgreen said:
Has anyone else started their autumn lawn renovation yet?
I’m doing it early this year, because I’m currently at home so will be able to actively manage the watering, even if we get a hot spell.
I’ve scarified, overseeded, and currently mid-way through sprinkling a thin layer of compost top-dressing. The latter I find improves the yield of the seed greatly, first by hiding the seed from the pigeons and second by holding a bit of moisture underneath.
No David, I'm still clinging on to the hope that we get a few more warm days, so can enjoy the lawn.I’m doing it early this year, because I’m currently at home so will be able to actively manage the watering, even if we get a hot spell.
I’ve scarified, overseeded, and currently mid-way through sprinkling a thin layer of compost top-dressing. The latter I find improves the yield of the seed greatly, first by hiding the seed from the pigeons and second by holding a bit of moisture underneath.
Edited by Dr Mike Oxgreen on Friday 20th August 12:07
and yes you need to randomise up your lawn mowing!! I tend to do every other mow at 90 degrees to the previous. Although currently I have my eldest son on mowing duties so it depends on what he can be bothered to do!
Gassing Station | Homes, Gardens and DIY | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff