Autumn lawncare: what order to do things in?

[Dr Mike Oxgreen]

I'm planning my autumn lawn maintenance, which I'll carry out in the second or third week of September.

Here's what I intend to do:

(1) Scarify fairly aggressively.
(2) Aerate using a hollow-tine machine.
(3 or 4) Top-dress
(4 or 3) Over-seed

As you can see, I'm a little confused about which order I should do the third and fourth items in. I've never top-dressed the lawn before so it's a bit new to me: should I top-dress then over-seed on top, or should I seed and then put the top-dressing on top?

Any thoughts gratefully received!

[FlossyThePig]

The Lawn Expert by Dr D G Hessayon
£5.27 on Amazon

[markbigears]

David, I always overseed, then top dress, had fantastic results this year.

[jagnet]

I overseed and then topdress normally. Tried it the other way around in the spring and the results weren't nearly so good (not helped by finding the only dry spell all year).

Topdressing after seems to help hide the seeds from birds and offers them a little more protection if the sun gets really hot (which would be nice). The disadvantage is that having spread the seeds nice and evenly topdressing can move them around, but tbh I've not really had any issues there.

If scarifying aggressively, then I overseed at new lawn rates.

[Dr Mike Oxgreen]

Yes, that was my thought: that spreading the top-dressing would move the seeds around. But I'm imagining that putting the top-dressing on top gives much better soil contact and hence better germination, so I'll give it a go that way I think. I'm probably going to make a "lute" for spreading the dressing.

I've got "The Lawn Expert". Great book, but it doesn't answer this particular question.

[jagnet]

Alternatively topdress and overseed, then sieve a light coating of topdressing over the seeds before rolling. A lot probably depends on how uneven the ground is and how good you are at spreading the topdressing off the back of a shovel.

[RedLeicester]

jagnet said:

Alternatively topdress and overseed, then sieve a light coating of topdressing over the seeds before rolling. A lot probably depends on how uneven the ground is and how good you are at spreading the topdressing off the back of a shovel.

With a shovel? Jesus, you'd be there all week. Machinery man, this is PH!

[jagnet]

true

My lawncare methods are nearly as old as my lawnmower, and it saves on gym membership!

[Dogwatch]

April/May: Unearth mower from winter clutter in shed. Fettle mower. First mow on high setting.

May(ish): use spreader to distribute weed, feed & mosskiller. Watch in dismay as grass roars away, meaning another high-setting cut.

Summer: As few cuts as I can get away with to keep garden respectable. Rejoicings if summer sun (what that??) reduces grass to shrivelled brown carpet.

Early Autumn: Retire mower to shed until next April/May. Leave lawn to own devices at the hands of local flora and fauna.

Lawn survives, I survive, everyone happy!

[Quietlybonkers]

Just stick horses, then sheep, on it. Horses mow and fertilises at the same time, and the sheep smooth out the divots left by horses and golfers alike.