2017 Lawn thread

[jagnet]

Muncher said:

Jagnet - I have several bags of "soil improver" which I got from a free composting event, it is partially composted leaves and other stuff, is it worth me adding this to my freshly sieved soil before I sow grass seed on it?

I would say so, provided that it's also sieved. If it helps bolster the life in the soil it's going to help the health of the lawn.

Bear in mind that with partially decomposed matter, as further decomposition takes place its volume will decrease so if applied more deeply in places to fill hollows then those hollows are likely to reappear in time. As a thin top dressing however that's not really going to be an issue on anything other than croquet lawns.

You also want to avoid too much partially composted woody material as it'll require nitrogen in the soil to break down, competing with the needs of any grass seedlings. That's more for digging in when sowing a new lawn; again, applied as a light top dressing it's not going to be an issue.

[TheInternet]

Rib said:

Acts as a watering agent so takes the surface tension out the water and helps it penatrate into the soil better. Proper watering agents are better obviously but if it's a few small patches then this is a cheap fix

Thanks

[glasgow mega snake]

HRH2009 said:

Given that badgers live on earthworms, it is highly unlikely that foxes are the source of your problem.

I have seen the same digging damage in an orchard, though fortunately not on the lawn adjacent to the house.

There is precious little one can do to prevent this damage, as badger numbers have escalated over the years.

Without any control of their numbers, badgers have been a have been a source of bovine TB and are now virtually a plague in many rural areas.

There is a very good nematode treatment available for badgers.

[Joe M]

Rib said:

TheInternet said:

What's the deal with this? Water containing detergent / surfactants or something else?

Acts as a watering agent so takes the surface tension out the water and helps it penatrate into the soil better. Proper watering agents are better obviously but if it's a few small patches then this is a cheap fix

I use dishwasher rinse aid, cheapest I can get. Basically it contains the surfactants without the detergents.

[Joe M]

If I scarify my lawn, is there any issue leaving the cuttings on the grass then running over it with a mulching mower?

[wjwren]

Joe M said:

If I scarify my lawn, is there any issue leaving the cuttings on the grass then running over it with a mulching mower?

I wouldnt do that personally as all the crap you have been trying to get out will still be there, Id collect it up and put it on your compost heap.

[Muncher]

jagnet said:

I would say so, provided that it's also sieved. If it helps bolster the life in the soil it's going to help the health of the lawn.

Bear in mind that with partially decomposed matter, as further decomposition takes place its volume will decrease so if applied more deeply in places to fill hollows then those hollows are likely to reappear in time. As a thin top dressing however that's not really going to be an issue on anything other than croquet lawns.

You also want to avoid too much partially composted woody material as it'll require nitrogen in the soil to break down, competing with the needs of any grass seedlings. That's more for digging in when sowing a new lawn; again, applied as a light top dressing it's not going to be an issue.

I think I will probably skip it as I've spent long enough sieving it (about 100 tonnes worth at least!) at it is starting to settle and level off now so mixing it in would be tricky as it clumps together.

I'm spreading some Rigby Taylor "Outfield" pre-seeding (8-12-8) fertiliser in any case. It says this is released over 6-8 weeks, I assume spreading it a week before seeding is best?

[jagnet]

I'd spread it at the same time as sowing, or up to two weeks after. It won't harm the seeds in their seed state and the seedlings won't need it until after they exhaust the energy stored in the seed.

[glasgow mega snake]

glasgow mega snake said:

There is a very good nematode treatment available for badgers.

I just wanted to add that it's very important that after you apply the nematode solution to the badgers that you make sure its very well forked in.

[jagnet]

Hence the expression "forking badger's on my lawn again!"

[thebraketester]

thebraketester said:

Got sick of our bumpy lawn and found it was infested with roots from a tree... so up came the tree and the lawn.




Gonna do the other side next week hopefully

Edited by thebraketester on Thursday 27th July 16:32

Starting to look like a lawn again. All seems to have knitted together ok apart from one bit which I am sure will improve over time.

[six wheels]

Would anyone be kind enough to recommend a grass seed mix that could help me achieve a more even lawn please?

I realise at this point I should include clear pictures to illustrate my problem. I'll need to upload some tomorrow when it's light.

My lawn was laid from turf two years ago, got beaten up by the dog and was in a very sorry state. I've re-seeded and have fair coverage now but with different grasses which are of different shades and grow at different rates!

[Triple7]

Can anyone tell me an effective lawn weed killer (kills every thing except grass and clover). I hear all the good stuff is banned/discontinued. Roundup?

[jagnet]

Roundup will kill everything, including the grass.

You won't find a weedkiller that leaves clover untouched. Grass, being a monocot, is highly resistant to the active ingredients in selective lawn weedkillers. Unfortunately clover is a dicot and like weeds such as dandelions etc will be killed off just as effectively. That's why clover went from being seen as beneficial in lawns (it was common to get clover seeds in lawn seed mixes) to becoming a weed almost overnight thanks to the widespread introduction of selective weedkillers.

I would either try to dig out the weeds by hand, or spot spray as accurately as possible with a selective lawn weedkiller such as Weedol (Verdone) or Resolva, trying to avoid the clover as much as possible. Unless your lawn is as much weeds as grass then you shouldn't affect the clover that much.

[Muncher]

First lot of levelling done, still a few ridges but I think if I keep walking up and down it with the aluminium frame we use for levelling the bowls green we should be ok. Planning to seed it on Saturday and hopefully come back to some grass two weeks after when we are back from holiday.

[SmartManDan]

I think it's time for a new mower. My garden isn't huge as you can possibly see below but my B&Q Qualcast special has had its day. Unlike many here, I pay Greenthumb to come and sprinkle their magic onto the garden every few months and it's normally lush and green, however I can't seem to get my lawnmower to stop destroying it. It only has three height settings, the highest one leaves it way too long (2.5 inches perhaps) and the middle one does what you can see in the photo. This is a bit worse than normal as I've been away for a few weeks so the grass was very long, I've cut it twice this week, once on Monday (highest setting) and once yesterday (middle setting). The blade on the mower is sharp, but it's just not coping and struggles (motor strains) with anything more than a few inches long.

I'm sure in a few days it'll look ok again, but any lawnmower recommendations? I see the Honda Izy ones get good reviews here. My lawn isn't completely flat (a few small humps) so I assume I need a rotary rather than a cylindrical mower? Stripes would be nice too.

Finally, excuse the strange patches on the garden, I had a good few lumps of soil from ants so blasted them with the hosepipe last night. Any tips on getting rid of the buggers?

Garden of shame:

[Simpo Two]

SmartManDan said:

it's normally lush and green, however I can't seem to get my lawnmower to stop destroying it. It only has three height settings, the highest one leaves it way too long (2.5 inches perhaps) and the middle one does what you can see in the photo. This is a bit worse than normal as I've been away for a few weeks so the grass was very long, I've cut it twice this week, once on Monday (highest setting) and once yesterday (middle setting). The blade on the mower is sharp, but it's just not coping and struggles (motor strains) with anything more than a few inches long.

I'm sure in a few days it'll look ok again, but any lawnmower recommendations? I see the Honda Izy ones get good reviews here. My lawn isn't completely flat (a few small humps) so I assume I need a rotary rather than a cylindrical mower? Stripes would be nice too.

'Anything more than a few inches long' - your lawn should never get this long. Everyone dreams of a bowling green but it ain't gonna happen, just keep it in the 1-1.5" range. Unerstand that grass is made of living plants, not a 'thing' like a lump of wood. It grows at different speeds depending on temperature and water, and can be healthy or stressed. These determine what height you should cut it. When the weather is very hot and dry, like this week, don't butcher the grass, ie don't cut more than 1/3 off. Cutting little and often is far btter than hacking it every few weeks.

Cylinder mowers give the finest results and automatic stripes - are your bumps really too bad for on? Can you make them flatter? (lift up turf, remove soil, replace turf and water). If so, choose a rotary with a rear cylinder - this is what makes stripes.

SmartManDan said:

Finally, excuse the strange patches on the garden, I had a good few lumps of soil from ants so blasted them with the hosepipe last night.

Just brush them flat.

[steveo3002]

Triple7 said:

Can anyone tell me an effective lawn weed killer (kills every thing except grass and clover). I hear all the good stuff is banned/discontinued. Roundup?

get one of the lawn friendly weed killer in the trigger spray and go round spraying what you want gone , i find they work alright

[Zoon]

Anyone got any good red thread treatments, Greenthumb want £38.00 which doesn't sound too bad including labour, but just wondered how difficult it is to treat doing it yourself.

[Hayek]

Zoon said:

Anyone got any good red thread treatments, Greenthumb want £38.00 which doesn't sound too bad including labour, but just wondered how difficult it is to treat doing it yourself.

I have got read thread. I probably had it previous years but I was not so clued up on what was going on. Seems to be close to impossible to get rid of, although I am due a feed now which is the suggested course of action. I understand that there is a fungicide treatment, but using it will mean you're more susceptible to it in subsequent years.