2018 Lawn thread

[jimmy156]

Just had loads of these pop up on my lawn, apologies for the rubbish pic, its getting dark.



Anyone got any idea as to what type of mushroom they are? Normally i just mow over the mushrooms but these are a bit larger, maybe 10-12cm in diameter and there are lots of them!

[RichB]

p4cks said:

Here's a comparison between before and after a treatment of Scotts Lawn Feed (neighbour's on the right) so certainly a step in the right direction...

I think I'd have done the neighbour's grass too for the sake of an extra 6 sq m.

[Johnnytheboy]

jimmy156 said:

Just had loads of these pop up on my lawn, apologies for the rubbish pic, its getting dark.



Anyone got any idea as to what type of mushroom they are? Normally i just mow over the mushrooms but these are a bit larger, maybe 10-12cm in diameter and there are lots of them!

No idea, but I've had a tonne of these myself...

[Patrick Bateman]

Patrick Bateman said:

I'd used it quite a bit before I got as much into gardening but it's not a patch on a proper scarifying/iron sulphate/reseeding renovation. But then my lawn had a hell of a lot of moss and thatch last year so not sure how much better it'd fair on a lawn in reasonable health.

Finished reseeding, top dressing and fertilising at the weekend-



Amazing how 300 odd litres of top soil disappears into not a lot, fair physical effort spreading it evenly though.

Edited by Patrick Bateman on Monday 24th September 21:34

3 weeks on-



2 or 3 bare areas haven't taken as well with the seed as I'd have hoped although it looks spot on at this sort of distance. Next year if I get the hollow tining done again I'll need to be on the ball getting it arranged in time as I was 2/3 weeks later than I'd have liked to have been.

[Dr Mike Oxgreen]

p4cks said:

Here's a comparison between before and after a treatment of Scotts Lawn Feed (neighbour's on the right) so certainly a step in the right direction:
Untitled by p4cks, on Flickr

I would definitely be talking to the neighbour to explain your plans to get your lawn looking really good, and would they like you to do the whole lot while you’re at it (for free). The cost to you will be negligible, and it’ll look daft and spoil your efforts if his looks crap.

And if for some weird reason they don’t want you to make their lawn look good, I’d dig a narrow bed just inside your boundary and plant some low shrubs to create a break in the lawn so that there isn’t an ugly line down the middle of it.

I’d speak to the neighbour about both options to try and get them on-side.

Edited to add: You certainly have made a good start! In the spring, I’d be digging out and/or glyphosating the couple of patches of weed grasses that you’ve got, otherwise they’ll spread and ruin the lawn. You see the small circular patch of paler grass right in the middle of the picture, about three or four inches across? That’s an example of what I mean. Don’t let weed grasses get a foothold, otherwise they can be difficult to eradicate without killing the whole lot and seeding from scratch (which I did a few years ago).

Edited by Dr Mike Oxgreen on Tuesday 23 October 08:21

[Johnnytheboy]

Oh I don't know: it's like one of those before/after makeover pics right there outside your house.

Incidentally, I took a risk and applied my lawn seed about ten days ago, and have the beginnings of new shoots.

[TheRainMaker]

Someones stole your fence

[p4cks]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

I'm no meanie chaps - I did consider it! I do mow the neighbour's grass but I thought I'd use her little bit as a before and after comparison, which I'm pleased I have now.

I also didn't want to start applying products to other peoples' lawns, especially as I don't really know what I'm doing!

She can have her Scott's Lawn feed next year anyway, now that I know it works.

[RichB]

p4cks said:

She can have her Scott's Lawn feed next year anyway, now that I know it works.

[iphonedyou]

I had booked with our routine lawn maintenance person back in early October for a hollow tine aeration, aggressive scarification and over seed. He promptly forgot - despite a reminder, and so I left it at that - and applied the usual Autumn moss control treatment, before remembering of his own volition and turning up Monday while I was out to do the treatment as requested.

Hopefully I'll get away with it - but being the back end of October, in Belfast, the overnight temperature dropped on Monday night to around 1 - 2 degrees. Hovering around 8 to 9 degrees day time just now. Little bit of rain though, so not needing to water the seed - which is nice.

[Patrick Bateman]

I would not be best pleased if someone like that aggressively scarified the lawn at this point in the year.

I haven't cut the grass since I did mine a good while ago now. Does need a trim but does show how much growth has slowed, let alone what it's like now.

[iphonedyou]

Patrick Bateman said:

I would not be best pleased if someone like that aggressively scarified the lawn at this point in the year.

I haven't cut the grass since I did mine a good while ago now. Does need a trim but does show how much growth has slowed, let alone what it's like now.

I was a bit surprised. To be honest though, in the scale of things-that-have-gone-all-fked this year it's pretty far down the list. So I'm fairly sanguine.

[Dr Mike Oxgreen]

p4cks said:

I also didn't want to start applying products to other peoples' lawns, especially as I don't really know what I'm doing!

She can have her Scott's Lawn feed next year anyway, now that I know it works.

I use Scott’s lawn feed as well. If it’s the straight lawn feed without weed or moss control, then you can be very confident it won’t scorch.

[rog007]

iphonedyou said:

I had booked with our routine lawn maintenance person back in early October for a hollow tine aeration, aggressive scarification and over seed. He promptly forgot - despite a reminder, and so I left it at that - and applied the usual Autumn moss control treatment, before remembering of his own volition and turning up Monday while I was out to do the treatment as requested.

This belongs in that other thread...

[dhutch]

You have to pick your battles and if life is too short then so be it, however I would certainly suggest that your deeply unimpressed.

It might germinate, but if it doesn't it it's all a bit of a waste of time and money.


Daniel

[jagnet]

If it doesn't germinate now then provided it doesn't get eaten by birds or sucked up by the mower then it should pop up in the spring. Grass seed is very good at lying dormant for long periods waiting for the right conditions.

A light covering of compost or topsoil to hide it from hungry birds could be beneficial.

If there's ryegrass in the mix then there's still a good chance it'll germinate now. The only risk there is that a really cold spell before Xmas could be too much for it before it has chance to establish enough to withstand the worst winter conditions.

[iphonedyou]

jagnet said:

If it doesn't germinate now then provided it doesn't get eaten by birds or sucked up by the mower then it should pop up in the spring. Grass seed is very good at lying dormant for long periods waiting for the right conditions.

A light covering of compost or topsoil to hide it from hungry birds could be beneficial.

If there's ryegrass in the mix then there's still a good chance it'll germinate now. The only risk there is that a really cold spell before Xmas could be too much for it before it has chance to establish enough to withstand the worst winter conditions.

Thanks. Here's hoping!

[RichB]

jagnet said:

If it doesn't germinate now then provided it doesn't get eaten by birds or sucked up by the mower then it should pop up in the spring. Grass seed is very good at lying dormant for long periods waiting for the right conditions.

A light covering of compost or topsoil to hide it from hungry birds could be beneficial.

If there's ryegrass in the mix then there's still a good chance it'll germinate now. The only risk there is that a really cold spell before Xmas could be too much for it before it has chance to establish enough to withstand the worst winter conditions.

I put some seed down in mid-September in an attempt to restore the dead areas after the summer but germination has been very poor. I console myself that I tried and at the least the pigeons have enjoyed it!

[jagnet]

RichB said:

I console myself that I tried and at the least the pigeons have enjoyed it!

Pigeon pie it is then; at least it won't have gone to waste

It's surprising how a slight change in conditions can be enough to postpone germination. You think you've got it licked but then the seed has other ideas, yet other times you'll put some down with little hope of it doing anything and before you know it the grass seedlings are popping up all over.

I've often found that a nonplussed Gallic shrug can be the best approach to turf based disappointment.

[RichB]

jagnet said:

I've often found that a nonplussed Gallic shrug can be the best approach to turf based disappointment.