2018 Lawn thread

[SiT]

So as winter approaches I am quite keen to treat the lawn with some sort of weed/feed type product. Ultimately I would like to green it up a bit more and perhaps strengthen (?) the grass over the winter months in prep for Spring/Summer next year.

The turf was only laid this spring but has done well thus far, few patches from where the dog keeps peeing so I need to find a way to prevent that, someone mentioned dog rocks so will have to read up on those.

When I popped into local DIY superstore there was row after row of different treatments all claiming to do different things, some were pellets, some powders and others liquids you mix with water.

Can anyone tell me a good place/product to start with? I am not looking for a bowling green (8yr old daughter and dog!) but would like to look after it after spending out on new turf.

Si

[Patrick Bateman]

Bit late for that sort of thing.

I'd put a dose of iron sulphate down in your shoes.

[deckster]

I tend to put down Lawnsmith's winter green around now which always seem to keep it looking decent and keeps the moss down. Which, now I look, advertises itself as high iron content so - yeah, what he said

[mikeiow]

Don't think I would do anything now until spring (in the Midlands here)....

[Dr Mike Oxgreen]

Patrick Bateman said:

Bit late for that sort of thing.

I'd put a dose of iron sulphate down in your shoes.

I agree, although I’m not sure I’d recommend he puts it in his shoes.

I’m too lazy to dissolve it and apply it using a sprayer - in fact I find it doesn’t dissolve all that well and always leaves a fine precipitate hanging in the water. Instead I follow this guy’s approach and simply fling it about on a still day, having measured out the amount I want to apply. I generally only apply about 2 grammes per square metre, so there’s very little risk of scorching or blackening of the grass. And I generally do it whenever there’s a light rain shower on the way so it gets watered in.

Edited by Dr Mike Oxgreen on Thursday 15th November 07:05

[jagnet]

Dr Mike Oxgreen said:

in fact I find it doesn’t dissolve all that well and always leaves a fine precipitate hanging in the water

Decanting it helps. I make up a concentrated mix in a jug (using the full amount of iron sulphate) , let it settle briefly, decant into the sprayer leaving the undissolved solids behind, and then top up with water to the required volume.



For anyone living in a hard water area, using rainwater (naturally slightly acidic) rather than (alkaline) tap water to dissolve the iron sulphate is a good idea. The iron sulphate dissolves better and avoids problems with the calcium forming additional precipitates.

[Patrick Bateman]

Spreading it dry sounds risky!

I have it quite easy because the lawn is rectangular, about 50 square metres- sprinkler bar attachment on the watering can and the entire contents of the can are good for one pass over the lot. 3 passes total.

Lawnsmith site keeps you right on dosage and ensuring you spread it well over an appropriate amount of water. Never had any issues mixing the sulphate either, fill the can after adding it and it dissolves without issue.

Can only help to keep the moss at bay over winter and certainly no harm.

Ever since I've been following that site there's as close to zero moss as you can get in my lawn.

[eps]

I've gone ahead and seeded our lawn - it was either that or leave it turned over and inviting for all manner of weeds over the winter...

If the seed doesn't germinate so be it - I'll be back in the spring with another bag (20 kg) - at that much seed it isn't too expensive (£60). I just hope we get enough warm days and nights before the 'freeze' next week..... They started the job last week, but due to rain, etc.. it's meant they've only been able to seed today. At least the ground is flat now.

Admittedly the work should have been started in September - I had someone prepped in April/May time to do it!! But they've been on other jobs. They know exactly what they're doing and it's allowed me to focus on work instead of gardening.

I think we've had 3 or 4 machines in and out on the job. The ground used to be farm field and had been a bit of a dumping ground so it seems for the farmer... and a bit rutted, etc..

I'll try and post some photos at some point, before, during and after. But there's a whole landscaping piece to do as well..! But that can definitely wait until the spring.

[Harry Flashman]

After what looked like a promising start, mine looks bad. Shallow roots and very patchy...

[S11Steve]

It's 2 weeks since my final cut on the lawn that I seeded back in May. It's not looking too bad after the harsh summer, but I've noticed hundreds of piles of worm castings all over the place.

I know this is generally a good sign of healthy soil, but do I need to do anything like rake them flat or will they just break down themselves?
I thought the dog had dysentery or something when I first noticed them.

[Johnnytheboy]

Cut mine yesterday - I'll be amazed if it's the last cut of the year, it's still growing!

[mikees]

What do we think about a light cut today? Dryish and not too cold

Mike

[jagnet]

If it's still growing then you can keep on cutting. The only thing to be wary of is compacting the soil if it's still quite wet. After yesterday's heavy rain here I'll be waiting until tomorrow to cut.

[505diff]

Cut mine today and so did next door, did not take of much off but tidied it up a bit, odd doing that the same day you put up the Christmas decorations!

[renmure]

Also cut mine today but had the mulching deck on the ride-on up reasonably high to just take off the top growth. It does a fab job of mulching all the fallen leaves as well which was the real reason for doing it. Had the big coat, hat and scarf on but forgot gloves. Brrr!!

[RichB]

Quick question; my lawn was re-turfed back in mid-November, and I've just noticed small white furry fungal patches dotted around. They did a good job, stripping the old grass, rotovating it then adding plenty of top soil. it's been wet ever since and although we face SW it's shaded by surrounding woodland at this time of year. Because of rain and dew it's not been dry for many weeks now. Is there anything I can do now or is it a case of just waiting for the weather to improve in a couple of months when it will dry out and I can start the cutting routine?

[Dr Mike Oxgreen]

RichB said:

Quick question; my lawn was re-turfed back in mid-November, and I've just noticed small white furry fungal patches dotted around.

Fusarium.

It’s quite common during a damp, mild autumn or winter. Left untreated fusarium will kill patches of grass. With any luck, the fluffy white stuff you’re seeing are the early signs.

I got it a couple of months back. I treated it as soon as I spotted the white fluff, using Bayer Garden Lawn Disease Control. This did seem to stop it and prevent further damage, but it’s expensive to treat a large area.

[ScotHill]

Our grass (can't really call it a lawn!) looks a mess at the moment - it hardly grew in the summer because of the dry heat, and was then constantly damp throughout autumn so I never got a spare dry day to cut it, and now it's now. Given how long since it's been cut it's not actually that long, just very raggedy.

Would it cope with a light cut/strim just now, or should I just leave it and wait until spring and it starts getting ready to grow again? I'm looking to get someone in to heavily scarify it in the spring anyway as it's full of thatch and moss.

[RichB]

Dr Mike Oxgreen said:

Fusarium - It’s quite common during a damp, mild autumn or winter. Left untreated fusarium will kill patches of grass. With any luck, the fluffy white stuff you’re seeing are the early signs.

I got it a couple of months back. I treated it as soon as I spotted the white fluff, using Bayer Garden Lawn Disease Control. This did seem to stop it and prevent further damage, but it’s expensive to treat a large area.

Thanks Mike, I'm a little surprised because reading up on this it seems more common where the grass is weak but this Rowlawn Medallion is "supposedly" fed during its growing stage and I was told not to feed it again until next autumn. Seems all I can do is hope for some dry weather...

[ou sont les biscuits]

ScotHill said:

Our grass (can't really call it a lawn!) looks a mess at the moment - it hardly grew in the summer because of the dry heat, and was then constantly damp throughout autumn so I never got a spare dry day to cut it, and now it's now. Given how long since it's been cut it's not actually that long, just very raggedy.

Would it cope with a light cut/strim just now, or should I just leave it and wait until spring and it starts getting ready to grow again? I'm looking to get someone in to heavily scarify it in the spring anyway as it's full of thatch and moss.

Interested in an answer to this, as mine is the same, but with loads of weeds that took advantage of the paralysed grass. Far too many to weed by hand.