2022 Lawn Thread

[mattb46]

Quick question please.

Having scarified lightly, fertilised and overseeded 10 days ago, I now have a lawn with 4-6 inches of newly grown up existing/old grass and the beginning of the new grass sprouting through. Im worried the existing grass will be blocking the sunlight out to the new shoots of the new grass and compromising its growth. I want to mow the lawn but am conscious of maybe killing/damaging the new virgin overseeded grass by treading on it. Can anyone advise please?
Thanks

[dhutch]

I would give it a cut, aiming to take off the new growth without cutting the seedlings, ideally with a sharp wheel rotary mower.

As long as you are fairly light on your feel, careful on the turns, you will not do much damage.

[mattb46]

Thank you

[dhutch]

mattb46 said:

Thank you

Equally I should add, leaving some length also provides more protection for the exposed earth and helps prevent the young seedlings drying out too much.

[dudleybloke]

It took longer to die than I thought it would, raked most of the grass up now and will hopefully start getting it level over the weekend.

[r44flyer]

I decided not to go all out and kill our lawn off to reseed it. I went over it with the verticutter, concentrating on the worst patches of unwanted coarse grass in there, overseeded with 100% rye and topdressed with a soil/compost mix. Hopefully the supposed high shoot density in this mix, coupled with more frequent mowing will quickly crowd out that grass that I don't want.

Anyway, two weeks have now passed with gradually reduced watering and lots of sun. It was trimmed high once with the manual mower, and this is the first proper cut. It was certainly come on well and will only get better when it thickens up. Any excuse to post a gratuitous lawn pawn picture!

Before (but after the work was done), and after...

[Jon_Bmw]

That looks amazing. What a transformation!

Until reading these threads I assumed it was some sort of black art, but with a few quid and a bit of hard work it's not too bad to do yourself is it.

[Abbott]

Has anyone got any experience with a Scarifying blade with spring tines for fitting to a normal mower.

https://www.ebay.fr/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trks...

Is it worth it or just a gimmick that does not really work

[dhutch]

Abbott said:

Has anyone got any experience with a Scarifying blade with spring tines for fitting to a normal mower.

https://www.ebay.fr/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trks...

Is it worth it or just a gimmick that does not really work

Normal as in rotary, rather than cylinder? Would have though the blade speed was all wrong for that, and rotary not the right action.

I would buy one of the many inexpensive electric lawn rakes, if you want a powered spring tine machine. Some of which are sold as scarifiers.


Scarification in my understanding, is a different beast, and much more robust fixed or flail type blade.

[Abbott]

dhutch said:

Abbott said:

Has anyone got any experience with a Scarifying blade with spring tines for fitting to a normal mower.

https://www.ebay.fr/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trks...

Is it worth it or just a gimmick that does not really work

Normal as in rotary, rather than cylinder? Would have though the blade speed was all wrong for that, and rotary not the right action.

I would buy one of the many inexpensive electric lawn rakes, if you want a powered spring tine machine. Some of which are sold as scarifiers.


Scarification in my understanding, is a different beast, and much more robust fixed or flail type blade.

Yes a rotary mower.
I had a Bosch AVR100 which was ok for a while but the blades are worn out it does not seem possible to get replacement blades ( I already switched them around to double their life.) The belt tension arm has also failed. I now have a larger lawn and don't really want to throw more money at something that is not very robust.

[dhutch]

Bosch AVR 1100 verticutter, presumably? Shame it hasnt lasted as well as you hoped.
We have the ALR 900 which is the spring tine version, and which you do appear to be able to get replacement springs for although I have yet to need them.

I have big brute of a Sisis Autoroto rake mk2, with scarification blade, but only because in the middle of lockdown when everything was closed, there was one on ebay for half the price of a 'spare or repair' machine, that claimed to be working. Its as old as the hills, and sprockets so worn the chain jumps off from time to time, reengined slightly crudely. But it has plenty of grunt and plenty of speed! So far its cost me £200 to buy and £70 for a set of blades.

Have done a bit of verticutting as above, even if without the right reel, and one day I might even overhal the chains/sprockets.

[dhutch]

This has just popped up.

Sisis Auto Rake mkt £30 starting bid!
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/284816760506?

Might well attractive good bids, but it specialist enough kit it just might not. Even at ten times that is gone cheap.

Others currently listed from £700 to £1300

[r44flyer]

It's the AVR1100 I have as well. Unfortunate that the blades are hard to come by but I expect not hard to manufacture replacements from flat steel bar.

If you always verticut quite deeply they will wear out quickly on the soil. However, that does provide maximum effect and also leaves lovely little furrows for the seed to sit in prior to being even lightly topdressed.

Cut mine again today and it's even better. I'm always pleased with it after leveling it off with topdressing as it's so flat! I find it quite calming to look at when freshly cut.

[dhutch]

r44flyer said:

It's the AVR1100 I have as well. Unfortunate that the blades are hard to come by but I expect not hard to manufacture replacements from flat steel bar.

If you always verticut quite deeply they will wear out quickly on the soil. However, that does provide maximum effect and also leaves lovely little furrows for the seed to sit in prior to being even lightly topdressed.

Cut mine again today and it's even better. I'm always pleased with it after leveling it off with topdressing as it's so flat! I find it quite calming to look at when freshly cut.

It's a shame they don't provide blades, there are some on eBay for £7 a pop but that's some price! The route to getting your own made would be to get them laser cut at a local jobshop or fabshop. There would be a minimum order but you could get half dozen or more sets for that, bang them in eBay, jobs a fish!

I guess maybe it wasn't really speced for making lines? Where powered raking, verticutting, and light scarification cross over is at best a moot point, and I know the Allertt verticutting cassettes state the blades shouldn't touch the ground.

I love looking at our lawn, and cutting it and saw this in a random lawn website the other day:

Researchers have discovered that a chemical released by a mown lawn makes people feel happy and relaxed, and could prevent mental decline in old age.

[the-norseman]

We have gone from this in 2021 (when we moved in).
|https://thumbsnap.com/BTX4GNNx[/url]

To this in February.


To this now, the orange fencing is to keep 60kg worth of dog ripping it all up as best we can until its grown.


itching to get the mower on it again, think I will towards the back end of the week. Still looks patchy in places on the left but we will get there.

[r44flyer]

Much neater, well done. Looks plenty long enough now so don't leave it any longer to cut it. Any thin patches top up with seed after cutting, and you can speed along their germination by soaking the seed for a few days before mixing with fine soil/compost and spreading.

[Milner993]

So although I've done everything in the wrong order this year, the one thing I have done constantly right is cut the lawn 2 times at least a week and I think that's made a massive difference, my lawn has never been so thick.

Hollow tine aeration
Over seeded
Fertiliser
X2 or more mowing a week.

I still want to scarify it lightly, il do this in about 2 weeks when I can add more fertiliser.

Edited by Milner993 on Tuesday 17th May 09:43

Edited to add, I just received the lawn Smith Red thread alert so think il hold off on scarifying until later in the year now

Edited by Milner993 on Tuesday 17th May 10:54

[the-norseman]

r44flyer said:

Much neater, well done. Looks plenty long enough now so don't leave it any longer to cut it. Any thin patches top up with seed after cutting, and you can speed along their germination by soaking the seed for a few days before mixing with fine soil/compost and spreading.

We have done that several times, got a few shoots that are still short going to give them another day or so.

[r44flyer]

Red thread alert for warm, humid conditions. If you have that, high nitrogen feed now!

[Arnold Cunningham]

dhutch said:

This has just popped up.

Sisis Auto Rake mkt £30 starting bid!
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/284816760506?

Might well attractive good bids, but it specialist enough kit it just might not. Even at ten times that is gone cheap.

Others currently listed from £700 to £1300

I look to be the current high bidder on this. Oops.

Edited by Arnold Cunningham on Tuesday 17th May 11:20