2022 Lawn Thread

[dhutch]

dudleybloke said:

ooid said:

Now



Before…

Looks a lot better.

Impressive transformation, as well as impressive you had any energy to do the work during paternity, we spent the first two weeks wondering what had hit us, and how to her to feed!

[dhutch]

Milner993 said:

Harry Flashman said:

Milner993 said:

ChocolateFrog said:

My lawn is looking a bit stressed.

It's felt like we've had a rubbish May so I'm a bit surprised if it's down to a lack of water.

Gave it a water tonight and seems like we're getting more at the weekend so see if it perks up.

Just remember to water the lawn in the morning and avoid late afternoon/evening watering as this promotes disease.

Everyone says this, but what about rainy days/nights?I'm sure the occasional evening watering is no worse than rain at those times?

Not that convinced. It's perhaps more that night watering may be a waste of time as plants aren't photosynthesising, so you lose more of it to the ground.

Happy to be educated on this!

So a wet lawn at night attract pests and disease because of the damp leaves, when you water during the day the leaves have time to dry out.

The difference between when it rains at night and when you use the hose is the humidity in the air reduces after rainfall grass doesn't like being wet when the humidity is high.

I'm certainly no expert myself and I'm going off various online sources but last year I myself watered the lawn in the evening and my lawn did suffer with red thread disease, this year I've stopped the evening watering and my lawn is looking much healthier.

Also not an expert, but I agree it can't be worse than night rain at the same time. However it might well be worse than night rain in winter, as it's warmer and the helps the disease.

Early morning should be the best if both, time for the water to get deep into the soil before the sun drys it, but also drying sun not too long after.

But I think it your really are watering as a one off after 6 week dry weather, no more than once a month, then a single deep evening water is likely fine too?

[dhutch]

ChocolateFrog said:

My lawn is looking a bit stressed.

Gave it a water tonight and seems like we're getting more at the weekend so see if it perks up.

I have watered the lawn shortly before or after rain before now, if we have had a light rain. My logic is the get the water deeper, while the lawn and air is moist, so it had a larger store for the following weeks, as well as promoting deeper roots for drought resistance. No idea if the science is sound but it feels right to me.

[Evanivitch]

dhutch said:

ChocolateFrog said:

My lawn is looking a bit stressed.

Gave it a water tonight and seems like we're getting more at the weekend so see if it perks up.

I have watered the lawn shortly before or after rain before now, if we have had a light rain. My logic is the get the water deeper, while the lawn and air is moist, so it had a larger store for the following weeks, as well as promoting deeper roots for drought resistance. No idea if the science is sound but it feels right to me.

General rule is to water deep and less often, and to do so in the early morning, so you don't promote fungus in overnight damp conditions.

[RichB]

Evanivitch said:

dhutch said:

ChocolateFrog said:

My lawn is looking a bit stressed. Gave it a water tonight and seems like we're getting more at the weekend so see if it perks up.

I have watered the lawn shortly before or after rain before now, if we have had a light rain. My logic is the get the water deeper, while the lawn and air is moist, so it had a larger store for the following weeks, as well as promoting deeper roots for drought resistance. No idea if the science is sound but it feels right to me.

General rule is to water deep and less often, and to do so in the early morning, so you don't promote fungus in overnight damp conditions.

Indeed, that's the current thinking. It used to be suggested that watering in the evening was best because it didn't evaporate but then it was realised that damp grass contributed to red thread.

[Jambo85]

Took my mower blade off yesterday and sharpened and balanced it … one of those jobs you put off for ages but in reality takes 20 minutes and makes such a difference. Machine is quieter, vibrates less and actually feels like it is cutting the grass!

[number2]

Thanks for the knowledge share. I watered my lawn yesterday evening 7pm - 7.45pm.

Will aim for an early morning water in future. Annoyingly I haven't found a sprinkler that can reach every bit of lawn. It's not large but there are always some sections missed so I either water the whole thing with a hose, move the sprinkler around or get the hose out after. I have a "karcher premium oscillating sprinkler".

It's not a perfect lawn but looks okay from a distance. Have a fair bit of something with small yellow flowers invading at present.

Used a feed & weed recently - even though I marked out strips on the lawn with string to get even coverage, I have stripes of darker and lighter grass!

[dhutch]

Evanivitch said:

General rule is to water deep and less often, and to do so in the early morning, so you don't promote fungus in overnight damp conditions.

RichB said:

Indeed, that's the current thinking. It used to be suggested that watering in the evening was best because it didn't evaporate but then it was realised that damp grass contributed to red thread.

Understand completely, and certainly if doing a 'deep' water weekly/fortnightly (rather than a light daily water?) then I am sure it matters.

And having had a light bout of what people believe was red thread, it can certainly exist even without being watered at all!

However if 'less often' means actually means only twice all summer, 10 weeks apart, I expect it doesnt really matter!

What is meant by 'deep' likely also varies, for me it means running a hozelock oscillator for a hour a minimum of twice with a short-med pause between, or on the back of rain, sometimes repeated 24hours later! Will depend on soil type, but it is notoriously hard to get enough water on to actually get the soil moist to any depth at all if it does get truly dry.

This is grass that has been seeded/re-seeded in the last year or two. My hope is that as it becomes increasingly established after my 'renovation' with a lot of aeration, and a harsh scarification and overseed over the past two years, I will get to the point where even on the sandy base the majority of the lawn never needs watering even in the driest summers. Perhaps just a one-off deep water for the patch under the pine tree, in the height of summer.

[wiggy001]

After putting up with a very uneven, full of moss lawn in our back garden for far too long I have just had the lawn removed and re-turfed. It's only a small lawn (approx 5m x 5m) and whilst I know it will never be a putting green (2 children, a young dog and being north facing are all going against me here) I'm after some advice on what I should be doing to keep in in the best state possible despite the odds being stacked against me.

The lawn only went down yesterday but I understand I need to keep it well watered over the next few weeks until the roots take, but after that are there any things I could be doing to keep the lawn strong and robust and looking good? Having 2 children that love the garden and a wife with OCD means we always watch the dog when he's out there, so any pee will be diluted with water immediately to prevent burning, but other than that I'm at a loss.

I mainly want to keep the grass strong and green and prevent the moss which took over on the east side of the garden next to the fence which receives the least sun.

Any thoughts would be much appreciated.

[The Count]

wiggy001 said:

After putting up with a very uneven, full of moss lawn in our back garden for far too long I have just had the lawn removed and re-turfed. It's only a small lawn (approx 5m x 5m) and whilst I know it will never be a putting green (2 children, a young dog and being north facing are all going against me here) I'm after some advice on what I should be doing to keep in in the best state possible despite the odds being stacked against me.

The lawn only went down yesterday but I understand I need to keep it well watered over the next few weeks until the roots take, but after that are there any things I could be doing to keep the lawn strong and robust and looking good? Having 2 children that love the garden and a wife with OCD means we always watch the dog when he's out there, so any pee will be diluted with water immediately to prevent burning, but other than that I'm at a loss.

I mainly want to keep the grass strong and green and prevent the moss which took over on the east side of the garden next to the fence which receives the least sun.

Any thoughts would be much appreciated.

Hi Dave,

Bit of a lurker on this thread, but love reading others’ situations and the help given.

If I may, I am in a similar predicament to yourself, especially the dog issue. I’ve banned him from the grass after years of seeing yellow
dead patches forming and then trying to cover them up with grass cuttings. I now have a beautiful lush lawn. (You can buy a ‘rock’ to
put in their water bowl, but I wasn't convinced)

I also put dates in my digital calendar to remind me to feed the lawn. Occasional iron sulphate here are there, Miracle Grow mix and
some liquid seaweed. It really has made a difference this year. (With a new lawn, you might want to wait)

I suppose its a toss up between being a sad git like me that enjoys looking at the grass to actually being on it and enjoying it with family.

[Arnold Cunningham]

I like a bit of both. It's there to be used. But I want it to look reasonable too. A nice lawn is more fun to be on - whether the kids are having a kick around or whatever - than a patch of mud.

I've even been watering our lawn this year for the last week or so. Wonders will never cease - usually by the time the weather is like this, it's a brown patch of straw. It's still looking OK this year though.

[wiggy001]

The Count said:

wiggy001 said:

After putting up with a very uneven, full of moss lawn in our back garden for far too long I have just had the lawn removed and re-turfed. It's only a small lawn (approx 5m x 5m) and whilst I know it will never be a putting green (2 children, a young dog and being north facing are all going against me here) I'm after some advice on what I should be doing to keep in in the best state possible despite the odds being stacked against me.

The lawn only went down yesterday but I understand I need to keep it well watered over the next few weeks until the roots take, but after that are there any things I could be doing to keep the lawn strong and robust and looking good? Having 2 children that love the garden and a wife with OCD means we always watch the dog when he's out there, so any pee will be diluted with water immediately to prevent burning, but other than that I'm at a loss.

I mainly want to keep the grass strong and green and prevent the moss which took over on the east side of the garden next to the fence which receives the least sun.

Any thoughts would be much appreciated.

Hi Dave,

Bit of a lurker on this thread, but love reading others’ situations and the help given.

If I may, I am in a similar predicament to yourself, especially the dog issue. I’ve banned him from the grass after years of seeing yellow
dead patches forming and then trying to cover them up with grass cuttings. I now have a beautiful lush lawn. (You can buy a ‘rock’ to
put in their water bowl, but I wasn't convinced)

I also put dates in my digital calendar to remind me to feed the lawn. Occasional iron sulphate here are there, Miracle Grow mix and
some liquid seaweed. It really has made a difference this year. (With a new lawn, you might want to wait)

I suppose its a toss up between being a sad git like me that enjoys looking at the grass to actually being on it and enjoying it with family.

I have a slight issue with the rocks in that we are using them (have been for a few weeks prior to getting the lawn done) but as I am now watering twice a day and pouring the watering can on patches where he pees, I'm not going to have any idea whether the rocks are doing anything. But I can't stop using them just in case!

My dog is banned from being on the grass without me being out there at the moment as he will pull at the turf edges if given half the chance. Once the roots have taken and the edges between bits of turf are no longer visible I'll go back to him being allowed out but with regular watering/rocks to hopefully keep the brown patches at bay.

I'm more than happy to add dates to my calendar for feeding etc, but am not sure how long I should wait for a new lawn. And as mentioned, I want to feed it to keep it durable so it can be enjoyed rather than creating a putting green to look at.

I should also add that my wife wanted artificial grass due to the reduced maintenance (all of which I do anyway) and because it always looks "nice" (ie green). So I'm under pressure to keep our lawn looking good for fear of the "I told you so..."

[dhutch]

roltyid said:

Moved into new house this week, and whilst there are a ton of other jobs to be getting on with I'd like to have a think about a plan for getting the lawn a bit tidier. It's OK for now and so much nicer to have a decent outdoor space compared to our last place, but can't help but think the lawn could do with a bit of TLC.

Garden is West facing and gets sun most of the day (pictures taken around 0630)







There is a small area of what I think is Lesser Trefoil, another small area of Daisy, a couple of Creeping Thistles which need attending to, but most pressingly I'll need a mower. I'm not aiming for a putting green with perfect stripes, but would like the lawn to be fairly respectable.

All up, that doesnt half look bad to me in terms of a starting point. Better than a lot of lawns already!

Mower is good, I dont thing the importance of a sharp blade and regular cutting can be over stated. Twice a week in growing season.

Expect is hadnt seen any feed for a while, so a dose of lawn feed, spring and summer slow 3 month release such as the LawnSmiths Natur.

Compaction is also a common issue, wrong time of year for now, but a good hollow tine all over in autumn/earlyspring, or any other aeration. Deep fork aeration at and exit/entry points? Check for thatch and scarifiy if needed. If its a bit thin, this is also the time to overseed.

I think for most lawns, some occasional board leaf weeds are ok, certainly Clover can almost be a benefit. However if they bother you, you can treat with herbicide. Aka lawn weed killer, Resolva or Weedol. Make sure its the green bottle with LAWN on the front, not the Red bottle full of glyphsate!

Otherwise, welcome!

[ooid]

Looks like I got the red-thread disease on this area





I have to remove the yellow crap now and reseed woth topsoil I guess..

[ooid]

dhutch said:

Impressive transformation, as well as impressive you had any energy to do the work during paternity, we spent the first two weeks wondering what had hit us, and how to her to feed!

Cheers, TBH the baby hit us like a russian tank too!.. I've been just trying to distract myself, -whenever I can- from the postnatal aggression vibes indoors.

[Harry Flashman]

This year I have lots of weeds in the lawn, mostly clover and buttercup (colonies of each).

The thing is... I like it. Especially the clover. I have not mowed this week, due to the hot weather and wanting to give the grass a chance, and the lawn is uneven and stuffed with clover flowers and buttercups. It looks lovely. Bees buzzing around between the flowers are nice to see too.

So a question. I have some areas of weak grass and actually wouldn't mind seeding with another type of clover for some variety. Anyone know anything about the pink flowered varieties? Or microclover?

[jagnet]

Harry Flashman said:

So a question. I have some areas of weak grass and actually wouldn't mind seeding with another type of clover for some variety. Anyone know anything about the pink flowered varieties? Or microclover?

Microclover doesn't flower nearly as much. Together with its small leaf size it's well suited to formal lawns and fine grasses.

White clover is suited to less formal lawns that receive regular cuts. You'll tend to find white clover in regularly grazed fields. Long lived and spreads well by seed and stolon. A little more tolerant of droughty conditions than red clover.

Red clover grows much taller than white. Well suited to wildflower areas. Shorter lived than white clover and spreads mostly by seed, so less suitable for regular mowing. In hay meadows you find that red clover tends to do better than white.

That gives you a rough idea of what suits each variety. If you sow a mix of clovers you'll find that they reach their own happy balance based on conditions and maintenance regimes.

[Harry Flashman]

Really helpful and thank you! I have white clover, and it's lovely. Shall stick with that, but seed some crimson clover into wildflower beds.

[brums evil twin]

Looks like I have got some red thread coming through - So I have given the lawn some lawn food with a good percentage of nitrogen.

What else is suggested??

thanks

[Milner993]

brums evil twin said:

Looks like I have got some red thread coming through - So I have given the lawn some lawn food with a good percentage of nitrogen.

What else is suggested??

thanks

Don't mulch, bag your grass clippings, other than that fertiliser is your best friend and you have done that already.