2022 Lawn Thread
Discussion
I'm going with confirmation bias / co-incidence, personally. Zero scientific evidence that they work and plenty of reasons to be sceptical, e.g. https://chronicleflask.com/2021/10/29/rock-bottom/
They're unlikely to do any harm but there's no realistic way that they can (a) affect the chemistry of the water in your dog's bowl, or (b) reduce nitrates in their pee even if it did.
They're unlikely to do any harm but there's no realistic way that they can (a) affect the chemistry of the water in your dog's bowl, or (b) reduce nitrates in their pee even if it did.
deckster said:
I'm going with confirmation bias / co-incidence, personally. Zero scientific evidence that they work and plenty of reasons to be sceptical, e.g. https://chronicleflask.com/2021/10/29/rock-bottom/
They're unlikely to do any harm but there's no realistic way that they can (a) affect the chemistry of the water in your dog's bowl, or (b) reduce nitrates in their pee even if it did.
Yes it could be a case that as its a big enough lawn she just goes in different spots each time and never really soaks a particular spot repeatedly.They're unlikely to do any harm but there's no realistic way that they can (a) affect the chemistry of the water in your dog's bowl, or (b) reduce nitrates in their pee even if it did.
I should probably stop using them for a while to see if it has any effect.
Has anyone here done a biggish levelling project?
I have a lawn that is 9m x 20m and it's up and down. Essentially it's on a very shallow gradient which is fine. But has undulations. The lowest point to highest point on the undulations I'd guess is about 15cm. About 1/3 of the lawn is actually pretty flat, so it's really about 9m x 13m that has dips in it that need levelled.
Any idea how much topsoil I might need for this. It's obviously going to be a lot. From working with topsoil before I'm thinking of starting with 6000L and seeing how I go?
I have a lawn that is 9m x 20m and it's up and down. Essentially it's on a very shallow gradient which is fine. But has undulations. The lowest point to highest point on the undulations I'd guess is about 15cm. About 1/3 of the lawn is actually pretty flat, so it's really about 9m x 13m that has dips in it that need levelled.
Any idea how much topsoil I might need for this. It's obviously going to be a lot. From working with topsoil before I'm thinking of starting with 6000L and seeing how I go?
Ntv said:
Has anyone here done a biggish levelling project?
I have a lawn that is 9m x 20m and it's up and down. Essentially it's on a very shallow gradient which is fine. But has undulations. The lowest point to highest point on the undulations I'd guess is about 15cm. About 1/3 of the lawn is actually pretty flat, so it's really about 9m x 13m that has dips in it that need levelled.
Any idea how much topsoil I might need for this. It's obviously going to be a lot. From working with topsoil before I'm thinking of starting with 6000L and seeing how I go?
Is it ups and downs or filling in dips?I have a lawn that is 9m x 20m and it's up and down. Essentially it's on a very shallow gradient which is fine. But has undulations. The lowest point to highest point on the undulations I'd guess is about 15cm. About 1/3 of the lawn is actually pretty flat, so it's really about 9m x 13m that has dips in it that need levelled.
Any idea how much topsoil I might need for this. It's obviously going to be a lot. From working with topsoil before I'm thinking of starting with 6000L and seeing how I go?
When we levelled our lawn we started with two levels with a small bank between them and changed the gradient to remove the bank leaving a single level with a higher average slope. We rotovated the whole lot to break it up, then I spent a solid afternoon dragging a ladder from the top to the bottom using a tow rope and a some concrete blocks to weigh it down. The ladder would grab a decent amount of soil and move it, but it would also drop it in any dips and take more from the high spots, so levelling it out quite well too.
I think we rolled it lightly, then broke up any high-spots again and repeated. It was hard work for sure, but it worked pretty well.
Yes, if it's good lawn, you might it want to destroy it. But if you're 150mm adrift, you will likely have to start by removing some height from the high bits. ID them, cut the turf, take some soil out, replace the turf.
Then heavy top dress with a few tons of earth into the hollows, dragging it around either on your knees with a piece of 2x4 or drag something like an old ladder or plasterboard pallet weighted down as per the above poster.
Treading over it to compact, and repeat, ideally leave it a fortnight during which it rains, and then do a finer pass. But you can also reseed it and do the finer pass later we some more soil.
Then heavy top dress with a few tons of earth into the hollows, dragging it around either on your knees with a piece of 2x4 or drag something like an old ladder or plasterboard pallet weighted down as per the above poster.
Treading over it to compact, and repeat, ideally leave it a fortnight during which it rains, and then do a finer pass. But you can also reseed it and do the finer pass later we some more soil.
Arnold Cunningham said:
Which fortnight is that? Gonna have to get my sprinkler out again I think.
There's usually a solid couple of weeks in the Summer where it pisses down right?I've been giving mine a deep drink once a week for the last month or so and it's looking pretty epic now, needs cutting every other day it's growing so well.
After scarifying and top dressing/overseeding the new-build front lawn last summer, all I've had to do so far this season is cut it twice weekly and a deep soak once a week, with some seaweed feed once a month
A couple of patches not quite happy with, and a couple of areas of overfeeding but overall, it's looking a lot greener and lush than the neighbouring houses
Changing jobs in a couple of weeks, so will have a few weeks before the new job starts - plan to scarify and top dress the rear lawn then, which needs some attention.
A couple of patches not quite happy with, and a couple of areas of overfeeding but overall, it's looking a lot greener and lush than the neighbouring houses
Changing jobs in a couple of weeks, so will have a few weeks before the new job starts - plan to scarify and top dress the rear lawn then, which needs some attention.
I've started the process of getting the lawn at my new house in shape. Have given it a feed and giving it a good water each day and it's starting to look a lot greener after a week or so.
There are quite a few various weeds etc. which I'd like to get sorted next, but it's been 3 weeks since we moved in and after the fertiliser and watering, I'll need to do a first cut fairly soon. I'll look to scarify in the autumn.
My plan is to manually remove the weeds as far as practicable, then give the lawn a cut. I'm away for a few weeks until the start of August, so will then add some more feed and water then, before another cut in mid-August.
My question relates to the most suitable type of mower. The lawn is level, and it's not huge by PH director standards - around 50sq/m. As far as I can see it, I can't justify a petrol mower for such a small lawn, so considering electric. I've no steps between the garage and the back garden, and we have outdoor power points so a corded mower is probably OK for this application.
However, given the size of the lawn, I am interested in feedback on manual push mowers - I'm considering this as it has a roller on the rear and will give some nice stripes in the fullness of time: https://www.gardena.com/int/products/lawn-care/cyl...
There are quite a few various weeds etc. which I'd like to get sorted next, but it's been 3 weeks since we moved in and after the fertiliser and watering, I'll need to do a first cut fairly soon. I'll look to scarify in the autumn.
My plan is to manually remove the weeds as far as practicable, then give the lawn a cut. I'm away for a few weeks until the start of August, so will then add some more feed and water then, before another cut in mid-August.
My question relates to the most suitable type of mower. The lawn is level, and it's not huge by PH director standards - around 50sq/m. As far as I can see it, I can't justify a petrol mower for such a small lawn, so considering electric. I've no steps between the garage and the back garden, and we have outdoor power points so a corded mower is probably OK for this application.
However, given the size of the lawn, I am interested in feedback on manual push mowers - I'm considering this as it has a roller on the rear and will give some nice stripes in the fullness of time: https://www.gardena.com/int/products/lawn-care/cyl...
The worst area of my whole lawn for poa is the area that was seed from scratch. An area that previously was dug over to a foot depth with a digger, graded level over various weekends and left as bare earth for 6months.
There are a smattering of coarser grasses in the existing lawn, which was scalped, scarified hard and hollow tined, before top dressing and over seeding, but hardly and poa.
As has been said elsewhere, nuking and reseeding is in no way guaranteed to make a perfect lawn, and certainly carries no guarantee it will stay that way. So if it's level, I would say work with what you have got.
There are a smattering of coarser grasses in the existing lawn, which was scalped, scarified hard and hollow tined, before top dressing and over seeding, but hardly and poa.
As has been said elsewhere, nuking and reseeding is in no way guaranteed to make a perfect lawn, and certainly carries no guarantee it will stay that way. So if it's level, I would say work with what you have got.
wiggy001 said:
Our lawn was in a state. Partly because of our puppy but mostly it was very uneven and had a lot of moss in it. It's only a small area (5m x 5m) so I got a firm in to take up the lawn and lay some new turf 2 weeks ago. For the past 2 months I've been using Dog Rocks and the new lawn has been watered several times per day and each pee has been diluted with water from the hose.
There are currently at least 4 or 5 brown patches of dead grass which I can only assume are due to the dog.
Frustrated and annoyed in equal measures.
I need some help!There are currently at least 4 or 5 brown patches of dead grass which I can only assume are due to the dog.
Frustrated and annoyed in equal measures.
The 4 or 5 brown patches are now 10-12 large brown patches... I really need some help here! All the advice online suggests either training puppy to go in one place (not easy) or diluting his pee with water which is what we are doing. We are using the hose on his pee the second he finishes, giving it a good 30 seconds plus of water each time. On top of this the lawn is being watered with the sprinkler daily. As it is a new lawn (3 weeks) I've only cut it once so far on the highest setting. And yet we are still seeing more and more of it dying off in round circles of browness.
There must be something else/more I can do other than accept it?!
wiggy001 said:
I need some help!
The 4 or 5 brown patches are now 10-12 large brown patches... I really need some help here! All the advice online suggests either training puppy to go in one place (not easy) or diluting his pee with water which is what we are doing. We are using the hose on his pee the second he finishes, giving it a good 30 seconds plus of water each time. On top of this the lawn is being watered with the sprinkler daily. As it is a new lawn (3 weeks) I've only cut it once so far on the highest setting. And yet we are still seeing more and more of it dying off in round circles of browness.
There must be something else/more I can do other than accept it?!
I feel your pain, I really do. The 4 or 5 brown patches are now 10-12 large brown patches... I really need some help here! All the advice online suggests either training puppy to go in one place (not easy) or diluting his pee with water which is what we are doing. We are using the hose on his pee the second he finishes, giving it a good 30 seconds plus of water each time. On top of this the lawn is being watered with the sprinkler daily. As it is a new lawn (3 weeks) I've only cut it once so far on the highest setting. And yet we are still seeing more and more of it dying off in round circles of browness.
There must be something else/more I can do other than accept it?!
However as far as I know, as I've posted recently, the options really basically are stop the weeing on and or dilute the best you can.
The best ours got is when my partner took the dogs for a walk every morning, which avoided the big morning piss ending up on the grass!
This is our lawn with two male hounds. Brown patch appears, rake it out and add soil+seed mix, trying and keep it moist. The dark green patches are the 'recovered' areas which fade into the rest of the lawn over the months.
. 
A younger lawn will be more sensitive, as I find will lawn in drier weather. We use Lawnsmiths Staygreen, which promotes itself as a deep rooted mix, suitable for good drought resistance and improved dog urine resistance. How much that helps I do not know!
Edited by dhutch on Friday 8th July 14:57
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