2022 Lawn Thread
Discussion
Evanivitch said:
sutoka said:
Applied Miracle Gro Autumn Lawncare a week ago 35g per m2 about a week after spiking. No weeds or moss in the lawn. I measured it accurately and applied as per the instructions. Looks like it scorched the hell out of it. I haven't made a mistake, I checked and double checked and even emailed Miracle Gro who said it 'could be a bad batch'.
Well thanks to their bad batch it looks like I'll be reseeding and top dressing at my expense.
Did they request the batch number off your container?Well thanks to their bad batch it looks like I'll be reseeding and top dressing at my expense.
Due to a recent house move I'm needing a larger mower capable of doing a main lawn of around 1000m2.
I've currently got a Allett Liberty 35 battery mower which was fine for my previous lawn (2 batteries charged and used on each cut), however it won't suffice for this lawn. I loved the cut of a cylinder mower, and the stripe the allett made, but if I'm honest I like the convenience of a rotary, so am edging towards something like a Hayter Harrier 56 rear roller mower.
Just trying to find somewhere which will consider a px now at a half reasonable rate, as now really sure what I should be asking for the Liberty. They list at £1,200.00 which is without batteries, of which I have 2 no, roughly being £200.00 each, and then also have the 10 blade cartridge (along with the 6 blade which comes as standaard) and the scarifier cartridge, which are both around £200.00 each again, so its really a £2,000.00 machine all in.
I've currently got a Allett Liberty 35 battery mower which was fine for my previous lawn (2 batteries charged and used on each cut), however it won't suffice for this lawn. I loved the cut of a cylinder mower, and the stripe the allett made, but if I'm honest I like the convenience of a rotary, so am edging towards something like a Hayter Harrier 56 rear roller mower.
Just trying to find somewhere which will consider a px now at a half reasonable rate, as now really sure what I should be asking for the Liberty. They list at £1,200.00 which is without batteries, of which I have 2 no, roughly being £200.00 each, and then also have the 10 blade cartridge (along with the 6 blade which comes as standaard) and the scarifier cartridge, which are both around £200.00 each again, so its really a £2,000.00 machine all in.
Hobo said:
Due to a recent house move I'm needing a larger mower capable of doing a main lawn of around 1000m2.
I've currently got a Allett Liberty 35 battery mower which was fine for my previous lawn (2 batteries charged and used on each cut), however it won't suffice for this lawn. I loved the cut of a cylinder mower, and the stripe the allett made, but if I'm honest I like the convenience of a rotary, so am edging towards something like a Hayter Harrier 56 rear roller mower.
Just trying to find somewhere which will consider a px now at a half reasonable rate, as now really sure what I should be asking for the Liberty. They list at £1,200.00 which is without batteries, of which I have 2 no, roughly being £200.00 each, and then also have the 10 blade cartridge (along with the 6 blade which comes as standard) and the scarifier cartridge, which are both around £200.00 each again, so its really a £2,000.00 machine all in.
We have the Honda HRX 476 QX which is the slightly narrower rear roller offering from Honda, which is fine for our 500sqm ish lawn. It would do a lawn twice the size, but if I was aiming to cut reasonably often, say weekly during growing season fortnightly the rest of the time, I wouldnt want to go any smaller.I've currently got a Allett Liberty 35 battery mower which was fine for my previous lawn (2 batteries charged and used on each cut), however it won't suffice for this lawn. I loved the cut of a cylinder mower, and the stripe the allett made, but if I'm honest I like the convenience of a rotary, so am edging towards something like a Hayter Harrier 56 rear roller mower.
Just trying to find somewhere which will consider a px now at a half reasonable rate, as now really sure what I should be asking for the Liberty. They list at £1,200.00 which is without batteries, of which I have 2 no, roughly being £200.00 each, and then also have the 10 blade cartridge (along with the 6 blade which comes as standard) and the scarifier cartridge, which are both around £200.00 each again, so its really a £2,000.00 machine all in.
My own grip about it is the cut height, which claims to be adjustable from 19-58mm but I measure with a straight edge from rroller to wheel. tape measure to the blade as more like 15-48mm which is find during the summer, but I think a bit too low for a 'family lawn' as you get into winter season. Frustratingly the self-propelled wheel models claim cutting heights of 25-79 mm which would much nicer to have. The Hayer Harrier 56 claims 13-60mm, but if you are used to a cylinder it might not be an issue for you.
As for was your old mower is worth.... what someone will pay for it! I found the used Honda/Hayters held value well, often used examples bought for high street prices where on ebay for more than a new one from a discount online retailer, I watched for a while to get a reasonable looking used one, and half wish I had gone new. However its only worth what someone else will pay!
dhutch said:
We have the Honda HRX 476 QX which is the slightly narrower rear roller offering from Honda, which is fine for our 500sqm ish lawn. It would do a lawn twice the size, but if I was aiming to cut reasonably often, say weekly during growing season fortnightly the rest of the time, I wouldnt want to go any smaller.
My own grip about it is the cut height, which claims to be adjustable from 19-58mm but I measure with a straight edge from rroller to wheel. tape measure to the blade as more like 15-48mm which is find during the summer, but I think a bit too low for a 'family lawn' as you get into winter season. Frustratingly the self-propelled wheel models claim cutting heights of 25-79 mm which would much nicer to have. The Hayer Harrier 56 claims 13-60mm, but if you are used to a cylinder it might not be an issue for you.
As for was your old mower is worth.... what someone will pay for it! I found the used Honda/Hayters held value well, often used examples bought for high street prices where on ebay for more than a new one from a discount online retailer, I watched for a while to get a reasonable looking used one, and half wish I had gone new. However its only worth what someone else will pay!
Don't think cutting height will be an issue, as the allett was 6mm to 32mm, and I tended to cut the lawn a couple of times a week.My own grip about it is the cut height, which claims to be adjustable from 19-58mm but I measure with a straight edge from rroller to wheel. tape measure to the blade as more like 15-48mm which is find during the summer, but I think a bit too low for a 'family lawn' as you get into winter season. Frustratingly the self-propelled wheel models claim cutting heights of 25-79 mm which would much nicer to have. The Hayer Harrier 56 claims 13-60mm, but if you are used to a cylinder it might not be an issue for you.
As for was your old mower is worth.... what someone will pay for it! I found the used Honda/Hayters held value well, often used examples bought for high street prices where on ebay for more than a new one from a discount online retailer, I watched for a while to get a reasonable looking used one, and half wish I had gone new. However its only worth what someone else will pay!
Want an easier life now, hence thinking rotary and a higher cut height. Suspect 40mm would be somewhere near (potentially a bit shorter).
I've taking the Allett down to the local Hayter dealer as he said he would be interested in p/x but needs to see the machine. Let's see what they offer..... I'm not expecting much from them though.
Stedman said:
Temps looking good and a lot of rain coming in too. Going to throw down some more seed and see how it gets on
It’s a bit cold tonight but the next 10 days forecast is looking good here, I’m going to mix up some seed and topsoil and try to make a last ditch go at repairing the remaining patches (overall much happier now though). The worst of the areas, now recovering, has a lot of weeds so I’m taking a few minutes in the day to get some out if I can reach without stepping on the new grass coming through. @nickfrog.. that’s looking much better
Late seeders get chitting now to give yourself half a chance or the window will shut before you get going…
http://www.cag.org.uk/a-piece-on-seed-germination-...
http://www.cag.org.uk/a-piece-on-seed-germination-...
blue al said:
Late seeders get chitting now to give yourself half a chance or the window will shut before you get going…
http://www.cag.org.uk/a-piece-on-seed-germination-...
Old man used to talk about chitting when he was a greenskeeper over 40 years ago now. The golf course behind me still does it. Is there a specific kind of seed you need to use or well regular lawn seed dohttp://www.cag.org.uk/a-piece-on-seed-germination-...
Dr Mike Oxgreen said:
Believe me, even those of us who have scarified umpteen times - we all go through this self-doubt and wonder whether we’ve gone too far this time. But it always comes back. Thinking “oh f
k, what have I done?” simply proves that you have been appropriately aggressive!
I really wanted to believe you Mike but in reality, I didn't!!k, what have I done?” simply proves that you have been appropriately aggressive!However, 4 weeks on I gave it a cut this morning...
Basically it was either sun or rain for about 4 weeks, so my timing was accidentally perfect.
Cheers for the help.
Fingers crossed: it still looks mild at night for the next few days and most of the remaining patches appear to be sprouting a few green shoots... it is still a bit patchy in places, a bit of moss in 2 spots both issues I'll sort in spring. The weeds are also doi g quite well, i'll continue to thin out by hand or I might even apply some targetted weedkiller.. obvs don't want to go near new growth.
Mid Sep
Oct 4th
Today
Mid Sep
Oct 4th
Today
SSG1000 said:
Just had an old flower bed remover, which will require some fresh topsoil and seeding.
Is it too late to get this down now?
Ordinarily I’d be saying it’s way too late, but October has been so mild (almost hot at times) with plenty of useful showers that it has been more-or-less perfect grass germinating weather, at least in the south. But now it’s a case of betting on the warm weather continuing.Is it too late to get this down now?
It somewhat depends where you are as well. Down south I’d say go for it, but you can’t afford to waste any time! Midlands or north I’d say it’s probably a bit late, and Scotland it’s definitely too late.
It also depends on your budget: can you afford the risk of a load of grass seed giving disappointing results? If it’s not the end of the world, then you could take a punt.
Edited to add: I’ve never tried it myself, but depending on budget and the area to cover you could try putting clear polythene sheet down after you’ve seeded and watered it thoroughly. That will retain moisture and warmth.
I keep getting a “403 Forbidden” when replying, so I may have to break this into multiple posts…
And if you use a rotary mower, it’s highly beneficial to use it to suck up the leaves whenever you can, which otherwise block what little light there is. Put the mower on its highest setting so you’re not reducing the height of the lawn too much - the grass needs as much leaf area as possible to catch the light.
ChevronB19 said:
New lawn laid in April, which has done very well. I’ve fed it a couple of times since, and it’s last cut was last week (almost certainly last of the year - I’m in Cumbria). Anything I should do before winter hits, or during it?
Don’t bet on it being the last cut! We live in strange times, and if it stays mild the lawn may well benefit from a trim to tidy it up occasionally.And if you use a rotary mower, it’s highly beneficial to use it to suck up the leaves whenever you can, which otherwise block what little light there is. Put the mower on its highest setting so you’re not reducing the height of the lawn too much - the grass needs as much leaf area as possible to catch the light.
Edited by Dr Mike Oxgreen on Saturday 29th October 14:14
And don’t discount the possibility of feeding the lawn. You need a fertiliser designed for autumn use, which will be lower in nitrogen (so as not to encourage too much leafy growth, which would be vulnerable to frost) and higher in phosphorus and potassium (for root growth and winterising, respectively). In fact my intention is to keep feeding every six weeks right through autumn and winter through to spring, pausing only if we get a cold snap. I did this last year and the lawn came out of winter looking better than it ever has done before.
Dr Mike Oxgreen said:
And don’t discount the possibility of feeding the lawn. You need a fertiliser designed for autumn use, which will be lower in nitrogen (so as not to encourage too much leafy growth, which would be vulnerable to frost) and higher in phosphorus and potassium (for root growth and winterising, respectively). In fact my intention is to keep feeding every six weeks right through autumn and winter through to spring, pausing only if we get a cold snap. I did this last year and the lawn came out of winter looking better than it ever has done before.
I may have asked you this already but what fertiliser are you using?I used LS Autumn mid-Sept and wondering if I should use it again..
Dr Mike Oxgreen said:
And if you use a rotary mower, it’s highly beneficial to use it to suck up the leaves whenever you can, which otherwise block what little light there is. Put the mower on its highest setting so you’re not reducing the height of the lawn too much - the grass needs as much leaf area as possible to catch the light.
What height would you recommend for a winter cut on a 'family' lawn?Mature lawn, sandy base, overseeded with Lawnsmiths 'Stay Green' the past few years.
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