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Suffocating in the Garden
goriecom
Posts: 6
Hello
I am rather new to these forums, but I wonder if anyone might be able to help me resuscitate my lawn.
I have recently tried to revamp my lawn - after a shed and patio install saw it trampled to near death.
I have thus far:
> Mowed it short
> Scarified it
But ahead of sewing new grass seeds I wanted to aerate it. I cannot get my manual hollow tine into it... its like concrete and super hard.
Can anyone help? Do I need to turn the whole thing over and start again?
I have included a photo below. Many thanks.
I am rather new to these forums, but I wonder if anyone might be able to help me resuscitate my lawn.
I have recently tried to revamp my lawn - after a shed and patio install saw it trampled to near death.
I have thus far:
> Mowed it short
> Scarified it
But ahead of sewing new grass seeds I wanted to aerate it. I cannot get my manual hollow tine into it... its like concrete and super hard.
Can anyone help? Do I need to turn the whole thing over and start again?
I have included a photo below. Many thanks.
0
Posts
Then decide what type of grass seed you want/need as some take more footfall than others.
Looks like it is shade so that will affect the type of seeds you chose
? Do you want it snooker table level
? What will you use the lawn for.....sitting on...children playing....showing it off.
The purpose of the lawn is to look green... I don't care if its not exactly level, I might sit on it and I don't have kids / pets... It won't get much traffic. I guess its just something to look at thats green when we sit on the patio.
I'm just aware that putting seeds on now they'd have a right job getting into the ground to germinate... Even if well watered.
Instead of all grass chose some plants you would like to look at as well as green grass
There are plants that feel lovely and smell exciting and some are just sensory to lift the spirits.
There are herbs that will make you smile and amaze your visitors
It just takes some imagination and a bit of hard work.
We will give you ideas Goriecom
Go on go on go on
Whatever you do I advise taking your time. Wait for the autumn rains, then work the soil, add some compost, etc. And get the best seed you can get. The quality of the seed does matter. Looking forward to news of your progress.
It's probably not as bad as it looks. As other folks have said, best to leave it alone until there's been a decent amount of rain. The grass will most likely start to grow back and fill in some of the bare patches. If you get some weeds popping up in the meantime, it looks like a small enough area to hand pull or spot-treat with a lawn weedkiller spray (I wouldn't recommend the granular feed-and-weed stuff on a lawn that's been stressed that much).
If it's still got bare patches come Autumn and you want to do some lawn TLC, once the soil is nice and moist do what Papi Jo said. I would try the aerator again, roughen up the bare areas with a rake, and maybe top-dress with some compost or topsoil if you can get it (ie spread fairly evenly and quite thinly over the surface and rake or brush it in so that the existing grass shows through and some of it goes into the aeration holes). Then overseed with your shady lawn seed, rake it into the topdressing/loosened soil and keep it watered if it doesn't rain enough to do the job for you.
The lawn is about 3x3m its really not all that big.
Hopefully I do have quality seed - it looks great in next doors garden so I guess thats a good test as its the same soil (although that garden has much more care).
I think I will wait longer for the rain... How would you work the soil / loosen it? Garden fork? Rake? or try the hollow tine again?
Even here, we had issues with dry weather - normally I could sow grass seed at any time in the summer, because we get regular rain. The back grass was 'constructed' with that in mind - loads of drainage. Until last week, when we got some decent rain, it looked like yours. It's now coming back to life - grass will do that.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...