Sorry, but grass for growing here would be very different cos of the soil and droughts and so on. Have a look at what's available in any good local garden centre or DIY, read the info about what it's suitable for and how much you need so you don't buy a huge bucket of seed when a smaller packet will do.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
Ok yes that makes sense and I think my soil is more like clay. Going to the garden centre soon so I will ask them and buy myself a spring tine rake too. Thank you for all your help
Marking out is fine in theory but my lawn is over 100 feet long and nearly 30 feet wide. I'd be cream crackered walking up and down resetting the marker before I even started with the spreader.
You reset the marker when you get to the end @KT53!
I realise that Obelixx, but you have to set out the first one, then when you've been up and down that marker it needs to be reset at both ends before the next run.
I'll try and explain more clearly what I see as the problem.
(Step 1) To get your first line you need to place a string the length of the garden before you start, in my case that involves walking 200 feet to place the string and walk back to the spreader.
(Step 2)Run spreader up and down once using the line.
(Step 3) Repeat Step 1 & Step 2 until the entire lawn has been treated.
That requires walking the length of the lawn and back 8 times to reposition the string. The additional 1600 feet of walking may be good exercise but not such a good use of time.
Making your lawn awesome is NOT a quick project. You'll be disappointed and put off if you expect that.... But, as long as you don't quit, you will learn quickly and when you get results, they'll be significant and you'll be hugely proud!!
Put simply, your lawn is many many thousands of individual plants. Each one needs the right environment before it will be able to thrive! So please don't give up!!
All plants (especially grass) need air, water, nutrients and energy (sun/heat) in order to grow. That's why at least 20% of all UK grass dies every winter. Some of these dead spaces occur because of soil saturation causing roots to rot, which in turn offers the perfect place for moss to develop and spread.
SOOO..... Evergreen 4in1 is fantastic for step one! It's drastic and it kills the crud! But it's hardcore stuff (basically pure corrosive rust plus a tiny amount of weed killer) and it will do what it says. But that's the start of your job. Quick tip to avoid streaks : apply half as much as instructions say but then repeat in perpendicular direction.
Once lawn is blackened and dry, rake it aggressively pulling out the dead stuff. Your grass will look awful but you've just allowed it to have AIR!
Forking at this stage will help open the soil structure to air too if you have the energy. Even better if you fancy chucking sand over your lawn and brushing into the holes, this helps drainage and thus reducing next winters root rot.
After a few minutes couple of weeks, you need to add new grass plants. Soak the soil, and then scatter a seed and top soil mix everywhere. Sidestep over the area to tred in the seed and compress. This week's heat and sun is PERFECT to germinate but lightly water, EVERY night. That's the most important bit for success!
Within 4 weeks you should have good coverage of fresh young thin grass. Go ahead and give it an mow on the longest setting. A cut will help it spread.
Two weeks later, it needs some food. And JUST food. Use Miracle Gro Thick and green... Its amazing and doesn't kill anything, this is when you'll start enjoying the process!! Trust me! Apply every month until October.
The following spring, you won't need the killing step and your first feed will see awesome results.
Final point to share is: grass is the best weed and moss killer. The stronger your grass, the less other stuff you'll have because grass competes weeds and moss away. But, before you can have strong grass you need to provide what it needs.... Air, water, nutrients and energy!
Keep going please, you'll enjoy the success eventually.... But make sure you get some Thick and Green from miracle Gro...
@KT53 I wasn't thinking of anything as complicated as string, just line of sight so you start with three sticks at the first end, marking out the first and 2nd widths of your spreader and follow the edge of you grass to the other end where you place 3 sticks at the edge of the first width and then marking out the next 2 so you can see where you've been and where you need to go when you turn round again.
Every time you get to an end you just move the first stick to the 3rd place till done. Course, I'm assuming you can walk a straight line.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
@KT53 I wasn't thinking of anything as complicated as string, just line of sight so you start with three sticks at the first end, marking out the first and 2nd widths of your spreader and follow the edge of you grass to the other end where you place 3 sticks at the edge of the first width and then marking out the next 2 so you can see where you've been and where you need to go when you turn round again.
Every time you get to an end you just move the first stick to the 3rd place till done. Course, I'm assuming you can walk a straight line.
In my case that's a dangerous assumption. With 2 knackered knees and 1 knackered hip I go where the knees and hip take me.
Posts
Thank you for all your help
I realise that Obelixx, but you have to set out the first one, then when you've been up and down that marker it needs to be reset at both ends before the next run.
Making your lawn awesome is NOT a quick project. You'll be disappointed and put off if you expect that.... But, as long as you don't quit, you will learn quickly and when you get results, they'll be significant and you'll be hugely proud!!
Put simply, your lawn is many many thousands of individual plants. Each one needs the right environment before it will be able to thrive! So please don't give up!!
All plants (especially grass) need air, water, nutrients and energy (sun/heat) in order to grow. That's why at least 20% of all UK grass dies every winter. Some of these dead spaces occur because of soil saturation causing roots to rot, which in turn offers the perfect place for moss to develop and spread.
SOOO..... Evergreen 4in1 is fantastic for step one! It's drastic and it kills the crud! But it's hardcore stuff (basically pure corrosive rust plus a tiny amount of weed killer) and it will do what it says. But that's the start of your job. Quick tip to avoid streaks : apply half as much as instructions say but then repeat in perpendicular direction.
Once lawn is blackened and dry, rake it aggressively pulling out the dead stuff. Your grass will look awful but you've just allowed it to have AIR!
Forking at this stage will help open the soil structure to air too if you have the energy. Even better if you fancy chucking sand over your lawn and brushing into the holes, this helps drainage and thus reducing next winters root rot.
After a few minutes couple of weeks, you need to add new grass plants. Soak the soil, and then scatter a seed and top soil mix everywhere. Sidestep over the area to tred in the seed and compress. This week's heat and sun is PERFECT to germinate but lightly water, EVERY night. That's the most important bit for success!
Within 4 weeks you should have good coverage of fresh young thin grass. Go ahead and give it an mow on the longest setting. A cut will help it spread.
Two weeks later, it needs some food. And JUST food. Use Miracle Gro Thick and green... Its amazing and doesn't kill anything, this is when you'll start enjoying the process!! Trust me! Apply every month until October.
The following spring, you won't need the killing step and your first feed will see awesome results.
Final point to share is: grass is the best weed and moss killer. The stronger your grass, the less other stuff you'll have because grass competes weeds and moss away. But, before you can have strong grass you need to provide what it needs.... Air, water, nutrients and energy!
Keep going please, you'll enjoy the success eventually.... But make sure you get some Thick and Green from miracle Gro...
Good luck 🤞
Every time you get to an end you just move the first stick to the 3rd place till done. Course, I'm assuming you can walk a straight line.