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Help - I’ve destroyed my lawn!

Banch1983Banch1983 Posts: 1
in Problem solving
I’m a novice gardener and have killed my lawn by putting down far too much moss killer.  Its so bad that, a few weeks down the line, you can still smell it as you step out the front door.  I have been watering it, trying to dilute it down.  So now i’m trying to decide what is the best way to sort it.

Will re-seeding it now help?  Do i need to just dig it all up and start again?  Can i lay turf down on top of what seems to be just mud?


Any advice (other than read the instructions next time!) would be much appreciated!

Thanks
Liam

Posts

  • AngelicantAngelicant Posts: 130
    I think if you rake up all the black stuff (dead moss) then you can re-seed it. There looks to be enough there to save it rather than starting again. I am no expert by the way so others may have a different opinion.
  • ElferElfer Posts: 329
    Also a novice trying to rejuvenate my lawn. I did use some moss killer on my front lawn but it turned yellow and not black. According to instructions it has to be done a couple of weeks before putting seed on it so it might be ok to move on to next phase (scrarifying, mowing, fertiliser, watering, dressing and seeding), maybe worth adding a bit of top soil before seeding. Never used turf but apparently they are very cheap this year so might be more economical and better results in your case. 
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    You need to use a spring tined rake to remove all the black stuff and dead material to a bin - not a compost heap. Then you need to water it thoroughly to rinse off any excess herbicide that's left.  The next phase is to rake the soil to loosen the surface, sprinkle on some extra compost if necessary then re-sow, using the back of the rake head to tamp the seed down so it is in contact with the soil and then use a sprinkler to moisten it all evenly so the seed can germinate unless you get enough rain to do that for you.

    The next thing you need is patience while the seed germinates and no walking on it.   When it gets to 2 or 3" high, cut it carefully with the blades on the highest setting so the new grass blades have enough surface to feed the roots and make them strong.   never set the blades so slow you cut it short enough to scalp it.  That will weaken it and allow weeds to proliferate.
    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)."
    Plato
  • Chris-P-BaconChris-P-Bacon Posts: 943
    Look at it from a different perspective. A lawn that size, is it worth all the aggro? Half of its gone already, lift the other bit and maybe plant some shrubs and mulch with decorative gravel. Then perhaps plant a low hedge along the edges of the path?..or even just gravel and hedge?

    Just some ideas.
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