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Weedy, wonky lawn question...

ahannahlaneahannahlane Posts: 6
in Problem solving
I'm working on a lawn that's long been neglected and the client wants some repairs done as cheaply as possible. It's mostly shady, very uneven and has lots of weeds and mosses growing. Photos attached. I'm a new gardener - still training - and have very little experience with lawn care.

There's no chance of a re-turf and it's a fairly large space so... is it feasible to repair patches or sections now and then more sections in spring? I don't want to even attempt the whole thing at once - it'll look terrible and I don't want to scare the client! 

Thanks for any help you can give to my potentially silly question. :smile:



Posts

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Not silly at all @ahannahlane  :)
    Many neglected lawns look bad at various times of year, but it's always difficult if there isn't a bottomless pit of money to spend on it. 
    If there are just odd spots with weeds, you can spot treat those - there are lots of fairly inexpensive treatments available. 
    Alternatively, you can apply an autumn weed and feed. Again - those are widely available [usually!] 
    You can then fill the holes/dips with some topsoil, and just leave them as the grass will gradually spread into them, or you can sow some seed. The only downside to the latter is that you need to wait until the weedkiller is out of the 'system', so it would probably be too late for this year. 
    Shade is always difficult for grass anyway, and you can certainly do some spiking to help aerate the ground, and also remove any thatch with a rake. 
    The route you go down will depend on the time you have and again - the budget.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    Adding to the above, if you're going to overseed, choose a seed mix that's formulated for shady areas. It looks as if the grass that's already there is quite fine-leaved so it ought to blend in well (shady lawn mixes tend to have quite a lot of fescue grasses in them, eg this one, others are available)
    And if you're still working there next spring, tell the client that the lawn would be much better and less prone to thinning if it's cut little and often. They might not be prepared to do that or to pay you to do it, but I think it would help a great deal to keep it in reasonable condition once you've done the work to sort it out.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Totally agree with you @JennyJ re the cutting. 
    I often think that people who employ gardeners have no idea what's involved, and just want some kind of perfection  - but don't want to pay for it   ;)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • ahannahlaneahannahlane Posts: 6
    Thank you so much! This is all super helpful. :smile::smiley:

  • Jac19Jac19 Posts: 496
    There are grasses that have been bred for shaded areas. E.g:

    https://icanlawn.com/shade-supreme-lawn

    Try giving one area a proper lawn-mover treatment.
    After that, rake the ground thoroughly, ripping out any mounds and existing grass until the section is flat.
    Then saw the new grass seeds onto the flattened, raked area.  Saw a lot, thickly.
    Maybe sprinkle a little compost over it.

    Now, and this autumn is a good time to saw the seeds.  Some grass seeds need a cold winter to germinate.  By next spring, new thick grass will hopefully be out.  Let it grow a little high for a while before you run the lawn mower over it about once a fortnight.
  • Jac19Jac19 Posts: 496
    Also, if the grass area is so big, you could suggest planting a larger border and a middle mound area with flowers.  A few floribunda or grandiflora roses.  A lovely perennial area.  You could plant them for your client.

    Some people put in a pond with fish in a large garden.  It can be low maintenance after getting it established.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    @ahannahlane - let us know how you get on. A few photos of a wider view of the plot will also help with advice. If it's a big area, just getting rid of some weeds and giving it a feed and a regular tidy will make a difference. That's basically what I did here - north west facing, compacted clay, very little grass but a lot of dandelions, daisies and buttercups, and moss. It's surprising what a little bit of food and some regular cutting can do quite quickly. 
    It might also be worth listing the cost of each 'treatment' [including your time to carry them out] as opposed to a full on ripping out and re turfing approach. That might focus their attention a little bit  ;)
    Someone recently was asking a similar thing. It seemed that the client was expecting the moon, stars and the universe, but on a shoestring. 
    I hope the client appreciates your efforts though!  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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