Lawn Care

tomcr1981 · February 2022

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6030279/uploads/editor/8y/s1yadx80udwt.jpeg

Hi everyone, I’d love some advice on lawn care… My small bit of grass has never been great, mainly because I had a leather jacket problem. I treated it last year so I’m hoping it’s better this year.
my question, it’s hard to tell but the corner area has sunk, maybe like 3 cm in places and is patchy…I’d like to level it up to the top of the edging. I’m hoping I can level it with soil, add grass seed.
Any advice would be appreciated 😊

Fairygirl · February 2022

That's certainly the easiest remedy - as long as you can match up the seed with the rest of the grass. If not, you'll need to broadcast seed over the rest of the plot.

tomcr1981 · February 2022

Thank you 🤗, I’ll probably spread over the whole lot… Do you know the best spike to use ? I’m thinking about doing it early spring ?? 😊

Fairygirl · February 2022

I don't do much spiking. I'm not that bothered about doing it, as I don't worry much about the grass. If I do, I just use a garden fork

Others may have a suggestion though.

JennyJ · February 2022

I also just use a garden fork to spike the lawn.

For levelling up, if you have patience it works well to add soil a little at a time, maybe 1 cm and brush it in so that a lot of the existing grass blades poke through. The grass then keeps growing and roots into the new soil, and mowing little and often encourages it. Repeat when you can't see the added soil any more. It wouldn't hurt to add seed, but it does make mowing the existing grass before the new seedlings are firmly rooted rather challenging.

PS if you're keeping the tree, it would benefit it to have a circle around it kept clear of grass - less competition, and less risk of nicking its bark when you're cutting the grass.

Edited to go metric, since that's what was in the question

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tomcr1981 · March 2022

Hey again, thanks again for your advice…. What would be the best type of soil to start building it up ?

thanks so much ❤️

JennyJ · March 2022

I would think any kind of good reasonably light topsoil would do. I've only done small hollows that way and I confess, I used the old compost from the previous year's hanging baskets mixed with some soil (very sandy) from another part of the garden.

Dovefromabove · March 2022

arslan said:

Organic matter enables soil to aggregate into crumbs ……….less in the atmosphere.

@arslan … that is a quote you’ve cut & pasted from Charles Dowding’s website

https://charlesdowding.co.uk/advice-on-making-compost/

If you’re quoting from someone else’s work you really must credit your source … not to do so means you are in breach of copyright law. 😡

Fairygirl · March 2022

If you go to a local supplier, it's more likely you'll get something similar to what you have in your plot. However, almost any topsoil will do the job, as @JennyJ says, with a bit of compost added, especially if the dip has been caused by poorer drainage or similar.
Clearing round the tree is definitely a good idea too, and if you're careful, you could use those turves to fill in any dips instead, which might be a better solution as the grass will also match. It's quite easy to do, and easier if the soil's wet as it'll tend to be just now

JennyJ · March 2022

Excellent idea to use some turf from the area around the tree!

Chris-P-Bacon · March 2022

tomcr1981 said:

my question, it’s hard to tell but the corner area has sunk, maybe like 3 cm in places and is patchy…
Any advice would be appreciated 😊

I'd extend the hard standing..I suspect it's compaction due to people "cutting the corner"
In fact (assuming you've taken the photo from your back door) I'd install some stepping stones diagonally across the grass to the shed door.

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