The lawns are responding as I expected. The coarse grasses that had survived have bounced back. The areas that I thought would recover, are recovering but slowly. Some areas are showing no signs of recovery yet.
When I dug down aboutI. 2" the soil was bone dry. Perhaps I should fork. In Saturday's Telegraph their was a comment about forking, it said "insert the fork ... ". That is tremendously slow and hard work. In my lawn I have to jump on the fork shoulders to any sort of penetration. And that is on easy, sandy soil.
location: Surrey Hills, England, ex-woodland acidic sand. "Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
An instant green sward isn't likely to happen despite heavy downpours. As you say, the stronger, coarser grasses will be the first to recover ( based on Sod's Law ). Also noticeable ( at least for me in coastal SW ), the temps have dropped somewhat so most growth is slower - except for the Brambles, Vinca etc. Have you considered adapting a PoGo Stick ? If you think it would help, you could then prong away on the worst areas quite happily
I'm continuing this thread as a diary. Questions may arise, but I am interested in any experiences and knowledge.
Yesterday, between heavy showers, I scattered lightly some Scotts slow-release autumn lawn fertiliser. Just on the still-brown patches.
Some forum members have commented in the past that you should not feed a sick plant. A waste of money, yes. But it's like putting food in front of a sick person, if they don't feel like it, they will refuse it.
My front lawn was well prepared and seeded with good quality seeds about 40 years ago. My rear lawn (in the pics above) was made from the former owners neglected "meadow". The lawn was very undulating. I, lazily, skimmed off the highs and filled in the lows. and spead a bit of seed as needed. The brown patches reveal the memory of this, though I don't know whether the 'dead' areas are former highs or lows.
The counsel of perfection is to dig over and sort out, but I am unlikely to do this, normally the lawn is satisfacrory.
location: Surrey Hills, England, ex-woodland acidic sand. "Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
Mine is slowly starting to produce some new green growth now that we've had a little rain (9mm at the weekend, 4mm yesterday and another 2mm this morning, so not much but it's having an effect). If it continues I'll give it an autumn feed in a week or so, then it'll be time to get the scarifying machine out a couple of weeks after that.
Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
We had a couple of tiny showers,apart from the storms of the last few days. I'm in the driest sunniest corner,SE UK,on clay,and even the smallest amount of rain, the grass started greening up. I never feed ,weed or water the lawn. We have 2 dogs, grandkids. I don't expect a bowling green.
I'm on sand, my soil is hungry. A short distance away it is Wealden clay. That has its own problems, but it is better at water and nutrient retention, and for shade gardening.
I need to feed my lawns. My normal regime is to spread compost (one year old, wood-rich) on the front lawn in March. I mow this about 3 times without the grass box in order to spread the compost and chop up the big bits. I am surprised by how much and how quickly this greens-up the grass. In early summer I spread some Growmore on both lawns. But I am careful that it is done before a shower, otherwise it burns. In autumn I apply the slow release fertiliser to the front lawn. In early winter I apply anti-moss (ferrous sulphate, 6 dessert spoons per 1.5 gallon watering can - blackens the mosss, not the grass). All over the front lawn, and just where needed at the rear. Sometimes I need to repeat this in the spring.
I also have a small meadow area, but acid soil is not the best for flowers.
location: Surrey Hills, England, ex-woodland acidic sand. "Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
The front lawn and the top lawn have started to green up. The top lawn had some bare patches, mostly mole damage. OH has sown some seed.
The middle lawn looks like a lost cause, still beige and blackbirds keep pecking at it and pulling up dead grass. Maybe we'll have to rake off the dead grass and re-seed the whole thing. It looked so nice in the spring ☹️
Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
Good news: the grass out the back has greened up after a few day's rain. Bad news: we'll have to get the mower out soon. Front garden faces south. Some grass greening up and some looks dead. I'll be interested to see what replaces it. I don't mind so long as it's green and flat😊
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The lawns are responding as I expected. The coarse grasses that had survived have bounced back. The areas that I thought would recover, are recovering but slowly. Some areas are showing no signs of recovery yet.
When I dug down aboutI. 2" the soil was bone dry. Perhaps I should fork. In Saturday's Telegraph their was a comment about forking, it said "insert the fork ... ". That is tremendously slow and hard work. In my lawn I have to jump on the fork shoulders to any sort of penetration. And that is on easy, sandy soil.
"Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
Also noticeable ( at least for me in coastal SW ), the temps have dropped somewhat so most growth is slower - except for the Brambles, Vinca etc.
Have you considered adapting a PoGo Stick ? If you think it would help, you could then prong away on the worst areas quite happily
Yesterday, between heavy showers, I scattered lightly some Scotts slow-release autumn lawn fertiliser. Just on the still-brown patches.
Some forum members have commented in the past that you should not feed a sick plant. A waste of money, yes. But it's like putting food in front of a sick person, if they don't feel like it, they will refuse it.
My front lawn was well prepared and seeded with good quality seeds about 40 years ago. My rear lawn (in the pics above) was made from the former owners neglected "meadow". The lawn was very undulating. I, lazily, skimmed off the highs and filled in the lows. and spead a bit of seed as needed. The brown patches reveal the memory of this, though I don't know whether the 'dead' areas are former highs or lows.
The counsel of perfection is to dig over and sort out, but I am unlikely to do this, normally the lawn is satisfacrory.
"Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
I need to feed my lawns. My normal regime is to spread compost (one year old, wood-rich) on the front lawn in March. I mow this about 3 times without the grass box in order to spread the compost and chop up the big bits. I am surprised by how much and how quickly this greens-up the grass.
In early summer I spread some Growmore on both lawns. But I am careful that it is done before a shower, otherwise it burns. In autumn I apply the slow release fertiliser to the front lawn.
In early winter I apply anti-moss (ferrous sulphate, 6 dessert spoons per 1.5 gallon watering can - blackens the mosss, not the grass). All over the front lawn, and just where needed at the rear. Sometimes I need to repeat this in the spring.
I also have a small meadow area, but acid soil is not the best for flowers.
"Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
The middle lawn looks like a lost cause, still beige and blackbirds keep pecking at it and pulling up dead grass. Maybe we'll have to rake off the dead grass and re-seed the whole thing. It looked so nice in the spring ☹️
Front garden faces south. Some grass greening up and some looks dead. I'll be interested to see what replaces it. I don't mind so long as it's green and flat😊