Lawn Disaster - please help!!

nathalielees · May 2023

We’ve had our lawn returfed twice now (by the same person), and both times it’s ended up the same.

It’s not a huge area (5m x 3m) and is like this all over the lawn (So not isolated to certain patches).

Our garden is west south west facing, but quite shady as surrounded by trees. However some areas do get lots of sun and the grass is the same in those areas.

Our neighbours don’t have this issue. Is this something we can fix ourselves? Is the dream of a nice lawn a forlorn hope?

Thank you

Slow-worm · May 2023

That's turfed? 😯 I'd be asking for my money back.
You could loosen the soil between the clumps and overseed it. I find bog standard seed mix with grass suited to shady areas in it, is fine.

nathalielees · May 2023

It was turfed last summer. Was fine for about 2 months then went like this.

Fairygirl · May 2023

What prep was done by the people? That's important or no grass will thrive well. Your location and climate also matters. It looks like it's been seeded rather than turfed, but if it was failing after a couple of months it suggests that either the prep was poor, or the aftercare wasn't right.
Shade isn't always so easy, but I've had grass [I don't tend to say lawn

] in all sorts of sites and aspects, and it's perfectly possible to have decent coverage. I've also started new areas of grass, and tend to use bog standard stuff from cheapo shops or diy stores. They work just as well as anything else. I'd look at doing that, as @Slow-worm describes - a bit of raking/loosening and re seeding. Cutting little and often is also the way to help keep it spreading sideways and staying healthy.

How you use the space also matters. If you're going to have children running around on it and it's small, it's never going to look as good as one of those lawns those old men like to have where they spend umpteen hours a week endlessly faffing with it.

Slow-worm · May 2023

Fairygirl said:

How you use the space also matters. If you're going to have children running around on it and it's small, it's never going to look as good as one of those lawns those old men like to have where they spend umpteen hours a week endlessly faffing with it.

😄😄😄

Fairygirl · May 2023

There's a fair few of them near me @Slow-worm

nathalielees · May 2023

As much as I’d love one of those lawns, I’d make do with anything that was covered at this point. I have tried reseeding but maybe I haven’t scratched the soil up enough.

Fairygirl · May 2023

Have you got one of those spring tine rakes @nathalielees? That's quite good for roughing up the surface enough to take seed.

You can use anything though - even an ordinary fork, although that will take a little longer. The other alternative is to use some sieved soil or compost, and mix the seed with that, and then just broadcast it over the area. It's always worth doing the main parts too, so that you avoid different patches.
If the ground doesn't drain well, you'd need to spike it though.

rossdriscoll13 · May 2023

@nathalielees before overseeding you need to ‘Scalp’ your lawn. This means mowing as low as your mower blade will go. Then vigorously rake using a springbok (spring tine) rake raking in ONE direction then you can overseed ideally using a spreader at the right amount for the size of your lawn. Once you have got your seed down you need to cover it with either topsoil or compost. This will act as a ‘blanket’ helping the seed to grow and discouraging birds from eating the seed. Then water and water twice everyday. Once in the early morning and once in the afternoon, avoiding midday. If you wish to feed your existing lawn and give the new seed a boost use liquid seaweed either in a watering can or even better in a pump action sprayer.

However as has already been said you need to look at the causing factors as to why your lawn has done this after such a short period of time. What prep work did the guy do? I would also aerate your lawn before you do any overseeding. You can use a ordinary garden fork pushed into the lawn ever 6 inches or so and wiggled about however I always recommend, and use, a hollow tine aerator. These remove a tiny ‘plug’ of turf. This allows water to penetrate the soil.

Papi Jo · May 2023

Fairygirl said:

If you're going to have children running around on it and it's small, it's never going to look as good as one of those lawns those old men like to have where they spend umpteen hours a week endlessly faffing with it.

@Fairygirl Have you been watching me manicuring my lawn to produce that accurate description?

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6030279/uploads/editor/bx/yby28sc7aud1.jpg

Fairygirl · May 2023

There's 2 of them about a mile or so from me. Both are endlessly clipping and spraying and generally controlling every inch of their front gardens,
At least you allow your plants to actually grow....

One in particular, loves to shape every shrub, and a nice purple beech tree, into a little ball, and shave the grass till it's virtually non existent, then proceeds to water it for hours. He also waters it when it's raining. Utterly bonkers. The irony is that it always looks dreadful. He seems to have learned recently though, because it looks as if he's scarified and fed it, so it looks more healthy.

Lawn Disaster - please help!!

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