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De-thatching lawn - is it too late?

springchickenspringchicken Posts: 7
in Problem solving
Is it too late to de-thatch my lawn?

I'm a first time home owner and very new to gardening. For various reasons (time, money, lack of tools etc.) I've neglected my lawn since moving in last September. The turf was laid when we moved in and we mowed it once before winter, once in the spring and once a couple of weeks back. Each time, it was very very very overgrown as we didn't own our own mower.  

We're now in a position to do something about our lawn but it is looking worse for wear, I don't think it has weeds but the blades are quite sparse and spikey, and I think there are lots of patches of thatch? 

I know you're supposed to scarify in the spring but I'm wondering if there is something I should do to the lawn now? Or am I best just watering every now and then, and leaving until the autumn to resume normal lawn care timings? 

Posts

  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    Best left until autumn now I think. Mow whatever growth there is little but often to keep down the spikey bits. It's possibly putting up flowering stems - most plants do that when stressed and the 6 weeks or so without much rain will be a factor. Letting it grow and then cutting off a lot at once will also leave it looking stubbly like a hay field that's just been harvested. If it was well established, new green growth should start as long as you get a decent amount of rain, then in autumn you can scarify and overseed any remaining thin/bare patches.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • springchickenspringchicken Posts: 7
    Thank you very much! Really appreciate your help  :)
  • Mrs-B3-Southampton,-HantsMrs-B3-Southampton,-Hants Posts: 732
    My OH asked today if he could scarify and I said no. I am headgardener but he didn't believe me so when I saw this question I immediately informed him that other people agree with me. He went down swinging (if he was a toddler it would have been a tantrum).
    Southampton 
  • SYinUSASYinUSA Posts: 243
    If you have left it to get long again, don't cut it short immediately. Gradually cut it shorter at more frequent intervals. Don't cut more than 1/3 of the total length off. Also bag your clippings until you work your way to the shorter length. Once you get into a maintenance routine, short clippings left on the lawn are fine.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    As @SYinUSA says - if you let it get long, then cut it too short, you'll just keep weakening the grass, so do it gradually. Once it's a suitable length, maintain that by cutting regularly, but only taking a small amount off each time.
    The weather has an effect on that too - if it's wet and warm, it'll grow quickly. If it's very hot and dry, it won't . 
    Grass recovers very quickly with rain, so try and avoid wasting precious water resources to keep watering it. Just don't cut it so often if it's dry long term.  :)
    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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