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Previously lush green grass now dying/dead :-(

wendyzx6PIIiDszCwendyzx6PIIiDszC Posts: 12
edited August 2023 in Problem solving
Hi,
I'm new to lawncare and this spring treated the moss followed by a harsh scarify on the front lawn. I didn't top dress or overseed but did apply a 4 in 1 Miracle Grow product which included fertiliser. The lawn sits on heavily compacted clay soil. I didn't aerate it either as was leaving that until the autumn. About a month later I sprayed Vitax Green Up and the grass remained lush green throughout a 2-3 week drought. We then had rain for weeks on end. I cut the grass at the weekend concerned that it wasn't looking as good and it looks like a lot of it is dead :-(. I'm thinking of asking the RHS to do a soil analysis so I know the best fertiliser to use. However, I'm wondering if anyone has any idea what could be causing this? Could the soil have turned moisture repellent and maybe needs a wetting agent? Or could it be diseased? Many thanks in advance :smile:.

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Posts

  • SalixGoldSalixGold Posts: 450
    You have used too much fertiliser. You have to follow the instructions to the letter. Always better to use less rather than more.
  • wendyzx6PIIiDszCwendyzx6PIIiDszC Posts: 12
    Thanks @SalixGold, I appreciate your reply. I gather I've killed a lot of it and need to re-seed?
  • SalixGoldSalixGold Posts: 450
    edited August 2023
    Others here can advise on that. Welcome to the forum.
  • wendyzx6PIIiDszCwendyzx6PIIiDszC Posts: 12
    Thanks again @SalixGold 🤗
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    How long was it before the last cut? Sometimes if it's got away a bit and then you cut it short, it can look like a cut hay meadow for a while. Try cutting little but often for the next month or so, then it will be mid-September which is a good time for any scarifying, topdressing and overseeding if it needs it.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • wendyzx6PIIiDszCwendyzx6PIIiDszC Posts: 12
    Hi @JennyJ, thanks for your reply. I've been cutting it on the longest setting all summer but decided to bring the mower down one notch as I'm slowly trying to cut it shorter ready for scarifying in the autumn. I'll keep on top of the cutting for the next month as well as watering daily for a week to try and flush out the fertiliser and see where things are at then 👍. Many thanks again for your advice, I really appreciate it 🙂.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Compacted clay. That needs properly loosened up and amended to improve drainage if you want grass to do well.  You'll tend to struggle with it's health if that hasn't been done, and overfeeding just adds to the problem. 
    In consistently wet conditions, it grows very well, and will stay green, even if the drainage isn't brilliant, but if you want a lawn that you can use a lot, it's worth sorting that. You'll need to spike it and add grit on a regular basis. 

    On the plus side, grass rarely needs any extra food if the soil's clay.  Too much food is counter productive. I can't remember the last time mine had any food   :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • wendyzx6PIIiDszCwendyzx6PIIiDszC Posts: 12
    Hi @Fairygirl, thanks for your post, that's really helpful. I think I'll ease off on the fertiliser 🙂. I've got those spikey overshoes. I did try a hollow tine aerator but I don't have the strength or weight to push it into the soil. I tried a fork too but it was slow work and hard going. I've got horticultural sand and topsoil so was going to add a bit of top dressing to help with the soil structure after I've scarified in September. I'm thinking I'll wait until spring to see if it needs overseeding.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Unfortunately, those spiky shoes won't get deep enough to do any good. They're half the length of my crampons, and those wouldn't do the job either!
    The hollow tine one is the best, but you may need to wait until your ground is damp enough, and do a couple of square yards/metres at a time, over a few weeks. That's the one which will get down far enough to really be effective. The fork is the next best thing. I don't know if you can get someone in to help with that if you find it too difficult?

    I think you can hire machines to do it, but I don't know how good they are, and it will depend on your budget too. I have no experience of them though, so someone else might be able to help with that. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • wendyzx6PIIiDszCwendyzx6PIIiDszC Posts: 12
    Ahhhh, ok @Fairygirl. I'll persevere with the fork if the hollow tine aerator doesn't work 👍. Thanks again for the advice. I'll do a bit at a time 🙂.
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