It can be a bit off putting if you try to do that sort of thing all at one go, and it's hard work, even if it isn't a huge area. Little and reasonably often is the best way
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
@Fairygirl is it important to fill the holes I create rather than just spiking or hollow tining? Yes, you're absolutely right. I think I scunnered myself hoping to do the lawn at once, lol!
Set out to do 5 or 10 or 15 minutes, then give it a rest if you're tired (or bored ) . You can always come back to it later, or another day. The hollow-tine jobbie didn't work for me, the tines kept getting little pebbles stuck in them. I just use a fork and leave the holes - but then, I have sandy soil which is a different kettle of fish to clay. On clay you might be best to brush in some coarse sharp sand or very fine grit.
Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
Thanks @JennyJ 🙂. We've not long had a prolonged heavy shower. Just been out with the fork and it's a bit easier athough I'm on a different part of the lawn too. I've got some horticultural sand which I can mix with topsoil to pad it out (not enough of sand alone to cover the front lawn). It really is 🥵 work. Time for a break me thinks 😊.
Yes - you'd need to add the grit or coarse sand into the holes. Clay will just expand and fill them in again otherwise. I don't know how effective it is - I've never bothered doing it. We just accept our grass will be pretty soggy even in summer! When I created a lawn in this garden 9 or 10 years ago, I deliberately left a lot of the gravel that was there, and did a raised edge, filled it with a mix of soil and compost, firmed etc, and then sowed seed. It meant there was sharp drainage to counteract the amount of rain we get. It worked very well. Grass doesn't need a huge amount of soil to do reasonably well
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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
Hello Fairygirl I’m still here 😂
loved your recent post about me but please get your facts right😇. About calling me a spammer on my very first post on here.
Apologies to the op for a little trolling 😂 against Fairy such a dislike and no knowledge.
So putting that aside I can help you.
Cricket and Tennis is played on clay. At best it is spiked maybe from November to January but some county sites do not spike at all.
They are rolled a lot even with a 3 ton roller so do not worry about compaction. It is all about location rainfall and grass species growing or planted.
Cricket and Tennis use mostly straight rye seed as this will cope with wet feet so a rough location will help.
Your photo shows a fair bit of Fescue grass and that does not like wet ground but rye will withstand it a bit better,was the site turfed?
Can you supply what you have used on the turf this year and quantities? Your turf looks hungry but that could be local conditions so some info will help.
It is all about your soil health that determines the amount of feed that you need to apply.
Maybe Mr Driscoll will input with his premiership football groundsmanship give some advice.
Hi @MrMow thanks for your reply. That's impressive that you can identify grass and dead grass at that from a photo!
Yes, I think the site probably was turfed when the house was built in 2008. In forking the grass, there's a fair bit of builder's rubble under there too 🙄.
I'll try and remember everything I've put on it since about March:
1. Started with Miracle Gro Feed, Weed and Moss Killer but didn't feel it did much.
2. Probably a couple of weeks later applied Maxicrop Moss Killer and Lawn Tonic. This was amazing stuff. Grass went a deep green colour and moss turned black.
3. Scarified the lawn quite harshly to the point it looked like a tattie field. Grass came back. Threw some cheap seed down mixed with topsoil in the bare patches. Bought the cheap seed from the local supermarket, no idea what type of grass it was other 'fast germinating' 🙈.
3. About a month later used Vitax Green Up. Again, grass was a lovely deep green colour. Then applied nothing through the drought or the weeks of rain that followed until last weekend when I applied more Maxicrop to keep the moss away and green up the grass because it was looking so bad but it hasn't done anything to help. Possibly over-fertilised?
I'm not aware of the lawn being waterlogged but have had an issue with this in areas (photo taken from the internet): I thought this could be due to compacted soil?
The lawn is on a slope so there's no standing water. I'm based in Aberdeenshire approx 25 miles northwest of Aberdeen. The liquid fertilisers I've used have all been diluted as per the instructions and applied with a 5 litre sprayer. Any advice you can offer is greatly appreciated 🙂
The lawn does look like mine too. My lawn looks scorched, dark patches and light patches.
It started after I put moss killer, then week later Miracle gro 4 in1 lawn feed and seeds. Measured everything as per instructions. It has been two weeks now, the lawn looks worse than ever. Patchier, yellow grass, dark patches, a complete mess.
Posts
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I don't know how effective it is - I've never bothered doing it. We just accept our grass will be pretty soggy even in summer!
When I created a lawn in this garden 9 or 10 years ago, I deliberately left a lot of the gravel that was there, and did a raised edge, filled it with a mix of soil and compost, firmed etc, and then sowed seed. It meant there was sharp drainage to counteract the amount of rain we get. It worked very well. Grass doesn't need a huge amount of soil to do reasonably well
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
loved your recent post about me but please get your facts right😇. About calling me a spammer on my very first post on here.
Can you supply what you have used on the turf this year and quantities? Your turf looks hungry but that could be local conditions so some info will help.
Yes, I think the site probably was turfed when the house was built in 2008. In forking the grass, there's a fair bit of builder's rubble under there too 🙄.
I'll try and remember everything I've put on it since about March:
1. Started with Miracle Gro Feed, Weed and Moss Killer but didn't feel it did much.
2. Probably a couple of weeks later applied Maxicrop Moss Killer and Lawn Tonic. This was amazing stuff. Grass went a deep green colour and moss turned black.
3. Scarified the lawn quite harshly to the point it looked like a tattie field. Grass came back. Threw some cheap seed down mixed with topsoil in the bare patches. Bought the cheap seed from the local supermarket, no idea what type of grass it was other 'fast germinating' 🙈.
3. About a month later used Vitax Green Up. Again, grass was a lovely deep green colour. Then applied nothing through the drought or the weeks of rain that followed until last weekend when I applied more Maxicrop to keep the moss away and green up the grass because it was looking so bad but it hasn't done anything to help. Possibly over-fertilised?
I'm not aware of the lawn being waterlogged but have had an issue with this in areas (photo taken from the internet):
I thought this could be due to compacted soil?
The lawn is on a slope so there's no standing water. I'm based in Aberdeenshire approx 25 miles northwest of Aberdeen. The liquid fertilisers I've used have all been diluted as per the instructions and applied with a 5 litre sprayer. Any advice you can offer is greatly appreciated 🙂