Which is exactly why I adviced BILLYC to try give up on chemicals n feeding stuffs back early last year, believe me, them 3 lawns were like "Bowling Greens" when I'd finished, they were a major talking point from the prospective buyers of the property!
BillyC, you have my sympathy. For years the steady march of casting worms has turned my lawn into a mud heap for 9 months of the year. The advice from well meaning eco friendly folks telling me that worms are our friends and I should just brush the casts off is of no use whatsoever. I have a south facing lawn which gets maximum sun but by the 3rd week in August casts begin and due to our damp climate, the brushing off solution is not viable. I need chemicals. !!
If you do succeed in killing or dispersing all the worms that are currently living under and aerating the soil under your lawn you will then need to find a way to stop the soil there from becoming anaerobic and sour.
You may find that you can imitate the action of the worms by using those hollow tined forks, but they won't add humus to the soil in the form of leaves pulled down into the earth.
So then you will have to find a way of adding humus to the soil to keep it sweet and fertile. I suppose you could do that by buying some chemical fertilizer in a plastic bag.
Would it not just be a whole lot easier to let the worms do all this for you?
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Something else to kill all the life in the soil ?
In the sticks near Peterborough
Which is exactly why I adviced BILLYC to try give up on chemicals n feeding stuffs back early last year, believe me, them 3 lawns were like "Bowling Greens" when I'd finished, they were a major talking point from the prospective buyers of the property!
Now sold!
Life moves on!
BillyC, you have my sympathy. For years the steady march of casting worms has turned my lawn into a mud heap for 9 months of the year. The advice from well meaning eco friendly folks telling me that worms are our friends and I should just brush the casts off is of no use whatsoever. I have a south facing lawn which gets maximum sun but by the 3rd week in August casts begin and due to our damp climate, the brushing off solution is not viable. I need chemicals. !!
If you do succeed in killing or dispersing all the worms that are currently living under and aerating the soil under your lawn you will then need to find a way to stop the soil there from becoming anaerobic and sour.
You may find that you can imitate the action of the worms by using those hollow tined forks, but they won't add humus to the soil in the form of leaves pulled down into the earth.
So then you will have to find a way of adding humus to the soil to keep it sweet and fertile. I suppose you could do that by buying some chemical fertilizer in a plastic bag.
Would it not just be a whole lot easier to let the worms do all this for you?
Fine words. But can you significantly address the problem : worm casts kill sections of lawn progessively from late August to late May ?
I think that, in trying to create a pristine monoculture in the shape of a spotless sward, you are attempting to defy the laws of nature. You can't.
why don't you lay a slab of concrete and paint it green Hugh? that should solve any problems with worms
In the sticks near Peterborough
This might be the answer to your problems http://www.homebase.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Browse?storeId=10151&langId=110&c_3=3%7Ccat_26026182%7CTurf+and+Artificial+Grass%7C14282872&c_2=2%7Ccat_16849255%7CGardening%7C26026182&c_1=1%7Ccategory_root%7CGarden+and+Outdoors%7C16849255&c_4=4|cat_14282872|Artificial+Grass|28959633
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Ok guys, you win. How dare I suggest that those cheeky little invertebrates should be suppressed..
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.