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Patchy & Bumpy Grass!
Henry-H
Posts: 2
We've just bought our first house, but the lawn is horrible!
I've just cut it:
But as you can see, it's quite patchy:
And bumpy:
What would your advice be to level it out and reduce the patchiness?
Thank you,
Daniel
0
Posts
Two words Daniel, "Oh Dear" I do wish I could say do A-B-C and it would be fine, no such luck.
Question, is it a new build? If so get them to relay it, if not is money restricted as it could be a long and costly job.
The obvious way is to rip it up and start again, then I would ask do you need all that area as lawn. You could plan a new garden altogether, three different sections with borders properly laid lawn and a play or patio area all with trellis dividers, think three rooms all for differing purposes. It would need you to sit down and watch where the sun rises sets and which area would be best suited for a warm seating area.
All that depends on your likes needs and cash flow although split it could be developed in sections as time and cash allows. It will not be a short or easy project although if you treat it as a project in sections then it will be easier than trying to sort out a battlefield. Talk about it draw up some plans and look at the design sections on the internet, ideas will come.
Best of luck, Frank.
It's not a new build so that's not an option I'm afraid
The lawn itself isn't actually very big (perhaps 4m x 5m) and we do have a large patio area too so no need to divide it all up.
I was wondering if I hired a roller to flatten it and then use a fork to stab lots of holes in the soil and then put some seed down and hope it takes that this be the best first step to take?
If it's not a new house, and if you'd rather have a go at trying to improve it yourself, i can tell you what I did in my first garden which looked very similar. I raked my lawn by hand with a leaf rake, I then prodded the lawn all over with a big garden fork. I mixed sand with some compost and grass seed and sprinkled it all over. I then watered it lightly, and luckily it rained a few days later. I did this a few times over about nine months and it looked loads better. I kept off it best I could.
Good luck with it.
I agree with Tootles - I've renovated lawns worse than that - in fact I'm doing one at the moment - when we moved here the last owner had ruined it by alternately neglecting then scalping it, and then we had three builders' skips on it for 6 months.
As Tootles says, rake vigorously with a spring tine rake, aerate with a garden fork (mind your toes - my brother stuck the fork right through his foot when he tried, but he was only 4 - we started gardening early) and sprinkle some seed on the bare patches - now is a good time - don't cover it with soil or anything, but water it in well.
Mow the lawn regularly, at least once a week. In warm weather following rain it will grow quickly and may need mowing twice a week. Don't mow it too short - scalping it is what results in the lumps and bumps and bare patches, and as Tootles has said, treat it gently this year - try to keep off the re-seeded patches. And keep your mower blade sharp or replace it so that it cuts rather than chews the grass.
It'll look a lot better by the end of this summer and next summer you'll have a lawn to be proud of.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Firstly work our where the shady areas are make them patio/border etc no point trying to grow grass against a north facing fence for example.
Once you know where to have the lawn then my advice would be to top dress, you won't need much for that space just rake it over to make the lawn level, not too deep as you will kill the grass you have, then oversees the bald patches, i would use a good ratio and then leave for 2 months or so make sure you water and it will be fine.
Checkout www.lawnsmith.co.uk for more lawn advice.
i agree with Tootles, one thing you do not want to do is to roll it, this will only compact the ground and what you need is the opposite, you need to aerate the lawn, liberally apply lawn sand, fine sifted soil and grass seed. Now is the ideal time for seed germination.
Daniel, OK so now I have the picture DO NOT ROLL it as already said give it a good raking and cut it, a bit hit and miss obviously but do your best, if you can hire an aerator which will take round divets out leaving holes.
Get a long plank and run it from a point across the lawn and check the high and low points, Have a mix of washed sand and compost ready and start by throwing shovelfuls across the lawn and brush it in with a bass broom filling the holes. Keep running the plank across the lawn filling the dips but not above the growing grass, if you do this several times over the season you will get a reasonable level lawn. On the bald patches scatter a heavy duty lawn seed mixed with compost and water it all in. I did learn all this helping with our club bowling green so do know how it is done and even bowling greens have problems with dips in level. Keep the grass cut at medium level for a couple of years so the grass can thicken and set, I never set my mower at low level as cutting it often is good for it.
It will take more than one go and probably more than one season, there are no miracle fixes just hard work and keeping at it, good luck.
Thanks for the PM, Frank.