New Lawn help
ighten
Posts: 184
I dont want a picture perfect lawn and stripes but we did want to have some grass in front of the barn so the view from the seating area ties in with the fields beyond. (Ignore the bins and the concrete parking area for now - some imagination is needed)
It was nothing but rubble before so we cleared it and enclosed an area with dry stone walls, put in some paths and a few beds. The idea is to just have somewhere pleasant to sit with a coffee.
However I suspect I planted the seed too early (end of March) and its had to develop around the front door paths being created and rebuilt (hence the totally bare patch).. Am I wasting my time should I just turn the lot over and lay turf - as the areas that have grown are just patchy all over and have very thin looking grass that looks like it started then gave up the ghost.
Posts
Ighten, It depends on what seed you put down, it comes in many varieties and in your case looking at the blown up picture needs a tough old boot of a seed. If you rake over the bare patches and sow with a mix of compost or sand and seed it should take and begin to spread in no time. It is on a bank so it could also be dry, give it plenty of water at first. Do not try feeding until it has had a few cuts, blades up give it a chance. Back end a winter feed and weed which is slow release then Spring once it starts growing again a summer feed and weed, you may need to do that again six weeks later.
Grass takes time and needs to build from the roots up, give it time and if things are no better by the end of the growing season then is the time to think turf. As a by the way, I put down a lawn of turf against all advice two weeks before Christmas five years ago. It was a south facing aspect sheltered from prevailing winds and had a wall behind it to take in the suns heat and give it back, that lawn thrived and now looks better than my established lawns.
Frank.
Ighten, we planted some grass seed on a patch in March and it was so slow to germinate that the weeds got a head start on it and all we have now is a patch of weeds. By contrast, I planted grass seed about five days ago - cheaper stuff, but it did describe itself as speedy (the other stuff was the type with water retaining gel around it) - and it is up already. I really think the main difference, given I was attentive with my watering was two things - firstly the ground will be much warmer now, and secondly that this time I sprinkled a light dusting of compost on the surface of the soil to prevent it forming a hard crust, which it tends to. So you might like to try again in the warmer weather, with fast acting seed and compost?
Thanks I'll give it a few more weeks then.. doesn't help that no sooner does it start to feel warm and sunny than what feels like an Arctic wind suddenly rolls in this evening.
Blow the lawn .............. what a view!!!
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.