This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.
Using scarified lawn thatch as mulch over Dahlia beds
TropicalDream
Posts: 29
Hi,
I've got lots of moss in the lawn, so I'm scarifying and raking this autumn. This has produced a mountain of thatch that have already filled 2 green bins, and I'm only through a third of the lawn.
I also have a flower bed full of dahlias and cannas planted this spring that I do not wish to dig out over the winter. I've been advised that I should cover these with a thick layer of mulch - compost, wood chip etc.
Some websites say using lawn clippings as mulch is acceptable - but I wonder if there would be any reservations in using the by product of lawn scarifying - as it contains more moss and small weeds than usual lawn clippings? Has anyone tried this before?
Thanks
0
Posts
The only problem is the thatch will probably contain grass seeds. I would compost it before using which will kill a large proportion of seeds.
Good point. But I'm afraid I don't have composting facilities or desire. I leave it for the council to take away my green bins. The lawn is not in great shape, with more moss than grass in parts, so I don't know how much of a risk grass seeds are.
But hopefully there are still 5+weeks to go before I chop the Dahlias down (they are still in full bloom). Do you think that the grass seeds will be killed off if I just pile up the thatch in a corner of the garden for a few weeks, before spreading it on the flower bed? Or does it really need the whole lot to turn into compost for the seeds to die?
Home composting is unlikely to kill the seed. Our domestic heaps just don't get hot enough
So how about putting a few layers of newspaper or a sheet of cardboard on the flower bed and then laying on the lawn thatch as mulch?