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Help me fix my lawn
mr_ne
Posts: 3
Hello. I am a complete novice gardener and I have ruined my lawn. I am just looking for tips on how to sort the problems. I think it is moss and thatch but wanted opinions of experienced gardeners before I potentially make the problem worse.
I have attached some pictures.
0
Posts
Yep. Moss and thatch. You need to raise the cutting level on you mower as grass which is cut too short simply hasn't enough lead area to feed its roots and compete with weeds and moss.
Unless poor drainage is a serious issue (flooding n winter?) you can improve the lawn thus -
Take a good, long pronged gardening fork and use it to make vertical holes at frequent intervals working all along and across the grass. Stand on it so the tines go in deep and then wiggle it back and forth to enlarge the holes. Then you need to pour on bags of sharp sand - not wet builders' sand - and brush it across the lawn to fill those holes. This will provide air to the roots and allow better drainage.
By the time you've done that it should be mid April which is a perfect time to apply a spring weed, feed and moss treatment. Follow the instructions on the pack and be prepared for parts of your lawn to turn black after a week or so. Buy or hire a scarifier and use this to rake up all the dead stuff and any loose stuff from previous cuttings (thatch). Alternatively, rake it up with a spring tined fork - see Wolf tool heads.
Loosen any bare earth with a normal rake head then sow appropriate grass seed to fill the gaps. Water with a sprinkler or gentle hose pipe spray if it doesn't rain. Do not walk on the newly sown areas.
Leave it to grow to at least 2 inches before its first cut and then never cut it shorter than one inch as this allows enough leaf to feed and maintain healthy roots and thus compete better for nutrients against any weeds.
Apply an autumn weed and feed in September
Repeat as necessary over the coming years.
Obelixx, now duck. I gave exactly the same advice on another post and got jumped on we apparently are wrong, I suppose our combined gardening years experience is now old hat and ready to be binned. Lawns are hard work and high maintenance, people have the impression they can put a lawn down sit back and let it get on with it. I have only to walk out of my door onto the field down to the beck to see what happens when the Parks department stop maintaining land, the best weed garden in the area. Where possible I do not use chemical but some times it is a must, if it gives me a nice lawn then I will use it with care and not more than it needs.
I shiver when I see some of the pictures but the one here is easily saved and improved if they follow your advice.
Frank.
I've given that advice to someone else Frank and seen no adverse comments except for people who are time poor thinking of getting in Green Thumbs to do it all for them which is fine.
You're absolutely right, a lawn requires time to keep it looking good but it does set off flower beds and other garden scenery beautifully. I don't need mine to be perfect as long as it's green with maybe the odd daisy or bit of clover.
Thanks for the replies. I think some of the problem started when I used an All in one chemical fertiliser incorrectly. The soil isn't great although there isn't any major drainage problems.
I have been offered the use of one of these
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ambassador-Lawn-Aerator/dp/B00M48LWNK/ref=sr_1_16?s=diy&ie=UTF8&qid=1490361358&sr=1-16&keywords=aerator
I assume this will do the same job as using your method with the rake Obelixx? or would I be better off using the rake?
That piece of kit will replicate the holes you would pierce with a garden fork.
The rake can be replaced by a scarifier which will certainly make light work of taking off all the dead moss and thatch once you've done the aerating, brushed sharp sand into the resulting holes and then correctly applied a spring weed and feed. You'll be surprised at how much comes up.
If you want to compost the thatch, remove it before doing the aerating and weed and feed. You don't want stuff treated with chemicals going on the compost heap.
Ok. Done my first cut today at a 5 cm height. I am going to use my aerator tomorrow. I am just wondering how far apart I should be using it distance wise. Every 10 cm? 20 cm?
Last edited: 01 April 2017 14:24:13