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#1
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really rubbish lawn
Hi,
My lawn was neglected for a couple of years while I was away - over the past two years it's been cut regularly and had a bit of feed. But there's a lot of moss and dead grass in it, and when it's cut, it has yellow patches and a few bald patches because of the weeds, moss and dead grass. So, what do I do now? Kill all the existing green, wat for 2 weeks and re-seed the whole thing? Just buy some turf and lay it? Or what? I'm kinda lost at this sort of thing, but I would like to have a nice green lawn! Can anyone advise, or point me in the right direction? Thanks Nichollette |
#2
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The message
from "derek" contains these words: My lawn was neglected for a couple of years while I was away - over the past two years it's been cut regularly and had a bit of feed. But there's a lot of moss and dead grass in it, and when it's cut, it has yellow patches and a few bald patches because of the weeds, moss and dead grass. So, what do I do now? Kill all the existing green, wat for 2 weeks and re-seed the whole thing? Just buy some turf and lay it? Or what? I'm kinda lost at this sort of thing, but I would like to have a nice green lawn! Can anyone advise, or point me in the right direction? Buy a small bag of garden lime and a little sharp sand. Mix them, and distribute as evenly as possible over the lawn. Pray for rain. You can use a spring (wire) rake to scarify the surface, rake out moss and dead grass, and generally distribute the sand and lime. Later, you can apply a lawn feed, with or without a broad-leaved weed killer. -- Rusty Emus to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co full-stop uk http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/ |
#3
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Jaques d'Alltrades wrote:
The message from "derek" contains these words: My lawn was neglected for a couple of years while I was away - over the past two years it's been cut regularly and had a bit of feed. But there's a lot of moss and dead grass in it, and when it's cut, it has yellow patches and a few bald patches because of the weeds, moss and dead grass. So, what do I do now? Kill all the existing green, wat for 2 weeks and re-seed the whole thing? Just buy some turf and lay it? Or what? I'm kinda lost at this sort of thing, but I would like to have a nice green lawn! Can anyone advise, or point me in the right direction? Buy a small bag of garden lime and a little sharp sand. Mix them, and distribute as evenly as possible over the lawn. Pray for rain. You can use a spring (wire) rake to scarify the surface, rake out moss and dead grass, and generally distribute the sand and lime. Later, you can apply a lawn feed, with or without a broad-leaved weed killer. I'm not sure about the lime, though. I don't think lawns want it on any but insanely acid soils. And, in my experience, there are some mosses which will thrive on lime, though it discourages most kinds: of course, I don't know which kind you've got. Otherwise, I agree with Rusty. It'll grow back soon enough, but it'll speed things up if you really rough up your worst patches and sow some seed when the weather breaks. What you really shouldn't do is kill off the lot: if you do that, you're committed to cultivating the whole area before resowing or returfing. Both seed and turf want a decent bed to grow into, like any other plant. Meanwhile, don't cut it too short (even if we get reliable rain): that will give the mosses and low-growing weeds an advantage over the grass by taking away the green, which is half its life-support system. On an established general-purpose lawn, three-quarters of an inch is quite short enough; half an inch is for special mixtures. At a guess, I'm inclined to suggest an inch might be better for you to start with. Use the grass-box, too, of course: lumps of mowings lying about can kill off or slow down the grass underneath. -- Mike. |
#4
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The message
from "Mike Lyle" contains these words: I'm not sure about the lime, though. I don't think lawns want it on any but insanely acid soils. And, in my experience, there are some mosses which will thrive on lime, though it discourages most kinds: of course, I don't know which kind you've got. When I was an anklebiter we moved into a house in Hornchurch, which is on mildly alkaline soil, and the lawn had been a tennis court before the war. The court markings were still delineated in lush green, even when the rest of the grass was a 'orrid ochre colour. Even assuming the last time it was lined-out was in 1939, and we moved in in 1950, that points to the influence of whiting (ground chalk) in the soil lasting more than ten years. -- Rusty Emus to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co full-stop uk http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/ |
#5
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Thanks for that - I'll give it a try!
Nichollette "derek" wrote in message ... Hi, My lawn was neglected for a couple of years while I was away - over the past two years it's been cut regularly and had a bit of feed. But there's a lot of moss and dead grass in it, and when it's cut, it has yellow patches and a few bald patches because of the weeds, moss and dead grass. So, what do I do now? Kill all the existing green, wat for 2 weeks and re-seed the whole thing? Just buy some turf and lay it? Or what? I'm kinda lost at this sort of thing, but I would like to have a nice green lawn! Can anyone advise, or point me in the right direction? Thanks Nichollette |
#6
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Jaques d'Alltrades wrote:
The message from "Mike Lyle" contains these words: I'm not sure about the lime, though. I don't think lawns want it on any but insanely acid soils. And, in my experience, there are some mosses which will thrive on lime, though it discourages most kinds: of course, I don't know which kind you've got. When I was an anklebiter we moved into a house in Hornchurch, which is on mildly alkaline soil, and the lawn had been a tennis court before the war. The court markings were still delineated in lush green, even when the rest of the grass was a 'orrid ochre colour. Even assuming the last time it was lined-out was in 1939, and we moved in in 1950, that points to the influence of whiting (ground chalk) in the soil lasting more than ten years. Sounds conclusive! Books are in boxes, so I can't trace the source of my conviction, which feels quite deep-seated. I did a perfunctory Ggl, and found a degree, albeit very modest, of support from my first hit, http://www.gardenadvice.co.uk/howto/lawns/lawn_weeds/ which says: Soil pH control - control of soil pH can help to control weeds. This is because most lawn weeds grow best at a pH around 6.5 and the finer lawn grasses grow best at a slightly lower, more acid pH at around pH 6. The lower pH normally accrues in the course of normal feeding with high nitrogen feeds. So, as often in gardening, all are correct, and all shall have prizes: it clearly depends on the soil in any given case. (Vaguely on-topic: Did you see all the fairy rings at St Andrews? I'm glad they hadn't tried to get rid of them from an otherwise horticulturally tedious golf-course.) -- Mike. |
#7
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The message
from "Mike Lyle" contains these words: (Vaguely on-topic: Did you see all the fairy rings at St Andrews? I'm glad they hadn't tried to get rid of them from an otherwise horticulturally tedious golf-course.) No - I haven't got the haunted fishtank at home. -- Rusty Emus to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co full-stop uk http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/ |
#8
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"Mike Lyle" wrote snip So, as often in gardening, all are correct, and all shall have prizes: it clearly depends on the soil in any given case. Another proponent of liming lawns is Bob Flowerdew - I saw him recommend this on some tv programme or other a few years back. Seeing as how our lawn at the time was even less bowling-green-ish than usual, my OH tried it and it turned into the greenest, lushest lawn we'd ever had for a while so it definitely works. Mind you, it could do with another dose again now. -- Sue |
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