Help required with Front Lawn

Hello all

It has been a while, I Hope everyone is well.

This Year has been a difficult one thus far, I also had my Second Cataract Surgery on 02 September, all went well and I am still instilling Eye Drops until 01 October with an Opticians Appointment Booked for 22 October to get New Glasses.

I have been unable to do much in the Garden as my Near Vision is Blurry hence the need for New Glasses.

One issue that I would like some advice on is the Front Lawn.

This is how it looked in June 2023:



This is how it is looking Now:



It was Scarified and Aerated in March of This Year so whether that is the reason I do not know.

The Lawns were both laid in June 2022 when the Hard Landscaping was done.

I am unsure what has happened so any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance

Kevin

 

Did it get too dry in the summer?

 

Maybe an autumn feed might help @Kevin Cowans. My lawn took a while to recover from scarifying this year. I did it in March too and think that autumn would have been better to avoid damaging any newly emerging shoots.

 

Really sorry to see the deterioration of your lawn over the last year; those brown patches are endemic to all lawns if they are not constantly surveyed, nurtured and “done right” by. I treat mine as some regard a zen garden, but it is fickle and ungrateful. Like you, I periodically get these inexplicable brown patches. I recently dug out a particularly puzzling one and, underneath, found … NOTHING untoward; it had to be re-sown with fresh topsoil, a little gentle fertilizer, regularly watered, and protected at night from armies of grass predators; then came the patient wait for resurgence …

The main culprits of brown patches are: drought, poa annua, debris, roots, exhausted soil, lack of nutrients, not enough light, chafer grubs or/and leather jackets ... and many more!

Looking at yours, roots (trees or shrubs) or not enough light are unlikely - drought this year doubtful. Since the browning is fairly widespread, it suggests lack of nutrients (fertilizers) and possibly creatures (ants, grubs, etc.) gnawing at the roots.

Luckily, your area of lawn is not too large and therefore remedies (including nematodes, for which you would be just in time this year) would not be exorbitant, or you could even consider renovating while following "the book" to the letter … litreally, from scratch.

All the best and keep us posted!

 

Hello

Thanks for the Replies.

Sorry for not Replying sooner but with not being able to utilise my Phone at the moment due to the need for new Glasses I have to rely on my Desktop which is not always available.

@Busy-Lizzie

The Lawn has had plenty of Moisture so I do not think it is that.

@Plantminded

I usually have the Lawns Aerated and Scarified later in the Season, around the End of September, Early October, however, due to the Heavy Rains we had Last Year, the Aeration and Scarification was rescheduled for March.

I have now rescheduled the Aeration and Scarification back to the Late Season due to this issue.

@LawnAndOrder

There used to be a Small Weeping Cherry in the Middle of the Lawn which was removed Early Last Year due to it suffering Die Back for a Few Years, could that be the cause?

Fertilizers are added to the Lawns in Spring, Summer and Autumn so that should not be the issue.

I will keep you updated.

Thanks

Kevin

 

If roots were left behind and are secretly resurging, that could well be the issue.

In any event, persevere and you'll get there, the only problem is that when you do, you'll have nowhere to go …

As Confucius and Socrates used to say (interesting that they should both have had exactly the same thought!):

“What do they know of life who nothing of lawnmowing know?”

 

Hello @LawnAndOrder

Thanks for the Reply.

If the leftover Roots are the Issue then what would be your suggestion as to the First Step?

Thanks in advance

Kevin

 

Judging by the immaculateness of everything in your boarders (as posted on the 3rd July 2024 [although, is that when the photograph was taken?]), it seems clear that you would want to bring the lawn (the jewel-case) up to the same standard.

What I would do (and the advantage of that is that it brings the bullies out of the woodwork, an inestimable assurance that you are doing the right thing) is start again … but perhaps not quite yet … as something intrigues me. You say that there was a small tree in “the middle of the lawn”, but the majority of brown patches are in the half nearest your house, which is inconsistent with “middle” (?). Interestingly, when there are brown patches in my lawn, they also tend to be nearer the house, which has always intrigued me (??); would it be because, closer to the house, ground temperatures are higher, and therefore attract more of the devilish underground pests devouring the nutrients (satanic versus benevolent)?

At this juncture, why not dig up two sufficiently distant patches (where marked in red, below) at least 30cm down, and see what transpires (if doing so, please photograph and post results which would be helpful to those of us who experience inexplicable brown patches).

Depending on your findings, and if, as I suspect, you would like to bring your lawn to the beautiful, high standards of your boarders, you may want to go the copybook route, i.e. dig up entire area to a depth of 25cm – 5 cm layer of gravel – 15cm stone-free/weed-free top soil – levelling - seeds – seedlings-fertiliser low in N - thin layer fine topsoil – gentle rolling - regular watering – six weeks patience – plenty of encouragement from family and friends (if any) and, above all, loads of self-belief and some HSS (Humble Self-Satisfaction – always a difficult balance).

 

Hello

Thanks for the Reply.

On Page 39 of This Thread there is an Image showing the Small Weeping Cherry.

Thanks

Kevin

 

My lawn has brown patches too, but I try not to let it bother me. I'll be trying to find time to give it a good scarifying sometime in the next month or so. In my case I'm sure it's caused by dry spells over the summer. I know lots of people have had a wetter-than-usual summer, but here in sunny Donny we've had several dry spells of 10 days or more without significant (more than a couple of mm in a day) rainfall: according to my rainfall records 4-13 May, 29 May - 8 Jun, 16 Jun - 3 Jul, 17 Jul - 12 Aug, 14-24 Aug. People tend not to notice so much if a dry spell doesn't come with heat and sunshine, but it's just about as bad for the garden (particularly if it's windy too).

 

Hello @JennyJB

Thanks for the Reply.

I am also in Donny, DN3, whereabouts are you?

I think it is more than Dry conditions as the Patches are literally Dead.

I am reluctant to Scarify it again as I am worried that more Dead areas will be revealed.

Me Negative, Never.

Thanks

Kevin

 

Could do with a closer look at the patches , it looks more animal related . scarifying in march isn't related to this matter

 

You must open a school!

 

I'm also in DN3, sandy soil here as well as long dry spells, so brown patches on the lawn in summer are the norm (or even completely brown in a bad summer).