Think I didn't do it right - trying again with bare patch seeding?

I have a rather sorry lawn in our rented property. It is so small that I have been mowing it with a strimmer for the past two years which has probably not done it any favours. It has moss, thatch, is mostly speedwell (which is pretty in spring but doesn't give grass much of a chance). When we moved in the borders were bare and I focused on trying to populate them on a budget, and just keeping the lawn trimmed. My neighbours have left the privet hedge on their side to grow tree height (I offered to lend them the hedge trimmer I was using last year but they didn't take me up on it. This year I will just be trimming it for them as they don't give a toss either way and I want the light). My new neighbours on the other side have trimmed their hedge substantially, improving the light to the garden & lawn. I am n/w facing and don't get sun until 11am ish in winter.

10 days ago I decided ACTION must be taken. I read some threads on here and

- raked the lawn getting at the thatch
- aerated it by sticking a fork in and wiggling it about every 20cm or so, in rows (hoping to ensure even coverage)
- scattered over some wilkinson lawn patch repair seed over the entire lawn. It had manure pellets in.
-raked a bit more but didn't scatter compost

Only problem is I did this in light drizzle so I have probably killed off lawn or something.

It is now 10 days later and no signs of germination.

I clearly did not do something right. I am thinking doing it in damp & not covering seed enough would be the culprits. The seed is this one http://www.wilko.com/lawn-seed+food/wilko-lawn-patch-repair-kit-with-ryegrass-24kg/invt/0341639 which says suitable for shady areas & hard wearing

Should I rake again (there's still thatch and tufts of grass) and reseed? This time using a bit of compost as well to cover seed? And plan to rake in drier conditions...

I have a small patch of lawn on one side of the path to the door that is right by the hedge and is pretty pointless in my eyes. I am thinking of over seeding that with wildflower instead of lawn seed? Would it take?

I then plan to let the new grass grow and do weed & feed in April (should I mow or let grow before I feed?). I also plan to get/borrow a mower rather than subject new grass to strimmer style mowing. I originally planned to weed then seed but the instructions on the weed&feed said do other way round.

Does this sound like it will work? Have I missed anything?

 

Hi,

Unless you are sowing a special low-temperature seed, grass needs warmth to germinate, this usually means at least 8 degrees Celsius in the soil. Frosts and cold nights will knock it back too.
Get a little soil thermometer and see what yours is.

Sowing grass in February is far too early. The birds and mice have probably got it all now!

Wait until the end of March (later if we get a cold snap) and sow it again if you've not seen anything by then (it still might come up given the chance). Don't put any weed killer down on it for at least two months before or after sowing (that includes the rubbish weed-n-feed stuff you buy in the shops).

For wildflower patches, have a look at this thread:
http://gardenerscorner.co.uk/forum/threads/create-a-wildflower-meadow.60799/

Hope this helps!

Regards

Kris

 

:D ah ok I was obviously too keen! Thanks so much for the info. I am in Yorkshire, and the actual air temp has only been 10degrees c for the past couple of days - it will take a while for the soil to warm up I assume!

In my garden I expect it will be the slugs wot got the seed. As I was raking I realised that my lawn was where they all hang out when they're not eating my plants.

I will take a pic when I get home to illustrate the question but I assuming just leave my poor lawn alone for a few weeks? I don't have a scarifier so used a wire rake to remove moss/thatch. If I do reseed in March, I'll be ok to give it another rake then?

It is still full of speedwell although I have pulled a fair bit of it out...I take it you'd suggest weed killer by itself rather than the weed & feed?

Off to have a read of the wildflower link, thanks again!

 

And looking at that wildflower I am wondering whether to just dig the pointless patch up problem is what else would grow there - not a lot of light and dryish as is right by a hedge. (The attached photo is the pointless patch last July. It looks slightly better this year as have taken back the hedge a bit, raked it over and the weeds have returned to make it look greener!)

 

Um, not really. My point was that you can't apply a weedkiller and sow seed at the same time, as the weedkiller will sit in the soil and inhibit the seed germination (unless the label says otherwise).
Either sow now and attack the weeds later on in the year, or attack the weeds first and sow later.
You'll have to judge that for yourself depending how what weeds there are and how bad it is.

 

Is that a Hydrangea next to it? It seems to be doing okay, why not put a couple more of those in?

 

I never get the timing thing right with this lawn. I was thinking of a weed killer that affects broad leaved plants but not grasses?

The weeds are pretty bad in that it's more a speedwell than a grass lawn.

There is also a lot of patches.

If I sow later I would be best to wait until autumn, right?

Every year I screw this up and then it's the wrong time!

Thanks again. You have also just given me an idea of what to with pointless latch. There is no reason I couldn't put some shrubs in there. For some reason I could only see grass. There is a hydrangea but it's a poor cousin to the more shaded/moist hydrangea on the other wside of the garden. So maybe not a hydrangea but another shrub or two.

 

Established grass would be unaffected yes, but young grass is weak and vulnerable.

You can sow all summer as long as you keep it watered and don't have a party on it two weeks later.

Owning a lawn is a long-term project. Don't try to do everything at once, it never works.

 

Have you considered planting an evergreen Epimedium there?