Hello After reading through the various threads I have decided to try and rejuvinate my lawn but as we are approaching July is it okay to give it a good rake followed by weedkiller and some summer fertiliser. Would this make a good start to the process..... My lawn looks like the "chipper" story of May 24. Also do you still top dress the lawn in autumn with sand even if you have very sandy soil..... Cheers
Hi Smokeyone Welcome to the forum. You need a good reason to be doing major things to an established lawn at this time of year, I reckon. It's hot and very dry where I am. My lawn is struggling and looks scruffy at the moment. But, if you live somewhere cooler and wetter and have a good reason, here goes..... Raking and applying weedkiller and/or fertiliser will only do good if your grass is also going to get the most important summer ingredient of all - water! So, go ahead with your lawn overhaul but only if you are prepared to water your grass lavishly or have a sworn statement from the Met office that you're going to have several torrential downpours on your back garden. If you're already on sandy soil, I wouldn't topdress with more sand. I'd use sieved topsoil and old growbags or potting compost mixed together. By the sound of it, your soil doesn't need better drainage but a bit more "guts" put into it. Good luck.
Thanks for the advice. More guts in the soil is just the expression I think...... After the subsoil it is literally sand. So leave the sand alone in the autumn - I know where i can find some rich topsoil... Are you suggesting that unless I lavish water on the lawn leave well enough alone for now and start the treatment from the Autumn........
Hi Guys Smokeyone Yes, I'm suggesting that with a heatwave officially in progress, now is not the time for major lawn works, unless you have to do it for some reason. You need lots of rain to help the grass absorb the chemicals you put on it and grow vigorously to fill the gaps left by the raking. I'm advising you to put your feet up and relax with a couple of bottles of Fullers while you plan your autumn lawn care campaign! I never use a specific autumn fertiliser myself but if you're going to delay your lawn care this year, there are several to choose from in the garden centres. I normally just use a granular weed and feed no later than mid-May, holding back 10% of the packet. Two weeks later when the effects of the main dosing can be seen, I use the remaining 10% to go over any patches that i've missed. NewbieGreen Sorry if my reference to "guts" was ambiguous. I intended it to mean "substantial material" i.e. something to help root growth and moisture retention.
