2016 lawn strategy?

Latest update, I gave it a cut over the weekend.

The iron seems to have kicked in but looks to have some yellowy / dry streaky areas where the iron maybe hasn't been able to penetrate.



It seems an onion bulb has survived from my converted flower bed so I will have to dig that up and get it out!

What to do next?

Should my next move to be to do a very light scarify with a rake over the particularity dry areas, then throw down some compost and seed?

 

Get a dog and all your lawn worries will be over, as you won't have a lawn left

 

The lines are where you missed the iron application. Did you use a spreader?

 

I used a drop spreader on setting 6 as per instructions, I thought i was really careful at the time haha!

Would it be foolish to redo those bad patches at this stage?

 

Your going backwards i did the same last year, i just left it to recover then fed it this every two weeks,


Later on in the year it looked like this.

 

I can't see why not, was it a weed and feed?
It will match the colour and treat those areas but you may find once the treatment wears off you have green uneven strips as there's a time difference between applications.

 

It was Evergreen Mosskil, in granular form.

I will do the two strips tonight, then leave it a month or so and see how things fair

 

Latest update. I went over the yellow bits again with the spreader a week or two ago....Maybe too early for the two strips I did to turn green yet.

Looks a little strange ? but more green in places

 

Iron in granular form takes around 7 days to green up.
Was this a new bag or a bag that was used last year?

 

Hi Liz, its a fresh bag only bought a couple of months ago

 

I gave it a trim last night, took it down one setting from the highest, as it is growing so quick!

I think the iron is slowly working its way in, definitely greener all over and some previously yellow areas are now green. Maybe the stuff I have just takes longer to break down.

 

June update

The lawn has been sitting well for a month or two, but I made a bad call last week. I set the blades lower than normal (I normally cut on setting 2 from 6, this time I went for 3).

The change in setting was too much and made a bit of a mess, throwing grass clippings around and the bag was getting full every length or two! I should have cut, then lowered the blades a few days later and cut again. Lesson learned!




The weather has changed back to rain. Now the grass is beginning to look a little yellow again, perhaps with taking off too much I have stressed the plant. I am hoping it will return to green again shortly. Would now be a good time to apply another dose of iron?

I very much want to scarify again soon, I think it needs it.....but I will wait another month or two.

I am planning to build the back fence in July, to seal off the back....and to keep a cat out that likes to wander in and leave a mess at the bottom of the garden every few days!

After I get the fence in I will be thinking more deeply about plants, trees, flowers etc.

 

You don't want to over do the iron, that can have negative effects as well but if it's a small dose with a weed and feed then it should be fine.
You should really only need to scarify twice a year for a domestic lawn. While it's good to remove the various types of thatch you don't want to go over the top as it's beneficial to have thatch in a small amount.
If the yellowing is due to too much coming off then it will recover but if it's down to soil content and nutrition values it may be worth trying a slow release fertiliser rather than a straight one.
slow release ferts are a tad more gentle on grass. The slow nature feeds the grass over a long period and can be more helpful than many of the high N ferts which produce an increase in growth above its natural growth pattern.
If it's moss related purchases you could try a more organic way like MO Bacter which is slow release. It may not be as effective as some but it's a very good feed for tackling moss and for applying a more steady amount of feed.

 

Thanks Liz. Have you any suggestions for a good slow release fertiliser?

 

Are you still having issues with moss?