Grass Seed & treatment for semi shaded lawn areas

Hello All,

I'm new to the forum and wanted some advise before the growing season starts with regard to my lawn.

I spent a lot of money on my front & back gardens last year. Landscaping, brick walls, retained beds, patios etc. I also laid new lawns. These were based on good quality topsoil & Rowlawn medallion turfs. It looked fantastic (July 2007). I watered it & looked after it etc.

In September I aerated the lawn with a fork & used some autumn lawn fertiliser as recommended by my garden centre, however this seems to have made the lawn patchy, despite me following the instructions & watering in etc.

I am thinking that I should (Aerate again in early April & sand, then dress the bare areas with topsoil & re-seed. Is this the correct approach ?

Also, can you tell me what I should do with regard to matching the right type of seed for the above turfs so I dont get the grass looking different.

And finally, part of the lawn is shaded by hedges during afternoon. I suspect I may need to overseed this area with shade tollerant grass seed ?. Could you recommend a good one or an approach to follow here with regard to matching in etc

Many Thanks,

 

Oh dear a granulated feed, I never use granular feeds as they are IMO an expensive waste of time and easy to over spread.

Id be tempted to sacrify the whole area then top dress and over seed.

As for matching, I wouldnt woory, as long as you pick a seed with a similar specification regards the percentadge of rye grass (if aplicable) then you should be fine. Perhaps contact Rolawn and ask what spec seed mixture they use.


As for a seed suplier I use www.jtoms.co.uk

 

Scarifiying and aerating is usually done in the autumn not spring, and top dressing done after that. Top dressing can be done mid spring lightly but only if it was'nt done in the autumn.

 

"Scarifiying and aerating is usually done in the autumn not spring, and top dressing done after that. Top dressing can be done mid spring lightly but only if it was'nt done in the autumn."

Were did you come up with that lot from? I totally dissagree.

Its COMMON practice to apply mosskiller in early spring folowed by a scarifiying to remove thatch and dead moss.

As for top dressing, you can do this any time of year as long as you apply it thinly and keep to once per year.

The real world of horticulture is a bit differnt to what you may read in a study book.

 

From Collins practical gardener on Lawns! was'nt talking about mosskiller was talking about scarifiying and aerating, we have to do this for our RHS

 

looks like I miss read it slightly but even so, I can see no harm in spring aeration and scarifiying and many benefits over doing this in the autumn ie the grass is activly growing.

I wouldnt gett too hung up with strictly following rules, fine to learn them for your exam but in the practical world they are often not apropritae.

I can think of many horticultural myths ie the need to trim laurel hedges with secaturs and not moving roses until lsate autumn, both utter rubbish!

 

I am also in the real world of horticulture! I'm 47 and have been doing my garden for 23yrs last 8 or 9 being totally tropical.