HELP - Given up on my lawn !!!!! Start Again !!!

Hi All

Ever since i laid my lawn 3 years ago i have totally struggled to get it looking nice. The problem was i laid it on very heavy clay soil.

It would not respond to feed etc and the ground is solid and grass sparse.

Every year i try aerating, refilling with loam, sand, topsoil etc. Reseeding etc feeding....

It looks ok for about a week, then when i cut on highest height of my mower it just seems to turn to straw !! It goes sparse again with 'straw' like shoots encasing the newer grass shoots.

I am seriousy considering rotorvating it, applying couple tonne quality topsoil and relaying a new one.

I also find my grass is very 'course' compared to all my neighbours, when i leave mine uncut it grows to about 12" where as theirs only reaches about 3" max.

Anyone else done this ?

Cheers

 

Fine mix with no ryegrass, although it is near impossible to get it too root as the surface has a hard crust to it.

I can get some to seed after hollow tining then top dressing and seed but these just get swamped out by the thicker grass and back to square one.

 

"when i leave mine uncut it grows to about 12" where as theirs only reaches about 3" max."

Sounds like the type of grass you have is more coarse, and thus lacks the fine leaf varieties of high quality "bowling green" turf.

Good turf is expensive - although if your lawn is small it probably doesn't make a lot of difference. I would guess £3 / sq.m. for good quality turf, delivered. I drove to the Fens and collected some turf direct off the field where they were lifting it for just over £1 / turf (they are probably a square yard each, rather than a sq.M.).

Rolawn is the "posh" brand name if you want a starting place for prices and types of turf etc.

Alternative is to do as you say (rotavate, get topsoil and sand in, prepare well) but seed it instead. Doing this in the Autumn will give you a nice lawn by next Summer, but it isn't going to be functional over the winter - e.g. if you need to walk across it to get to the shed / greenhouse / whatever.

Seed will be cheaper, and you will have more choice of the exact mix of seed - and also can use different "shade tolerant" seed where you have overhanging trees, or whatever.

 

What sort of lawn mower do you have?

Cylinder mower preferable if you want fine grass lawn. The cutting action gives the rougher grasses a hard time, and they weaken. You will also need to mow regularly - once a week and twice a week during the main growth spurt in Spring for the best results.

 

I have a cylinder mower and a honda rotary with rear roller which i think gives a better cut. The lawn will be just a front show lawn with no walking, trees etc

Should i go for a variety with dwarf ryegrass in it ?

 

Isn't it best to give the lawn a fairly severe scalping, to stimulating new growth from the very bottom?

Also, I saw on a gardening program once where they said that water loss is greatest immediately after mowing (which seems to make sense), so it is wise to either water thoroughly within a few hours of mowing. I always cut my lawn in the evening so that it has the cool of the night to recover. I'm not expert but the lawn is steadily improving and is quite presentable nowadays, for the first time in years, which isn't bad considering it was only spring of this year that I started taking the garden seriously.

 

I also did this.............

 

Little update, starting mowing more regular at a much lower height and spiked/fed it. Looking much better now.

Thanks for help/advice.



Cheers

 

looking good!

 

"Looking much better now"

You are selling yourself short! I think it is looking fantastic! Well done.

 

As Kristen says, you most certainly are selling yourself short-it even has stripes-completely different to my lawn-full of clover, daisees and buttercups-wouldn't stand a chance in a competition with yours.


Well done.