Lawn advice on sandy soil

Hi,

I had a lawn care company round to look at my grass a year ago but found it a lot of money to sign up. Since then I've worked hard to follow their suggestions and have made a noticeable difference to the lawn following the work I've put in.

There have been times when the grass colour and coverage of the garden has dipped and I wondered if there were other tips, ideas or suggestions you could give me as I'd like to perfect my technique and continue to benefit from good a good looking lawn and also not to fall into some of the problems I had when I first moved into the house where moss started to take over.

Here are pictures taken on this wet and rainy day that give an idea of what I've currently got....





Last october/november I had the company round and they suggested that I had sandy soil and a good aeration and moss treatment would help. They then suggested a weed and feed and it in the spring and summer and it will look really good. If chafer beetles were spotted they suggested a additional treatment for them if necessary.

So... I forked the whole area (it was a good workout) and used moss killer which in the parts where the autumn sun leaves the garden shady. I water the grass at times when it is dry and in the spring and summer I used a weed and feed.

What else would you do or do I need to understand in order to keep it looking good? I try to strim the edges and cut once a week but when it scalped too closely in July I posted pics on here and the advice was to take it a setting or two higher on the mower in order to let it get some colour back and it worked.

Over the last few weeks the lawn has developed colourless patches again so I wondered what suggestions/ideas you would go for and a suggested pattern/schedule of treatments to give it and at what times of year.

I hardly have any weeds in the lawn but maybe a small handful. I would like to treat these too as I could do with getting rid of them. It' also worth noting that at times I can see the odd mushroom or two growing in parts of the lawn - would this suggest something too?

Thanks for your help and advice, I always appreciate it.

 

It's interesting the lawn company mentioned Chafer grubs and that could be that your area suffers this pest which could be why you have developing patches. The only way to tell is to lift the turf to see if they are there. If it is bugs you will need to get a company in to deal with these.
Aeration and scarify helps but so does rolling the turf in the spring but rolling is mostly done on sports pitches and not domestic lawns.
If none are found then the next option is it's a lawn disease. Finding which one or in many cases two is hard.

A lawn likes a good scarify, this removes a percentage of thatch, promotes growth of the grass. There are various types of setups for scarifiers, best type is a fixed blade machine that has the ability to cut in below the surface to remove thatch but also cut the grass roots. These are mostly pro machines and they leave a good finish as they don't rip and tear away at the turf.

The odd weed can be removed by hand or you use a lawn based herbicide like Verdone.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Verdone-Extra-Liquid-Concentrate-Killer-x/dp/B005AV569Y
NO ROUNDUP Chris. The link shows the product, it comes in various sizes and mixtures. Always read the label first before use.

An Autumn feed is good, you will need a spreader which can either be a broadcast or drop spreader. I tend to use a drop spreader. There are a number of Autumn feeds available and the better ones have iron or seen on the packet as Fe. Care needs to be applied when doing this as you can damage the turf if you apply too much. If in doubt use a company, quotes are free so see what they charge.
An Autumn feed keeps the grass in a heathy state, even more so after any type of mechanical treatment. The iron helps to deter moss and hardens the grass plant. Iron stains, you don't want to get this on any surface other than the lawn.
There are liquid based ones, these don't scotch as easily but they are short lived compared to granular feeds and most need to have iron added and a dye to insure you can see where you have been. Add a sprayer and it tends to be expensive.

Next spring if you want to feed your lawn and maybe hit any moss I would say a nice safe bet is a product called MO Bacter.
http://www.djturfcare.co.uk/mo-bacter-organic-lawn-fertiliser.html

It's safe as you can't burn the lawn, no scorching, no worries about staining from iron/Fe. It's also a slow release fertiliser and is an eco friendly product. It does need to be applied at a high rate so it's more expensive to use and it relies on a warm wet start to make the most of it.
The beauty of this product is that it eats away at the moss, no black mess that has to be removed. I've had good results this year with this product. You can't harm your grass with this feed so it's a safe bet if you worried about applying a feed.

Once again it really depends on your budget and how fussy you are on your turf.
If anything a good scarify really helps. Normally you go hard Autumn and a light one in the spring.

 

Hi Liz,

Thanks for getting back to me. They mentioned Chafer Grubs as it's a common problem that occurs in my area and there are numerous stories of lawns that have been eaten by the grubs and needed to be replaced. I had a company spread the merit treatment on my front and back lawns and I watered in so I'm pretty sure it won't be them that's causing the patches on my lawn. I've also noticed that there is not loose turf or symptoms that they cause.

I wonder if there is a disease on the lawn as you mentioned?

You mention a good scarify? There isn't any thatch on my lawn (as far as I'm aware) but I'm a big believer that giving it a good scarify could help promote the growth and health of the lawn. Do you have recommendations for which one would be good to buy? I notice B&Q have an offer on their "Mac Allister MSRP1800 Raker & Scarifier".

I'll order and use some lawn based herbicide like you suggest on the few weeds that have come up.

Regarding an Autumn feed... which would would you suggest and what levels would you suggest going for? I have a feed dispenser (plastic tub which it came in) and I'm pretty good at spreading it evenly using that and walking up and down the garden. Like you say though... those parts that get too much get scorched and I learned that the hard way 4 months ago when a friend said he knew how to do it it and put far too much on! The lawn recovered a month later which was good though.

Would you suggest using the MO Bacter product next spring then? Around Oct/Nov time I had a lot of moss hit the garden in the area that is shaded and sun doesn't get to so is there anything suggest to stop this happening again this year?

In the pics you've posted... is that a scarified lawn? and the second picture it's raked up?

Again, thanks for your help on this. Obviously money is a concern but I'd like to invest in the right tools, products and equipment to get the lawn looking really good.

Thanks.

 

I would still lift a section of turf to double check if it's grubs. Merit while it works is not a full guarantee so it's best to double check and eliminate this from the equation .
If it's a disease it's going to be a hard one as many can show different symptoms depending on time of year and weather. Makes it pretty hard sometimes.

I'm afraid I don't know much about that scarifier. I use an Eliet scarifier which is a fixed blade machine that can cut in if required. It's a pro model and has the power to keep the blades spinning fast even when cutting in to the soil.
You will have thatch, every lawn has it and in fact thatch is required to maintain a nice turf but in moderation which is why it's removed and a percentage is left.
Lawns that are fed will produce more thatch than lawns not fed and some grass species produces thatch at faster rates.

Here's an Autumn feed I use a lot.

http://www.everris.com/uk/Home/Turf...anule-Nutrition/Greenmaster-Pro-Lite/52080125

It's not the cheapest but is very good. There is a slight variation on output but I would apply at max so that the iron/Fe is applied at max strength. You really need a spreader or else you have to mark out m2 and apply but this feed is like dust and not really meant for hand distribution.
However as we don't know about the patches you need to be a touch careful as some diseases will increase if Nitrogen is applied so as you have moss and again it's a product I use this would be fine.
https://www.pitchcare.com/shop/ever...nmaster-pro-lite-iron-7-fe-3-mgo-seaweed.html
The link just shows the product, shop around to find best price or find a local landscape supplier and save on postage.

It has a larger percentage of Fe and will kill the moss and deter it. Again it needs to be spread correctly for max performance. Will not scorch as easy but will damage the turf if not watered in.
THIS in big letters would be what I would recommend without knowing the problem with your patches. It's the safer option from my point of view as it will improve appearance, harden the turf and not aggravate the patch problem.
If you did scarify the other feed would be best as its got the ability to aid growth recovery after mechanical treatment.

Yes MO Bacter is for spring time once the temps are up. If it's warm and damp then it's great and works well. Not good in hot dry conditions but it can be used through the summer depending on conditions.

Moss comes in 3 groups for lawns but the important part is to find out why it loves the lawn area. In reality most of the time it can't be cured due to walls, soil, light and so on so Fe found in the ferts I listed deter it and help to harden the turf up. Fe will kill moss but the secret is keeping on top of the moss while not applying too much Fe as that can have a negative effect on the soil and turf.

Yes the pic is my machine on a lawn I scarified. I ended up doing 4 passes and adjusting depth to cut in on the final 2 passes. then 2 weeks later I applied the Autumn Fert. I return to the customer in the spring and do a light scarify and customer feeds lawn through the summer.

It's really hard to recommend a scarifier as mine was over £1200 and is small enough to get into the gardens I have. I have compared it to the customers electric scarifier and that's why he chucked his away. I honestly don't know much about the one you mentioned, I tend to go for commercial grade machines as its my living but if it has wire rakes and blade it's not going to be designed to cut in at any depth.

It may be worth asking a local company to do the work as a good company will have the right equipment but again all this relies on how fussy you want the lawn to be and pay out. It is fun though seeing the rubbish come out of the turf.

Oh nearly forget, one spreader I use is this one.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Scotts-Miracle-Gro-016057-EvenGreen-Spreader/dp/B002B550D4

It's cheap, has a trigger release making it easy to spread without scorching the run off edges. I use one for small lawns and it's good. Just wish the arrows on the bin showing drop length were coloured.
The product is also away from your skin and dust is not not going to be a problem.
Just a side note but all the fertilisers I have mentioned apart from MO Bacter have Fe and you need to be aware this stains patios, flooring so be careful not to tread the product around once it's watered in. Keep off the grass until it's dispersed to avoid this.

 

[COLOR=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961)]Thanks Liz,

When you say lift some turf... you mean the patches affected I'm guessing to check for grubs? How much would you lift and how do I "remove a layer of turf"? Just with a knife and spade etc? I'm guessing I'll see the grubs if they are there?

Regarding a scarifier... I'm happy to invest in a petrol one but wouldn't know which to buy or what feature to have on it? What would you suggest? I'd like a machine that could do the solid/hollow tines too if possible. Could this be the same machine?

Regarding lawn treatment you suggest using the Greenmaster Pro-Lite Autumn 6-5-10+6Fe this Autumn.
But if I think there's a disease on it you'd go for [/COLOR]
Greenmaster Pro Lite Pro Iron 0-0-0 +7Fe +3MgO Fertiliser.

You'd then use MO Bacter in the spring.

And I need to apply using the spreader you've suggested too really?

Will I need to feed/do much in the summer then other than the usual cutting?

When/how often would you scarify and do the solid tines too?
[COLOR=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961)]
Thanks again for your help.[/COLOR]

 

a Half moon or spade and slice 3 sides and lift up section on the damaged area, does not need to be a huge area and you need to carefully inspect the root system. The cleaner the slice better so you just replace the turf once inspected. As the temp drops if they are grubs they will go deeper so it's worth doing ASAP. If you don't see any we know it's a case of moving on to the next step.

There are a few machines that do scarifying and tine work as a single unit using cassette systems but they are pretty poor.
Same with aerator, many machines simply don't go deep enough and the big machines that punch deep costs a fair bit. You can't warrant that kind of money to honest but you can hire them which works out cheaper.
Same with a scarifier, you can hire them but most are fitted with free swinging blades which will not cut in but are a safe option for hire companies as they are less prone to be damaged.
Scarifiers come in lots of various designs and setups. The one I use has various blade systems that can be changed, I use the thicker blades but you can get thinner blade setups and these have more blades on the length of the shaft and are aimed at the finer turf.
When I looked for one the Eliet came highly recommended by others I know in the trade and my local Etesia dealership supplies them. It's also a simple belt drive system unlike some so less to go wrong which is what we like
It's also variable height adjustment so you can pick the perfect height and the blades are designed to wear but retain their edge through their life.
I don't know much about domestic based scarifiers and aerators but you get what you pay mostly. Cheap ones do more damage and often people end up seeding as they have torn the turf up and done more damage than they should have. The better machines leave a cleaner finish, quicker recovery time.
It's the same with technique, a free swinging blade set to deep will slow down and tear and rip the turf. Going too deep slows the blade and so on so there is a knack to doing a nice clean job.

With lots of lawn feeds you really need to use a spreader, not just for the accurate spread rate but many are not good for you. Contact with skin and dust entering you are really a no no. You treat both liquid and granular feed as you would an herbicide. It's only the proven eco friendly ferts like the MO which are safer but their make up is very different to the more commonly used products.
The other side is that once the product you have applied is spent you don't end up with patchy areas where the fert was applied at different rates.
Next spring and summer you look at how the turf is and go from there and how it's cut. conditions are also an attribute to the what you do so for example you don't want to feed just before a hot spell as this limits the plants ability to store and produce carbohydrates which results in the grass losing its colour. If memory serves me well the most natural feed would be an N rate of 3 which is enough to produce a steady growth and is what most grass types require to sustain a healthy growth rate. I'll have to double check but off my head I think that's right for most of the commonly found grass types. This is what you would aim for if the lawn was lush and full but if the lawns thin and showing signs of say weed infestation you would try to promote a more rapid growth which is why most weed and feeds are higher N.
You do have ferts that are high N and contain no herbicides and some if fine enough can be calibrated down to lower the NPK rate with a simple calculation. Only these types of ferts can be used like this.
Going back to your patches and the 2 ferts I mentioned, if you do scarify then the Autumn feed with a rate of N 6 is pretty low but allows recovery to take place. Of course you could still use the other but the grass will take longer to recover and fill in. Don't forget the Autumn feed is a good starting fert if you scarify again spring time.
You need to scarify twice yearly, sport related grounds may do more but for lawns 2 is more than enough. The ground should not be dry and hard but soft but not soaking wet. The weather needs to be settled with rain welcomed afterward. Don't scarify in hot dry weather.
The lawn should be cut first if its got any significant growth.
Aerating is often a good earner and not always required but for lawns suffering dampness or compact areas it's good to go and an appropriate dressing would be added and worked in. For 95% of people it's not needed unless you really want a lovely lawn or have issues that require it. Again sports grounds do this more often but their soil and turf use is far different to the run of the mill lawn used by families.

Did the company who applied Merit talk about your lawn being compact and did they test it with a tool ?

To give you an idea about how clean a finish my scarifier can do here's a pic of the same lawn but a spring time scarify. I'm hoping you can see the slits it's made as I've cut in to not just remove thatch but to cut the grass roots.
Recovery time is quick.

 

Hi Liz,
Some updates. I've used an electric scarifier and a LOT came up. I'll post some of the before and after pics on the scarifier thread I started so you can see.
Regarding the weeds I've got, I'v bought the suggested weedol and will apply this during the week as I've cut the lawn today and it suggests leaving it 3 days after a cut to apply. Looking at the instructions it looks like it's not just a spot application but it should be applied to the whole lawn and can be done using my knapsack sprayer that I've just my moss killer in. Obviously I'll rinse out thoroughly first and then apply as suggested. Any tips with it?
It seems to suggest mulching after applying etc. What are your thoughts?
Thanks.

 

A lot of domestic weed killer aimed at lawns suggest spraying the whole lawn but if it's just the odd few I would just spot spray them. If you have a large number of weeds all over then spray the whole area.
Don't worry about mulching, collect the cuttings and dispose of them. Don't add them to any compost heaps for at a few cuts.
What you do need to be careful is that scarifying stresses out the grass plant and the plant does take in the herbicide and under these conditions it can harm the grass.