laying a new lawn (merged threads)

pealy

I was tempted to this thread by the promise of a bona fide expert! As rare as hens teeth on most discussion forums..

I wondered if you could advise on how to choose a grass seed? I have some pretty bad bare patches on a fairly large area of a lawn and I'd like to try and fill in the gaps using seed.

The area is under an enormous horse chestnet and bordered by a hedge, both these things tend to mean it gets less sun than I'd like and can get a bit dry when there isn't much rain.

I've seen a great variety of seeds on offer, from plastic bags of seed in my local garden centre (at a pound a bag) to brand name offerings containing fertilisers (for much more than a pound a bag). As well as price, they vary substantially in their composition, some containing ryegrass, some not, some claiming to be hard wearing, some not, and some claiming to be good at growing under trees etc.

How do I pick a suitable seed? Should I go for one which includes fertiliser?

FYI - I let greenthumb look after the feeding and have just had a 'hollow tine aeration' done. I'm in Lancashire which can get a bit damp..

Jo4

My garden has moss, the grass is a yellowish green, the rain water lies on it and it looks awful in my opinion. I need a new lawn but how do I go about it, in Mse style of course? When is the best time of the year to try and fix this problem and how much will it cost?

Can anyone with green fingers come to my rescue please???

SORRY if this is posted in the wrong place but I wasn't sure where to post it.

Nile

Hello Jo4

I've merged your thread with the existing 'laying a new lawn' thread. If you read back from post #1, you'll get some useful advice and help.

Our gardening expert asquiths has also contributed to this thread so hopefully your lawn will soon be looking good.;)

Regards

Nile

trinnylilac

Looks like everyone else is having lawn issues too.

Any idea what I can do with mine.
We laid turf 2 years ago and we took our time to prepare the soil and laid it all as best we could.
It was looking lovely untill the other half treated it to some weed and feed and it has looked dreadful ever since. We have huge patches of soil and what grass there is seems to be in clumps. There is also a huge circular patch of grass missing where the trampoline was left out last year.
( my baby arrived at this point and so the garden was untouched last summer)

Anyway now we are starting to get a bit more time as baby is now one we have set our sights on sorting out the garden again.
We just want to know is it worth returfing ( there is a hosepipe ban in our area ) or would it be better to seed all the patches and is so what sort of seed should I go for as there seems to be all sorts of offer.

asquiths_2

ok guys hubby's at work at the min but i'll get him to come on and read these last few posts hopefully he'll be able to advise!!!!

asquiths_2

Ok

PEALY

Cheap seed is false economy i`m afraid you get what you pay for !
use perennial ryegrass (lollium perenne) when overseeding bare areas and sow it at double the recommended rate to increase density.Ofcourse it`s a problem with shade as this`ll decrease several plant metabolic functions ie chlorophyll production,carbon fixation etc (But we`ll not get into turf physics right now!)
Try to trim your hedge to increase sunlight and air movement etc.
Before overseeding create a tilth ie good seed-soil contact and if you like use a pre-seeding fertilizer containing Phosphrus as this`ll aid seedling establishment and root growth
And it`s essential (once sowed) that the seed remains damp or it`ll dry out!

JO4

Moss is there because of poor grass growth and not the cause of it!
In fact there are 3 types of moss however the most common is the one that indicates dampness.
does the turf feel spongy ?
If so this is called thatch which is partly decomposed OM ie grass roots,clippings,stems etc
Thatch and moss needs to be scarified out (Raked out) to controll mass build ups
Try to aerate also (spike) to increase this process
Moss will naturaly die out once warmer weather prevails however this`ll need to be removed !!! Use a DICHLOROPHEN based product as this`ll kill the spores responsible for production


Trinny lilac

Was the weed and feed watered in ? if not a process called osmosis will of occured (scorch)
Basicly what happens is if the granule (feed) isn`t watered in it will stick to the plant leaves and draw the moisture out of the cells to the granule by osmosis
Or

The weed and feed was overapplied to the stage in that it`ll be available in toxic proportions so it will toxicate the plant

Seed-look at my advice to pealy

Any more info guys get back

Jo4

Nile wrote:

Hello Jo4

I've merged your thread with the existing 'laying a new lawn' thread. If you read back from post #1, you'll get some useful advice and help.

Our gardening expert asquiths has also contributed to this thread so hopefully your lawn will soon be looking good.;)

Regards

Nile

THANKS for moving my post!

Jo4

asquiths wrote:

Ok

JO4

Moss is there because of poor grass growth and not the cause of it!
In fact there are 3 types of moss however the most common is the one that indicates dampness.
does the turf feel spongy ?
If so this is called thatch which is partly decomposed OM ie grass roots,clippings,stems etc
Thatch and moss needs to be scarified out (Raked out) to controll mass build ups
Try to aerate also (spike) to increase this process
Moss will naturaly die out once warmer weather prevails however this`ll need to be removed !!! Use a DICHLOROPHEN based product as this`ll kill the spores responsible for production

Any more info guys get back

Turf feels spongy! What product would you recommend which contains DICHLOROPHEN? Is there any book you would recommend that shows you how to lay a lawn and what plants to plant in it so you would have a nice colourful garden all year round? A book that is for an absolute beginner who knows nothing about gardening but wants to do it themselves?

Nile

Thank you so much asquiths for your expert advice.:T :A

Kind Regards

Nile

asquiths_2

Hi jo4

Dichlorophen is actualy included in most Fe (iron) supplements-Must look for DICHLOROPHEN on the box/package though!

Dichlorophen is best applied as a spray as granular forms are now on the BANNED list.

Where are you situated ?

Books

Not sure about any gardening books as i`m actualy a county cricket groundsman at yorkshire CCC so i specialise in sports pitches ie cricket,tennis,golf,winter sports etc

Sorry!

PS if you need any more help don`t hesitate to contact me