Lawn Repair

BrianPotter

Hi,

Hope someone can help. My lawn has bald patches and is in need of desperate repair. I am going to get some of the weed and feed stuff as i have a problem with moss in certain areas. I also want to get some lawn repair stuff ie. fertilizer and lawn seed, for the bald patches. The problem is can i do both at the sametime or do i have to weed and feed and then repair the bald later?

Mark

foxwales

Put down your grass seed first, water it well and use the fertilizer. After the patches have been filled in with new grass, then use the weed and feed. Give the grass a chance to grow to about ankle height before cutting it back; this should give the roots time to take hold and will also help to strengthen the grass.

After the first cut; then apply another weed and feed to the lawn. Should do the trick for you.

west-andy

Hi

I've just moved into a new house and the lawn is in need of some care, theres bald patches, lots of weeds and nettles and things and then also an area where one of the previous occupiers had a fire in the corner of the lawn. What do you think would be best?

olly300

west-andy wrote: »

Hi

I've just moved into a new house and the lawn is in need of some care, theres bald patches, lots of weeds and nettles and things and then also an area where one of the previous occupiers had a fire in the corner of the lawn. What do you think would be best?

It depends on:
1. How much time you have
2. How much money you have
3. How patient you are

You can either dig it all up and start again using turf or grass seed.

Dig out all the weeds etc and use a mixture of grass seed and turf to fill in all the patches. It could take you a few years to get it in tip top condition.

foxwales

west-andy wrote: »

Hi

I've just moved into a new house and the lawn is in need of some care, theres bald patches, lots of weeds and nettles and things and then also an area where one of the previous occupiers had a fire in the corner of the lawn. What do you think would be best?

Cut the grass down as far as you can so your lawn is almost bald; then turn over the soil; removing any stones and weed roots as you go. Once you have turned the soil over; give it a good rake to help brake up the soil and also give you a nice level base to lay your lawn.

If you have a large garden, it maybe worth your while hiring a rotavator which is a large mechanical tool that will help turn your soil with ease.

Once you have a nice level base to work from you have the option of either laying turf or using grass seed.

laying turf
If you lay turf then you need to make sure your base ground is as flat as possible before laying the turf; usually achieved with a big heavy roller or get the family and friends round for a ground stomping time. Once your base is compact you can then lay the turf.

Measure your garden and times the length by breadth to estimate how much square foot of turf you will need. Add in a little extra so that you can accomodate any errors or the unexpected.

Start at the bottom of your garden and lay the turf vertically, trying to get the turf joins to overlap as you do with laying bricks; so it adds stability and helps it bond a bit better, remember to use boards when walking on the turf so you don't damage it. Use a blunt knife to cut away any extra turf.

Make sure that the joins are tightly packed in and that the rolls are tightly pushed together to aid it all knitting together.

Once you have laid the turf on your garden; water it heavily and then you should continue to water it every 2-3 days for the next two weeks depending on rainfall to help it settle. It may be worthile getting some lawn feed into your watering to aid the grass take root and to promote a good healthy lawn; after 2 months; depending on growth; it should be okay to mow for the first time. Give it some lawn feed maybe once a month for the first 6 months after you have laid it to prevent it from going patchy or dying off in places.

laying grass seed
sowing grass seed is a little different; measure your garden so you can estimate how much seed you will need and buy 1 1/2 times the amount.

After your base is raked; sow the grass seeds dispersing it evenly and generously. After you ahve done this; it's a good idea to roller your garden or get the family and friends round for a stomping good time. This will aid the grass seed by pushing it firmly into the soil so it won't blow away and also it will aid germination.

Water your garden to give the seed a good start; but when watering make sure you use a mist spray with the hose; so the soil gets wet but not disturbed as you will wash away the seed.

Get some empty two litre clear plastic bottles and fill them with water and screw tightly, place them upside down within your garden where the grass seed is; as this will help deter birds from landing and eating all your grass seed.

Water the grass seed atleast once a week; give it a good watering as described above; and maybe use some lawn feed to encourage a good lawn to grow.

Hope this helps.