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First full year of having lawn and it's not looking great. It's barely grown over the summer, unsurprisingly given the heat, and there's a lot of thatch/ brown hay-type grass in it. It looks fine from afar, less good when you actually go to look at it. So my question is, should I be dethatching/ scarifying it? I can rent a scarifier for the weekend and get it done, but if it works properly the lawn will be really thin for a large part of it - and properly bald in some big patches too.
Better to bite the bullet and do it, or leave the thatch in there for bulk for now?
Scarify, aerate (hollow tine or just fork), feed, overseed, water (I'm really against watering grass - utter waste of water, unless from a butt).
Or just leave it. Depends what you want from a lawn.
I used Mo Bacter moss-killing feed this year and the lawn's been as good as previous years with less effort. Don't cut too short in hot weather.
there's a lot of thatch/ brown hay-type grass in it.
The thing is you don't know what's thatch and what's simply brown grass at the moment!
Scarifying is good but it's hard on the grass at the best of times - I very much doubt now is a good time to be doing it this year as it's already stressed enough.
I did our lawn back in April/May and this summer's weather has done it no favours at all and it still looks knackered (I did overseed and water patches that were bad but simply couldn't keep up all summer)
Yes, do it. I bought one from the middle of Lidl after much prevarication and did it in March, the lawn looked like it had been scalped in places mainly due to moss, and I had more than one 'WTF have I done!!' moment.
I then topdressed and seeded, and put germination sheet over the bits that were mainly seed to keep birds off and protect from late frosts (tip - scaffolder's netting does the job and is cheaper) and the bits that were worst in March have actually done best in this hot dry summer.
Right now there is a lot of bare, 'dead', grass across the lawn but it is really hardy, the grass goes into sort of hibernation, and once autumn proper comes I'm sure a lot will regrow as is but another light scarification and reseed is likely in order for some of the worst bits.
[edit - agree with above, don't do it now, wait until regrowth and then do it. I'm planning on late Sept / Oct probably]
I'm with you on watering - this is Ireland for god's sake, we don't water grass! Except it seems not to work if I don't...
I used weed n feed earlier in the summer, and some parts definitely loved the feed while other parts didn't get on so well with the weedkiller...
Mo Bacter moss-killing feed this year and the lawn's been as good as previous years with less effort
Might check that out, cheers
I would leave it alone for a while untill it starts to look kind of green again
Yes, it can be worth doing now. If you are going heavy with a scarifier then autumn is best. Or just rake it out any time. Using a scarifier is a faff though. They run for a short time then you are cleaning it out, if there is a lot of moss too. But moss rakes out easily, so that's my preferred method as I have more moss than thatch. If you do it early enough in the autumn then you can overseed the bald patches too.
Mostly though, I don't bother. Just let it be. It will recover from the summer heat anyway, so it's all about how perfect you want it, or not.
It's the natural cycle of grass, accelerated and exacerbated by months of drought. Any time now we will get a nice flush of autumn growth (and some more rain hopefully). Give it 3 or 4 weeks and it should be looking a lot better. That's the time to rake off any poor patches and re-seed.
Thanks, this is all great advice. It's still fairly hot (or at least pretty fierce sun) here during the day, so leaving it makes a lot of sense; I'll take another look late next month!
We are starting a project looking at grass in school grounds - turns out all the amenity grass and residential grass is all of types which assume a certain climate and are geared towards certain strengths.
With a changing climate, many of these typical grass types are just not going to do well in the future. There is a reason so many continental places use different grass, different ground cover, grit and gravel etc. They also have much more storage of water and water retention systems.
I think it may be time to really look at how we plant and manage grass in the UK.....Particularly if you are south and east of about Birmingham....
Aerating might help.
With a changing climate, many of these typical grass types are just not going to do well in the future. There is a reason so many continental places use different grass, different ground cover, grit and gravel etc. They also have much more storage of water and water retention systems.
On this subject has anybody tried a clover lawn? Keep seeing it mentioned on reddits uk gardening sub. Supposedly more drought tolerant than most grasses (plus other benefits for bees etc).
I can vouch for the fact that clover, once it gets a toe in, spreads like crazy and stays green.
Interesting point about types of grass. Whether by accident or design, the lawn my lawn guy laid has a mix of "normal" British style grass with bits of what looks like sawgrass, of the type you'd find in Florida and places. The sawgrass is growing fantastically well!
On this subject has anybody tried a clover lawn?
Not intentionally, but invariably it creeps in and its the greenest healthiest looking patch of lawn. Whereas I used to pick it out (it could be quite satisfying as a lazing in the sun activity) I now just let it spread and am hoping for 100% coverage. Had a lot at the previous house and used to leave big patches unmown when in flower - effective flower patches which the bobby-bees love.
On this subject has anybody tried a clover lawn?
Yes, this is our first year of letting it fall properly to the clover. We’ve a heavy clay soil, so manicuring the grass is just an expensive waste of time. It’s either water logged in winter or dry as a bone in summer, either way, crap looking grass. Granted, it’ll look fine for 3 weeks if I scarify, aerate, overseed…but it’s never looked better now it’s got clover everywhere. There’s a small area that’s not fully succumbed to the clover yet, but I imagine next year it’ll be complete.
heres my findings:
1. Bees, bees everywhere ! Absolutely love the hum for months as the clover flowers.
2. The clover keeps the grass cooler and wetter in hot conditions. Always amazed by how wet the clover can be even on hot days.
3. Mowing more often, not only the clover, but the grass is thicker so much heavier loads
4. The grass is thicker and more lush where it has struggled to grow in previous summers.
5. Feel bad for cutting it sometimes, have to kick all the bees out the way first
6. Clover flowers again really quickly after cutting. It’s nearly Sept and it’s still going. 
7. Oddly it provides cover to out compete other weeds, but still encourages grass. Weird, but it works.
8. Got to keep the edge trimmed more often as the clover will be trying to branch everywhere! It’s easy enough to cut back though.
one of the best things i did for mine that stopped the need for yearly demossing was the robo mower and letting the (small) cuttings mulch. send the mower out once a day for an hour rather than scalping the whole lot once a week an dhaving to pick up the cuttings as the place becomes a state.
Grass has never looked better for the most part .
That looks ace, thanks for all the replies. I think I'll give clover a go then!
I'm also on heavy clay, so I think I will also have another crack at popping plugs out of it with a hollow tine thingy and filling with compost or sand or something to try and help drainage.
On this subject has anybody tried a clover lawn? Keep seeing it mentioned on reddits uk gardening sub. Supposedly more drought tolerant than most grasses (plus other benefits for bees etc).
We are about to be 'proud' owners of a new build house. Our plan at the moment is to properly look into a clover lawn, maybe even for year 1 using some green manure to get things going. I can let you know in a year...
5. Feel bad for cutting it sometimes, have to kick all the bees out the way first
This is the only downside. Actually cutting it in flower is a bit heart wrenching.
Have you asked Donald Trump? No one knows more about grass than him.
Though your lawn may look like it's had a comb over
We are about to be 'proud' owners of a new build house. Our plan at the moment is to properly look into a clover lawn, maybe even for year 1 using some green manure to get things going. I can let you know in a year...
Now you say this, I wonder whether my failing sedum green roof should perhaps be given over to clover. I've alerady pulled some out that had seeded itself up there, and it would at least grow...
Have also tried the mobacter organic moss killer this year, it has been incredibly effective and the lawn area has never looked better. TBH I was amazed how much an improvement it has made.
I'm awaiting the winter period to see what's left of the moss but so far it's looking like it's all gone
grass is all of types
Species is the word you are searching for. Most amenity grass will be perennial rye grass based. It does need a lot of water.
On the Clover thing, white clove will live in the grass pretty well but red clover would be best for bees, however a red clover sward will be outcompeted by grasses after a few years. Used to do patches of red clover in allotment it looked nice for loads of bees and then you dig it in to the soils to boost nitrogen levels.
So having pulled back the curtains this morning, we have a lawn of two halves after this drought summer - lush green clover and sparse dry grass and moss.
Clover lawn it is going forward.