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Any tips for reviving a lawn? Context - moved into a new build, had it turfed 2 years ago. Ground underneath has become compacted , areas where it's bare and clover has taken over.
Was thinking of hiring a hollow core aerator and then perhaps scarifying it, seeding and then feed.
Was wondering if it's okay to aerate and leave for 7-10 days as i'm away for a week.
I know seeding requires lots of watering.
Any tips gratefully received
I tried one of those step on and push down with foot hollow core aerators, imho it was useless as it just clogged/jammed. I now (small lawn) use a manual leaf rake to scarify and fork, in as far as I can, bit of a lift backwards and forwards wiggle to punch holes, it still mosses up in winter, so I’m contemplating drilling holes with my dads old augers (2ft or so long but maybe 1/2 inch diameter) and sds drill and filling with sand.
We're having same problem, apparently solution is to dig it all up and start again as it's basically clay underneath 😖😖
Try and find recommendations for a good local gardener or landscaper, get their opinion on the quality of the soil you're working with, might take a few years of improved drainage and god knows what else to turn ours into something lawnable 🙄
I scarify and add coarse sand in the autumn, then, aerate, add fresh top soil and vigorous raking in the spring with added grass seed.
That gets rid of the moss and keeps the grass green ish. The robo mower during the summer keeps me moss clear (set that to cut at pretty much maximum height until the grass is growing at it's fastest).
I use mixed native grass seeds, and add clover seeds as well (since i've been adding clover, the grass is much healthier, and the insects are all over it). there's also shed loads of meadow type grass and flowers round the edges (about 50% of the "lawn area" in total) that keeps the wildlife happy and only gets strimmed once or twice a year.
The lawn is also absolutely rammed with earthworms.
I bought a manual darlak scarifier only 30 quid, I ve done half the lawn today it's looking fab. Plan is to lay metal strips round the edge to clean up edges.
It's in pretty good shape, I ve just put heaps of horse poo on surrounding beds, foc from stables.
Manual scarifying is a good work out, I m doing a few m2 at a time
I’ve just gone over the biggest part of my lawn with long-handled shears, to get the length down, and I’m about to order 25 yellow rattle plugs, to help keep the grass under control. I’ve got a bunch of wild flower seed packet that I’m going to spread around along with lots of seed heads I’ve collected, including clover. Having got the grass shorter, it’s shown just how many cowslip plants have spread across that one area, (which is why I used shears, they’re starting to flower, so I didn’t want to cut the flower heads off), that started with one single plant that showed up around ten-fifteen years ago. I’m starting to get celandine plants appearing, along with primroses, all are naturally seeded, so I’m just encouraging those, and adding newer plants and seeds. Then there’s violets growing everywhere, so my re-wilding seems to be happening with little effort on my part so far.
I particularly want ox-eye daisies and ragged robin, which I used to see everywhere, but ragged robin is rare now; the daisies seem to be growing everywhere along roadside verges, spread by vehicles slipstreams, but aren’t in fields and meadows.
yea ours is terrible. Unfortauntely the builders built up the level by getting some local farmers to drop rubble. very minimal top soil.
I scarify and add coarse sand in the autumn, then, aerate, add fresh top soil and vigorous raking in the spring with added grass seed.
What are you using to aerate?
I just borrowed my neighbours electric scarifier which has brought up loads of dead thatch. More than i thought. Problem is getting a long enough lead (good problem to have i suppose as the lawn is quite large)
Thinking of hiring one of these bad boys: https://brandonhirestation.com/petrol-lawn-aerator-hire as the ground is really compacted
What are you using to aerate?
Garden fork and wiggling, do an hour or so a night until it's done.
Been given a quote to do the work
"600sqm lawn---- solid tine aeration £75 Hollow tine cores removed £230 Scarify £250
800sqm lawn——solid tine aeration £85 Hollow tine cores removed £265. Scarify £290"
think i'll do it myself
I have something like this...
Make sure you do em up tight with solid walking boots then stomp about on your lawn.
I also use an electric scarifier, take off the guard and then just mow up the resultant moss / thatch.
For small areas, battery drill and masonry bit can aerate. Big Areas.... not so good
For small areas, battery drill and masonry bit can aerate. Big Areas…. not so good
indeed. mine is 1000sqm so a lot to cover
First thing is feed the lawn. Ours was on clay but was ok if fed.
However, the soil was quite clay-ey and the aerator just clogged up for the most part. When we got the chance to lay a new lawn I dug loads of compost in and a little bit of sand. It's great now. And I do mean loads, maybe 1/2t on a 4x5 area.
Also you don't need to have the cores removed. IF you just leave them out they dry up and go to dust and you don't lose the organic material.
Also you don’t need to have the cores removed. IF you just leave them out they dry up and go to dust and you don’t lose the organic material.
Hmm. Not sure if that would work at mine. I have a feeling I'd be left with a load of baked clay sausages all over the lawn!
Hmm. Not sure if that would work at mine. I have a feeling I’d be left with a load of baked clay sausages all over the lawn!
My lawn is very clayey - I've a tow behind hollow tine areator. It did leave some sausages behind (these turned to dust as above) but sometimes the tines were blocked so just poked a hole. After a while (I was doing an acre) they clear themselves.
My lawn is very clayey – I’ve a tow behind hollow tine areator. It did leave some sausages behind (these turned to dust as above) but sometimes the tines were blocked so just poked a hole. After a while (I was doing an acre) they clear themselves.
Did it work? have you got a better lawn now?
I've also been considering an auger drill bit to help drainage
Blackflag
I have something like this…https://www.wilko.com/wilko-lawn-aerator-spike-shoes/p/0513162?gclid=Cj0KCQjwuLShBhC_ARIsAFod4fJHPtOnPqkclySJ3Y4mHYXAhPMclTzGOId4F0EoYcA_DtME2yw6TZ4aAowQEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
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I have a set, there amusing but don't go down very far (and clog up easily)mert
What are you using to aerate?Garden fork and wiggling, do an hour or so a night until it’s done.
I did this a couple of weeks back, did it over two night and it's allowed the standing water (after rain) to drain and will have managed the compaction deeper down
Isn't the point of aerating to enable the soil to decompact. Wiggling a fork about just compacts it more.
Now you've dethatched, I'd core areate leaving plugs, top dress with a decent turf mix top soil and overseed.
“600sqm lawn—- solid tine aeration £75 Hollow tine cores removed £230 Scarify £250
800sqm lawn——solid tine aeration £85 Hollow tine cores removed £265. Scarify £290”
think i’ll do it myself
And I think mine is hard work and it's only a fraction of that size!
Our's is horrible and lumpy though, so doing it properly would probably mean tilling (+ a load of mulch and sand), seeding, then top dressing to actually get it perfect. I'm just happy if it looks better than either neighbors, which is currently a cycle of iron sulphate, scarify, seed, hope.
Next time I design a garden I'm just going to mark out where the shadows (and moss) are and build raised beds. the lesson learnt is that anything that requires more than a springtime scarify to remove the moss is just an uphill battle.
Put down some feed n weed about a month ago and the moss now is dead. The garden birds are going nuts for it and pulling it out for their nests. So might not have to scarify this year!
I’ve also been considering an auger drill bit to help drainage
That's a great idea, I wish I'd thought of that when trying to aerate mine. However, in that video with a lawn that small I'd have dug it all out and replaced with compost etc. Ours is about 3x that and it wasn't really too hard. Only problem was removing the spoil. That and the fact it needs cutting every 3 days.
That’s a great idea, I wish I’d thought of that when trying to aerate mine.
Yea. i was going to get one to target specific areas as there are worse parts that don't really drain. I'm now looking at hiring a petrol hollow aerator to tackle the rest. i've ordered a load of grass seed and fertizlier. Need to order some compost to top dress
only thing i'm not sure about is when to apply the fertilizer. I guess once the new seeds have germinated
Been watching this guy trying out different methods
Also goes into different types of grass seed
strangley i really want an Allett mower!
I also use an electric scarifier, take off the guard and then just mow up the resultant moss / thatch.
Same here.
Makes a huge difference in terms of making space for grass to grow or exposing bare soil for seed to take etc.