What can i do to make this dead lawn nice again :(

Turfed my garden a few years ago but was given poor turf which seems to be just dug up from field as loads of tufts, but now it has died out, through lack of maintainance over the winter. Now it is alive in a small area and seems dead the rest and some no grass at all just mud! I put seeds down but they havent took, so not sure whether to try another make? Or possibly if someone could advice a way that it would take as to be honest i just threw it down on the grass and watered a fair bit. Or shall i just re turf again?

I have put evergreen complete down which killed off the moss which there seemed to be loads of and now i have raked it off to the best i could and now left with this! so advice would be brilliant!!

 

I think the evergreen complete will stimulate the law to grow.

Did you cut it little-and-often last year? If you cut it twice a week in the growing season, and once a week the rest of the year (except the Winter) that will encourage the finer grasses to grow.

 

I agree - don't cut it short, just cut it often!

 

Two options.

The first is to rejuvenate what yove got, spike the entire area with a fork then very lightly fork the top 2" of the bare areas. break the soil down to a tilth and compact with the back of a rake then seed lightly raking the seed in. Unless rain is forecast keep the soil moist till and after the seed germinates.

A nitrogen liquid feed like phostrogen or miracle grows once the seed has germinated will give the whole lawn a boost, keep the mower on a high setting progressively lowering the height of cut.

There is a fair bit of agricultural rye grass in the pictures but over time this will become less of a problem if you keep the lawn regularly cut.

Option two is to put up with it for now then spray it all off with roundup in the autumn and rotovate and seed, but you need to take the time in preparing the ground. Personally i always advocate seed as it is farr cheaper and in many ways easier. If you turf the preparation is exactly the same.

When overseeding it is imperative that you make a tilth for the seed, on light soil a metal tined leaf rake will scratch up the surface sufficiently but on hard soils like your you will be better off lightly digging the top couple of inches with a fork.

 

Hi Dawn, Very difficult to have a nice lawn with kiddies galloping over it isn't it:dh::D

We have the same problem and so I don't cut too low and regularly dress with 'Weed n Feed' and the ocassional handful of seed during wet spells.

 

think it more become a problem because i didnt mow it after summer so it grew high so was like a field then when i cut it this year it was bad lol but i did put evergreen complete on it a couple wks ago and i will try a couple thing u suggested, thanks, gardens grrrr

 

Did anyone say above, to get it air-rated,---you know walk around with spikes on your shoes. Lime it just before winter. And better seed selection for your area.

 

"i didnt mow it after summer so it grew high so was like a field then when i cut it this year it was bad"

Yup, that will be a lot of the cause I'm afraid. OK, new-year's-resolution for you then "I must cut my lawn regularly"

 

Dawn,

you really need to ask yourself is a lawn what I want and have I the time and energy to maintain it. The lawn looks as though its heavily shaded in parts and well played on by the kids so its never going to perfect.

 

i do have loads time to do the garden so willing to get it right, i have put more grass seed down a wk ago and i water every night, and i forked over all the garden, and i can now see some new shoots in some areas but others are just not taking, i think the areas not taking has a fair few stones underneath, i am hoping it will all take, i am trying, any hints or things to try i am willing to have a go as getting into this gardening stuff

here is a photo from garden today, still not much life, but grass that is there looks loads more alive and green, one other thing i hate about the lawn is that is it very bumpy and uneven, any way i can sort that without re turfing

 

When grass germinates it looks like a green algae on the surface to start with - hard to see the individual blades. Then a couple of weeks later it looks like "real grass"! so don't lose hope yet.

 

but dont cut it yet - wait until the new grass is 2 - 3 inches high, that will show its well-rooted and wont be torn out when you cut it.

 

wont cut grass for a little while as dont want to risk ripping out the new grass, there is definate areas that has loads of new shoots of grass, but the areas that are complete mud like in photos the grass seed isnt taking at all, are there anymore products i should put down, or any other things i should do? is it worth putting down, feed and weed? i have put evergreen complete down a couple wks ago, thanks again for help, hopefully i will end up with a reasonable lawn :D