Treat or replace?!

Hi, finally managed to have a walk on my soggy , spongy lawn and you were right, it is covered in moss!! It's not a huge garden, about 3 x 5 metres long, so I was wondering, do I spend this spring aereating, scarifiying and top dressing or do I bite the bullet, dig it up and re-lay with nice new turf? Oh, decisions, decisions!!!!

 

If you simply lay new turf you are likely to get the same problem again. It sounds as if you need to improve drainage whatever else you do. I would start by aerating and scarifying and see what happens. You could always remove a section of turf and see what's going on underneath.

 

Is there any reason why it is so wet? so that you can deal with the cause before working on the existing turf/ It may be that on a small garden, sorting out the drainage could be the priority.

 

It could well be the drainage. The soil is that horrible orange clay stuff. I've only lived here a couple of month so haven't had chance for a good dig and prod around! Guess I could follow Liz's advice this year, and if things don't improve tackle the drainage. Is that something a novice could tackle herself you think? Seems such a huge job. I've had a look at some websites and they talk pipes, and galleys!!

 

i dont think drainage pipes will help, this is field drainage ......... in a small garden, you need to try aeration...... hiring a machine, or using a hollow tine fork, and a lot of hard work.
try to encourage grass growth with some fertiliser
and see if you can get a load of sand/grit which mite help rest of garden too

 

btw has any1 had experience of the hollow tine forks on a big lawn?

 

hi all,
I had experience of the hollow tine forks many years ago as an apprentice gardener, and do not want to do it again. mechanical ones, are good
they do a great job, used a few times, what a lot of people forget though is that you need to fill the holes made by the hollow tiner with sharp sand or a top dessing mixed with the sand, otherwise the same problem will happen next year.
with normal wear to the lawn, walking, running, general kids wear, etc, it will compact the holes and they close up, you need to put drainage material into the holes, I know the more experienced among you will know that anyway, but for beginners it is useful advice.

Paul

 

if there is no obvious cause (lower lying than surroundings, nearby stream, base of a hill etc) other than compacted clay then try the following preferrably in the next couple of weeks - unless one of our lawn experts like Will Dunkerley comes in on this one.

1. Scarify the top surface - removing as much of the thatch and moss as you can.

2. Aerate with a fork - spearing it down the full length of the tines, every 6 inches or so, and lever slightly back and brush in a goodly amount of sand (not lawn sand) but builders sand. Work backwards, otherwise you will tread down what you just loosened.

3. Leave for a week or so - then apply a good quality top lawn dressing, along with some grass seed.

4. Keep off it as much ss possible when wet.

5. About April, apply a good quality weed and feed and keep your fingers crossed.

I ain't no lawn expert - so this may be the wrong order, but until you improve the drainage, sowing seed, weeding and feeding will not be very effective - and this kinda works for me, who also gardens on clay.

[ 19. February 2006, 09:12 PM: Message edited by: Fran ]

 

Fantastic, I've got lots to go on now. Just keep my fingers crossed for a nice weekend, itching to get started now. Thank you everyone. Hoping to send you pics of some lush green lawn this summer!!

Thanks to all!! Sue.

 

If you are going to relay turf then you should look at the drainage, air movement and sun quality in your lawn. Buying in some topsoil and prunning trees would help. there are loads of good web sites for buying turf online and they usually have lots of info to help you out.. try www.turfshop.co.uk they are a good one but there are loads more.
good luck
turf doc

 

A few years ago I had the same problem and it re-occurs, a little, in a wet Spring/Summer but not to its original really bad condition. I still have some Iron Sulphide Or is it Sulphide of Iron in my shed and water it on. This is the active ingredient in most moss killers. It will darken the grass but turn the moss black it can now be removed. The grass will recover and grow away really well. I have improved the drainage with Tyning and addition of sand. My lawn is a good hardwearing mix of grasses with the odd bit of clover, daisy and other natural plants it is used by bees and insects in the Summer and myself of course.