Lawn tips for a novice?

Recently joined the forum to improve my garden know-how and my first question is whether my lawn can be improved.



I mow it weekly (with a hand-push mower - it's only a couple of metres wide/long), occasionally try to rake out the dead grass, fertilise it every few months and chuck some seed on it every now and again, but it's looking very sad. I think there is a fair bit of wild/weed grass mixed in there (see the close-up photo). And I think it is also quite compacted because I've tried aerating every now and again with a fork but it is difficult to penetrate more than a few centimetres. We do walk on the lawn sometimes but not constantly.

Any thoughts on how a lawn-ignoramus like myself might begin to turn this into something lusher? Or is it a lost cause?

 

Water well then apply a lawn feed this should improve things.

 

Thank you.

I've avoided watering my lawn in the post. I think I'd read somewhere that watering encourages a week lawn with shallow roots. Is that incorrect?

If I do start watering, is there a rule of thumb for how often?

And are all lawn fertilisers equal? In other words, are expensive, well-known brands any better than cheap (e.g. supermarket brand) lawn fertilisers?

 

The secret to watering is an uneven pattern. Saturate the lawn, light watering for a day to two then saturate and so on. Too little water is no good as you loose a percentage through evaporation.

as for feeds, there are loads, it you have a small area and are not sure about fertilisers a liquid one would be best.

 

Thanks. This is very helpful.

Just to confirm - I should be watering every day in this dry weather? Until the autumn/rainy weather?

If I want to saturate my lawn (about 2m x 3m) would, say, a couple of minutes with a hose be about right? Then maybe a couple of 10l watering cans of water on the light days?

I've been using liquid feeds, but just cheapos own-brands from the supermarket. Is there any advantage to going with a more expensive brand like Evergreen?

 

Quite a small area, 15 min watering with hose, you can tell when it’s saturated then light hoses then saturate. You don’t have to water every day though, 3 times a week would be fine. Monitor the lawn and take notice of the colour and adjust.

fertilisers, there’s no best brand or type. It’s what is appropriate for the lawn, high nitrogen feeds give growth, low give a more controlled growth, you have seaweed, bio stimulaters, the list goes on. As it’s a very small lawn one way that might be easy is a very simple one which is miracle Gro lawn fertiliser and the miracle Gro hose feed attachment. Very easy to do if you are not sure about rates or methods.
I used it one year to see what results were like and it was fine, I believe you can use a watering can too which to be honest might be best as your lawn is small so saves mixing a large amount. Seaweed is great too for between feeds.
there are so many fertilisers on the market it’s a tad confusing.

 

That's brilliant. Thanks so much.

I went out earlier today and saturated the lawn just as you said. Will water again in a couple of days and see how I get on.