Start again?

david75

So my lawn has been terrorised Iver the winter by my dog(who also uses it as a toilet despite my best efforts)
Should I dig around the existing grass and sow seed or just start again?
I'm hoping there's an existing network that'll wake up soon as the warm weather comes in.

Norfolk Enchants_

You could chance giving the ground (bare patches) a rub of a rake to break up the top inch or so and then apply a sand and seed mix and lightly rake in and see how you get on.
Alternatively redo the whole area by spraying with a weedkiller and start from scratch.

looksee

It rather looks as though the grass that is there is scutch, which is dog-proof, pretty well, but not a lot else to be said for it. If you sow seed you will get a patchy mixture of lawn grass and scutch, this actually describes most back garden lawns, so it depends on what kind of quality you want :-)

Norfolk Enchants_

looksee wrote: »

It rather looks as though the grass that is there is scutch, which is dog-proof, pretty well, but not a lot else to be said for it. If you sow seed you will get a patchy mixture of lawn grass and scutch, this actually describes most back garden lawns, so it depends on what kind of quality you want :-)

You're right there is some scutch there too, in that case he'd be better off redoing the whole area from scratch.

david75

My OCD wont allow me take a chance I was gonna try that take idea but its a faint hope it would really work. This lawn needs to be tough it gets a lot of abuse.
I'll start again.
Thanks lads

redser7

You can get different types of grass. Look into that and try get a hard-wearing mix of seed. A type used on sports pitches maybe.

peadar76

What's the best way to get rid of patches of skutch grass in an established lawn? I was going to dig it out
and use a lawn repair mixture on the patches. Any other suggestions?

redser7

Slash it criss-cross with a kitchen knife and remove what you can. Keep at it and sow new seed in its place once its gone.

peadar76

Cheers, I'll give that a go

tampopo

I'd say digging it out would be more effective in the short and longterm....

david75

Have this all dug out and it's been sitting for a few days.
Going in endless circles trying to remove all the pebbles, broken delph, roots but I'm gonna sow the seed today. It's nowhere near as level as I'd like it but its much much better than it was.

redser7

Fab job. Key thing is to make sure the seed doesn't have a dry day. So if there is no rain give it a light watering with a hose/ sprinkler each evening. Windy days can dry out the soil surface too so make allowances for that.

david75

Will do redser thanks.
I tried a little experiment with my own and have been watering it with miracle gro. This is only two weeks old. It's coming up patchy but it'll balance out of I hope it will

tampopo

ah it will, it'll get better. Good job anyway. Well done.... well done indeed.....

david75

follow up..this is me elderly neighbours yard i resowed last month..just gave it a cut today
its not st andrews but its ok..bit patchy but ill fix that.


this is it exactly 1 month ago(19 april) so that miracle gro stuff does work...



me own worked out well..i'll be all over it this year so i dont have to do this again next year

chopper6

You have very good soil...lookig at the wall behind it looks like you may be living on what was once an orchard or something similar..am i right?

david75

I'm not sure Chopper? there are no apple trees here now sadly. These houses are really old and the wall is even older, theres some massive oak trees on the far side, thats all i know. And the soil is very very dark, almost black..not sure if thats a good or bad thing?

chopper6

david75 wrote: »

I'm not sure Chopper? there are no apple trees here now sadly. These houses are really old and the wall is even older, theres some massive oak trees on the far side, thats all i know. And the soil is very very dark, almost black..not sure if thats a good or bad thing?

Dark,sandy soil like that is a godsend. It's full of nutrients and vey easy to work with...no tendency to form clumps for example.

It's obviously been tilled for many decades and either grew fruit or vegetables i reckon.

david75

I'll look it up. You might well be right!