Reviving lawn plan

colm_c

My lawn is a bad state, dandelions, docs and moss, mostly from neglect by the previous owners of the house.

I'm planning to tackle it this summer, and with kids about I'd prefer not to use chemicals.

Here's the steps I think I need
- mowing every week
- pulling weeds up using a weed tool that takes roots and all
- mo bacter for the moss
- scarify
- fill any bumps/weed holes with a sand/soil/seed
- reseed entire lawn (including fertiliser)

Are these the right steps/order?

My lawn is fairly small < 25 sq metres, if that makes any difference.

worker bee

ease up on the mowing slightly. Every 2 weeks while it's recovering.

All that sounds grand though.

The chemical feeds and weed killers aren't good for kids or pets - until they have been rained in. As far as I understand they are fine once you've had a good day or two of strong rain. Obviously not for eating the grass but walking on should be grand.

my3cents

worker bee wrote: »

ease up on the mowing slightly. Every 2 weeks while it's recovering.

All that sounds grand though.

The chemical feeds and weed killers aren't good for kids or pets - until they have been rained in. As far as I understand they are fine once you've had a good day or two of strong rain. Obviously not for eating the grass but walking on should be grand.

Last thing I'd do, if anything I'd mow more often.

The grasses you want in the lawn will take regular mowing the grasses you don't want love to be left an extra week so they can out compete the grasses you do want. You can raise the height a little if you like but I'd stick with around 50mm.

Its a very small area so worth running a springbok rake over before cutting to raise up weeds like buttercup to help stop them spreading.

Clumps of weeds like daisies can be slashed before cutting with a sharp edging iron.

colm_c

my3cents wrote: »

Last thing I'd do, if anything I'd mow more often.

The grasses you want in the lawn will take regular mowing the grasses you don't want love to be left an extra week so they can out compete the grasses you do want. You can raise the height a little if you like but I'd stick with around 50mm.

Its a very small area so worth running a springbok rake over before cutting to raise up weeds like buttercup to help stop them spreading.

Clumps of weeds like daisies can be slashed before cutting with a sharp edging iron.

Raking before mowing, nice idea.

standardg60

Yep regular mowing at an increased height is the answer. Most people cut their lawns too short to save on frequency but this only encourages moss. Docks won't survive regular cutting, dandelions can be forked up. Do consider an organic feed as a well fed lawn is moss's biggest enemy.

standardg60

It certainly wouldn't do any harm. Winter frosts will also help to break up any clumps. But if the soil is really bad you'll probably have to consider adding a couple of inches of topsoil to get a decent lawn.