Last cut of the year?

Did mine at the weekend, highest setting wasnt doing much so I dropped it down halfway and mulched.

Feckin moss is unreal this year, now that the sun is finally hitting the garden over the trees I'm hoping it will burn off a bit....but I also got depressed with it so lashed on some feed'n'weed and will get it all up in a week or so with the scarifier.

I did one section of the garden last autumn with the scarifier and it has zero moss and a lovely coverage of grass...after I scarified it last year it was very bald and I did nothing other than casually overseed (no prep) so Im really going to go after it before Spring kicks in this year.

I dont even want to talk about the moss in the front garden

celticbhoy27 wrote: »

Cut mine today. Alot of moss. Contemplating buying a petrol scarifier
https://www.ebay.ie/itm/Gude-40cm-Petrol-Scarifier-GV-4000-B-5-2-HP-/193323141548
Large garden. Would use it few times a year.

Bit the bullet and purchased. Bought direct from their website and was 20 cheaper. Hopefully get it next week. I'll update to how it fares on its trial run if anybody's intrested. I have an electric one I purchased a few years back which does the job perfectly but dragging cables around a 3/4 acres isn't ideal

ShiverinEskimo wrote: »

Don't be tempted to scarify in the autumn though - all the side shoots grow from august through october. Scarifying cuts and pulls them leaving more room for weeds and harming the grass. Might be common knowledge but worth saying cos I know lots of people scarify away in the autumn.

Autumn is the best time for a deep scarifing run.
You will avoid most of the seeds from weeds finding a home in your newly exposed soil.
There is nothing wrong with pruning the side/creeping shoots, it's actually encourages growth, it's not harming the grass at all.

My lawn is like a small swimming pool it's so wet.

The first min it's dry I'm going to cut and clear the sides...
.

Happy days

ShiverinEskimo wrote: »

Goes against most books I've read on the subject. If you scarify in the spring before weeds are seeding and when the grass is actively growing you'll do far more good than harming the side shoots pre-winter.

What you call harming side shoots is the equivalent to pruning the grass plant. Grass is still growing well in Ireland in autumn, especially September.

Note I'm not saying don't do it in spring, but there is nothing at all wrong with doing it in autumn.

https://www.lawnsmith.co.uk/topic/scarifying-raking/when-to-rake-or-scarify

GreeBo wrote: »

Did mine at the weekend, highest setting wasnt doing much so I dropped it down halfway and mulched.

Feckin moss is unreal this year, now that the sun is finally hitting the garden over the trees I'm hoping it will burn off a bit....but I also got depressed with it so lashed on some feed'n'weed and will get it all up in a week or so with the scarifier.

I did one section of the garden last autumn with the scarifier and it has zero moss and a lovely coverage of grass...after I scarified it last year it was very bald and I did nothing other than casually overseed (no prep) so Im really going to go after it before Spring kicks in this year.

I dont even want to talk about the moss in the front garden

what do you mean when you say casually overseed?

kaiserrussel wrote: »

what do you mean when you say casually overseed?

Fired some grass seed over the area and did nothing else other than water.

GreeBo wrote: »

Fired some grass seed over the area and did nothing else other than water.

would you recommend this approach for a larger lawn?

Haven't seen it in pellet form tbh. I buy it in 25kg bags. It's a fine powder. I spread it then with a drop spreader. I don't really like using it tbh as it stains tarmac so I'm always paranoid some will spill or blow off to the surrounding tarmac. There's another product called mo bacter which eliminates moss but it's very expensive to use on larger gardens.

I can't imagine when I will be able to get the lawnmower out this year.

I was on my gardens a few times recently patching up a perimeter fence which is in need of repair, and they are sodden. Holding so much water.
And with supposedly a months rain to come this weekend, they will be a lot worse.

Will we ever get enough dry and warm weather to dry them out properly?

I have 2 sections to my rear garden, they are on different levels.

Usually the upper level would have been my better quality grass, with the lower level more marshy due to the fact that it is the low point between the surrounding neighbours gardens and a field out back.

The bottom is a disaster this winter. It is very boggy and wet.
However, I walked through the upper bit yesterday and the soil is physically shifting under my feet, it is like walking on hard gel, best way I can describe it.

Has been a terribly wet winter, and they seem to be more common these last few years. I really need a good spring/summer this year.

GreeBo wrote: »

Would you consider building a soakaway pit at the lowest end to dry the grass out?

Good bit of work mind you, but not difficult.

What's involved?

shanec1928 wrote: »

plenty of digging!:D

Pretty much this
And lots of stone !

If you google french drains it will give you an idea
Basically dig channels in lawn (fill them with stone and maybe drainage pipe depending on size of lawn/length of channels )that flow towards the stone filled soak pit
If it’s a small lawn you could do it yourself
If it’s a bigger area then hire a mini digger /man with mini digger

Overall not very costly really if you think it’s going to be worth it

Got it cut yesterday and can’t believe how long it got in 3 weeks. It was unbelievably dry n looks good now. Another storm n deluge tomorrow. ����

awec wrote: »

I cut mine for the first time today on the highest mower setting and I was surprised how yellow it looks in places now and bare.

Is it too early in the year to put down feed and more seed?

Yes it’s too early, hold off another couple of weeks at least