scarifying

aw · 09-04-2020 4:36pm

Naos wrote: »

Hello Greebo - what would be your opinion on my grass? (Asking as you brought up the photo of the thatched soil above).

We just moved in recently and there's a lot of moss in our garden and it get's very damp when it rains. I thought it was just really bad drainage / I've no clue really so I decided to do a triangular cut as you suggested and here's my findings:

https://imgur.com/a/DGZitkB

The soil looks like a fine clay and the grass is lush and healthy.

A bigger picture of the lawn would help to advise on drainage but you can see a layer of thatch/moss there so a scarifying and a feed would likely help in the short term.

Pious14 · 10-04-2020 8:58pm

Is is still ok to scarify now? Weather has been warm. Thinking of purchasing and scarifying in next two weeks

ratracer · 10-04-2020 10:11pm

I’ve read this thread with great interest this evening . Some very knowledgeable posters have given great advice. I am just after treating my lawn to Liquid Zero and then Ozmo Moss killer. It is the first time in years I have tried to treat the moss/ thatch but it had gotten out of hand.

Would this be a useful investment for me:

https://lawnmowerpartsonline.ie/product/agri-fab-40-towed-tine-dethatcher-45-02941

Even before Covid restrictions came in, I had decided to invest time in my lawns this year.
Images attached are before treatment and then 3-4 days later, earlier this week.

Zardoz · 10-04-2020 11:56pm

I have an Aldi scarifier and its good ,the raking option gets up alot of stuff.
I wouldnt recommend the blade option .
I used that on the lawn a few years back and it was far too severe ,the lawn never recovered.

I scarified the front lawn over the last few days ,bloody hard work .
Mountains of stuff to collect as the bag on the scarifier is rubbish.
Did 2 runs ,3 in places .
Used the mower to collect the grass but may have cut it a bit too low in hindsight.

Think I might have overdone it as it looks very yellow now ,its infested with moss as I didnt use enough iron sulphate last year and the moss increased after scarifying.
I'd almost no moss the year before but it comes back quickly.

Going to use 5g of ferrous sulphate per square metre tomorrow ,hard to apply in as it constantly clogs the watering can.
Cant use a sprayer as it clogs that even worse.

uck51js9zml2yt · 11-04-2020 12:37am

Zardoz wrote: »

I have an Aldi scarifier and its good ,the raking option gets up alot of stuff.
I wouldnt recommend the blade option .
I used that on the lawn a few years back and it was far too severe ,the lawn never recovered.

I scarified the front lawn over the last few days ,bloody hard work .
Mountains of stuff to collect as the bag on the scarifier is rubbish.
Did 2 runs ,3 in places .
Used the mower to collect the grass but may have cut it a bit too low in hindsight.

Think I might have overdone it as it looks very yellow now ,its infested with moss as I didnt use enough iron sulphate last year and the moss increased after scarifying.
I'd almost no moss the year before but it comes back quickly.

Going to use 5g of ferrous sulphate per square metre tomorrow ,hard to apply in as it constantly clogs the watering can.
Cant use a sprayer as it clogs that even worse.

Would a very light dusting work before rain?

Zardoz · 11-04-2020 2:44am

Keira Wrong Pirate wrote: »

Would a very light dusting work before rain?

You mean applying as a powder?
I never tried that, I always mixed with water and applied as a liquid.

Nigzcurran · 11-04-2020 12:04pm

I picked up an aldi scarifier and did my small back garden about 3 weeks ago, threw a load of seed down in the really bare patches and its finally starting to sprout now, hopefully the weather over the nest week will get it going properly

Nigzcurran · 11-04-2020 12:08pm

Another one

Nigzcurran · 11-04-2020 12:10pm

Another one

Nigzcurran · 11-04-2020 12:12pm

Another one

Nigzcurran · 11-04-2020 12:12pm

Sorry they are all in mixed order!

GreeBo · 11-04-2020 2:36pm

Keep watering that seed daily, it's bone dry these days and seed will die quickly when it's young

GreeBo · 11-04-2020 2:40pm

damienf1 wrote: »

Thanks definitely think need some lawn dressing not sure where get bags of this yet or how much i will need what best lawn fertilizer to use after i put laen dressing down? Also what about some lime would that help.thanks

Aldi and Lidl have bags of compost at the moment
You might get feed and weed from woodies online if you are lucky

Zardoz wrote: »

I have an Aldi scarifier and its good ,the raking option gets up alot of stuff.
I wouldnt recommend the blade option .
I used that on the lawn a few years back and it was far too severe ,the lawn never recovered.

I scarified the front lawn over the last few days ,bloody hard work .
Mountains of stuff to collect as the bag on the scarifier is rubbish.
Did 2 runs ,3 in places .
Used the mower to collect the grass but may have cut it a bit too low in hindsight.

Think I might have overdone it as it looks very yellow now ,its infested with moss as I didnt use enough iron sulphate last year and the moss increased after scarifying.
I'd almost no moss the year before but it comes back quickly.

Going to use 5g of ferrous sulphate per square metre tomorrow ,hard to apply in as it constantly clogs the watering can.
Cant use a sprayer as it clogs that even worse.

Don't worry about it looking yellow and bare, that just means you had a lot of moss and thatch to remove. Leaving it there is s band aid.

Use the blade for thatch and the tale for moss.
Apply moss killer afterwards, to get what's left behind.

Hebe you considered hiring an aerator? Persistent moss sings like a drainage issue... This is your garden for shade?

Zardoz · 11-04-2020 3:15pm

GreeBo wrote: »

Don't worry about it looking yellow and bare, that just means you had a lot of moss and thatch to remove. Leaving it there is s band aid.

Use the blade for thatch and the tale for moss.
Apply moss killer afterwards, to get what's left behind.

Hebe you considered hiring an aerator? Persistent moss sings like a drainage issue... This is your garden for shade?

Thanks Greebo.
It looks a bit better this morning ,the rain tomorrow will help and I will get the iron sulphate and fertiliser on then and it should come on.

I tried to hire an aerator a number of time in the past but I couldn't find any locally ,nearest place was 25 miles and they wouldn't deliver.
I think thats what I badly need ,maybe I can borrow one from the golf club nearby .:D

I've alot of trees on my site ,some huge ones out the front ,beech and pine.
Drainage is good ,the soil is heavy though and heavily compacted .

The funny thing is the area under the trees has hardly any moss ,I overseeded that a numbr of years back and its nice green grass.

Its the middle of the lawn thats all moss ,I think I didnt use a high enough dosage of iron sulphate in previous treatments ,only 2g/ square metre .
Plus anytime I scarify it signals the start of a dry spell that lasts for 3-4 weeks ,I'm kind of cursed in that regard ,it stresses the grass too much .
I probably did more harm than good some years.

Pious14 · 13-04-2020 8:36pm

Is it too late to scarify

Daisy 55 · 13-04-2020 9:44pm

No. Ground is nice condition to do it. Not too dry or too wet. From the weather today looks dry till third a day at the earliest. Would need rain soon after finishing it. If the garden not too big you could give it a good watering at dusk a couple of times to help growing. I did mine 2 weeks ago and it’s only now starting to come back green.

Pious14 · 13-04-2020 10:05pm

Thanks. It’s about 1/2 - 3/4 acre lawn. Will be using ride on tow scarifier. Probably won’t have it until next week. I assume any time I’m April should be ok?

GreeBo · 13-04-2020 11:22pm

Pious14 wrote: »

Thanks. It’s about 1/2 - 3/4 acre lawn. Will be using ride on tow scarifier. Probably won’t have it until next week. I assume any time I’m April should be ok?

Other than it taking longer to recover, you won't really do any lasting damage regardless of when you scarify in Ireland.

Obviously if you tear it back to bare earth then you are in trouble, but same is true any time of the year!

Pious14 · 13-04-2020 11:28pm

GreeBo wrote: »

Other than it taking longer to recover, you won't really do any lasting damage regardless of when you scarify in Ireland.

Obviously if you tear it back to bare earth then you are in trouble, but same is true any time of the year!

Great thanks very much

secman · 13-04-2020 11:30pm

Cut the grass on Friday and collected approx 1.25 bin loads of grass. Scarified on Sat and with the ride on at same setting collected 8 bin loads of thatch. Ready for a feed and weed dressing now but can't get any

with the lockdown. Need 3 sacks of it.

GreeBo · 13-04-2020 11:36pm

secman wrote: »

Cut the grass on Friday and collected approx 1.25 bin loads of grass. Scarified on Sat and with the ride on at same setting collected 8 bin loads of thatch. Ready for a feed and weed dressing now but can't get any with the lockdown. Need 3 sacks of it.

I'm the same but it's seed I need for overseeding

jtown · 14-04-2020 8:58pm

jtown wrote: »

Ordered mine Monday on Amazon so hopefully will have it next few weeks.... Something to keep me busy for a few days
:D

Got it and straight out to the front lawn - Was at it 1h 30 mins and have a skip bag full already! Amazing how much stuff comes up!!

When finished should I spray with iron sulphate and then reseed?

Zzippy · 14-04-2020 9:11pm

secman wrote: »

Cut the grass on Friday and collected approx 1.25 bin loads of grass. Scarified on Sat and with the ride on at same setting collected 8 bin loads of thatch. Ready for a feed and weed dressing now but can't get any with the lockdown. Need 3 sacks of it.

GreeBo wrote: »

I'm the same but it's seed I need for overseeding

Try local garden centres - they are closed but many are taking online/phone orders for delivery. I got both last week from a local garden centre here in Galway.

GreeBo · 15-04-2020 9:42am

jtown wrote: »

Got it and straight out to the front lawn - Was at it 1h 30 mins and have a skip bag full already! Amazing how much stuff comes up!!

When finished should I spray with iron sulphate and then reseed?

Do you have any moss left? If you have heavily dethatched then you shouldnt really have any moss.

How bare is the lawn now? If its pretty thin you will need to think about top dressing before you sow any seed to give the seed something to grow in (and stay moist)
You could apply a light fertilizer when you sow, but anything too strong will kill the new seedlings.

I'd probably just wait and apply a feed+weed in a month or so, when the new seeds are more established and you can see if you have a weed/moss problem.

jtown · 15-04-2020 9:51am

GreeBo wrote: »

Do you have any moss left? If you have heavily dethatched then you shouldnt really have any moss.

How bare is the lawn now? If its pretty thin you will need to think about top dressing before you sow any seed to give the seed something to grow in (and stay moist)
You could apply a light fertilizer when you sow, but anything too strong will kill the new seedlings.

I'd probably just wait and apply a feed+weed in a month or so, when the new seeds are more established and you can see if you have a weed/moss problem.

Yes bits and pieces left - was just going to kill the remainder...
Might top dress first alright - and sow new seeds and wait a month or so...

Good call

jtown · 15-04-2020 9:59am

Some pictures of my little project...

Before:
https://imgur.com/kJgnwar
https://imgur.com/OFbAyiT
https://imgur.com/8VK5E63
https://imgur.com/YzcJ05k

During
https://imgur.com/uMX48lD
https://imgur.com/OZ9VKaN
https://imgur.com/02KWDYu

After.......

Grats · 15-04-2020 11:49am

jtown wrote: »

Some pictures of my little project...

Before:
https://imgur.com/kJgnwar
https://imgur.com/OFbAyiT
https://imgur.com/8VK5E63
https://imgur.com/YzcJ05k

During
https://imgur.com/uMX48lD
https://imgur.com/OZ9VKaN
https://imgur.com/02KWDYu

After.......

Hard work done. The "after" will be the easiest but.

How did the scarifier behave? Would you recommend it? Where did you purchase!?

jtown · 15-04-2020 12:00pm

Grats wrote: »

Hard work done. The "after" will be the easiest but.

How did the scarifier behave? Would you recommend it? Where did you purchase!?

scarifier bought on Amazon - probably too small for my large lawn but does the job for the money - its a powerful for the money - will know in a few days if worth it - I can be working away - Managed the get lawn seed this morning so happy days

Grats · 15-04-2020 12:03pm

jtown wrote: »

scarifier bought on Amazon - probably too small for my large lawn but does the job for the money - its a powerful for the money - will know in a few days if worth it - I can be working away - Managed the get lawn seed this morning so happy days

Many thanks for reply. Sounds good to me. I had intended hiring one, like I did previously, but virus ended that. Perfect weather for scarifying. What model is it? I'm very interested in buying one. Any problem getting it delivered?

jtown · 15-04-2020 12:06pm

Grats wrote: »

Many thanks for reply. Sounds good to me. I had intended hiring one, like I did previously, but virus ended that. Perfect weather for scarifying. What model is it? I'm very interested in buying one. Any problem getting it delivered?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00170NWP2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Ordered the 6th and arrived yesterday - Depending on how big your lawn is, I was advised to rent one but again the virus put a stop to that also. Will take longer to get it done but sure have more time to be doing the few jobs.

scarifying

Comments