Lawn newbie needs to check that google is right.

[BigIan]

Hi all,

I moved last autumn and bought my first house with a garden. I`m quite happy with the garden as it is, lots of flowering shrubs and a few trees, the lawn looks a little worse for wear so i`ve been looking at how best to fix this. the problems are:

1) LOTS of moss in the lawn. 2)compacted soil (when i water it in the evening the water very quicly pools) 3) Various weeds such as dandilions 4) Bald patches, some of these can be attributed to me getting used to my new garden tools others to the alliopathic effects of nearby trees, but the previous house owner had a dog and i`m assuming that this could be the cause of such patches.

My basic plan is 3 fold;

1) airate the soil using a garden fork. (how far apart should put the holes?) 2) proprietary lawnfeed/moss killer 3) lots of hard work with the rake to remove dead moss and thatch.

I`ll also over seed the lawn at a later date.

Does any one else have any tips?

[Frank]

"Lots of moss" often means high acidity so you may need to lime instead of using moss killer.

[BigIan]

Thanks guys,

how does one "lime" the soil? as surely the lime would burn the living plant matter?

I added some weed/feed stuff yesterday and after popping out this morning I noticed that all the moss seems to be turning black.

So seems like i`m on to a winner, only problem is I know I now have many hours of raking it out ahead of me.

[BigIan]

Ahhh Good job I checked that, I`ll have a look and see how its doing by the end of the year and if its still moss infested i`ll have a look at lime next year.

I`m quite enjoying the hard work.

[trader4]

At garden shops or online you can find simple soil test kits that will let you test the soil PH. You don't say the area involved, but aerating by hand anything but the smallest areas isn't practical. I'd rent a core aerator from a tool rental place. That takes out plugs about 5/8" in diameter and 2 inches deep. It also obviously REMOVES soil to open it up, where as using a fork creates tiny holes by pushing the soil to the side, ie compacting it elsewhere.

After core aeration, I'd consider topdressing with a mix of humus, which could be one or more of topsoil, peat moss, compost, sand , etc, depending on what the compostion is of what you have now, what you have available locally, etc. You also might want to wait to do the above until Fall and re-seed at the same time. If you have crap grass and want a nice, uniform lawn, might be best to kill it all off with Roundup in late summer, then renovate.

[BigIan]

I`ve already done the airation with a fork, and dethatched the lawn with a rake, it took me 2-3 days but its done. and as a poor student I truly can`t afford to buy/hire expencive equipment.

[rogerbinyy]

I added some weed/feed being bygone and afterwards bustling out this morning I noticed that all the moss seems to be axis black. So seems like i`m on to a winner, alone botheration is I apperceive I now accept abounding hours of raking it out advanced of me.