Where to start?
thecubes
Posts: 1
Hi, I have a rectangular garden (10m x 5m) that was once a lawn but is now just an overgrown tangle of weeds and moss with very little actual grass. Yesterday I used a strimmer to cut it down (it was about 1m high) but now I'm not sure what to do next. There are some very tall weeds with yellow flowers on top that the strimmer didn't touch and the ground is very uneven - there are some ground nesting bees in part. I hope to have some lawn, some planted borders and a small patio area for seating. The corner below where I am standing to take the picture gets no sun at all and is very buggy and cornered in moss. Any help/advice for what to do next would be gratefully received. Thanks
????
0
Posts
Pull or fork out the weeds you can get hold of then smooth down the soil. Using a large garden fork, go over the entire space pushing it in as far as you can and then wiggle back and forth to enlarge the holes. This will improve aeration to grass roots and also drainage. Brush on some sharp sand - not builders' sand - so it goes into the holes and keeps them open. Poor draiange and compacted soil encourage moss.
In September, apply a Weed and Feed mix - available at DIYs and garden centres but do read the instructions about dosage and weather conditions or you may regret it. If that ends up leaving you with little or no grass left, rake away all the resulting debris and thatch then rake the surface to loosen it and sow fresh grass seed in September. Leave to germinate and grow a couple of inches before its first cut and then mow it on the highest blade setting. Longer grass makes stronger roots for getting thru winter.
Alternatively, just dig the whole thing over completely removing all roots as you go then rake level, firm by trampling with your boot heels, rake again and sow fresh seed or lay turves in September. Plenty of info on making lawns on the RHS website.
"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
Which translates as "Use the recommended dosage and no more!" Do not think that if a dosage of y per square metre is good, two times y will be twice as good. It doesn't work that way. Do a search on this site for 'My lawn has gone black' if you require further confirmation.
Exactly. If you are thinking of creating flower beds or veggie beds, map out where the sun shines and then doodle some shapes on paper to get a pleasing effect. Then use a hosepipe or dry sand poured form a bottle to mark out the shapes and go and look at them from all angles, including upstairs windows to make sure they please.
Then prepare the soil well, digging to at least a spade's depth and adding lots of well rooted garden compost and/or manure to improve its composition and bring it back to life. Let it settle a week or two then plant according to how much sun it gets. No point putting shade lovers in full sun and vice versa or ericaceous plants in limey soil.
.
"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw