How to revive an appalling lawn

Mr Dean

Good afternoon all.

We've just purchased our first home and after several hours strimming through the undergrowth, we have finally revealed a terrible lawn filled with ant nexts and resembling Day 5 of a cricket test wicket (with a little bit of straw on top!).

I'm not expecting a quick fix but was wondering if anyone has any tips, dates, step by step guide for the forthcoming year or so that by next summer, we may actually have a lawn to admire in the back garden?

Any help or advice appreciated.

Fairygirl

Can't add much to that Mr Dean! My grass here was very neglected when I moved in in February- very little grass and mainly buttercups, clover,dandelions and daisies. I did pretty much what Verdun has said re weed and feed and regular cutting and it now looks great - just the odd little patch of clover and a daisy or two. I didn't even need to seed it as the grass moved into the bare bits. It's had no water (other than the little rain we had) during the heatwave either. Yours sounds like it would need  a bit more work than mine but it's amzing how quickly you can revive it with a llittle effort! 

Alan4711

had the same prob not long ago, i gave it a 25 to 1 mix of Nettle tea and watered it well in, did the trick nice and green, grass loves it, so did the Hydrangea that was cut to ground level after 10 years of neglect,it is now 3 feet high, deep dark green very strong and hopefully ready to flower next year and free.

ramsey dog

A Good dose of fertiliser, keep it well watered and roll & mow it. The fertiliser, preferably a 10-5-5 mix will get the plant greening up and growing roots, while the rolling and mowing will get the plants tillering and filling out. If very patchy then maybe put some seed down, but the main trick is to keep it wet! i got some lawn fertiliser from agrigem (available on google) and it arrived next day and my lawn has gone from yellow to lush green in under two weeks!

fidgetbones

Actually, methink ramsey dog works for Agrigem

Fairygirl

Alan - when you say nettle tea are you meaning nettles done the same way as comfrey ie soaking in water in a container? I've never thought of using that for lawn feed, but of course  the nitrogen promotes 'green' growth so it makes sense doesn't it?

Verd I didn't even use a good one -B&Q's own! 

Timing's important too - I got it done before all the dry hot weather so the grass wasn't under a lot of stress.