Sowing a lawn
Our lawn was a patch of dandelions and dock leaves. At one time there used to be a border around a rectangular shaped lawn, so there were different ground levels, with a paving slab path going up one side. Our first prerogative was to level the area.
We opted to seed our lawn. There are many brands of lawn seed available, we chose a hardwearing seed, containing rye grass from a local superstore. Having levelled our area, we then sprinkled grass seed over the earth. The best way to get an even distribution is to use garden canes to mark out a square metre. Use 50g of seed per square metre. After the whole area has been covered, gently rake in the seed, working from the far corner, so you are not treading on the seed as you walk backwards. Water the soil. The seed needs water to germinate in the soil. Water the soil in dry weather. Be patient when sowing a lawn from seed as it usually takes three months to get a usable lawn. In the meantime, try to keep off the new grass shoots, as these can be damaged if walked on. Don’t worry if nothing seems to be happening, rest assured, your new seedlings will pop up!
At 7 to 8 weeks, you should see a green hue to the soil; this will be your new lawn. Remember to keep off it as much as possible, and keep it watered in dry weather.
When the grass is about two inches tall, give it a quick mow, keeping your lawnmower at its highest setting. Don’t mow at the shortest cut, as this will only rip out the newly established seed. We noticed that we had a few dips in our lawn; to rectify this we filled the holes with topsoil and simply sprinkled a bit more seed on it.
If you do find that some perennial weeds start to come through, just dig out a divot, remove the weed – making sure the whole root is removed, and replace the turf back to the hole. Over time, perennial weeds such as dandelions, daisies and docks will disappear to reveal a marvellous green lawn. It's amazing what nature can do, with a bit of help from yourself.
Preparation
Prepare the area by removing unwanted paraphernalia. Large stones, broken paving slabs and weeds were all removed. We saved everything we removed; remember we try to recycle as much as possible!
Levelling
Roughly dig over the area. Due to our garden being 90% weed, we decided to take the top layer of growth away. Dig down 6 inches and slice away the turf. We saved our turf for a future date. When the area is ready, use a fork and rake to level the soil. Stoop down and look at it from a worm’s eye view, you should be able to spot any dips or bumps. Firm the soil by walking over it on your heels. It may look silly, but it needs to be done. This squashes out the air in the soil. Gently rake the top layer again.
Seed or Turf?
For an instant lawn, you need to use turf. This can be bought from any good turf retailer. Turf is best laid between autumn and spring, but avoid laying it if the ground is frozen or too muddy. It is best to avoid laying turf in the summer, as the hot weather makes the ground too hard and the roots may not take.
After Care
After the initial first cut, the lawn can then be mowed at regular intervals, with the blades set at about 3cm (1.25 inches). It is best to mow little and often. Don’t wait until the grass is knee high before you mow, as this causes more damage than good. Lawns that get a lot of use need to be fed. This is generally done after mowing, starting in late spring. Using a lawn feed high in nitrogen helps to keep the lawn thick and green. We haven’t fed our lawn as yet, we will however feed it next spring.
Common lawn problems
Worm casts are a common problem in spring. The small earthy casts appear all over the lawn, leaving an uneven finish. Simply wait until the casts are dry, and gently brush them around the lawn before mowing. The worm casts are full of nutrients, which of course are good for the grass.
Moles are a nightmare; even the best gardens become host to these little blighters. The best way to get rid of moles is by using an electronic vibrating device, which creates underground sounds. These devices emit sonic pulses into the ground, which drives moles mad. Moles don’t like disturbance and upon hearing the noise, they simply pack their bags and move on. These devices need to be moved around the garden though.
Fungi rings can appear in the lawn during summer. Known as Fairy rings, these fungi do not actually harm the lawn, they are just not aesthetically pleasing. Fairy rings are quite hard to get rid of, you have to dig to a depth of 1ft, and remove the area. Replace the topsoil and re-seed or re-turf the area.
Moss can appear in any garden. The main cause of moss is poor drainage in the soil or the grass may be in shade for a lot of the time. There are several chemical moss killers available on the market, which will turn the moss black after a while. This can then be raked out and disposed of. If any bare spots appear, simply rake the soil and re-seed. Some grass fertiliser contains moss killer as standard.
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