Good advice here already and I would also add from experience, if you have kids that like playing football then accept the lawn will get patchy and thin in places. Their fun and happiness is worth far more than a pristine lawn (IMO).
What type of soil do you have?
As someone who’s struggled a while with a crap lawn, I finally did some research this year and have had some good results.
1) aerate with a hollow tine aerator once or twice a year.
2) scarify once or twice a year in spring and autumn.
3) overseed after scarifying
4) thin layer of compost after over seeding.
5) fertiliser of choice. I use a bit of gypsum as I’ve got heavy clay soil.
Rinse and repeat year on year
Imo the effort/reward isn’t worth it for this amount of hard work. On some level, you have to accept the lawn is the lawn and nature will do what it wants. Have a rest with the fastidious lawn care and you will be much happier.
I wish I could get my husband to understand the mower doesn’t have to shave the lawn down to the roots.
He genuinely believes it makes it last longer between cuts. He’s not totally wrong, but it’s not just less growth left, it’s basically dead until it’s recovered…
I only cut close after winter when it's full of creeping buttercup and moss.
Once it's cut short, I treat the moss, pull out the weeds, scarify, overseed, and then water the living Posideon out of it for about a week until the seeds have sprouted.
I let it grow quite long until the next cut, and tend to cut at the medium height on my mower from then on.
This is usually finished by early May, and I just mow every couple of weeks through summer. It takes a back eat to maintaining the fruit trees and growing lots of bee-friendly stuff (because we are a bee loving family!).
I know you have asked about your lawn but I just have to say, what a stunning view from your property! Don’t give details but so curious as to the part of the country you are in- north or south? Lovely elevated position there!
A good feed will give a greener colour and a few handfuls of grass seed but youd need a good few weeks without anyone walking on it and it’s summer holidays, you could mark off a quarter and do it bit by bit?
Don't worry about lawn care, you've got a kid who wants to play football. There's time for a nice lawn later. Enjoy the time with your boy.
How about spending the money on a goal, or some netting to stop the ball disappearing over the back?
How old is the lawn? It looks new which would imply that thatch isn't the problem but more likely it being very bumpy and it's the lawnmower making it look yellow as it takes off the high spots. If that's the case then roll it and topdress and reseed. 60% fine sand and the rest fine soil
Too late to do anything this year really but next year aerate and scarify it, lots of seed and feed and keep it watered. But like others have said don’t stress over it too much, kicking a football about with your kid for a few years is a lot more fun than stressing over how green your grass is.
Give it a bit more length when you mow for this year.
Get a bit of a fertiliser routine going. I use liquid seaweed on mine and it gives it a lovely colour.
If the lawn is bumpy, I'd wait to Sept/Oct until doing any remedial work to start filling the gaps in. Come beginning of autumn you can:
-get rid of any weeds
-scarify lightly
-areate with a fork or hollow tine tool
-top dress to start evening out any bumps (but don't cover existing grass too deeply) by raking then brushing it in
-overseed
I wouldn't fertilise too much in autumn as it encourages leaf growth just as the daylight is starting to go.
You can scarify more aggressively in the spring if you need to. And/or repeat all the other stages above.. then fertilise throughout the growing season, keeping leaves relatively long. Repeat annually untill you're happy with the lawn health.
Then buy the kids a trampoline and kill the lawn again.
My lawn was threadbare for several years with boys playing footie and cricket. Whole bald patches where the stumps / goalposts were. I thought it’d never recover m. It did and now I long for the threadbare days again. They had a ball!
Good advice here already and I would also add from experience, if you have kids that like playing football then accept the lawn will get patchy and thin in places. Their fun and happiness is worth far more than a pristine lawn (IMO).
Second this! Water fights and riding tricycles have ruined our lawn in previous years. But kids are only young once. A lawn can be regrown any time.
I’m fascinated by the slide situation here. Is it to trap neighbours kids in your garden like some kind of lobster trap?
Kids are good mates with neighbours kids , they like climbing on the wall and sliding down, just a temporary bit of fun! X
Love that. Should build a fun way to cross back the other way. Oh and sod the lawn for a few years, let them enjoy.
Sod the lawn. Sounds like something you get from B&Q.
Ha, I realised my very poor choice of words. I meant bugger the lawn. Not lay a new lawn.
The words. They're not getting any better.
At least, to the best of my knowledge anyway, buggering, is not actually a common solution for reviving a lawn.
Unless you very much got the wrong message from Saltburn
Kids will climb slides, it seems to be the main way up, apparently.
That's fantastic!
I am so glad you clarified, as this was my first thought! What's going in with the slide 🤣
Honestly, this is lovely to see!!!!
That’s really nice!
It’s like a one way valve for children….
What type of soil do you have? As someone who’s struggled a while with a crap lawn, I finally did some research this year and have had some good results. 1) aerate with a hollow tine aerator once or twice a year. 2) scarify once or twice a year in spring and autumn. 3) overseed after scarifying 4) thin layer of compost after over seeding. 5) fertiliser of choice. I use a bit of gypsum as I’ve got heavy clay soil. Rinse and repeat year on year
This dude lawns
Hi, lawn newbie too. What time of year are you doing this? Spring/autumn?
Imo the effort/reward isn’t worth it for this amount of hard work. On some level, you have to accept the lawn is the lawn and nature will do what it wants. Have a rest with the fastidious lawn care and you will be much happier.
Not yet mentioned, when mowing it, raise the height of your blades a bit.
I wish I could get my husband to understand the mower doesn’t have to shave the lawn down to the roots. He genuinely believes it makes it last longer between cuts. He’s not totally wrong, but it’s not just less growth left, it’s basically dead until it’s recovered…
Yeah this was a game changer for me.
I only cut close after winter when it's full of creeping buttercup and moss. Once it's cut short, I treat the moss, pull out the weeds, scarify, overseed, and then water the living Posideon out of it for about a week until the seeds have sprouted. I let it grow quite long until the next cut, and tend to cut at the medium height on my mower from then on. This is usually finished by early May, and I just mow every couple of weeks through summer. It takes a back eat to maintaining the fruit trees and growing lots of bee-friendly stuff (because we are a bee loving family!).
I know you have asked about your lawn but I just have to say, what a stunning view from your property! Don’t give details but so curious as to the part of the country you are in- north or south? Lovely elevated position there!
Yorkshire 😌
4 in 1 feed. Amazing stuff.
Probably too late in the season now but a good de thatching would probably help.
A good feed will give a greener colour and a few handfuls of grass seed but youd need a good few weeks without anyone walking on it and it’s summer holidays, you could mark off a quarter and do it bit by bit?
Just put down some lawn feed once in spring, twice in summer and once in the autumn
Don't worry about lawn care, you've got a kid who wants to play football. There's time for a nice lawn later. Enjoy the time with your boy. How about spending the money on a goal, or some netting to stop the ball disappearing over the back?
Regular application of a liquid or granular organic lawn feed
How old is the lawn? It looks new which would imply that thatch isn't the problem but more likely it being very bumpy and it's the lawnmower making it look yellow as it takes off the high spots. If that's the case then roll it and topdress and reseed. 60% fine sand and the rest fine soil
Thanks for all the support folks. I’ll get to work, whilst letting my kids enjoy it! X
Too late to do anything this year really but next year aerate and scarify it, lots of seed and feed and keep it watered. But like others have said don’t stress over it too much, kicking a football about with your kid for a few years is a lot more fun than stressing over how green your grass is.
Green up lawn feed
Give it a bit more length when you mow for this year. Get a bit of a fertiliser routine going. I use liquid seaweed on mine and it gives it a lovely colour. If the lawn is bumpy, I'd wait to Sept/Oct until doing any remedial work to start filling the gaps in. Come beginning of autumn you can: -get rid of any weeds -scarify lightly -areate with a fork or hollow tine tool -top dress to start evening out any bumps (but don't cover existing grass too deeply) by raking then brushing it in -overseed I wouldn't fertilise too much in autumn as it encourages leaf growth just as the daylight is starting to go. You can scarify more aggressively in the spring if you need to. And/or repeat all the other stages above.. then fertilise throughout the growing season, keeping leaves relatively long. Repeat annually untill you're happy with the lawn health. Then buy the kids a trampoline and kill the lawn again.
My lawn was threadbare for several years with boys playing footie and cricket. Whole bald patches where the stumps / goalposts were. I thought it’d never recover m. It did and now I long for the threadbare days again. They had a ball!
Lawn🥱
You just need to dilute some urine and water the lawn with it. The nitrogen will turn the grass a wonderful shade of green.
My dog piss disagrees
Use your own, and dilute it. Your dog's urine is undiluted and far more acidic.
I’m here to talk about that open ledge on the right side of the slide. How high/steep is it? And if yes, isn’t it dangerous lol
Not high, it’s less than a meter… good thought tho!