Dave 123
Legendary Member
- Location
- Cambridgeshire alps
For getting rid of cats (the nice way) orange peel and chilli powder.
I would dig up the worst bit in the foreground and lay chuckies (little stones) and put some planters with shade loving plants there. The remainder I would Astro turf, shouldn't be too expensive for a small area .I think the builder's a bit of a red herring tbh, and the drainage. Here's a picture from a different angle:
View attachment 118118
It's the patchy bits in the foreground and under the bush at back left which concern me most. My preferred course of action I think would be to reseed it, but I would like to know how, when and what with. Anything that involves major upheaval or expense simply isn't an option, so no digging up for additional drainage etc. This was done two years ago and isn't necessary I think.
That sounds like a plan. Is there any particular type of seed I should buy? I'm guessing one for shaded areas would be best. And is there a regime for overseeding? Do I just sprinkle the seed/sand/soil mixture down after mowing and raking what's already there?@winjim
Grass seed will only germinate in temps above 10°c, unless you get some specialist seed like I have at work that will germinate down at 4°c. It's expensive and comes in 20kg sacks!
In the meantime either get a normal garden fork, or a hollow tine fork that removes cores from the soil. After this brush in either sharp sand or cat litter. The grass roots will grow down the edges of the holes deeper, this makes the grass more robust, drought tolerant and greener.
At the end of March buy some seed and oversees the whole lot. Mix it with sharp sand and some sieved topsoil.
You will need to keep the birds off it. They love grass seed.That sounds like a plan. Is there any particular type of seed I should buy? I'm guessing one for shaded areas would be best. And is there a regime for overseeding? Do I just sprinkle the seed/sand/soil mixture down after mowing and raking what's already there?
Yes I spent weeks feeding them before I realised why it wasn't germinating!You will need to keep the birds off it. They love grass seed.
That's sort of what I'm asking how to do.If you returf it, are you prepared to maintain it i.e cut it, air it and if necessary feed it?
Not an option.If not I would seriously look at plastic grass.
The cats should see to that. They do occasionally have their uses.You will need to keep the birds off it. They love grass seed.
Try killing it!Just chuck a shed load of grass seed and fertiliser on it, and walk away for a few months.
View attachment 118172 Our little remaining piece of grass was a real mess.
We got a scarifier to lift the moss, etc. Made lots of holes in the ground to air it, put down sand and grass seeds.
Lots of watering and aerating seemed to do the trick.
I cut some of the lawn away to make a flower bed, added a wee bit of interest and made what was left of the the lawn look a bit bigger.
Is it any good? I notice it has fewer members than here, are they all the same people?
Basically I have just one question I need to ask, but if I can get a sensible answer to it here then I won't bother faffing about joining another forum which I probably won't regularly contribute to. If on the other hand, the gardening forum is populated by uniquely gifted quasi-mystical gardening shamen who never venture out and will only pass on their wisdom to the chosen few who are courageous enough to venture over their threshold, then I might have to give it a go.
That sounds like a plan. Is there any particular type of seed I should buy? I'm guessing one for shaded areas would be best. And is there a regime for overseeding? Do I just sprinkle the seed/sand/soil mixture down after mowing and raking what's already there?