JB wrote:
On Mon, 18 Jul 2005 09:07:25 +0100, CJT
wrote:

Hi,

I've a lawn which was lain about 3 years ago, but has since been
neglected. It's very hard, and has a slight incline which means
that
any watering tends to trickle down and collect at the bottom.

Also, it's getting quite weedy and mossy (plus some dead patches).

So, am i right in thinking that what i really need for restoring
my
lawn is good aeriation? And am i also right in thinking that good
aeriation will allow the lawn to soften, breathe and therefore
produce a stronger grass, which will prevent weeds/moss?

If so, i'd like to acquire some of those shoes with spikes for
walking on the lawn, but can't find them in the usual DIY stores.
Does anybody know where to find them? Or is there a simpler
alternative?

The 'shoes' do not penetrate nearly deeply enough to be any use.
Just
use a garden fork later in the year and then top dress with sharp
sand
/ manure / compost. Its not an instant solution but its cheaper and
more effective than most of the alternatives.

If you have a big area you can get machines to do this but they are
expensive and not worth considering until you are considering an
area
which is a significant fraction of an acre (where significant is a
variable defined by your budget time and enthusiasm)

JB

Anyhow, for most gardens all these things are just another way of
placing a considerable distance between us and our money. A patch of
grass will aerate itself quite nicely, nearly every time, in all the
customary natural ways. If it's struggling for survival on
hard-packed clay subsoil, or has just been trampled over by thousands
of golf-watchers, the labour might be worthwhile; but even then the
grass should win in the end without assistance. I'd just give it a
bit of a feed (when the rains come), do a bit of raking and weeding
maybe, and let nature take its course. Don't mow too short.

So many of the instructions for lawn-maintenance are aimed at an
anorak's text-book perfect result; most of us don't need that, and
half of us wouldn't even notice. I can think of more rewarding
obsessions.

--
Mike.