GardenBanter.co.uk - View Single Post

Baz[_3_] · 31-10-2011, 11:57 AM posted to uk.rec.gardening

Another John wrote in news:lalaw44-
lid:

Our lawn is pretty rubbish now, especially after the soaking summer up
here (near Hadrian's Wall). The soil is clay. The lawn is old (35+
years), but gets pretty well cared for.

The moss is grabbing an early hold this year. I could rake it out, but
there are a good 4 months before the grass can fight it off again....
should I bother treating and raking moss at this time of year?

I'd like to give the lawn some treatment this Autumn, **if it would do
any good**. I'm *very* well aware that the Garden Centres market
"Autumn Dressing" at this time, but I'm always suspicious that these
things are more in the interest of profits than gardens. (Am I
over-sceptical?)

It's not just the moss I want to get rid of: I'd like to raise the
general health of this, one of my favourite parts of our garden. Do I
wait until next Spring?

Cheers
John

I think the best treatment is to aerate it with a garden fork now in
autumn.
It's hard work but worth the effort.
If you don't know, you stick your fork into the lawn as deep as possible,
the whole depth of your fork if possible, give it a wiggle to open up the
holes you have made and repeat this at 6" intervals all over the lawn. It
gives good drainage that moss won't survive long in.

Once you have done that, scarify it by dragging your rake across the lawn
very firmly indeed to get moss and thatch off of the surface. Your lawn
should look very poorly by now but don't worry it will recover and by
Spring you will be glad you did this hard work.

You can scarify before aeration if you like but I get the best results the
way I suggest.

What you can also do is to sparingly sow seed and lawn fertiliser and with
a yard brush sweep it into the aeration holes you made . My lawn looks
great without this but it is somethimg you might like to do.

Finally,in spring if you get weeds growing treat it to a liquid lawn
weedkiller.

2 years ago my 2 quite small lawns were in a disgusting state with moss and
weeds, I gave them this treatment and have had them looking like a snooker
table though I have let them go a bit now they just look lush, even in late
Oct. No weeds or moss.

Hope this helps John.
Baz