I need lawn feed/moss killer type stuff. LOTS of it. About 400 m/sq of lawn
of it!
Bought a box of stuff from Tesco with a nice built in spreader, does 50
m/sq, costs
£6-ish.
Just going to re-fill that. As all the DIY superstores NEVER answer the
phone, I was just wondering if anyone saw any on their travels...

BTW, the lawn is about 80% moss, if anyone knows anything particularly good
for that level of mossyness.
Tried a moss-raker - the poor thing nearly choked and died, and I ended up
emptying the catcher (can't think of the word) about 50 times for a 2 metre
square patch, which ended up looking like desert anyway....

As I'm new to this whole gardening lark, I'd also like to know where's the
kind of place I can hire a rotorvator to turn a chunk of lawn into a veggie
patch (tried a bit of it and it killed my back, so I reckon it'd be worth it
if it meant I could still go to work!) and also where I can buy large
rainwater tanks.Apparently, if I catch it all, I get a chunk off my
wastewater bill.

I've tried googling all the above, in case anyone tells me that!

Oh, and what vegetable/fruit things should I be planting within the next
week? Told you I was new to all this! Going to get a book, but probably need
to get planting with some urgency if I'm going to get anything from this
summer. (Just got the garden space, so couldn't have done anything before)

Jonathan wrote:
I need lawn feed/moss killer type stuff. LOTS of it. About 400 m/sq
of lawn of it!
Bought a box of stuff from Tesco with a nice built in spreader, does
50 m/sq, costs
£6-ish.
Just going to re-fill that. As all the DIY superstores NEVER answer
the phone, I was just wondering if anyone saw any on their travels...

BTW, the lawn is about 80% moss, if anyone knows anything
particularly good for that level of mossyness.
Tried a moss-raker - the poor thing nearly choked and died, and I
ended up emptying the catcher (can't think of the word) about 50
times for a 2 metre square patch, which ended up looking like desert
anyway....


Two things for you to think about:

1. the moss is there for a reason. It likes the growing conditions you are
providing for it. RHS advice is:
Mosses become established in lawns when grass vigour is reduced, under
conditions of poor drainage, compaction, shade, excessively acid soil or
close mowing. Treatment can be carried out at any time of year when weather
is mild and the soil is moist, particularly during September and February or
March. Moss killers are based on dichlorophen, cresylic acid or ferrous
sulphate. They are contact in action with little or no residual effect, and
moss will usually return if cultural measures are not implemented.

So, you first need to tackle this side before wasting money on expensive
treatments. If you don't the moss will simply come back! Trust me - I learnt
the hard way!

A hollow tine aerator can be hired from most good garden hire shops for
around £40. this will remove 4" plugs of soil, into the holes you brush
SHARP SAND to improve drainage and reduce the effects of compaction.

You might also wish to tackle the soil acidity by adding lime - I'm not sure
of either from or quantities to use. perhaps some other inmate does?

2. Treating the lawn/killing the moss

I have used various lawn feeds, weed killers and moss killers both privately
and semi professionally over the past 20 years. The best by a very large
margin is the Scotts Lawn builder brand - American in origin but readily
available at good garden centres and cheaper by mail order over the web. I
generally find on treatment with either Feed & weed, or Feed & moss does the
job and gives very strong and even grass growth. A key advantage is that the
material is slow release granules rather than the powder of most of the
other brands - over dosing does not so readily result in scorch and killing
of strips of grass.

But, the downside is the price will scare you. It is the most expensive
product. But in my view it also gives by far the best value for money. You
are paying for good product not excessive marketing - which is what you are
paying for when you buy the products with heavy TV advertising and the big
colourful displays in Garden centres (paid for by the product seller not the
garden centre!)

You will also need the Scotts EvenGreen spreader. Again the best and most
controllable of the domestic grade spreaders.

The method, is to spread and then 2 weeks later rake off the dead moss. Yes
if you have 80% moss it will look like a desert, but overseeding with new
seed and regular watering will soon sot that out.



pk

pk wrote:
Jonathan wrote:
[...sound stuff snipped...]
The method, is to spread and then 2 weeks later rake off the dead
moss. Yes if you have 80% moss it will look like a desert, but
overseeding with new seed and regular watering will soon sot that
out.

Another thing is not to cut your grass too short: if you rob the
grass of too much leaf area, it will take longer to recover, thus
giving moss an advantage. In this extreme situation I don't think I'd
go shorter than 5/8 inch. On the other hand, if you don't cut short
enough, the grasses won't thicken up properly! Great hobby, a lawn...

--
Mike.

"Jonathan" wrote in message
...
I need lawn feed/moss killer type stuff. LOTS of it. About 400 m/sq of
lawn
of it!
Bought a box of stuff from Tesco with a nice built in spreader, does 50
m/sq, costs
£6-ish.
Just going to re-fill that. As all the DIY superstores NEVER answer the
phone, I was just wondering if anyone saw any on their travels...

BTW, the lawn is about 80% moss, if anyone knows anything particularly
good
for that level of mossyness.
Tried a moss-raker - the poor thing nearly choked and died, and I ended up
emptying the catcher (can't think of the word) about 50 times for a 2
metre
square patch, which ended up looking like desert anyway....

As I'm new to this whole gardening lark, I'd also like to know where's the
kind of place I can hire a rotorvator to turn a chunk of lawn into a
veggie
patch (tried a bit of it and it killed my back, so I reckon it'd be worth
it
if it meant I could still go to work!) and also where I can buy large
rainwater tanks.Apparently, if I catch it all, I get a chunk off my
wastewater bill.

I've tried googling all the above, in case anyone tells me that!

Oh, and what vegetable/fruit things should I be planting within the next
week? Told you I was new to all this! Going to get a book, but probably
need
to get planting with some urgency if I'm going to get anything from this
summer. (Just got the garden space, so couldn't have done anything before)



Just get Sulphate of Iron in a big bag from a local farm or agricultural
supplier
Thats the active ingredient in proprietery brands

Scarifying and aerating the lawn is vital too though

In article , Jonathan
writes
I need lawn feed/moss killer type stuff. LOTS of it. About 400 m/sq of lawn
of it!
Bought a box of stuff from Tesco with a nice built in spreader, does 50
m/sq, costs
£6-ish.
Just going to re-fill that. As all the DIY superstores NEVER answer the
phone, I was just wondering if anyone saw any on their travels...

BTW, the lawn is about 80% moss, if anyone knows anything particularly good
for that level of mossyness.

That suggests poor drainage. Moss isn't particularly good at competing
with grass except when the conditions are poor for the grass and good
for the moss. You may remove all the moss, but I think you'll find it'll
simply come back.


As I'm new to this whole gardening lark, I'd also like to know where's the
kind of place I can hire a rotorvator to turn a chunk of lawn into a veggie
patch (tried a bit of it and it killed my back, so I reckon it'd be worth it
if it meant I could still go to work!)

Any of the standard tool hire shops.
But don't simply rotavate the whole thing, else you'll simply be
spreading grass roots throughout, and then you'll be forever weeding
grass from the veg bed. Start by stripping off the turf. Then you can
either dig the whole bed and bury the turves face down about a foot
down, where they will rot and provide humus for the bed, or stack them
in a heap face down and wait for them to rot, and spread them as compost
over the bed a year or so down the line.


Oh, and what vegetable/fruit things should I be planting within the next
week?

Broad beans. Nearly everything else can wait till April/May

Told you I was new to all this! Going to get a book, but probably need
to get planting with some urgency if I'm going to get anything from this
summer.

Don't be too much in a rush. Getting a good garden going takes time.
Regard this year as an experimental year


--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

Hi Jonathan,

"Jonathan" wrote in message
...

As I'm new to this whole gardening lark, I'd also like to know where's the
kind of place I can hire a rotorvator to turn a chunk of lawn into a
veggie patch (tried a bit of it and it killed my back, so I reckon it'd be
worth it if it meant I could still go to work!) and also where I can buy
large rainwater tanks.Apparently, if I catch it all, I get a chunk off my
wastewater bill.

I don't know whether you mean 'water butt'. My husband has just order a
300L one from the local council. It is half the price than the local shops.
I used keywords 'water butt' and 'ceredigion' and 'council' which I found
exactly the webpage I needed.

Oh, and what vegetable/fruit things should I be planting within the next
week? Told you I was new to all this! Going to get a book, but probably
need to get planting with some urgency if I'm going to get anything from
this summer. (Just got the garden space, so couldn't have done anything
before)
I don't know where you live, as Scotland is much colder than Wales. I have
subscribed to BBC gardening and T&M weekly newsletters (of course you have
to accept some advertisements on special offer from the latter one) which
may give me some advices. For example I got the advice from BBC in the last
newsletter which may answer your question:
================================================
Vegetables to sow outdoors or under cloches this Easter weekend
include broad beans, beetroots, Brussels sprouts, summer cabbages,
leeks, lettuces, hardy peas and radishes.
================================================
You can visit the following webpage and may get an idea:
BBC gardening (jobs in the month):
http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/today...bs_index.shtml

I hope you may find the information useful.

With regards,
CK from Aberystwyth

"CK" wrote in message
...
Hi Jonathan,

I don't know where you live, as Scotland is much colder than Wales. I
have subscribed to BBC gardening and T&M weekly newsletters ...

T&M?? We still talking about gardening here?!?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/today...bs_index.shtml

Thanks - top tip, duly subscribed!

Hi Jonathan,

I meant Thompson & Morgan, just didn't want to sound too commercial as I
only bought seeds once from them and have subscribed to the newsletter. You
can try the following URL to see whether you can access it or not with
subscription:
http://www.thompson-morgan.com/en/tokely

CK

"Jonathan" wrote in message
...
"CK" wrote in message
...
Hi Jonathan,

I don't know where you live, as Scotland is much colder than Wales. I
have subscribed to BBC gardening and T&M weekly newsletters ...

T&M??