[lina]

Thanks to my fabulous chickens - who have redesigned my back garden down to the subsoil - I'm going to have change the layout and re lay the small lawn area.

Is it too late in the year to do it now? I'm talking rolls of turf rather than growing from seed. Any top tips?

Sorry to ask such stupid questions - but I've not had to tackle this job before

Lx

[poultrygeist]

Hi Lina

i would have thought now is a good time. Grass still growing well    and LOTS of rain to water it in. It'll have all winter to consolidate and can grow away in Spring. Probably.

Rob

[lina]

Rain, what pray tell is that? Except for thunderstorm last week we've had no rain for weeks. I have just been up to the allotment and it looks like one of the programes on the effects of global warming. Everything is orange.

[poultrygeist]

   We've just had a(nother) heavy rain storm. Coming down in buckets. More forecast tomorrow pm and then for the next couple of days. had some nice weather too btu not exactly drought conditions here.

If we stand outside and blow to the southeast, you might catch the tail end of it.

Rob

[lina]

Thanx Rob-

Lincolnshire is not a million miles from Nofolk - are you taking all of ours?

Rainstealer.

Lx

[poultrygeist]

We've put a big sheet of polythene on the border to stop the clouds getting to you.

I suppose it's uphill from here to anywhere too, so no chance of runoff.

Rob

[Goosegirl]

If it's a small lawn area, I would use seed as at this time of year it should grow away merrily. If you want to turf, then get the best quality - go and see it if you can - look up how to lay it properly then water well as they say September will be a dry-ish month. I certailny hope so as I've had nothing but showers and rain for weeks. I'm renovating a large lawn and have raked out barrowloads of moss and am currently putting top soil on and re-seeding it but keep ketting rained off. I have yet two more lawns to do but I might leave them until next year though I might put mosskill on one and just electrically scarify it. The other has lots of coarse-leaved grass in so I might kill it all off and start again. Ho-hum - more Radox please!!!

[Ice]

I'm thinking of killing mine off and starting again Goosegirl.  How would you do that?

[Terrier]

My last garden was on a fairly steep hill, so I terraced it. The top terrace was a fairly large area that I turfed with good quality bought turf (called Bluegrass) from a reputable grower. The next terrace was smaller pockets of grass so I just lightly dug, levelled and raked to a fine tilth. After 18 months ,the wild sown grass on the second terrace was green and lush whilst I was still struggling to get the same quality from the turf. Unless I require 'instant' green, give me grass seed every time, miles cheaper and more satisfying.

[Goosegirl]

If you want to kill it off I would use Weedol as it's just grass then dig out any remaining weeds like dandelions. Depending on the surface left, I would tine-rake it to scratch up the soil so the turf roots can get a hold - you could also do some levelling if neccesary with some topsoil. See Terrier's advice re- turf or seed.

[Yorkie]

September is traditionally one of the two best times to sow / lay a lawn.

If doing it completely from scratch, preparation of the ground includes lots of levelling off with rake etc, and then treading it down methodically so the surface is firm.  Then you can just lightly rake it over again before sowing or laying.  Keep the birds off the seed afterwards, and don't walk on new turf for quite some time (can't remember how long but it's longer than you think).