Rented House- Lawn Advice

[ScienceBoy]

I am renting a house and the lawn is not good!

In the contract it is my responsibility to care for it but I have no idea where to start!

Having read around I understand digging them out is only temporary and a lot of work.

I can borrow in some tools and some weed killer plus I have some seed but I really have no idea where to start!

 

[Crow]

Regular cutting will work wonders within a month or so.

But growing a wild flower meadow has to be good for the environment.

 

[sev112]

Concrete and some green paint ?

The prob is that the dandelion weed killer, while being v good these days, doesn't stop the root zone being totally mashed up by them when they were growing and sucking all the minerals out.
I can't see thre being much there.
I'd be tempted to dig the surface and weeds out, treat it with lawn weed killer, then don't grass it - use it as a flowe bed perhaps? Perhaps a small shrub or two?

 

[GreiginFife]

For the size of that I would dig it up and start again TBH.
Failing that, I would recommend digging them out anyway (Fiskars do a great tool for it) and then put down a lawn moss and weedkiller (pellet, animal friendly type), water it in and let it do its stuff.
When it goes black then rake it out with a sharp steel rake so that it scores the turf/soil (think scarifying/verticutting of greens) and then mix up compost, sand and seed in a bucket and then spread over the lawn evenly and water it in.
Just had to do similar to a larger area but opted to buy an electric rake/scarifier. For an area that size though it would be a waste.

Hope thay helps.

 

[andycap]

Weed killer on all of it , then turf it , saves messing with seed , but then its constant maintainance , would you not be better to put a membrane down to stop it growing through and just put something like slate chippings down that are maintainance free ,

 

[GreiginFife]

Weed killer on all of it , then turf it , saves messing with seed , but then its constant maintainance , would you not be better to put a membrane down to stop it growing through and just put something like slate chippings down that are maintainance free ,

Probably not permitted as its a rental property. Depends on the lease terms I suppose.

 

[chellie]

How can they call that a lawn:rofl:

 

[upsidedown]

If it was like that when you moved I'd point out to the landlord that in no way is that a lawn and he needs to sort it out before you under take to maintain it, if he refuses just cut it as it is.

 

[PhilTheFragger]

Buy a sheep

It is a grotty bit of scrub isnt it, certainly not going to do any putting practice on that

 

[Fish]

I am renting a house and the lawn is not good!

In the contract it is my responsibility to care for it but I have no idea where to start!

Having read around I understand digging them out is only temporary and a lot of work.

I can borrow in some tools and some weed killer plus I have some seed but I really have no idea where to start!

How long have you been there and what was it like (picture) when you moved in.

 

[Pin-seeker]

Just re-turf it.
Not a big or expensive job.

 

[North Mimms]

Apparently grass free lawns are the next big thing.
You're ahead of the game

 

[ScienceBoy]

How long have you been there and what was it like (picture) when you moved in.

Was a nice lawn last summer, fine in the autumn but I should have overseeded (now I know of course) and the weeds started.

It was just a little bare in places over the winter, I planned to tackle it in the spring with week killer to rid me of the odd one. Now the evenings are light enough the problem has exploded in the last two months or so.

Returfing it is £220 according to my 1st quote.

I would say half of it is my fault for not overseeing last spring and autumn, the other half was a poorly laid, uneven lawn when we moved in which lasted just one year.

 

[Tiger man]

Needs flagging

 

[richart]

Get on your hands and knees and dig out the big weeds, making sure you get all the root. Give it a good raking to get out the moss, and then seed where necessary. Make sure you water well, and once seed has grown to a decent height cut regularily.

When finished come round and do my lawn, oh and don't blame me if you get a bad back. All my worse injuries have come from gardening.

 

[stevelev]

Never £220 to re-turf it. If it were me, I'd
Dig each of the large weeds out.
Scrape top surface so its level.
Spike it all over with a garden fork to loosen the top surface (dont dig it over)
Spread some chicken fertilizer and sand
Lay turf on it (yours looks to be around 14" x 14" which is 19m2 about £80) Joint it tight and make sure it stays moist when laying)
Water it in, then repeat every 3 or 4 days with a good soaking. (If you water daily you get shallow roots and unhealthy grass.)
Don't mow it for 3/4 weeks, then start on a high setting and lower 1 setting every 10/12 days until your down to an inch.

Then just keep it at around 20mm minimum, any lower and the grass will get so short it lets other plants(weeds take root and get lots of light to grow. Mow it once a week max if possible, maybe every 5 days between May - Oct if you want it nice all the time.

If you have pets clean up straight after them, if they pee on it, dilute it it with a watering can each time they go, otherwise the extra nitrogen in their pee make the grass grow at such a rate its cant sustain itself and dies leaving patches.

If you lay it in the next couple of weeks use some Verdona in September and spike the lawn again to help air get to the roots.
Try to gradually increase the height of the cut in October till your at about an 35mm to 40mm. Stop cutting Mid to end of November.

Start to cut again in March gradually reducing the height the same as when you layed the turf., spike it again, top dress it with a sand, soil and seed mix. Give it some fertilizer in the first few weeks of growth in the spring, then in around May get some verdona on it, that should do for the year.

Then in a couple of years it will be strong enough to be scarified in spring, just before you spike and top dress it. If you get an annual routine you'll have a great lawn, hradly any weeds if any at all, and mowing that size lawn should take about 10minutes.

Also only collect the cuttings every on the 1st cut, then every 3rd or 4th cut.

If you want a really close lawn, you'll need to think about lawn type, getting the right tools, spending a fortune and lots of time keeping it pristine.

The other thing is just get some good quality synthetic lawn, no need to cut again, just a bit of sand brushed into it each year and you have a quality surface to practice putting on.

Good luck.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Call Charlie Dimmock. If she's busy I'd dig out the big ones (roots and all) and start from there cutting regularly and using a weed killer regularly

 

[Smiffy]

It looks like the 3rd at Lydd

 

[Slab]

The real question is do you play it as it lies or take a drop

 

[sawtooth]

Never £220 to re-turf it. If it were me, I'd
Dig each of the large weeds out.
Scrape top surface so its level.
Spike it all over with a garden fork to loosen the top surface (dont dig it over)
Spread some chicken fertilizer and sand
Lay turf on it (yours looks to be around 14" x 14" which is 19m2 about £80) Joint it tight and make sure it stays moist when laying)
Water it in, then repeat every 3 or 4 days with a good soaking. (If you water daily you get shallow roots and unhealthy grass.)
Don't mow it for 3/4 weeks, then start on a high setting and lower 1 setting every 10/12 days until your down to an inch.

Then just keep it at around 20mm minimum, any lower and the grass will get so short it lets other plants(weeds take root and get lots of light to grow. Mow it once a week max if possible, maybe every 5 days between May - Oct if you want it nice all the time.

If you have pets clean up straight after them, if they pee on it, dilute it it with a watering can each time they go, otherwise the extra nitrogen in their pee make the grass grow at such a rate its cant sustain itself and dies leaving patches.

If you lay it in the next couple of weeks use some Verdona in September and spike the lawn again to help air get to the roots.
Try to gradually increase the height of the cut in October till your at about an 35mm to 40mm. Stop cutting Mid to end of November.

Start to cut again in March gradually reducing the height the same as when you layed the turf., spike it again, top dress it with a sand, soil and seed mix. Give it some fertilizer in the first few weeks of growth in the spring, then in around May get some verdona on it, that should do for the year.

Then in a couple of years it will be strong enough to be scarified in spring, just before you spike and top dress it. If you get an annual routine you'll have a great lawn, hradly any weeds if any at all, and mowing that size lawn should take about 10minutes.

Also only collect the cuttings every on the 1st cut, then every 3rd or 4th cut.

If you want a really close lawn, you'll need to think about lawn type, getting the right tools, spending a fortune and lots of time keeping it pristine.

The other thing is just get some good quality synthetic lawn, no need to cut again, just a bit of sand brushed into it each year and you have a quality surface to practice putting on.

Good luck.

View attachment 14979

Great write up, is that your lawn there? Looking good.