Just a quick question guys.
Im no expert gardner and basicly just run the mower over my lawn every weekend, weather pending! problem is it just looks shite all year round and has lots of weeds coming through by the time it comes to mid-week! i have tried a bit of lawn feed but this just doesnt make a difference what so ever
are there any suggestions that could bring a bit of life back into it
thanks in advance
Could do with a bit of help with this as well. The weeds that come through look like cabbage (and no, i'm not growing cabbage)
Ok you answered my first question, you're not growing cabbage.
With all the growth due to rain you may not want to weed and feed, so using a smaller bottle of concentrated grass-safe herbicide with a hose sprayer can cover the entire yard fairly quickly. You'll probably want to do this a couple of times this year. You might end up with some bare areas; when it's warm enough, properly till and seed them.
You're probably cutting the grass the wrong height and frequency. If you cut the grass too short, it is weakened and unable to resist weeds (which get more light than they should). If you wait too long between trims, the amount you cut off is too much and weakens the plant, the long grass trimmings can cover up growing grass, and you get more plant growth at the expense of root growth. Try to cut to a slightly higher height (2.5-3" is generally good), more often, and your lawn will begin to get its legs back. The best defense against weeds is healthy turf.
If you have kids and/or pets be careful what type of weedkiller you buy, ask the gardening assistant for the exact information required.
The first step in bringing your lawn under control is to cut it regularly. During the height of summer you might need to cut the grass twice a week. Cutting the grass encourages it to grow, and will continually cut down the weeds. Rake up any grass cuttings if there are lots of weeds. (They may not be suitable for composting if they contain a lot of seed heads as many weeds seeds continue to develop when removed from the parent plant.) Only when your lawn is in good condition should you allow cuttings to remain on the lawn. The first cut of the year should also be removed if the grass is longer than you expected. Leaving too much grass on the surface causes grass underneath to die and cause annual weeds to grow in the bare patches. You may also have to schedule cutting the grass around the actual lawn itself rather than sticking to a set day.
After a few months of a good cutting regime you should be able to notice a significant difference in the quality of your lawn. The next stage is slightly more time consuming but is very satisfying indeed. Collect from the kitchen an old dinner knife - one with a solid handle and blade to avoid any problems with blades snapping. Then select a small area of lawn - don't be over-ambitious, as you'll get very depressed trying to tackle the whole lawn at once. Pick an area with many weeds still in it. Sit comfortably and start to dig out the weeds with the blade of the knife. This method is particularly useful for dandelions - which have long tap roots which need to be removed. By using a knife it should be possible to dig down around the root of the weed without causing too much damage to the lawn. Daisies are easier to dig out, having much shallower roots, but any burdock in your lawn will cause you nightmares! You may need to cut through thick roots rather than dig further around.