|
| Hey all,
Amateur here. I had two goals this spring, one was to try to remove all the moss and raise the PH from my existing lawn (on one side of my driveway) and the second was to grow a new lawn from seed for the other side of my driveway. Both areas are around 3500 sq ft. My soil PH is at 5.7 overall and I laid down lots of lime in early spring. I planted seed and followed the rules about establishing a lawn from seed and had about a 40% success rate :( I do have a new sprinkler system. My question is now that it's summertime here in NH, is there anything that I can do now? At the end of summer I will try slice seeding and apply more lime. I still have major spots of moss. I'd just hate to do nothing other than water it for the next 3 months, but many people say lime and seeding should only be done at the beginning and end of the seasons when the cool weather is around. Any tips are appreciated. Dan |
Follow-Up Postings:
|
- Posted by mistascott none (My Page) on Thu, Jul 7, 11 at 12:56
| You can lime anytime but be sure to follow the package guidelines for how much you need. You can overdo it and cause additional problems. Seeding needs to wait until cooler weather because fescue (I am assuming that is what you are using) is a cool season grass. The only way to go right now would be sod, but that is expensive for 3500 sq. ft. and you may not have the sunlight for it (see below). Since you have moss, it sounds like you may also have a lot of shade. You may not be able to get a dense lawn if you have a lot of shade as the most shade tolerant turfgrasses require four hours of direct sunlight a day to grow well. |
|
- Posted by dchall_san_antonio 8 San Antonio (My Page) on Fri, Jul 8, 11 at 0:46
| You can add all the organic fertilizer your wallet can stand. I'm not talking about compost, I'm talking about a grain based fertilizer like alfalfa pellets, soy bean meal, or any other ground up bean, nut, or seed you can find cheap at the feed store. Apply at a minimum of 10 pounds per 1,000 square feet. A practical maximum is 80 pounds per 1,000 because by that time you are smothering the grass. 10-20 is a good place to start. Commercially a lot of people love Milorganite. You can fertilize every week with organic fertilizer. It is probably the best thing you can do for your turf prior to seeding in the fall. A bag of soybean meal at a feed store might cost $15 and cover 2,500 square feet. First time you use it there will be an 'aroma' that persists for a few days. Each time you use it the aroma will go away faster and faster. The decomposition of organic fertilizer is a biological process. The aroma is a symptom that your soil was not biologically active enough. It can take a month or so to get it healthy again. Once the biology is there, the decomposition takes place so fast the aroma never develops. I would not add more lime unless and until you have done a soil test. They will tell you which kind of lime to add. Seeding should only be done at the beginning of fall, not the beginning of any season. Moss is a symptom of poor fertility and maintenance. Try to limit your watering to once a week and let the surface of the soil dry out. If you water long enough, the deep moisture in the deep soil will be enough for the grass. With the summer heat you might consider stopping mowing. Tall grass seems to need much less water than short grass. |
Please Note: Only registered members are able to post messages to this forum. If you are a member, please log in. If you aren't yet a member, join now!
Return to the Lawn Care Forum
Instructions
- You must be a registered member and logged in to post messages on our forums.
- Posting is a two-step process. Once you have composed your message, you will be taken to the preview page. You will then have a chance to review the contents and make changes.
- After posting your message, you may need to refresh the forum page in order to see it.
- It is illegal to post copyrighted material without the owner's consent.
- HTML codes are allowed in the message field only.
- No advertising is allowed in any of the forums.
- If you would like to practice posting or uploading photos, please visit our Test forum.
- If you need assistance, please Contact Us and we will be happy to help.