Please help me! My husband and I recently moved into a (new to us) home. The lawn is terrible. It is covered in thistle, clover and various other assorted weeds. I'm not even sure where to start !!! It's not a huge yard, but the backyard is in close proximity to our pool, so I want to make sure that any chemicals I use won't somehow make it into the pool water. I really don't want to hire a lawn care service, and I'm not sure whether or not I should wait until next spring or start tackling the problem now. Any advice?
Comment Guidelines
We welcome your feedback on Houseandhome.com. H&H reserves the right to remove any unsuitable personal remarks made about the bloggers, hosts, homeowners and/or guests we feature. Please keep your comments focused on decorating, design, cooking and other lifestyle topics. Adopt a tone you would be willing to use in person and do not make slanderous remarks or use denigrating language. If you see a comment that you believe violates any of the guidelines outlined above, please click “Alert a Moderator.” Thank you.
yep thats me...but often more WAR than PEACE...especially when something messes with my garden :(
Schatzi...
I had to reply to this thread. What do you mean - "short story"? I'm sorry but I have a feeling you're more of a "War and Peace" or one of those bodice-ripping romance novels. :-]
you must have been reading my mind (just a shortstory) cause we are hoping to get a rental roller this weekend as long as the rain stops...its pouring as I type...and after will top dress and reseed where necessary...ya know the irony of these moles? After researching them on line...we find they prefer well kept lawns with lots of earthworms cause thats what they eat...they dont hibernate and have their young in these darn trenches they dig...just my luck that they prefer golf courses and well tended lawns...we had the lawn like green velvet last year and this is the reward for our hard work...well tended means easy to burrow as opposed to the neglected unwatered ones of our neighbours...WOE is me....there aint no justice :(
To give your lawn an overall boost I would suggest a light topdressing. Mix well-rotted and sifted compost [or use the bagged stuff] with some sharp, builder's sand - not the soft golf course and playground sand. Using an aerator [rental places] or pointy cleats or golf shoes, go over your entire lawn and poke little holes everywhere. With a healthy, happy lawn, the birds would do the work for you as they poke their beaks into the soil on the lookout for worms.
Broadcast your ammendment mixture lightly over your entire lawn, depositing more where the ruts and hollows are. If re-seeding, broadcast seed now as well.
Next - use one of those lawn-rollers [rental place - you fill with water for the desired weight]. Roll one direction, then cross-wise for even smoothing action.
If you do all this and roll while the lawn is still wet from the winter, the smoothing-out process is much easier. If you wait too long the ground will drain and harden and be more difficult to work with.
Speaking of snow.... at least it affords you some extra spring prep time. Did I mention that it got to 26 Celsius in our region yesterday? Tons of people were wearing shorts and cutting the grass. I know life out here can be tough, but we're managing somehow. Keep thinking "spring's coming - it won't be long now" Before we all realize it, it'll be summer when we can relax and enjoy the fruits of our labors. Happy! Happy! Joy! Joy!
LOL...well lets say that I have at least enough for a hat :(...they seem to have disappeared for now and my neighbour found 3 dead babies on his lawn...so who knows? We raked and got the dead grass removed and can see some new growth so....i hope top dressing wont be necessary...there are some spots that are REALLY trenches but not as bad as it first looked...hard to tell for sure yet as we just got rid of the snow last weekend...
Good luck with the mole hunt and keep up the good fight. I'll keep my eyes and ears open for more suggestions. Mole season is just around the corner. How many do you think you'd need to make a nice coat?
thanks for the input Re: moles...seems so far they have disappeared (for now) but their damage remains...my fear is that after we reseed and get the lawn looking decent again...they will return...will try those sunflower windmill things and am going to try lacing the lawn with castor oil and pine sol...ANYTHING we will try!!!
In the farm-filled Fraser Valley, our mole hills look like some people's ski hills. I've seen lawns with innumerable piles of dirt everywhere. There is even a gentleman here who makes his living as the "Mole Man", where he conducts seminars on how to rid yourself of the rodents.
He has developed a trap that has had great success. Your better Garden Centers should have it or find them through Brian Minter.org
Other techniques to try: Water - stick the hose down the hole and let run for as many hours as possible. This will need repeating until they get the message.
Those spinny sunflowers on the metal rods stuck in the ground are mole repellents. The vibration of the spinning flower transmits itself through the earth, causing mole discomfort. Takes ALOT of spinning to be very effective.
There are electronic sonic devices that have settings for moles and mice. You can't hear the high-pitched sound but the critters sure don't want to. I can confirm this product works [My Mom HAD mice] I've heard that you should vary the pitch slightly every once in a while so they don't get accustomed to it.
has anyone had any success ridding the lawn of those cursed MOLES???
Have had lots of advice on what to do but not by anyone that has had the problem
The best time to start a lawn is early fall. Seed germinates better when it's cooler and it's easier to keep moist.
Spring is OK too. Don't wait too long though, summer is dormant time. Use a specialized herbicide [carefully] to get rid of those large-leaved weeds. You could also dig them up manually.
Topdress with screened compost [or composted manure - never fresh]and rake smooth. Spread sand too if you have drainage problems. Broadcast seed with a spreader [it's uneven by hand]. Check with a quality garden center to find out what seed works best for your area. Many make up their own custom blends.
I like to spray with a fine mist of water and then roll with one of those lawn-roller thingys [how's that for a technical term?]. This ensures the seed makes good contact with the soil. Some people like to spread another thin layer of compost to cover the seed.
Keep the area moist at all times. Germination should occur within a couple weeks. Broadcast more if you have bare patches. When about 2 inches high give it its first cut - again carefully.
Use of chemical fertilizers will prevent your lawn from ever being happy naturally. Each spring, de-thatch [if you have a problem] and aerate. You can rent specialized tools - golf shoes also work well. Spread more screened compost/sand. Re-seed any thinning spots [re-seeding can also be done in fall after the summer's damage]
Try to stay away from the gardening chemicals - the pool additives are dangerous to the lawn too. Best of luck from another 3 boy household.