# How To Make The Grass Grow Quickly



## the king (4 Apr 2008)

hi all,
i have a garden where the grass only grows in patches. i also have never really done gardening before. anyway i really need to get the grass to grow properly. if you had a garden like mine, what would you do?. as you know by now im not a gardener, so youll have to tell me step by step. i want something that will make the grass grow quickly and let my grass look richer any fuller. thanks very much

the king


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## Marion (4 Apr 2008)

You could check out [broken link removed]

Marion


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## tosullivan (4 Apr 2008)

Lawn sand feed & weed will do just that for you....have your mower ready for a busy time


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## gally74 (4 Apr 2008)

go down to your local farmers providers or co op and ask for a bag of

ten ten twentyand you ll be fine only use a small amount and wear gloves


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## sidzer (5 Apr 2008)

Chemicals will help - however, u need decent soil and drainage to have an v good lawn. 

cutting the lawn regularly thickens - but don't put the blade too low. u may also need to throw some seed in the patches - and if they are v bad it might b an idea to dig the ground a bit to let some air in to the soil first.

S


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## ciars (9 Apr 2008)

Don’t mean to hijack your thread but I have a similar problem. 

Also have a very patchy lawn PLUS there’s a large area which was recently dug up and leveled with new topsoil. 
I covered areas with grass seed about 3 weeks ago and nothing has happened? I can literally still see the seeds? There has been two occasions of serious rainfall where the soil was almost flooded.

I was under the impression I should see some results by now? Or do you think there is something up?

Any advice would be welcomed as I’m hoping for a green lawn for summer!

Thanks


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## builder ed (9 Apr 2008)

I would have thought that it is a little too early to set grass seed at the moment particularly with the temperatures so low.  Even though there is plenty of moisture in the ground you would need a little heat in the ground also.  The best time to set grass seed is end of April/Early may and again in September.  The seed will eventually sprout if you wait long enough.


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## FredBloggs (9 Apr 2008)

Ciars, I'm in a similar situation to you.  I put grass seed down about three weeks ago and nothing has happened - used it to patch bare areas on the lawn.  There were some torrential down pours immediately after I'd planted so I figures it'd grow fast - but like you nothing and I can see the seeds too


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## ciars (10 Apr 2008)

Thanks, I feel reassured its just a matter of time then.

As far as I remember I read the seed could be spread from March onwards - I also think I was fooled into an early spring by some premature sunny days so maybe I was a bit eager 

Fred, sounds like we're on the same timeline - I put the seed down, went away for a few days and came back to a marshy back garden thanks to two days constant down pour - The rain that follwed (caused all those recent floods) didnt help either. In some spots the seeds were literally washed away.

Any additional advice - should I put down some fertiliser or re-seed a little in the spot areas?


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## FredBloggs (10 Apr 2008)

Ciars, If you see any growth post here!!  My seed doesn't look as though it will ever spring to life!


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## ciars (10 Apr 2008)

Will do - but im with ya on this one. My seed looks as flat as it did they day it was put down. 

I was on the gardening Ireland site as well reading up on laying new lawn. This I might have a problem as one of the areas is in a shaded spot and the soil looks a bit cakey and spongy since all the rain! I'm sure I'll have to address this problem as well.

If I see a tinby sprout of grass i'll post a pic


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## briancbyrne (10 Apr 2008)

would the recent severe frost not have killed the seeds  ?


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## FredBloggs (10 Apr 2008)

There was no frost where I live but it was very cold.  Hopefully seeds are just waiting for some warm weather to sprout


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## ciars (10 Apr 2008)

briancbyrne said:


> would the recent severe frost not have killed the seeds ?


 
Actually there was a bit of frost one morning last week out our way. 
Thinking of re-seeding again and using a seed suitable for shaded areas (only just found out this existed)

Any other good advice on seeding? Is fertaliser a must? Do you need to roll after seeding or can you just scatter? Should you water withinh a few days if no rain fall?

Again this is all new to me and Im really hoping to get this patchy lawn sorted. (Bloody developers left it in a state)


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## ciars (16 Apr 2008)

Just a quick update for fredbloggs. One of the areas has started to grow in the last few days. I think its due to the recent evening sunshine. But one of the areas is still completely sahded and no growth. But atleast its on the move.


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## emnc (16 Apr 2008)

If there has been severe rainfall after sowing the seed, the seed will be literally washed away. One can normally sow grass from March IF frost isnt expected but we did have some very cold nights.

I would suggest If the seed has gone in some places only, then put down some more, Rake it in  so there is a little covering of topsoil. Then if it doesnt rain for 2/3 days, you will have to water it too. 

Regarding the proper way to put down a lawn. It is advisable to rotavate the area first, this ensures better drainage. Rake the whole thing until it resembles crumbly soil, removing any stones along the way. put down the seed, rake it in. Roll it. The seed normally comes up n 10 days if it gets heat and water and NO FROST!!

Good Luck.


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## ciars (17 Apr 2008)

thanks emnc.

Looking long term, as my garden is patchy in places (and shaded) if I wanted to rotavate this would have I have to burn off all the grass first? 

Is there any instances where you can just rotavate the soil/grass - then follow your instructions as below?


thanks


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## inigomontoya (17 Apr 2008)

ciars said:


> thanks emnc.
> 
> Looking long term, as my garden is patchy in places (and shaded) if I wanted to rotavate this would have I have to burn off all the grass first?
> 
> ...



Assuming your lawn is still at least 50% grass, your overseeding should work. However, you maybe ought to buy some 'Topdressing' (It's a soil and sand mix - can buy Westland brand in B&Q near the grass seed usually). Sow the seed, then scatter over the topdressing to cover it with a thin layer. This should protect the seed and assist germination. 

Hopefully the patchy areas will thicken up. You might then want to use a mulching mower and return your grass cuttings to the lawn to prevent nutrient loss.


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## ciars (17 Apr 2008)

thanks, I'll try give that a go. The main grass section that contains the patches is very dry. Soil is almost craking in parts?

Any advice for pretreatment of this before seeding/top dressing. 

thanks again.


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## FredBloggs (17 Apr 2008)

Unfortunately no sign of growth in my lawn  so looks like I'll have to invest in more lawn seed.  Those bare patches are really getting to me!!


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## inigomontoya (17 Apr 2008)

ciars said:


> thanks, I'll try give that a go. The main grass section that contains the patches is very dry. Soil is almost craking in parts?
> 
> Any advice for pretreatment of this before seeding/top dressing.
> 
> thanks again.



Sounds like the soil has become very compacted. Maybe drive your garden fork down into the patches a whole load of times, rocking it back and forth to loosen the compaction. Giving it a serious water before you do this might help too.

If it's really hard you might need to turn the soil over altogether, but one of those twisty garden claw jobs will do that ok. Then some topdressing, seed and topdress over the top again.

Good luck!


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## Billy C (11 Nov 2009)

You can buy something called 'Rootzone Mix' for topdressing lawns or for sowing lawn into. It is a mixture of screened topsoil and sand and is much easier to level than sand, is better-draining, and may have some fertiliser mixed in with it - normally delivered in one tonne bags. Also, there are seed mixes which are specifically for shady lawns. Most lawns (and plants in general) don't grow because there is an underlying problem which cannot be fixed easily. This problem is normally to do with soil quality and, most of all, because there is either compation in the soil or rubble / cement / builders' spoil only an inch or two beneath the soil. Many, many new house suffer from this, and after the build is completed the builders put a thin skim of soil over everything, bung in a lawn or some plants and disappear off into the sunset. These are the gardens that never prosper, and then only way to fix them is to excavate the whole lot and sort out the soil  - I am a landscape gardener with ten years of dealing with these places! Fixing the surface of things looks great for a while, but the old problems always return.


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## AlbacoreA (11 Nov 2009)

How deep do you need to go to fix the soil problems. Or is it impossible?


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## Leo (12 Nov 2009)

I hope the OP's grass is well established at this stage, 19 months later...
Leo


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## Billy C (16 Nov 2009)

Yes, this is a little late to re-enter this thread... I always forget to look at the dates! To answer the question: grass needs at about 15-20 cms of proper soil over a decompacted base of any sort. If the base (preferably subsoil, or subsoil mixed with rubble) is not compacted that should be more than enough. The problem with really shallow soil is that it dries out in the summer (if it stops raining), gets waterlogged in the winter and doesn't have volume to sustain decent growth. Hope that explains it.


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## MarysCross (3 Dec 2009)

Try bone meal, you'll get it from your local garden centre.  Works for me.


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