Can some kind soul please advise me on my crappy lawn please?

[MinnieBar]

So I used a de-mosser thing on our lawn and now it is only approx 50% grass and looks very sorry for itself. Am I right in thinking my options are:

1. Sow seed and not be able to use the lawn very much for the next few months while it establishes

1. Rip out the existing grass and turf the lot.

Option 1 would obviously be a lot cheaper, but I'm worried that if we use the lawn (three DCs) the seed won't take and obviously with the summer fast approaching that doesn't seem a great option.

If we go for option 2, the positives are a lovely lawn and we can take the opportunity to level it some more (there are random troughs and dips). But what's the best way to get out the existing grass? Hire some digger type thing from Homebase or somewhere??

Aaaaarrrgghhh really wish I had de-mossed four months ago and planted seed as it would be average perfect by now.

There are some fast growing lawn seed mixes, but it will take time. Bear in mind that if you re turf you still can't use it for a while- at least a few weeks. To remove old grass you'll need a turf cutter and a green skip! it's easier to remove if it's dead first ie use weedkiller all over and wait a week or so.

Ah thanks, good to know. I filled out one of those 'we can call you back' forms to a tool hire company to ask what I needed but they haven't called me back, grrr.

We have a lawn man that comes 4 times a year to sort it. He spreads some stuff down that's the right mix for our lawn. We now have no weeds, no dry patches, just gorgeous lush green grass. He now just maintains it. Costs £12.50 a session. We already tried all the shop bought remedies first, non worked.

Minnie, to dig up an existing lawn you don't need any specialist equipment. DH and I did it ourselves at our last house. You need a sharp bladed spade (or two!) and a wheel barrow. You just plunge the blade of the spade into the lawn to the depth of the roots four times to form a square and then slice the spade underneath it almost parallel, lifting out each square and layering them up in the wheel barrow. It is hard work, but very satisfying.

Google 'turf suppliers' in your area as it's cheaper to buy turf from a specialist than from a garden centre/ B&Q type place. If you collect it in your own car bear in mind that a) turf is very heavy and b) will steam up your windows as it gives off heat and moisture. I only mention this because DH got stopped by the Police at some traffic lights because our little Ford Fiesta was so low on it's rear axles and so fogged up, the police officers assumed that he was up to no good!

An alternative to re-turfing is to over-seed with fast growing seed mix as previously suggested but to do it a section of lawn at time. Perhaps one third at a time? That way you'll always have a bit to play on. Just 'rope off' the area that's under cultivation with some tent pegs, or sticks, pushed in around the edges of patch and string wound around them to make a physical and visual barrier. You might need chicken wire to place over the top if your own or a neighbours cats like the look of it as a toilet.

Half moon edgers work well for cutting turf. The third at a time suggestions is a great idea!

Oooh good idea Pomme on the sectioning. The two worst (ie 90% bald) areas are either end, where they don't tend to play much anyway (and are shadiest, hence the moss issues in the first place). So it wouldn't be hard to do.

A couple of people have told me seed should grow pretty quickly at this time of year so I think I'll try that first as I'll know within a week if it's working. If it doesn't then I'll reconsider turf.

Many thanks all!

bumping this as we have similar issues, but with huge numbers of dandelions which I have been slowly hand weeding.

The soil is fantastic quality (some of the weeded areas from last week have reseeded themselves a bit!), but how long do you think the grass seeds take to work?

It's a delayed job utnil next month anyway, but DD is not going to understand the concept of not running on the grass at all.

Would you have to remove the grass before? I am sure you could hoe it over until its flat and leave the grass remains in the soil underneath the turf. We got turf 3 weeks ago and finally laid out in the sun today. It was worth every penny. We looke at B&Q turf and it was more expensive and not as good quality as the specialist turf supplier we went to. Make sure the turf is suited to your situation as you can get turf that is shade/drought tolerant or particularly hard wearing.