Hi, my lawn is only just over 12 months old and was up until recently my pride and joy - I used miracle grow lawn food (attach to the hose) but noticed that the undiluted solution was leaking out of the top. This has caused brown burnt like areas all over my lawn.

Can this possibly be repaired of do I go for new turf?

Regards.
Tracy.

From Clare, Gardeners Club Secretary
I would dig out the damaged turf and replace with new turf or reseed. Cut around the damaged area with a half moon edging iron and lift the damaged turf. Lightly fork over the soil, level and firm lightly. Add a little compost to improve the soil. Rather than using normal seed you will achieve better results by using pre-germinated seed. Add enough seed to some moist compost in a bucket and cover with Clingfilm. Place somewhere warm - no higher than 15oC. After a few days you should see signs of the small white root appearing from the seed. You are then ready to sow; make sure you keep the compost moist after sowing. Cut a new piece of turf to fill the area. The turf or seed used should match the existing lawn. If this is not possible, remove a piece of turf from a less prominent area of the garden.

Can any Gardeners Club members help out?

Click here if you can help

We have a problem with couch grass along a border fence with a neighbour. It is also appearing amongst our planted borders. Is there an appropriate weedkiller to deal with the grass along the border fence at least, even if it is not possible to apply the same in the flower border.

From Clare, Gardeners Club Secretary*
Couch grass can be a real pain to eradicate from the garden as you only need to leave a few small pieces of broken root in the soil and it will start growing again. Remove any sprouting couch grass and try a Glyphosate product such as Round-up applied carefully to the couch grass. This practice could be tricky to use in the flower beds as you don't want to kill off your cultivated plants, so try using a guard such as a tube of rolled card board and place this over the couch grass then spray down the tube directly onto the couch grass.

Can any Gardeners Club members help out?

Click here if you can help

I would like to make a new flower bed over an existing lawn that is up against the basement wall of my home.
I will be using about two feet of earth to build up the depth of the new bed being held in with a rock border. My question is do I have to remove the grass or can I add the earth over it? Will the grass come up through that much earth? I feel there is enough drainage because of the gravel under the grass and the weeping tile around the basement but I don't want to see grass coming up or will I have to do it the hard way and remove the grass before hand.

From Angela, Gardeners Club Secretary*
If you're beginning a new flowerbed in an area that is lawn, you will need to eliminate the grass or you run the risk of the grass roots returning as weeds in your flowerbed. It's better to remove the dig the lawn up entirely. Be sure the soil is moist, but not wet or soggy, when you begin working.

Can any Gardeners Club members help out?

Click here if you can help

From Alex M, UK

Hi David, you ask:- how and what do I need to get to get back to a manageable lawn.

The only way is hard work. Perhaps you could hire a strimmer to get the
lawn down to a length where you can use a lawnmower. You will find the grass at soil level is quite yellow and will remain so until new growth commences. In the Autumn you could apply an Autumn weed & feed lawn feed spread to the manufactures instructions. When you are in a position to cut it regularly with a lawn mower dont cut it too short and this will help the grass to become stronger growing and more lush. With a bit of luck next year your lawn will be much improved......A

From Mr Clark, UK

On you hands and knees, cut with sharp garden shears to a maximum of 2 inches. Once it shows signs of recovery, sprinkle on multi-purpose compost over the whole back and front lawned areas. Let it grow through and begin to cut the grass with the lawn mower blades at the highest adjustment.

From Bruce, UK

The other option is to start from scratch and buy new turf.

Can any other Gardeners Club members help David out?

Click here if you can help

Mushrooms

We have started to notice an increasing amount of mushrooms growing in the lawn of our garden could you tell us how to get rid of them?

From Clare, Gardeners Club Secretary*
Most fungi are beneficial, as they break down organic matter and release nutrients that are necessary for plant growth.
Unfortunately you cannot get rid of the fungi that produce the mushrooms. You can dig the roots up, however, this will not prevent the fungi from growing back. The fact that there are mushrooms indicates you have a high level of organic matter in your garden. Be careful not to add too much uncomposted organic matter to the garden but instead compost the material before applying it to the garden.

Can any Gardeners Club members help out?

Click here if you can help

From Jo, Devon, UK

Yes - the grass will most certainly grow through and the thought of digging it all up from my garden makes me shudder! I am about to do the same with my front garden and this is what I intend to do. Although I am usually an 'organic' gardener, I am dealing with couch grass so I shall have to use a product called 'Trik' (available from Farmers' Merchants). This will apparently kill anything, and form a barrier so nothing can grow through for at least 2 years (including seeds)! You could also use Glyphosate, but this does not form a barrier but becomes inactive on touching the soil and is a little friendlier!

The most important, and expensive part, is buying the plastic barrier which will form the base for the bark chips, gravel, etc. It comes in rolls from garden centres. Beware though, because cats absolutely adore gravel and will use it as a litter tray! On my clay, damp soil, slugs thrive so I cannot use bark chippings as the little blighters hide underneath it all and lay their eggs. I will use gravel and resign myself to picking up the cat droppings! Jo, Devon, UK

From Alex M, UK

Your answer is a weedkiller applied to the grass then cover the area with a permeable membrane before you lay your gravel/bark. The reason for a permeable membrane is this is porous (holed) to prevent water ponding on the surface and it excludes light to the grass/weeds that may grow from any seed that was around prior to the weedkiller application......A

From Mr Clark, UK

You can buy a solution to put on the lawn - it slows the growth of it. I am not sure what it is called but cricket club ground staff might know of it?

Bruce, UK

You can hire a machine which strips the turf off in easy strips - that's what we used when we went over to gravel. Remember though that you will still have to weed the gravel. The membrane helps but weeds can still grow through and as the years go on you get a build up of 'soil' - i.e. broken down leaves etc - on top of the membrane which then gives seeds a basis on which to grow - it can end up being more of a pain than just getting the mower out occasionally.

Can any other Gardeners Club members help Simon out?

Click here if you can help