# RCUK's journeys



## RCUK

Hi

I'm now into the 2nd year of my lawn journey. The first year I renovated a small lawn in my front garden, made a lot of mistakes but also learnt a lot through this site and asking questions elsewhere. I turfed this small lawn in May 2018 and quickly learnt that turf with the mixture of grass types isn't for me. Diseases came and went during summer and I over seeded using PRG SR4600 in September 2018. This took well and I was happy. Fast forward to April 2019 and the lawn looked great but disease came again and I lost some more. I nursed the lawn back to decent health and it is looking quite good.

I also have two other small front lawns and a terrible back lawn. So I decided to renovate the two small lawns this year and this is my reason for starting a journal.

This is the lawn I renovated last year. Looks quite good, I'm not 100% happy but it will do for now.



One of my lawns connects to my neighbour, so we agreed that I would renovate his whilst I do mine.

How the lawns looked prior to Glyphosate






As you can tell, these are lawns with all sorts of grass types, weeds and other non sense. So I killed everything 

23rd August - Day 1 of my renovation
I hired a turf cutter, had 3000KG of top soil delivered, bought 3KG of A31 Supreme Seed (85% Tetris/Rubis KBG + 15% Poa Supina Supreme) from the kind @TheWhiteWizard and had a skip delivered

Some pictures of the works on this day

















Suffice to stay I was shattered at the end of the day


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## RCUK

24th August - Day 2
Woke up early and started working around 7am as the temperature is expected to be hot (well hot for us in London). 29C or 84F for you US guys. I finished around 2pm as the sun was just too hot 

I must have moved around 1200KG of soil. Heeled the soil in, used my landscape rake to level, more heeling, more soil, more levelling, it was endless. Have I made a mistake lol. Overall it has been a decent day but starting to feel the muscle aches now. 3 more days to go.


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## jabopy

Good man :thumbup: the temp up here is 25 and that's too warm for me to work! Hat,soff to you RC. I think your doing a great job, hope your neighbour appreciates your hard graft :nod:


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## RCUK

@jabopy Thanks mate! I need all the encouragement right now


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## Mark B

Looks good RCUK, if you get that soil nice and level now it will pay you big dividends later on! I wish I could get mine flat but no chance where I am  3K kg of soil! That's a lot of soil to move by hand. Hats off to you, you're not afraid of some hard work.

Really hope the seed works for you, just be ready to be patient with it sprouting and pouting!

I'm dodging the latest mini heatwave myself and I'll be looking to get seed down next few days when I can babysit it better.


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## RCUK

25th August day 3

Woke up early again as it is baking hot. Got 5 hours in. Started on the final area, tilled it lightly, added about 500KG of soil, raked it, and started levelling. Only done one section, top right of the image below as the levels on this lawn are very bad. There is a drain (middle of the image) which was much higher than the soil before so I've levelled the ground with that and the driveway. Unfortunately my neighbour's property has a lower ground level so I'm planning to raise my height and put a mow strip between the two areas. Just as well as his gardener decided a few weeks ago to start cutting my lawn before I told him again to stop.

Tomorrow I have some help coming so hoping to get this area done, mow strip installed and final grading. Then cleanup and hopefully seed down the day after.


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## hammerhead

Hey @RCUK , looks great. Wish my lawn was level like that.
Got a question: why did you glypho the grass and then remove the sod? I see most guys glypho, then add topsoil to level and put the new seed down on top of dead sod/topsoil . Any specific reason you did it that way?


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## RCUK

@hammerhead I question myself also  So much damn work. The glypho was to kill everything but although everything was killed, there was thatch layers beyond belief. I don't think these lawns have been renovated since the house was built in the '60s. Also there were large stones, uneven ground levels and part of me said just start again.

The soil was dead in parts, where that manhole is, nothing grew at all, I tried and failed last year to over seed that area but the soil was just in a poor state. I could have just put soil on top, but then I would have high spots which would take some of the levels above the driveway height. Some day I want to reel mow and knowing that, it felt better to take an inch to inch and half off the top. Oddly some parts were already higher than the driveway level, no idea how that happened. I've only lived here 4 years, the previous owner bought the house from new.

I don't think this is practical for large areas, at least not by hand. Get a bloke in or machines.

26th August day 4
Another hot day, hottest end of August since records began (32C/90F) and I'm out there burning for 7 hours :nod: 
My helper didn't come so ended up doing it all myself. Finished all the levelling and installed a mow strip between mine and my neighbours area. First time digging a small trench and it is harder than it seems when the ground is sloping. No idea if I did it correctly and it needs a quick clean up/straighten tomorrow plus some sand for the joints. Will seal it over the weekend.

Tomorrow, finish level checks, rough up the soil, seed and fertiliser down. Should I bother to pick up all the small stones?

Oh and it is expected to be hot again.


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## TheSwede

Looks great -Don't forget to drink a lot!


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## jabopy

Shame it's so hot! You'll be pleased in the end.  the big question is are you going to purchase a Reel mower when it's all done.? :thumbup:


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## hammerhead

@RCUK , OK thanks for explanations, it now makes sense to me. Great job and looking forward to seeing that grass sprout! Also curious about that Poa Supina.


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## RCUK

27th August day 4
All done (almost)

Put in 6 hours, levelled some more, I know I'm nuts. Put down Lebanon starter fertiliser and also the seed. KBG seed is so small that the Scotts spreader would not play ball but after some patience I eventually put out the seed. Watered it in and now a waiting game.

A few questions though. Should I cover the seed with a light coating of top soil? I did rake it in but I still see some seed on top. Should I worry about the birds eating the seed? Probably not given that there are millions out there.

@jabopy I would love to, if the seed takes well and I pluck up the courage to ask the misses if it is ok to spend even more then maybe 

Oh and it is 32C/90F again, thankfully today is the last day we see this type of heat.


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## hammerhead

> Should I cover the seed with a light coating of top soil


I always spread a thin layer of peatmoss on top, which helps to keep the seee moist. As soon as the peat dries out it changes its color from dark brown to a reddish light brown, which indicates it's time to apply some water again. Might also help a tiny little bit to keep the seed in place.


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## hammerhead

> Should I cover the seed with a light coating of top soil


I always spread a thin layer of peatmoss on top, which helps to keep the seee moist. As soon as the peat dries out it changes its color from dark brown to a reddish light brown, which indicates it's time to apply some water again. Might also help a tiny little bit to keep the seed in place.
[/quote]


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## RCUK

@hammerhead Thanks! Took your advice and used up some westland topsoil I had but decided to hand screen it through a garden sieve as it had some stones and twigs in it even though it says the soil is screened. Didn't have enough for the neighbour hence the colour difference.


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## g-man

@RCUK dotn be gentle with the kbg seeds. You want them covered in soil at around 3-6mm deep. Stomp on the ground to really push them into the soil. Seed to soil contact is super important. Think you are making wine from grapes.

I've shared these before as examples of the difference it makes.











__ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/844692102697009152

__ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/845051546010337282


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## RCUK

@g-man Thanks! I'll go out and walk over the areas. Those pics are great.

We had some rain overnight and this morning which allowed me to sleep in a little for a change.

Edit: Used my favourite tool to stamp down the soil. Anyone in the UK wants one it is called 'Roughneck Aluminium Landscape Rake 36"'.


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## hammerhead

@RCUK Was just thinking about my post yesterday and that i forgot to mention to roll/compact the soil for good seed-to-soil contact. Glad gman already did. I think you should also compact your neighbors section (if not already done), even if you have not put any topsoil to cover the seed. Cheers and good luck (no thunderstorms) for the germination


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## RCUK

@hammerhead Thanks. I went out again to put a thin layer on and stamped it down in the neighbour's side.

Did a bit of clean up also, had soil everywhere.


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## Mark B

The test pots I did responded slighly differently to different treatment.
1. I used the bottom of a 3 inch pot to very firmly push down the soil into the pot with seed. Seed depth up to 1 /2 inch. Germination in 5 days, 1 to 1 and 1/2 inch growth in 2 weeks.
2. I simply scooped a full pots worth of soil and mixed in some seed with a swirl of my finger up to 1/2 inch. No tamping down, just a light tap on the worktop to settle the soil. Germination at 7 days, up to but not more than an inch of growth in 2 weeks. 
Conclusion: Firming in really helps and stresses once again that seed to soil contact is king.

On a side note, very well done with breaking your back with all your prep work Rakesh, you will be richly rewarded! And thanks for buying the seed, was nice doing business with you. :thumbup:


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## RCUK

@TheWhiteWizard Thanks for the kind words and getting me out of a tight spot!

Curious to see your test pots


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## Mark B

Have a guess which one is which lol



TheWhiteWizard said:


> The test pots I did responded slighly differently to different treatment.
> 1. I used the bottom of a 3 inch pot to very firmly push down the soil into the pot with seed. Seed depth up to 1 /2 inch. Germination in 5 days, 1 to 1 and 1/2 inch growth in 2 weeks.
> 2. I simply scooped a full pots worth of soil and mixed in some seed with a swirl of my finger up to 1/2 inch. No tamping down, just a light tap on the worktop to settle the soil. Germination at 7 days, up to but not more than an inch of growth in 2 weeks.
> Conclusion: Firming in really helps and stresses once again that seed to soil contact is king.


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## RCUK

@TheWhiteWizard So what you are saying is I need to invest in a lawn roller  Seen some cheap ones in Amazon but no idea if any of them are good other than relying on reviews. Do you have one?

Nice looking grass, am I right in thinking the supina is a slightly thicker bladed grass?


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## RCUK

We have germination! I hope these are KBG plants


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## RCUK

Very little germination still, only been 5 days but I'm worried I am over watering. How should the soil feel after watering? I also see some seeds sitting on top of the soil.


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## social port

RCUK said:


> Very little germination still, only been 5 days but I'm worried I am over watering. How should the soil feel after watering? I also see some seeds sitting on top of the soil.


I always start questioning every little thing I am doing while I am waiting for grass to germinate and establish. The soil should not feel wet, but it should feel moist. 
I can't really guess at the moisture level based on the picture above.


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## RCUK

@social port Thanks. Yeah I'm doing the same, did I do xyz right, what if I did something wrong lol

I'm tempted to put another thin layer of soil on top as I'm starting to see seeds where I thought I had covered them.


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## Mark B

I've got plenty of seeds I didn't cover. Same in test pots and they are doing just fine. Keep watering moist but not set, you look fine to me


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## RCUK

Day 7

After stressing about this renovation last night I woke to find...


So to celebrate a minor win I did this to my other lawn 


Question is do I try and over seed it with the same KBG/Poa Supina mix or stick to what I have already which is Ryegrass (SR4600) and next year do a full renovation on it? Either way I need to cover the seeds, is it ok to use Peat Moss or stick to topsoil?


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## RCUK

Day 8
Happy


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## Mark B

Wahey! Grass babies, congratulations Rakesh&#127793;&#127793;&#127793;


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## RCUK

@TheWhiteWizard Thanks mate. The rain this morning and a few days ago really helped (I think)

Do you think the density is ok? Or wait and see how it develops?


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## g-man

For kbg, that's great density.


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## RCUK

Thanks @g-man

Quick question about filling in sparse areas whilst others are taking off...do you keep watering everywhere 2-3 times a day or try and spot water the newly seeded sparse areas? Wondering if the already germinated areas will receive too much water?


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## RCUK

Day 10
Neighbours lawn doesn't look too great so over seeded and lightly coated with peat moss.

My two areas are doing ok, but they needed a light over seed also, coated with peat moss.

Area below looks the best so far. Fairly happy with the renovation, lets hope it continues well.


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## Mrotatori

congrats on the germination. Be patient with everything filling in


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## jabopy

:thumbup: Oh yes that's what we want to see!!


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## RCUK

Day 12
The little seeds are really taking off now, this area looks great so far and we've had some cool weather but decent sunshine to keep the soil warm.

Other two areas are also picking up nicely, neighbour is happy


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## Mark B

Looking good, are the areas that are lagging behind in shade? I've got more and more germination coming in the most sunny areas of my reno but the heavily shaded areas are only today poking through. I think I'm 3 days behind you on seed down date? Mine went down aug 29, which is more of a better late than never date lol&#128584;&#128517;
Post a wide angle of everything if you can


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## RCUK

@TheWhiteWizard You are spot on. The area doing the best gets sun from around 10am all the way up to sunset. The other two lawns probably receive 1.5 hours less of direct sun. Although the temps aren't very high, once the sun is out it feels warmer than the forecast suggests.

I put seed down on the 27th, two days difference between us. The last 3-4 days have seen the biggest changes and I can see even more coming.

I'll post some wider pictures tomorrow.

My issue currently are the worm casts, I'm hand bushing them or flicking them away 

My neighbor has no worms apparently lol


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## Mark B

> I put seed down on the 27th, two days difference between us. The last 3-4 days have seen the biggest changes and I can see even more coming.


That's kinda nice to know. This kbg is as slow as they say it is. I will remain patient and hopeful. Seems like the 10 degree C change that we have had over the last week has slowed things right down. The forum is an excellent resource, I certainly thank the experienced kbg growing members for sharing their experiences.



> My issue currently are the worm casts, I'm hand bushing them or flicking them away
> 
> My neighbor has no worms apparently lol


I feel that the worm cast problems we have now at germination are a minor nuisance compared to the immeasurable good the worms do aerating the soil, acting as a natural dethatcher and carrying nutrients during future years. The worm casts are certainly dense soil, I also have many, I'm leaving them in situ during germination.
Earthworms will stay near the surface if it's continuously moist, but they will go down deeper in search of moisture if the top few inches of soil are dryer. 
So when you transition to watering deeply once or twice a week, they will hopefully be living deeper and cause less unsightliness


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## RCUK

@TheWhiteWizard 
Wider shot of the front lawn.


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## RCUK

Day 15
This area continues to do well. A few sparse areas on the right of the picture where the skip was, there are seeds germinating just slower than the rest. I did put down a starter fertiliser at seed down (ProScape 16-25-12 25% MESA), should I liquid fertilise also or give it a few more weeks?


This area is also doing ok, a little slower but reasonable. Should I be worried about the density of the grass or does it look ok so far?





Oh and the weeds are being hand pulled out if I can reach them, not too many but will deal with them at some point (non-chemical).


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## RCUK

Should I be worried about the density of the grass or does it look ok so far?


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## RCUK

Day 19
Over seeded and verticut this 11 days ago. Looking ok so far, been lucky with some nice weather.


This area continues to do well, almost close to mow ready. I'll give it a few more days then cut it.




Smaller section which gets less sun is not far behind, still some bare areas and a ton of weeds but they will get pulled out soon as I can walk on the grass. When should I stop watering twice a day?


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## RCUK

Update on my renovations. Have cut the lawns twice now in the past 8 days, been very wet which has also caused worms to go nuts as you can see from the images below. Yeah I know they are good for the soil but they ruin the look of the turf and coupled with the wet weather I'm struggling to keep the turf free of mud smearing.

Ryegrass lawn




KBG reno
Fair amount of weeds but these are controllable through hand pulling


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## Mark B

Hey that looks great! :thumbup: 
What rate did you sow the seed at in the end?
Did you get a new mower?


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## RCUK

@TheWhiteWizard I went with 15g per square meter but after 9 days did a very light over seed in some bare areas. There are still some gaps but there is enough grass around those areas to hopefully fill in over the next year or so.

I haven't bought a reel just yet, was tempted this week with a used allett but as it only had a month's warranty I figured it better to wait until spring given that the mower won't get much use over winter.

The Hayter I have is only a year old and cuts well, it's just a big beast for my small lawns especially on the turns.

I'm thinking of buying some Velvet Purity for the worms, if you are interested I'll PM a list of suppliers Velvet sent me.


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## RCUK

Before it rains AGAIN gave the lawns a shot of 0.25N and root ruckus. Probably the last app I can make since the temps are going downhill quickly in the coming weeks.


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## Chris LI

:thumbup: 
Very nice! That color really pops, and those stripes are icing on the cake! We're extremely dry here, so "the grass is always greener ", so to speak. Hopefully, you will dry out and we'll get some rain. I think we had less than 25 mm of rain for the month.


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## RCUK

@Chris LI Thanks 

Funny thing is I like the ryegrass 'look' over the KBG. It's early days in the KBG life but there is something about the way the rye strips as well as the fineness of leaf that appeals.

All the lawns have a shaggy appearance at the moment, going to try cutting it at 1" and see how it responds.


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## RCUK

Managed to cut the grass today after days of rain. Ground is super soft and worms are still having their party, which is nice as I get to smear their droppings over the grass 

Past month these lawns have had 0.5 N through a liquid feed (18-9-9+seaweed/humic/trace elements) plus Root Ruckus which is doubling up on the humic and seaweed but the quantities are still fairly average.

*Ryegrass *is doing well, was worried I would have disease with all the rain and humidty.


KBG is doing well also, one of the lawns has bare spots but can't complain.






Managed to trim the four box hedges also, but took ages using hand shears so will do the rest over the weekend.


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## RCUK

I still like the look of the Rye (must have confidence in the KBG)


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## RCUK

Took the cut down to an inch today. KBG is showing signs of disease but nothing too bad. Can't do much about it as the grass is too young to try and treat, even if I wanted to we aren't able to buy anything without a license because of a certain EU law so I'll just have to watch and pray.


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## RCUK

The worms have made a mess on the lawns. It's so bad now that I'm going to have to take drastic action. A guy is dropping off a bag of Purity tomorrow. Really didn't want to hurt the critters but it's either dead grass followed by weeds or a few less worms.


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## RCUK

Applied the Purity soil conditioner yesterday, this morning after a night of rain the worms came out of the lawns and are trying to find a new home. Feels bad  However it is a necessary evil.

The soil conditioner releases saponins into the soil which the worms don't like.


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## Mark B

RCUK said:


> @TheWhiteWizard Hey Mark, how is the lawn reno going? Did you have luck with the overseed?
> 
> Are you seeing any yellowing of some grass blades? I'm not sure why but for the past week I'm seeing this across the two KBG areas whereas the Ryegrass lawn is not effected at all. The KBG growth is very slow also, I've given both the Ryegrass and KBG the same fertiliser and root ruckus treatments. I wonder if it is chlorosis given the amount of rain we have had and the age of the grass.


Yellowing of some grass? Yes I have this at the moment with my kbg. This rain surely is to blame. You are probably correct with your diagnosis. Maybe a photo if you have one to help others help with diagnosing would help.

Are the kbg and the ryegrass you have the same age?


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## RCUK

@TheWhiteWizard 
Or anyone else who can help. Images show the current issue on my KBG+ poa supina lawns. Not sure what is going on and growth has stopped. We have had daily rain for weeks and temps 17C to 6C.


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## jabopy

Don't know what's going on with your grass! But 200 miles north the rain is none stop, my grass is like a mud bath. :? I was hoping to look in on your journal and find it thriving. Hopefully it will all come right in the new year. :thumbup: or is it fingers crossed. :nod:


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## RCUK

@jabopy Hey thanks 

I cleaned the wormcasts off the lawns using my hose gun set to a wide setting and gave the lawns a cut.

The 'sissy' ryegrass is looking very nice, not perfect but as you can see below there is no contest between the lawns. It is mostly SR4600. I'm praying that Germinal get this back in stock soon.

I gave the KBG some iron today, lets see how it behaves. Not so impressed so far but as you say it is early days (but the Rye is just as old so...)

Ryegrass




KBG


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## Chris LI

You need to give the kbg a full year (sometimes more, for full color) to develop. Once it matures, you might be surprised.


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## RCUK

The Rye is looking ok, gave this lawn a trim on the edges but the worms made a right mess even though a fair number died there are still plenty creating casts.

The KBG looks like it is happy again, there is an improvement in colour and it is growing slowly. I put down a slow release organic 7-2-8 feed as the temperatures are still ok for some growth.


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## RCUK

Cut the lawns yesterday, not much growth now sad.

Applied iron and seaweed for the winter months.

Picture shows my lawn on the left of the stone divide and my neighbors on the right. I seeded and prepared both sides back in August using the same seed and soil. Difference is his gardener has cut his twice and no feeding whereas mine has had liquid fertiliser, humic, seaweed, iron and a dose of copper to help with the fungus. See the difference 



Close up


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## Mark B

Ha! Cool, love it. Hasn't your neighbor asked you to help him yet? I'm sure he will soon...


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## Chris LI

That's a nice 'side by side' comparison...a little extra effort and supplies, and a great result. Oh, yeah you're definitely hired! :nod:


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## Chris LI

I mustn't forget knowledge. That's a big one.


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## RCUK

@TheWhiteWizard I'm surprised he hasn't, feel a little bad as his gardener hasn't turned up in weeks. Maybe KBG wasn't the right option for him given that he won't nurture it enough. I may suggest a fine fescue/rye mix for him next year.

@Chris LI How much will you pay


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## Mark B

Could be an interesting charity fertiliser experiment


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## RCUK

Last mow for this year. Colour is still ok, can't wait to see what the KBG does in spring as it doesn't look great yet.

Temperatures are between -2 to 13C and moist.

Neighbor's lawn has still not had any treatment since September and no cuts for 6 plus weeks.


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## RCUK

First cut of 2020, lawns looking green. One of the three lawns is suffering from worm casts, obvious which one


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## RCUK

Took a gamble and it paid off. Tenacity arrived today from the US 

As I have a KBG and Poa Supina mix, I'm going to test on a small patch, not sure if Tenacity has adverse effects on the Poa Supina.

Now need to find a way to get prodiamine!


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## bigbew

Great work, good luck converting ounces and feet to mil and metres!


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## uts

Good edges and defined beds are my goal this year


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## timtimotej

Tenacity&#128558; nice! Where did you order it?

I will try buying Callisto in Austria. I have license for pesticides use in Slovenia, but I don't know, if it's usable in Austria.

It is legal to use callisto here in Slovenia, but it's out of stock. Syngenta won't import it anymore.

This is crazy how hard is to get pesticides for lawn care here in Slovenia 

Why prodiamine? You can get pedimethalin(stomp aqua BASF) in eu.


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## RCUK

@timtimotej From ebay, see here https://www.ebay.co.uk/str/thelandscaperstore I'm sure they will post to you.

I forgot about stomp aqua, thanks! I did a quick search earlier and could only find 10L containers, do you know if that is the smallest size? With prodiamine I will need less than 1oz per year as I don't have a large area to cover. Do you have a cheat sheet of what pre-m is allowed in the EU?


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## uts

How have you been edging your beds?


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## timtimotej

@RCUK till now I only found pendimethalin and mesotrione being legal to use in eu as a pre e.
I will report you if I find anything else.
In slovenia we have 1L packaging Stomp Aqua and uk only 10L 🤔. 
If you won't get prodiamine, I can send you 1 liter of stomp aqua.


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## RCUK

@timtimotej It looks like BASF only sell 10L sizes in the UK but I can see that in other EU countries a 1L size. 10L costs around £117. How much for the 1L? 

https://www.agricentre.basf.co.uk/en/Products/Overview/Stomp-Aqua.html (pack size 10L)

@uts Not yet, probably get some edging done this week.


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## RCUK

Cut the lawns today and did some edging 

KBG/Poa Supina is yellowing but not too bad.

Dropped some Purity everywhere as the worms continue to have fun so time to take drastic actions.


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## GlynRS2

Stomp Aqua at a better price in the UK here
£81.60 including delivery


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## RCUK

Thanks @GlynRS2 I contacted them, they have a minimum order quantity of 4 x 10L.

They sell Moddus (PGR) and I've ordered a 1L bottle for £53 delivered.


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## RCUK

@TheWhiteWizard I'm seeing some areas where there is more growth than others. Have you seen this? See below. Hope it's not weed grass.


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## bigbew

That's a Poa Annua seed head in the middle left...


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## RCUK

Oh boy, now I need to take the risk and try the tenacity. No idea if it is suitable for the poa Supina in the lawn.


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## bigbew

Clumps that small I'd carefully hand pull if they're still easily identifiable.


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## RCUK

So just looked again and can see white seed heads and purple ones. Are the white heads the Poa annua?


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## bigbew

I think it's all Poa. Follow a white seed head, they spread out quite far, back to it's root source and you'll get a better picture of what it is. Yank it out by the root and see if the purple comes with it.


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## RCUK

Have a look, not sure if these are poa annua or poa supina.


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## bigbew

The white is definitely Poa Annua, the purple I'm not sure.

Have you applied anything recently?


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## RCUK

Nothing for a few weeks, just iron and seaweed in early March. No fertiliser yet. Might just try tenacity, worst case the grass dies, then I can kill it all and start again. This time will level it flat like a pool table


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## Mark B

RCUK said:


> @TheWhiteWizard I'm seeing some areas where there is more growth than others. Have you seen this? See below. Hope it's not weed grass.


I haven't seen growth spots like that in my lawn. Any chance that a cat or dog has taken a leak on your lawn? Looks greener than surrounding area, maybe because of the nitrogen in the animals urine.
Do you think the soil you brought in contained any annua contamination?
I have seen both white and pink/red panicles in my lawn. I have been hand pulling the white ones at times. Supina is starting to form panicles now we are at springs door. An annua plant will probably show much more signs of stress than the far more resistant supina, so use that knowledge to your advantage if you decide to hand pull plants. I am about to post in the cool season forum something I found about supina genetics.


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## Mark B

RCUK said:


> Oh boy, now I need to take the risk and try the tenacity. No idea if it is suitable for the poa Supina in the lawn.


Try a small area first. I predict it will turn it all white, whether its annua or supina, especially if supina is not on the label. Can even bleach kbg, so you might have a completely white lawn! You are possibly the first person in UK to try it on supina :bandit:


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## RCUK

Pulled a lot of what looked like Poa annua this morning after applying tenacity yesterday.

Did some more edging and dropped the HOC down. Didn't measure but I believe it is under an inch now, I'll maintain this all season.

Some images, feedback welcome.


----------



## RCUK

Sissy grass is starting to wake up, lowered the HOC


----------



## bigbew

Looking great for March!


----------



## timtimotej

Nice!


----------



## RCUK

More edging today, no strimmers were harmed. Spade and lawn scissors only


----------



## g-man

Wow. That edging looks better than Connors.


----------



## RCUK

@g-man That is a great complement thank you kind sir!

I'm out in the garden daily now, lock down means more time with the family and lawns.


----------



## RCUK

Picked up some sand last weekend, opened a bag and found this. This isn't sand  Can't return it now as the store is shut for weeks


----------



## Mark B

&#128561; that looks like salt grit! Totally opposite to what youre after, thats weird.
Where did you get it?
Lawns looking mint mate&#128077;
Any effects from the tenacity yet?


----------



## RCUK

@TheWhiteWizard Thanks!

It is Deco Pak horticultural sand, their website picture is sand but the contents are grit! A local garden centre, but they have now shut for x weeks. I've emailed them, hopefully they are willing to accept a return once they open again.

I can see some seed heads looking sick/white. No issue with the Poa Supina or KBG, just a general lack of colour which I'm guessing is from the tenacity. I'll do another app this week.

How are you? Hope you and the family are safe and healthy.


----------



## Mark B

We are well thanks. Enjoying lots of time in the garden, I have no idea how we would get what needs doing out there if we weren't locked down!

Have you put any fertiliser down yet?


----------



## RCUK

@TheWhiteWizard Nothing yet. Just two apps of seaweed and iron during March, and those were fairly light. Very tempted to try some liquid fert but the mornings are so cold so will wait a while to see if the temps go up. At least it's not wet fungus weather.


----------



## g-man

@RCUK a trick with tenacity to reduce the bleaching on the desired turf is to mix in triclopyr. It will still bleach the POA a and weeds.


----------



## RCUK

@g-man Thanks. What application rate do you recommend? I can get a product here that is fairly cheap and has 48g/L triclopyr


----------



## g-man

Umm. I don't want to screw up this conversion. We normally get the product in percentages. Go with half the turf rate the container says.


----------



## g-man

560g ha-1 or 0.05g/sqm

Keep using nis.

https://bioone.org/journals/weed-technology/volume-30/issue-2/WT-D-15-00189.1/Triclopyr-Reduces-Foliar-Bleaching-from-Mesotrione-and-Enhances-Efficacy-for/10.1614/WT-D-15-00189.1.pdf


----------



## RCUK

Awesome thanks! @g-man


----------



## RCUK

Cut and overseed PRG to fill the gaps the worms left for me.


----------



## jabopy

Great Sunday pics RC&#128076; sunshine helps a lot. The grass is looking very well, more than I can say for mine.


----------



## RCUK

@jabopy Thanks! What's happening with your's?


----------



## jabopy

I suppose being 200mile north and colder could have something to do with it. I've got all sorts of strange grass over most of the lawn, and not being able to get out to buy any lawn treatment products. Maybe later on I'll catch up. Hope your keeping well.&#128077;


----------



## RCUK

@jabopy All well. 5+ weeks at home and counting, plenty of time in the early mornings to do some lawn work.

Fert day tomorrow. Some Organo 1 and low dose of liquid to help the young KBG and PRG.

Weather is looking cooler this week also.


----------



## TheWoodsman

@RCUK 
Rakesh what lawn scissors for edging are you using?

I took the plunge and started my own journal


----------



## RCUK

@TheWoodsman I use Wolf Garten scissors. They have a rotating blade so you can cut horizontal or vertical. https://www.worldofwolf.co.uk/categories/cutting-range/shears-and-scissors/product/wolf-garten-comfort-grass-shear/RILL~RILL

Also have Spear and Jackson long handle shears but I'm not overly impressed by them.

Did an edge yesterday with the scissors...


----------



## RCUK

Gave the lawns a cut today as the weather forecast shows several days of rain. Changed the oil in the Hayer and gave it fresh petrol.

Colour in the Rye is really coming through now, some discolouration from the Tenacity still and a few Poa A seed heads but I'm hand pulling those out.
Rye

Rye

Rye


KBG/Poa Supina is starting it's slow recovery from my low mow (0.5 inch). Raised the height a notch to 0.75 inch which I will try and maintain. Progress is slow though, c'mon speed up 

KBG/Pow Supina

KBG/Pow Supina


----------



## RCUK

Gave the lawns a much needed cut. Sorry for the weird angles, it is sunny😎

Rye



KBG/Poa Supina


----------



## TheWoodsman

@RCUK

Nice! Edging on point


----------



## RCUK

Shiny new mini reel/cylinder mower arrived. Gave it a quick try today. Quite a different experience to my Hayter rotary. Turning the mower is tricky as there is no split rear roller like the Hayter, a few times I had to pick it up off the concrete to move it. Also I think the unit is not square, setting the front roller all the way up or down does not line up level with the bed knife. I need to build myself a height of cut bar to check.

Spent a few hours trimming my box hedges, glad I caught the nasty caterpillars last week as they had started to eat away at the buxus. Unfortunately the only way I know of to deal with them is with a specific chemical, although this is bee/insect friendly.

Over time I'll probably move the bushes off the lawns and into the beds and possibly look at Ilex Crenata for more hardy topiary fun. For now these domes are getting all my attention


----------



## Butter

@RCUK Those boxwood are tight! I clipped mine yesterday. I always end up with gum balls rather than spheres. What's the trick?


----------



## RCUK

@Butter Thanks! Not sure the difference between gum ball and sphere 

Do you mean the lower part of the dome is flat on mine?

I have another 7 box to clip this week, I'll take some pictures whilst I clip so you can see the stages.

1. Get a bucket of water. This is to keep the shears wet so when you cut, the leaf has some moisture to prevent drying and going brown. Also helps to keep the shears clean and help avoid spreading any disease. I empty the bucket every new box I clip
2. Start at the top with your shears flat, level with the ground. 
3. Work around the top in a circle, choose clockwise if that suits, stand right over the box looking down and as you finish one circle, adjust your shears angle slightly to create the curve shape
3a. An alternative which also works is to do 1 and 2 above, but instead of doing circles, cut one strip from the top all the way to half way down the side of the box, then the opposite direction, so you now have a band that is cut right down the middle. You then do another strip to create a cross (looking down at the box). The next step is to join these 4 bands. Sounds confusing I know so I'll take some pictures 😉
4. Once you continue to work your way down the sides, start to flatten your angle so you are not cutting into the box, instead your shears are pointing almost vertically down towards the ground. You may want a slight taper into the box, to create a very small inward angle. I do this to avoid opening up the trunk of the box to the elements. I'd rather have leaf almost to the ground. 
5. Once you have done your first pass, start pulling lightly at various parts of the box to lift up any branches that have dropped inside the dome as you don't want them growing inwards. I also run my hands and fluff up the entire box again to lift all branches out and up.
6. You will now need to do another cut all over to clean up after step 5.

If I have a lot to cut I will do a light pass using hedge trimmers but the final cut with my Japanese steel shears. Amazing tool!

I watched this guy cut and he is far better than me but you can see how he lifts up the leaf as he cuts. I do it this way but the write up above works also. 




Has the box tree moth reached the US yet? Hope not as they can eat through the box very quickly.


----------



## g-man

I tried to find one of those Webb mowers in the USA and cannot get them. It will be perfect for my son.


----------



## Butter

Thanks RCUK. Great write up on the box clipping.


----------



## RCUK

Sent the mower back. Just could not get along with it. I'm sure it could work but didn't feel right for me.

- Turning it is a chore, had to lift it up and turn. Roller is not split and too much friction to free wheel it in a tight circle, even worse on my concrete areas. Maybe grease could help, didn't want to start opening it up right out of the box
- The front roller assembly isn't 'square', yes I can adjust it but I should not compromise on build quality 
- Handles flop up and down rather than stay in one place so the roller skids along at times if you push at the wrong angle
- When it cuts, the quality of cut is very good. Blades are sharp

I know I'm expecting a lot from a cheap mower, so am sending it back.


----------



## lfrancis

Time to look at the Allett range now @RCUK, or a used alternative.


----------



## RCUK

@lfrancis I keep thinking back to pre lock down when Allett had a demo Liberty 43 for sale at half the price! Hoping another comes up for sale.


----------



## GlynRS2

Consider buying a vintage Ransomes Ajax if you want a push mower. Plenty on eBay in various condition, generally built like a tank.


----------



## RCUK

@GlynRS2 Thanks. Had a quick look and they do look great. Do you know which mk is the one to go for? Prices vary widely also, £33 all the way to £300!


----------



## RCUK

Poa Annua war started today. Hand pulled half a bucket worth. So annoying to deal with.


----------



## RCUK

Some test plots started today. Let's see if anyone can guess what is in them. Which star will win an award with the correct answer, will you set a benchmark for others 😂


----------



## TheWoodsman

Oh Man!! I thought I was the only one!! Seed heads at 14mm HOC 😡

What's your plan of attack other than pulling them?



RCUK said:


> Poa Annua war started today. Hand pulled half a bucket worth. So annoying to deal with.


----------



## RCUK

@TheWoodsman I've let the grass grow without a cut since Friday, this morning the lawns lit up with Poa, worse than I have seen since ever. Not sure why as last year hardly had any. Maybe the worm casts in October November left gaps for the Poa and now I'm seeing the results. I also think feeding the lawns too early hasn't helped.

Going to let the grass dry out, let it grow a bit more and keep pulling them out.

At the lower heights (21mm) I could hardly see the plants, but now the weather has improved they have come to life. Also there are plenty hiding under the Ryegrass, can only see them before the sun hits the lawns


----------



## lfrancis

RCUK said:


> @TheWoodsman I've let the grass grow without a cut since Friday, this morning the lawns lit up with Poa, worse than I have seen since ever. Not sure why as last year hardly had any. Maybe the worm casts in October November left gaps for the Poa and now I'm seeing the results. I also think feeding the lawns too early hasn't helped.
> 
> Going to let the grass dry out, let it grow a bit more and keep pulling them out.
> 
> At the lower heights (21mm) I could hardly see the plants, but now the weather has improved they have come to life. Also there are plenty hiding under the Ryegrass, can only see them before the sun hits the lawns


Seeing the same thing in the North East. Easy enough to pull out, but there's a lot. Did notice they've overgrown some PRG seeds I put down. Once I pulled them out those PRG shoots have started growing.


----------



## RCUK

Day 5 of test pots and we have germination. No guesses yet as to the varieties


----------



## lfrancis

Must be Rye grass in there with 5 day germination!


----------



## RCUK

@lfrancis Two of the four seed types in the RS pots are Ryegrass. The other two are KBG, those haven't germinated yet, a few more days for those. Want to guess what KBG is in there


----------



## Chris LI

Mazama and Bewitched?


----------



## RCUK

No @Chris LI

Further up I listed the names but I guess I was too cryptic lol.


----------



## lfrancis

RCUK said:


> @lfrancis Two of the four seed types in the RS pots are Ryegrass. The other two are KBG, those haven't germinated yet, a few more days for those. Want to guess what KBG is in there


Here's hoping you got some Barenburg RPR Sport! Maybe Golf variety too? Haha wishful thinking. What about Tetris for comparison...


----------



## RCUK

@lfrancis I did a Tetris pot last year, earlier in this journal you can see how it came up. Looks good on its own and a good colour.

Want to send 1g of RPR my way


----------



## RCUK

12 days since the test pots started, PRG has started to make side shoots, KBG just appeared, well hello there  Not even sure I will use any of these seeds for the renovation, the supply route from Italy has too many unknowns, is the seed fresh? will the seed work in my climate? The specs say yes but I'm wondering if it is better to go with something like RPR Sport that has been tried and tested for years with great results.


----------



## liamjones

RCUK said:


> @lfrancis I did a Tetris pot last year, earlier in this journal you can see how it came up. Looks good on its own and a good colour.
> 
> Want to send 1g of RPR my way


I can do this for you no probs, Dm your address


----------



## RCUK

@liamjones Awesome, thanks! DM sent


----------



## RCUK

Cut all three lawns at 0.5 inch - 12.7mm with the rotary. Surprisingly it looks quite nice. Hardly any scalping which makes me positive about the upcoming renovation. Less levelling to do. Did this as I don't care about the existing grass as it is getting nuked in a month.


----------



## liamjones

RCUK said:


> Cut all three lawns at 0.5 inch - 12.7mm with the rotary. Surprisingly it looks quite nice. Hardly any scalping which makes me positive about the upcoming renovation. Less levelling to do. Did this as I don't care about the existing grass as it is getting nuked in a month.


I can't wait to get down under an inch! How are the tester pots coming on?


----------



## RCUK

@liamjones Planted the RPR on Friday, this morning I can see first signs of tiny stems appearing on a few seeds. Probably slower than yours as the soil I used was a little too heavy but am confident.

Really want to see how RPR looks when mature. I realistically only have until mid July to make a final decision. Torn between RPR, J Premier Pitch and the Italian mix which has Award and Everest KBG with SR4650/Benchmark RPG. That mix hasn't shown it's true colours yet, KBG is so slow, 3 weeks now and there a very few tiny grass plants. Do I take a risk and give the blend a try or go with a British mix which is used in hundreds of stadiums


----------



## RCUK

@liamjones Almost 8 days since seeding and plants are appearing nicely. The two pots on the left are RPR. The single pot is RPR and SR4600, just wanted to see if I could mix. Probably won't.


----------



## liamjones

Looks pretty thin?! Did you not sow many?


----------



## RCUK

@liamjones Those just appeared yesterday. Many seeds haven't germinated yet.


----------



## liamjones

RCUK said:


> @liamjones Those just appeared yesterday. Many seeds haven't germinated yet.


That's really interesting, how often are you watering them?


----------



## RCUK

Usually 8am, 12pm, 3pm, 7pm
I have a suspicion the soil is too tight, the seeds have a hard time breaking through. This is the soil I used last year for my renovation and that is also causing issues with compaction.


----------



## liamjones

RCUK said:


> Usually 8am, 12pm, 3pm, 7pm
> I have a suspicion the soil is too tight, the seeds have a hard time breaking through. This is the soil I used last year for my renovation and that is also causing issues with compaction.


Yeah that's really similar to what I was doing for the first seed down. My overseed is now at 5 days and very little sign of germination, I'm now only watering once a day though. That's my thinking behind my slower germination. That's obviously not the case with yours though. I grew some in a bowl with tissue paper and they came out around day 4 too. Really thick! Maybe I've stored the seed sub optimally since I got it 4 weeks ago?! Who knows


----------



## RCUK

@liamjones Rye should last several years. I'm fairly sure the seeds will come through. Seeing a few more since this morning


----------



## RCUK

New toy has arrived. This lute has some serious weight to it, better get fit before the August renovation 

1m x 0.3m and takes a 28mm pole


----------



## bigbew

eBay Designsinmetal? If it is then yes it's extremely heavy!


----------



## RCUK

@bigbew Yep, same guy. He is really responsive, sent him a message last week, he said I'm posting new items this weekend. Paid on Sunday, arrived today. Do you have one?


----------



## bigbew

RCUK said:


> @bigbew Yep, same guy. He is really responsive, sent him a message last week, he said I'm posting new items this weekend. Paid on Sunday, arrived today. Do you have one?


I do, first thing I noticed was the weight. It works well if a little hard work.


----------



## lfrancis

Looks great, got a link? I had a quick search but couldn't find it on eBay.


----------



## RCUK

@lfrancis Sure, https://www.ebay.co.uk/usr/designsinmetal

If you 'contact seller', ask him when his next batch of lutes are coming up he will let you know.


----------



## lfrancis

RCUK said:


> @lfrancis Sure, https://www.ebay.co.uk/usr/designsinmetal
> 
> If you 'contact seller', ask him when his next batch of lutes are coming up he will let you know.


Thanks, going to order one.


----------



## Chris LI

That IS a nice new toy! I really enjoy using mine for leveling (it can be addictive), and I was thinking about it again, when I was mowing the other day. I'll be following on the reno.


----------



## RCUK

Seed selection for my August renovation is done. Going for a KBG/PRG mix, Award, Everest, Benchmark and SR4650. Test pots below, I seeded lightly rather than the recommended rate as the calculation between m2 and cm2 didn't make sense, but overall happy with how the grass looks. No fertiliser added, just plain topsoil and water over 6 weeks.

3 x 1KG boxes of seed on their way from Italy (only supplier I could find for Award and Everest that would deliver to me). £3.99 postage isn't too bad.


----------



## RCUK

Seed arrived, happy days


----------



## RCUK

One final mow before she goes.


----------



## Stuofsci02

Subscribed


----------



## RCUK

@Stuofsci02 Thanks!
Tomorrow is spray day.


----------



## Mark B

Another journey Rakesh!
Is that the 65% prg / 35% kbg blend?


----------



## RCUK

@Mark B Yes  I'm so indecisive in real life so went with both KBG and PRG lol. 65/35.

I've got to say that the Poa Supina is looking nice right now on one lawn. Pic above is prg. 3rd lawn I won't even post a pic as it's in a bad state. Huge brown spots and rock hard soil. Picked up a decent core sampler, took samples and realised my attempt last year at soil tilling wasn't so good.

So best to start again and make them all the same 

Hope you are ok.


----------



## RCUK

Couldn't spray gly on the weekend but did it this morning. No turning back now.


----------



## lfrancis

@RCUK why the SR4650 over RPR? The darker colour?


----------



## RCUK

@lfrancis The mix has it in already, didn't have a choice over what comes in the box. I wanted to have a KBG/PRG mix and this one meets almost all my requirements, dark, low growing, decent shade tolerance and reasonably priced. I have 4KG of the mix, need to cover 55 sq. m2 at 40g/m2 so only need 2.2KG - plenty to spare for patch fixing.

I'm probably crazy trying Award/Everest in the UK but worth the gamble right 

SR4650 is the type Lawntips used a few years ago.

RPR is a very nice blend, but 20KG is way too much for me plus there is something about the KBG leaf 'look' I like.


----------



## GlynRS2

Who was the Italian supplier?


----------



## lfrancis

RCUK said:


> @lfrancis The mix has it in already, didn't have a choice over what comes in the box. I wanted to have a KBG/PRG mix and this one meets almost all my requirements, dark, low growing, decent shade tolerance and reasonably priced. I have 4KG of the mix, need to cover 55 sq. m2 at 40g/m2 so only need 2.2KG - plenty to spare for patch fixing.
> 
> I'm probably crazy trying Award/Everest in the UK but worth the gamble right
> 
> SR4650 is the type Lawntips used a few years ago.
> 
> RPR is a very nice blend, but 20KG is way too much for me plus there is something about the KBG leaf 'look' I like.


Thanks for the reply. Definitely interested to see how it progresses. Good luck!

I've checked the Italian site and can't see a blend with SR4650 unless it's just named differently...


----------



## RCUK

@GlynRS2 Hi, this is the company that imports and packages the seed. They don't sell to the public but do sell to resellers, e.g. garden centres, turf companies, online sellers, etc. I tried the direct route and they said I would need to buy a pallet, 600KG  Maybe in the future who knows lol https://www.bottos1848.com/prodotti/royal-sport/

You will need to let Chrome translate the page. The PDF lists the blend specs, run it through a PDF translator online.

I purchased the boxes from Amazon UK, reseller is called PratoErboso. I wasn't sure if they were legit so asked Bottos who said yes and provided some other resellers although none of them replied or would sell to the UK.

@lfrancis They have named it Galley Star, not sure why but write up is on their site, google translate  https://www.bottos1848.com/2020/01/20/galley-star/

On the 1KG boxes they don't list the cultivars but do on the 10KG bags. I emailed them to ask why, first response was that they are not legally bound to, after some pushing they confirmed that for this year the varities are Benchmark, SR4650, Award and Everest (Answer).


----------



## lfrancis

Excellent, thank you. Will take a look.


----------



## RCUK

8 days since glyphosate application. Before I apply a 2nd round should I cut the lawn a little shorter to get any grasses matted down?


----------



## g-man

I do cut it to get the dead stuff out of the way.


----------



## RCUK

:thumbup: Thanks @g-man


----------



## liamjones

Did you have a comparison picture between the RPR and your KBG/PRG mix youre going for?


----------



## RCUK

@liamjones I let the RPR go, stopped watering sorry. 


This is 12 days since seed down of the royal sport 


This is 6-7 weeks, I hit it with too much fertiliser the other day  And blunt scissors


----------



## RCUK

Lawn 1 stripped of grass and rough grade ready for sand/soil mix.


Lawn 2 mowed short and verticut. Needs more work.


Lawn 3 still in die off stage. 2nd gly applied.


----------



## RCUK

Tried the levelling lute today and asked myself why did I buy this thing. It is overly heavy and the outer edges dig into the sand/soil mix. The landscape rake on the other hand feels like a much better tool, glides over the sand/soil with ease. This is just my first impression. For near £100 on the lute, I'm quite annoyed.

I went against the grain and tilled up the small lawn, was not happy about the compaction. Manually sieved the 10m2 lawn, mixed in the new sand/soil mix and levelled. Moved the small bush out of the way as it was not in the middle of the lawn, OCD kicked in.

Might just stick the lute on ebay. :x


----------



## Mark B

Glad you chopped that bush out! It'll look much tidier imo. 
Strange the lute digs in, something can't be quite level? I love a landscape take too, I borrowed a friend's one. Pete from GCI turf on the youtubes loves one also. They are great for smaller areas.
The lute might come into its own if you decide to topdress in future, the grass helps it glide nicely.
Couple more weeks to fallow now? You're in a good position :thumbup:


----------



## RCUK

@Mark B Yeah, the rake works really well, love it. Saw Pete use it.

I dug the bush and replanted at the back garden, hopefully it keeps alive 

Some examples below. First image levelled with a flat wide rake (not finished yet). Second image shows what happens with the lute. Lute seems good if the ground is firm and you just want to make minor adjustments.


----------



## Mark B

I made my own wooden lute on the cheap. I add weight as needed. I remove weight for initial soft soil spreading and add up to 5kg on more settled soil. Its one of my favorite tools to use as it cost next to nothing. You have a pallet there just waiting...A "swivel flange" off ebay and you're set to go!


----------



## RCUK

Tempting  Better get the sand emptied quick to build this especially for the back lawn which is next year's project &#128513;


----------



## RCUK

Took a spade to part of my renovation area, found junk. Removed junk. Replaced with sand/soil. Just 4 hours of digging 







Levelled...


----------



## RCUK

Suggestions for seed down day? I'm thinking 14th of August as prior to that weather is either too hot or wet. Thoughts?


----------



## lfrancis

I might try overseed this weekend.


----------



## RCUK

@lfrancis Perfect weather for you!


----------



## Mark B

If you can keep the up the watering and keep the soil moist at all times, go for it! 
However, the biggest concern is washouts.
You are seeding a kbg/rye blend, I would hope the rye would establish quick enough to hold most of the soil. You have enough seed for throwing a bit extra in potential washout areas?


----------



## RCUK

@Mark B I'm going for a straight Ryegrass rather than KBG/Rye mix.

My concern was that the Ryegrass would not like the 25-34C temps this week. What do you think?

I've got some frost fleece in the garage that I can put down for the first 7 days, also help to keep the birds/foxes/cats off.


----------



## RCUK

I've finally finished all prep work. Had an incident today with a skip driver going over lawn 2, mumbling something and driving off without even a simple apology.

Bit of a big update, I know you all like pictures  The white specs in the images is Zeolite for some added goodness.

Lawn 1
This lawn had drainage issues and as shown earlier this year had some areas with poor soil. After hesitating about tilling it, I did it and mixed in sand/soil+peat. Graded and levelled this lawn several times and have started fallowing it.






Lawn 2
This area like lawn 1 was part of my 2019 renovation but the soil in some areas had drainage issues, giving me spotty looking grass so again I tilled this, added sand/soil+peat, graded, levelled and more levelling. Also has Zeolite added to help with the nutrient and moisture retention.




Lawn 3
I was surprised how dark and grainy this soil was so decided to take some core samples to assess the state of play. The soil was not firm and instead a nice sandy loam. I'm not sure if this is because of the humic+compost+something I've been adding for two years but was a pleasant surprise. Did not till this area and instead cleared as much dead material as possible, spread out my sand/soil mixture and levelled multiple times with a landscape rake, levelling lute and best of all for that final finish, a stiff broom (the long thin type rather than what witches use  ). I was watching a guy use a broom in a YouTube video and laughed, but actually with the right light touch it really does leave a nice smooth finish, especially as the lute seems to cut into the soil at it's edges. Rolled the area afterwards.










Will continue to fallow until the 14th when the weather is starting to look ideal for seeding. Sprayed some citronella dilute around the drive to try and deter the foxes who seem to like digging my lawns and walking off almost like they know it will annoy me :lol:

I really don't want to do this adventure again on these lawns, after spending 30+ hours sifting soil, tilling, grading, levelling, etc. I'm now ready to see some green grass.

100% pure sissygrass this time round. If any of you UK guys want the KBG/Rye mix I bought let me know, it is for sale.


----------



## RCUK

Still waiting for the weather to open a window for seeding. By the end of this week it is looking more suitable for my seeds. Until then we have 30+C/86F+

Decided to use CSI Rye and SR4600 Ryegrasses for these lawns, both creeping types and dark green. The KBG/Rye mix I bought will go in the back lawn next year.


----------



## Mark B

How is your irrigation setup? Keep watering to fallow the new soil, I had a few weeds pop up from mine.
Once those popup thunderstorms are passed still gives you plenty of time to establish ryegrass, at least there will be much less concern of washouts.
Nice work on the preparation, you'll be at your goal in no time!


----------



## RCUK

@Mark B For the front I have no irrigation, a complicated reason but basically I haven't had the chance to lift all the concrete slabs from the back, round the side and front to run pipes. The rounded lawn is also separate from the main house, concrete driveway so no way to go underground. I could set up spike sprinklers but figured it would do me good to get outside 4 times a day as I sit in front of a screen all day 😂

Next year I'm planning to redo the back lawn and paving, I'll have a chance then to run pipes back and front. Although one lawn will never get automatic irrigation unless the driveway is redone, a few estimates came in above 10K 😬😬😬. Rather move house lol.

A few small weeds came up but nothing major so I'll probably blow torch/pull them rather than glyphosate. Then the Tenacity should take care of anything else that pops up.

Have a bit of work left to get the edges lined up and level, no edging as I tend to keep live edges. Probably a few hours of hands and knees 😎


----------



## RCUK

7 days of 30+C and now we have 5-6 days of rain. Last night was a wash out, inspected the seed bed and not too much damage. Lots of weeds popped which is great but can't see a window now to apply glyphosate or seed for maybe 5 days. Temps are perfect for seeding, but will have to wait.

Mixed up some sand/soil and peat ready for repairs when the soil dries out and cleaned some garden tools lol.


----------



## lfrancis

@RCUK sorry for some reason I thought you were north of me in Newcastle area. Ive overseeded the Barenburg RPR 8 days ago with no automatic irrigation as the weather has been prime up north. After 8 days I have over an inch of growth.

Just wanted to say once you find your weather spot for seed down I'm sure germination will come fast. Good luck and all the effort will be worth it soon I'm sure.

The next week looks even better to get those roots established.


----------



## RCUK

Thanks @lfrancis Yesterday was meant to be the scheduled seeding day but won't risk it with the thunderstorms on the forecast for tomorrow and Tuesday. Hoping either Wednesday or next Saturday to seed, should be ok as Rye grows quick.

Have pictures of your renovation?


----------



## Mark B

@lfrancis Met office is showing weather in Darlington as different to the Weather channel, do you find it accurate? I hate the symbol used to represent a whole day, can be quite misleading. Wednesday onwards is showing very infrequent 40% chances of showers on met office app. I find it reasonably accurate. I find the best indication of whats coming is the radar for the previous 6 hours, thats a cool feature.

On a separate note, RPR. I don't think you can go far wrong with germination, only issues might be soil erosion beforehand. If you have no slopes or hills its next to impossible to screw up with ryegrass imho.


----------



## lfrancis

@RCUK ill get some up shortly.

@Mark B ive never really thought about it. I'll give the met office app a shot and see how it goes. You're right about the daily icon, it is a bit misleading. Yes, ryegrass is super straightforward for average folk like me to germinate!


----------



## lfrancis

RCUK said:


> Thanks @lfrancis Yesterday was meant to be the scheduled seeding day but won't risk it with the thunderstorms on the forecast for tomorrow and Tuesday. Hoping either Wednesday or next Saturday to seed, should be ok as Rye grows quick.
> 
> Have pictures of your renovation?


Applied PGR one week before.

Core aeration - got a local company to come out as it was cheaper than hiring:



After the aeration I scarified, seeded and applied fert and wetting agent.

The next few pictures you can see the new grass popping up and coming through the existing. It's a bit lighter as expected but I'm expecting it to darken up once matured.











I pulled out a load of poa here:



I bought tenacity and prodiamine on eBay but it didn't arrive in time. I'll use the tenacity after a few mows for pre-em. Not sure if I'll be out the window for prodiamine after 60 days but we'll see.


----------



## RCUK

Seeding window is opening up from Thursday, going to finish up my constant levelling and rechecking and hopefully drop seed Friday or Saturday. Added edging stones to help keep the soil in place and redefine the edge, didn't realise how uneven this area was but the spirit level doesn't lie.

To the left of the image is a downpipe, need to redirect the rain water away from the lawn area as I noticed how badly rainwater soaks this area. Down to Screwfix tomorrow 😂


----------



## Zcape35

Looks like a nice and even seedbed, nice work! If I were a grass I would hang out there lol


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## RCUK

@Zcape35 Thanks mate 😂👍


----------



## lfrancis

Nice edging @RCUK. Will look good against the grass when established.


----------



## jabopy

RC what edger are you planning to use against that newly layed edge? Once the grass is established. I'm still in the market for a new one.


----------



## RCUK

@jabopy I use a combination of wolf garten lawn scissors, long handle lawn shears or an edging iron if I need to redefine an edge. I have an ego trimmer but I find the blunt force approach not to my liking plus the lawns are small so the manual method doesn't take too long to complete.

Wolf garten also have a really nice Dutch hoe which has sharp edges of you need to have a super clean edge https://www.worldofwolf.co.uk/categories/multi-change-tools/product/wolf-garten-multi-change-dutch-hoe-13cm/DHM~DHM


----------



## lfrancis

Did you get your seed down @RCUK?

I noticed a tonne of golf courses last minute overseeding before the storm. Granted they were slit seeding so wash out isn't so risky.


----------



## RCUK

@lfrancis I did  Finished the never ending levelling process on Friday and dropped seed on Saturday. This morning I peaked under the covers to find babies, so peeled off the fleece. Quite happy about a 5 day germination given the strong winds, heavy rains, sun, humdity in the 90s, etc. I've been posting on instagram if anyone is interested https://www.instagram.com/greenprato/

I made up my own blend using CSI Corsica Rye and Galleon/SR4600. Ran out of peat moss so had to cover some areas with the sand/soil mix but it worked fine.


----------



## Mark B

I wondered where you'd disappeared off to! :lol: 
Looks good RCUK, you'll have a lawn again in no time! :thumbup: 
Did you contact Hurrells to get 100% Corsica?


----------



## RCUK

@Mark B Thanks  Yeah, Hurrells supplied 100% Corsica, they are very helpful and responsive. Guy called Dan helped me. Very good price also, less than 30 for 5KG.


----------



## kdn

Looking great so far. I wish I had got in touch with Hurrells for 100% Corsica.

I bought their HPG CSI Turf Perennial Greens mix:
30% CSI CORSICA Creeping Ryegrass
30% ****ENS Dwarf Perennial Ryegrass
40% TOPGUN Dwarf Perennial Ryegrass

Will be interesting to see how 100% Corsica compares to the mix. What HOC will you be aiming for?


----------



## g-man

@RCUK what's the status?


----------



## RCUK

@kdn @g-man

Your mix looks great, one of the guys I speak to through insta has Top Gun and it looks great. Very slightly lighter than CSI but the mix you have will work out nice.

I've done my own home brew mix of CSI and SR4600, just because I had a bag of sr4600 untouched and it has similar traits to CSI 😂

10 days since seed down and overall I'm happy so far with progress. I see no weeds at all which is possibly due to a long period of fallowing and Tenacity. The two issues I have are worms and spotty germination. Wormcasts I'm removing by hand where I can.

I overseeded yesterday in the patches, no areas are completely bare but the density is on the low side. This morning I woke and had a look outside, it felt like a frosty day  however it is warming up for the next week with highs of 21C and lows of 12C, ideal germination temps.

Itching to mow as I'm planning to keep the height below 25mm (1 inch)

My back lawn which is much larger than these 3 front lawns had a mow, the Hayter broke down!!! It could not handle the moist grass, I heard about others having this issue but ignored it. Air filter is filled with oil. The Briggs 575EX is relatively easy to service so I've ordered oil, an air filter and spark plug. Gave it a clean, removed the filter and the engine ticked over but it's not happy as there is smoke coming from the exhaust.

I'm creating a small test plot, 5m2 to try out the KBG/PRG mix I was going to use in a shady spot out back, let's see how it does over winter.


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## Mark B

Nice work! Looks great, you are up and running! Congratz :thumbup:


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## lfrancis

Yes @RCUK! Well done man.


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## RCUK

Thanks guys &#128077;

Hope yours is going well also &#129310;


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## RCUK

Some pics from today. Grass is long, 6cm in places. Too wet to cut so will have to wait for some dry weather over the weekend to do a first cut down to 4cm.

Very pleased with the colour given its not even two weeks since seeding.


----------



## g-man

Since it is PRG, when are you planning on dropping more seeds?


----------



## kdn

Nice colour already. Anymore issues with worms after all this rain?


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## RCUK

@g-man I dropped more seed a few days ago. Early signs of the second wave of germination. I'm not sure what to do if the second round doesn't fill the gaps as worried about over watering what has already grown. Should I wait a few weeks to overseed?

@kdn Yeah, the worms are out in force especially on the lawn with higher germination. Big golf ball size mounds of droppings. I love and hate them right now! Really don't want to use Purity to nuke them but it may come to that if it stays wet.


----------



## g-man

The second wave should need less water since it is colder now, right?


----------



## RCUK

Yep, today only needed to water in the morning as it rained on off most of the day. Temps are 11-20C currently.

My question I guess is, if I needed a 3rd seeding, would watering 2-3 times a day start having detrimental effects on the established grass?


----------



## RCUK

Day 14 since seed down, day 8 since germination. Lawns are looking tidy, colour is good, second leaf stage in some areas, but a few bare spots still. Temps are holding nicely and no rain predicted for a week. Going to try and mow in a few days, may break the 1/3 rule as don't want to take too long to bring the blades down from 6cm to 2cm.


----------



## Zcape35

Looks like it's filling in nice, looking forward to seeing it after a cut!


----------



## RCUK

@Zcape35 Thanks mate 👍


----------



## RCUK

I cut the three renovation lawns today for the first time with my Hayter rotary mower. The blades were too long for a manual cylinder cut, turned out ok I think. Some areas require overseeding but want to give it a few more days as starting to see some fungus early morning so need to back off the watering to twice a day only.

Height of cut went from 70mm to 45mm (1 3/4 inch), 1/3 rule on the edge lol (doesn't matter at this stage as it is more important to train the grass low). Want to get to 25mm (1 inch) as soon as possible.

At some point over the next few days I'll edge and clean up the beds, have a new Ilex Crenata to put in and a couple of Pinus Mujos.

Not a mono stand but a duo stand


----------



## kdn

That has filled in a bunch since your last update. You going to cut at 25mm with your Hayter?


----------



## RCUK

@kdn I'll go a notch lower on Sunday which is around 37mm. I've cut as low as 19mm before and it works well but instead I'll use the 6 blade Webb cylinder to get to 25mm. Have some wooden rollers on order from a guy on eBay to replace the plastic nasty ones which came with the mower. Don't understand why they would include 3 rollers with large gaps between them.


----------



## Chris LI

I've been quietly watching your reno project for awhile (and enjoying). It's really taking shape. Good luck on continued success!


----------



## RCUK

@Chris LI Thank you sir 👍

Looking rough still, need to edge, overseed, feed, cut, pray lol. 😀


----------



## RCUK

I've been bringing the height of cut down and it is now at 28mm. Also did an overseed using some pregerminated seed, soaked for a couple of days then mixed with sand/soil and spread it out. Worked out at around 10gm2. Overally happy with the renovation result, very minimal weeds and good coverage. Temps have also stayed favourable for me, 20C+ for the past week and also going forward, no rain but there is dew every morning. So far no signs of fungus.

Considering whether to press the button on a cylinder mower


----------



## RCUK

Collected 50+ snails last night crawling all over the lawns eating my new seedling shoots. I was wondering why I have a large dead patch near the flowerbeds.


----------



## g-man

Escargot?


----------



## RCUK

@g-man  The snails were of all types, small, medium, large but worse were the slugs. I swear I heard a scream when I lifted them off the ground.

I relocated as many as I could to our shared green space in front of the house, whatever is left are getting nuked tomorrow (sorry creature lovers)


----------



## lfrancis

@RCUK are you looking at the Allett Liberty range? That's on my list for next year, Liberty 43.


----------



## RCUK

@liamjones Hi mate, yeah it is on my list. I spoke to Garden Imports who is one of the two Swardman resellers in the UK about buying an Edwin, almost did but then had last minute nerves about after sales support given that there are only two dealers here and only Garden Imports actively selling. We agreed to hold off and Ryan at Garden Imports is going to arrange a demo day soon when his stock arrives. It looks like a great mower but I haven't convinced myself I should buy it.

The other two options are the Liberty 43 and Kensington 20B. Here are my thoughts so far on these two, subjective of course.
UK company and well established with great support for both products
Extensive cartridge system
Lower cost to buy than Swardman, not a great difference though
Not sure about batteries - 3rd party reliance, how long will they last and will the 3rd party continue to support the battery interface?
Petrol engine can last for many years 10-20 if maintained well, although I'd like to have the Honda or Kawasaki engines
A lot of plastic parts, not a game changer


----------



## kdn

I have also been thinking about the Electra, they look well built. I really like how the reel sits right up to the edge so you can get nice clean edges.

The Allett machines are better value and have a great support network. You can get spare batteries on amazon for £130, they are standard greenworks 40V batteries. British made as well so that's a plus.

Electric mowers suit smaller UK lawns really well. If I was going to buy new It would be electric.


----------



## GlynRS2

I have had a 20 inch Atco Balmoral (same as Allett Kensington) with all the cartridges for 12 years or so. Then last year I got a bargain used once Allett Liberty 43 on eBay for £500. It was an impulse purchase due to bargain price; I made an offer that I did not expect to be accepted, but it was an unwanted raffle prize so seller was happy, I was even happier. Anyway since having the Liberty 43, that is all that I have used for cutting the grass. It is significantly less powerful than the petrol mower, but lighter, more manoeuvrable and cuts the grass very well.
Not having to worry about having to fill up the petrol and quiet runing are a huge benefit. The 20 inch petrol version of essentially the same mower has been relegated to just scarifying and verticutting duties. The only thing to note is that if I do a double cut on my 250m2 total lawn area, then the 4Ah battery won't quite do it on one charge. I think it does just about 450m2 in total. I therefore got myself a second 4Ah GMAX compatable battery for about £60 and that seems to work as well as the original with similar run times. Charging is easy, taking about an hour if you don't let the battery go completly flat, in which case is around 90 minutes.
I have also looked at getting an Electra 55 as I would like a slightly wider mower. However it is easy enough to do double stripes with the Liberty 43. Also I still have the option of using the 20inch petrol if I want. I think I would be tempted by the Swardman if I had not got such a bargain and sold the Balmoral. That may still happen at some point, but would want to demo a Swardman or see it in action first. I think cordless battery mowers are the future. In fact I have sold all my other petrol garden equipment and gone over to battery powered Stihl hedgetrimmer and blower, so much nicer than smelly 2 stroke and don't have to wear ear defenders.


----------



## RCUK

@GlynRS2 Thanks for the insight, really helpful as I'm not sure which way to go and it is telling that you have both mowers but use the Liberty more.

Have you had any issues with the 43? Does the lighter weight create less defined stripes?

In total, my lawns measure 250 sqaure meters and that will drop a touch when I renovate the back lawn, I 4Ah battery should last but always good to have a spare. Plus I'm guessing without the need to service the electric mower you are saving on running costs?


----------



## GlynRS2

I have not had any issues with the Liberty 43, it stripes very well and I cannot really see much difference compared to the heavier 20 inch machine in that regard.
I am not sure whether it would have enough power to run the more aggresive dethatcher cartridge, which is a bit of a beast if run low, but is fine with the scarifier cassette that I also have for it.
Running costs so far have been zero, so probably the fuel saving paid for the spare battery. I tend to use the batteries alternately, to keep them both in regular use. The second battery has only really been necessary when doing double or tripple cuts, but it is nice not to be restricted when you feel that is what you want to do.
I got my spare battery from here: link


----------



## RCUK

The weather has turned quite quickly for us from dry and sunny to wet and cold. Days of rain prevented any form of lawn work, however had an open window yesterday to get outside and mow the lawns. The rye had grown a fair amount from all the rain and the two apps of foliar feed I gave it over the past two weeks, so had to keep the height higher than I'd like at this time of year. I'm going to have to bring it down mow to reduce the chances of fungus.

Overall happy how the renovation panned out, still a couple of bare spots that refuse to grow anything and I had to hand pull a couple of poa plants, but I will take that compared to what was in the ground 6 months ago. Some edging, bed work still needed and getting the buxus sorted.

Going to hold off buying a new mower until the new year, the Hayter is doing a great job and no reason to invest now in something new with winter fast approaching.

I'll probably hit the lawns with 0.2N once more before switching over to a lower N but higher iron/mag/cal/copper/boron feed for the colder months.


----------



## Chris LI

Color and stripes look great! It has really thickened up. What is your current HOC?


----------



## GlynRS2

Looking very good


----------



## RCUK

@Chris LI Currently around 1.5inch. I had it at just over an inch but rains meant I couldn't cut frequently. Going to get it back to an inch soon. Thanks!

Thanks @GlynRS2 !


----------



## Gregg17

Looks brilliant RCUK &#128077;, you ever thought about a recessed drain cover for the manhole ? you can get the deep ones so you can have a good amount of topsoil in. Iv got one in my back garden , I can still access it if ever needed and you'd never be able to tell it's there


----------



## RCUK

@Gregg17 You are a genius! Why didn't I know about this before!!! That damn drain cover is such an eyesore, now it seems there is a solution


----------



## Gregg17

They are great but can be a bit pricey I thought , definitely worth the money when you haven't got to look at them horrible drains lol , mine is hidden, I'll attach a photo , Iv got a little 300mm square drain still to cover on my back lawn but Iv been struggling to find a recessed cover that size with a decent depth


----------



## RCUK

@Gregg17 Looks great, can't even see it. Where did you buy from? When I lift the manhole, I see a main drain running inside, e.g. connecting my house with other houses. Am I allowed to replace it?


----------



## Gregg17

A website called recessedmanholecovers.co.uk . Yeah your allowed to do it as long as it is accessible to open if ever needed , it's just the same as when people get them added into block paving on driveways . they have little handles that you pop up to lift out if ever needed . You will just have to remember where it is Incase you ever need to be in . You get all kinds of different ones to suit all drains , you just need to measure your drain inside to see the fitting size you need and the outer bit you can see which will be attached to the main drain . Mine was 600mmsquare drain on outside but attached to a 400mm Round main drain underground. In the photo the silver bit would lift out if ever needed and the black frame stays fixed , you can see the black tabs that lift up for handles if ever needed to be in . It's hard to explain but I'm sure they will be a video on YouTube that would explain it better than me lol


----------



## RCUK

This will likely be the last post for the year. Looking back at what is my 3rd year of serious lawn fanaticism, it was successful and I've picked up a ton of knowledge along the way. There were mistakes but I see those as learning steps - flooding the lawn mower engine with oil, trusting an ebay seller to send 8oz prodiamine instead of short changing me with 7oz and not buying better spray tips much earlier.

Another interesting tidbit I found out from speaking to a guy on Instagram and talking to a seed supplier is that what is listed in the UK seed list isn't exhaustive and there are other great varities sold by suppliers, which is how I found the CSI Rye. The seed houses pay for their seed to go through testing in the UK, those seeds that are not tested, mostly from the US are worth chasing down. Some Google searches and emails to suppliers allows you to find exactly what you want.

Next year I'm going to renovate my back garden which is currently full of weeds/Poa A/Fine Fescue/Rye/whatever. The area needs a complete overhaul, so paving, landscaping, fencing, grass, irrigation, etc. I put down some pre-e to cover 4-5 months, but then do I try and seed in Spring or wait to August? Our summers are not so hot to worry about die off and I tested a PRG/KBG mix in pots that survived through the hot summer - upto 35C for two weeks. If I'm still working from home next year, I may chance it in Spring.

October pics
Two apps of foliar feed, 0.2N each time, (15N, 7 CaO, 1.2MgO, 0.75 Fe, 0.05 B plus a blend of seaweed and sugars)



November pics
Two apps of foliar feed, 0.1N each time, (6N, 4 CaO, 1.2 MgO, 2 Fe, 0.1 Mn, 0.1 Zn, 0.1 Cu, 0.05 B plus a blend of seaweed and sugars)



Yesterday


----------



## timtimotej

Last photo looks awesome!&#129321;
Well done! :thumbup:


----------



## RCUK

@timtimotej Thank you sir! Your renovation is coming on great, love it, excellent work


----------



## liamjones

Looks absolutely superb. You really have got me thinking now


----------



## liamjones

What's the news?


----------



## RCUK

@liamjones Was all peachy, today heavy downpours looks like it made a right mess of the reno. Going to lift the covers tomorrow to see the damage


----------



## Chris LI

Sorry to hear about the reno. Hopefully, you will be OK. Glad to see you posting again.


----------



## RCUK

@Chris LI Thanks mate, I've been on instagram posting and just lurking here. I guess I should update!

So decided to renovate my back lawn which since moving in 6+ years ago has been left to do it's thing. Lots of pictures below, summary is I've cleared everything in the beds, killed off the lawn, new fences, DIY Hunter sprinklers and at some point new paving. Spring seeding isn't the best idea but we really didn't want to wait any longer to have a decent back lawn (yard  )
Area - 1250 Square feet
Soil - top few inches thatch, organic matter, then yellow sticky London Clay. Did a soil test and the P was high as was CEC, so did not put down a pre seed fertiliser.

*Before*




*Dodgy spray job
*

*Verticut, weed whacker, spade, whatever I could use to get rid of weeds, grass, moss, crap*


*3000 KG of new sand/soil mix* white stuff is Zeolite




*Seed down, peat moss added and sprinklers set up
*



Was going well for 4 days then last night the heavens opened up and messed up my work. Went out today and repaired what I could without walking all over it. KBG+Rye mix from the US of A


----------



## hammerhead

Well planned approach. Looks promising. Good luck! Curious to see the progress


----------



## jabopy

WoW! Great work yet again RCUK. I think your a gluten for hard work. We've had those heavy showers up these parts, mixed with the white stuff with it being so cold. Hope thing start to warm up and grow soon.


----------



## RCUK

Thanks guys. Right after I wrote the above, it started to hail, followed by sun then downpours, then sun


----------



## Grimson

I was following your process on Instagram as I was looking for someone who has used the CSI Rye, looks great for an alternative to KBG that is available in the U.K.
I've just put down some on my two small new build lawns.
What cultivars of *** did you manage to get?
I was thinking of doing a mix if I could have gotten some but also worried about low soil temps and not getting any germination.


----------



## RCUK

@Grimson Hey, thanks for following. CSI is a great cultivar, nice colour and fine bladed. Starting to see signs of creeping. I used that and Galleon in my front lawns, however Galleon (SR4600 in the US) is no longer farmed.

So in the back I used 5KG of CSI and 3KG of Bottos Royal Sport. That is 65% Rye, 35% KBG. KBG blend is Award and Everest. I bought this from Amazon last year, it's from an Italian company that has exclusive rights to Award and Everest, at least it did not sure now. Not really expecting much kbg to germinate now given our low temps, such a difference to last May!

Finding KBG in the UK is difficult, Rye is the only choice for football, cricket and rugby that means the seed houses favour Rye. Plus our temperatures aren't great to get kbg germination most of the year.

The other Rye that I'd like to use is Torsion, sold by ICL from Mountain View in the US but can't get that as a straight. Proselect Cricket from ICL has it. It is also dark green and spreading. Maybe once the CSI has run out I'll switch to that mix or something else comes along.

The majority of Rye we have in the UK is light to medium green to hide the Poa 

There is another company, Tempoverde that uses Bedazzled KBG with Rye in their Stadium mix but only in 10KG bags. Then the hassle of trying to get it shipped from Italy.


----------



## Grimson

Glad the CSI Rye is so good, if it creeps and fills in nice and dense next year I'll be happy.

Seems you've done a lot of research and managed to get some good *** too, will be interested to see how that goes and maybe follow suit and kill off the front in autumn when germination has a chance.

I did talk with Dan at Hurrells who could supply the following:

KENTUCKY BLUEGRASS (POA PRATENSIS) 
CONNI 
DAKISHA 
MIRACLE 
SOMBRERO 
SUNBEAM

Out of those I wasn't really sure so just stuck with straight CSI Rye for now.

Also, your mindthelawn Instagram is showing as user not found, not sure if that's something I've clicked or not? (Seems it's me, if I logout I can see it again, don't understand!)


----------



## RCUK

@Grimson What is your username in Instagram? I'll check to see if I can see you. Had to block a few random people who try and spam. Some about artificial grass 😂

Yeah had a chat with Dan also, really helpful guy. Miracle and Sombrero are quite nice, but as with all of those they are medium green so lighter in colour to CSI. Not sure they would mix well. timtimotej here has a nice monostand of Yvette, also from DLF seeds. Worth checking out his profile. I'm fairly sure you can buy that in 5 or 10KG bags directly, just have to get through to a person that is willing to help. I'll PM you a few contacts if you are interested.


----------



## Grimson

I'd be interested in anything that would mix well with CSI, medium green isn't what we're after :lol: 
Any good contacts would be appreciated thank you.
the_grimson on Instagram, not posted anything lawn related, just getting into it and learning since looking outside a lot over lockdowns!
Thank you


----------



## RCUK

Day 12 and had a peak under the sheets to see how the germination is going. Looking decent at the moment, will possibly remove the covers end of tomorrow as we are hopefully getting proper May weather unlike today where we had hail again.


----------



## liamjones

Looking good, some nice weather coming up now can't wait to see what it looks like in a few more weeks!


----------



## RCUK

Starting to look like a lawn now. Did a light seed in the bare spots, still watering 4 times a day. No fert yet, will drop some liquid and slow granular next week. Sticks are for the birds 🤣


----------



## SeanBB

Looking great!


----------



## kdn

Looks like you have good germination across the board and those covers worked out great. Don't even get me started on birds, I currently have a community of Blackbirds that like to play a game of "who can flick the most mulch onto the lawn" several times a day. :evil:


----------



## RCUK

Made my first cut on the renovation today, just to cut the tips off and encourage thickness. Approx. 1.5 inches, will go to 1 inch in a few weeks if the grass stays happy.

I did not apply any starter fertiliser, there was seaweed in the peat moss and mycorrhizae added in the seeds, both in my view better for root growth at an early stage (based on studies I've seen anyway). Today applied some DCM Vital Green as it worked so well in the front last year. Will also put down 0.2N/Seaweed/Molasses/Humic/Ca/Mg liquid one evening this week when I have time 

Ground is bumpy but nothing too worrying at this stage.

Next mini project is to clean up the borders, plant some trees and shrubs plus a few hundred tulips/alliums for next year later on in November.

Waiting on a paving quote, excuse the untidy mud pit you see!

Some different angles


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## RCUK

The renovation has had a few more cuts and plenty of sun then plenty of rain, but overall I'm still pleased and surprised by how this has turned out for a spring renovation. Haven't had time to plan the borders yet but have a plan to sort out the hardscaping, next June we will have new paving installed. Everyone is either so busy or time wasters, we opted to wait for the right company to install paving.

Also need to treat the new fences, trim the rear hedge and tidy the edging up.

Keeping the height at 1.25" for now.

No sun image


Full sun image


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## jabopy

Coming on great, in fact it's beautiful. What size are your new fence panels? they look longer than standard.


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## RCUK

@jabopy Thanks mate! Yes the fence length in total is around 12m, so each one is 3m. They are feather boards nailed to three cross beams rather than panels, didn't want them to rattle in the wind. I'm thinking of painting the concrete posts black and keeping the wood a natural colour using an oil, don't like the grey too much.


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## RCUK

The back lawn had a verticut a few weeks back and a light overseed of the CSI Rye. Worms made a mess in places, but they were dealt with through two apps of tea seed purification. Also applied Turfsolv which helps with grubs, not that I can see any or damage but want the insurance rather than deal with the damage. I went a little heavy with my 18-4-7 plus sugar/humic/seaweed/kitchen sink liquid at 0.4lb of N, but the grass soaked it up, it looks like it needs more so will switch to the 15-0-0 plus calcium/mag/iron liquid, seaweed, carbs for one more app then the lower 6N version - winter turf hardener which has more iron right through autumn/winter at low doses.

Planted 50 Bloombux around the borders and have ordered alliums and tulips as well as some other evergreens.

The fences were protected with oil based wood preserver which was actually easy with a pump sprayer from Kwazar. No water based non sense 

Now I'm having fun with a squirrel who is digging up the front lawns, lets see who wins that battle 




Still need to sort out the edge along the paving, not too bothered as new paving is going in next year.


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## Chris LI

Glad to see you back after the Summer. The prg really thickened up from the Spring photos. I love the fence and natural privacy hedge! They complement each other well. That rectangular shaped turf appears to be anxiously waiting for a sports contest of some type to break out. :nod:


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## RCUK

@Chris LI Thanks mate for the kind words 🍻 The mix has some KBG in it but not sure now how much is still there with all the Rye. Considering it was a spring seeding and I probably went way too high on the drop rate, I'm pleased. I think the real test will come over winter, the back will suffer from the low sun angle and limited hours, hopefully I can nurse it along.

I think a game of tennis is due 🤣 It doesn't look like it but the levels need work, there are dips and bumps, not crazy enough for scalping issues but I can feel them whilst mowing. I'll wait till early summer 2022 before doing any levelling.


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## jabopy

Looking good bud, how are you tackling the squirrel problem? We have at least 3 piles of broken up concker shells on the grass every day! And more round the borders. Oh those pesky squirrels.


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## tato

Great pictures of your lawn!! Congratulations.

Clearly the hard work has paid off after all  nice play to BBQ


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## RCUK

@jabopy I tried smells like citronella, tried chilli powder, black pepper and human waste liquids, none worked. So I've got a cage with some peanut butter as bait. If I catch one I'll drive it to the local woods and release. Where they dig, I remove the chestnut, fill with soil/seeds and place a few metal pegs as without the pegs they just come back to the same place a dig again. There are two that run around the small green in front of the house. Funnily, they avoid my neighbours badly kept lawn! The cage is made by defenders, can get it on Amazon.

@tato Thank you! Yours is looking great also, it will thicken up nicely very quickly.


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## jabopy

I can't always find the buried conkers until they start growing in the borders. A friend of SWMBOs, like you takes the caught Squirrels to a wooded area about 10 miles away. :thumbup:


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## RCUK

Almost a year since I updated this journal, keeping it alive with a short update. The back garden is now complete, ripped out the fences, paving, all plants, bought in soil, seeded twice, and patience.

Before


After (mini scalp a few weeks ago)


Today


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## jabopy

Superb job you've done, great transformation. I bet it's been great this summer.


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## kdn

That's a big transformation it's looking great. I noticed Hurrells are using your lawn for the CSI promo picture.


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## RCUK

Thanks @kdn and @jabopy.

I better ask Hurrells for a discount  They are a good company to deal with, quick to respond and friendly people. Prices are good also.


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## tato

Wow looking great. And what a beautiful color!

Nice to have you back here again to see your updates.


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## santhony1231

:thumbup: This looks really good.


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## RCUK

Thanks guys.


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## SeanW78

That looks great!


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## ahsanbright

Looking great, could I please ask how csi performed over last winter for you?


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## RCUK

@ahsanbright Thanks. In the front where I only have CSI now, it did well. Around this time of year worms get busy and create holes/casts everywhere, I've tried to keep them at bay but it is hard with the borders I have. I've had to overseed in Spring and Autumn in 2020 and 2021, but this autumn I'm not going to. Instead next year I'm planning to either kill off the Ryegrass completely and instead go for either KBG or Slender Creeping Fine Fescue as both self heel. The CSI despite it's name does not, any claims that it spreads is way off the mark. I've not seen it spread. The colour and density in late Spring and Summer are excellent, not seen anything so dark or thick. It also doesn't mind being cut at 15-30mm.

In the back lawn where I have CSI and KBG, the past winter really took it's toll, I had to do a heavy overseed. So I went for CSI and Slender Creeping Fine Fescue. Right now the back looks better than the front, very thick with only a few spots of concern. The back is shaded as it is North/North East facing so the Fescue does well.

As much as I like Ryegrass, it is higher maintenance in terms of overseeding, feeding and watering. It does not self heal which is an issue if you have shade or worms or foxes or poor drainage, which is basically most UK lawns  I'm slowly moving away from the idea of Ryegrass only lawns, yes the YouTubers love it but I'd rather not overseed every year and spend so much on fertiliser. Also all of my neighbours don't take care of their lawns so weeds fly around into mine, can't really be stopped but with a denser lawn weeds have less chance of taking hold.


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## ahsanbright

@RCUK thank you very much for the detailed update, really appreciated.

it seem like I am in the same boat and I fully agree with you.

this autumn I have overseeded with barenburg rpr + csi and honestly this is my last try with ryegrass.


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