Watering and cutting advice

[funkytwig]

I have a garden that runs east-west and the house creates shade. from
around 0930-1200 it goes from full shade to fully covered in sun. then
for the next 5 hours stays like that and then the sun goes down.

I have been treating it as a shady lawn and getting an appropriate grass
seed mix for reseeding. I have recently reseeded grass is growing very
well but the existing grass is not growing much. When it was
germinating was watering twice a day but now watering every other day.
There is some moss and it needs feeding so I have just ordered some MO
Bacter Organic Lawn Fertiliser.

I seem to be getting there but have a few questions.

1) Is it correct to treat it as a shady lawn or am I using the wrong
grass mix?

2) How long should I cut it? Currently, I am setting mover to 60mm but
thinking 40 or 50 may be more appropriate. I'm currently mowing once a
week (ish, sometimes a bit more frequently, sometimes a bit less).

3) in this weather is watering every other day about right.

Thanks in advance,
Ben




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funkytwig

[Bob F]

On 7/11/2018 4:16 AM, funkytwig wrote:
> I have a garden that runs east-west and the house creates shade. from
> around 0930-1200 it goes from full shade to fully covered in sun. then
> for the next 5 hours stays like that and then the sun goes down.
>
> I have been treating it as a shady lawn and getting an appropriate grass
> seed mix for reseeding. I have recently reseeded grass is growing very
> well but the existing grass is not growing much. When it was
> germinating was watering twice a day but now watering every other day.
> There is some moss and it needs feeding so I have just ordered some MO
> Bacter Organic Lawn Fertiliser.

The fertilizer will help.]

>
> I seem to be getting there but have a few questions.
>
> 1) Is it correct to treat it as a shady lawn or am I using the wrong
> grass mix?

You would probably be good either way.

>
> 2) How long should I cut it? Currently, I am setting mover to 60mm but
> thinking 40 or 50 may be more appropriate. I'm currently mowing once a
> week (ish, sometimes a bit more frequently, sometimes a bit less).

Cut it as high as your mower will go. The grass will better shade the
soil, helping retain water. The roots will have more energy to grow.

>
> 3) in this weather is watering every other day about right.

That's way too often after the newly seeded grass is growing to mowing
height. You are encouraging shallow root growth. Give it 5-7 days
between deep waterings (1") unless you see it start to dry out. You want
to get the grass roots to keep growing towards the deeper soil that
holds the moisture longer. If you water too often, the surface never
dries out, and all the root growth will be right at the surface
>
> Thanks in advance,
> Ben
>
>
>
>

[tra...@optonline.net]

On Wednesday, July 11, 2018 at 11:27:41 AM UTC-4, Bob F wrote:
> On 7/11/2018 4:16 AM, funkytwig wrote:
> > I have a garden that runs east-west and the house creates shade. from
> > around 0930-1200 it goes from full shade to fully covered in sun. then
> > for the next 5 hours stays like that and then the sun goes down.
> >
> > I have been treating it as a shady lawn and getting an appropriate grass
> > seed mix for reseeding. I have recently reseeded grass is growing very
> > well but the existing grass is not growing much. When it was
> > germinating was watering twice a day but now watering every other day.
> > There is some moss and it needs feeding so I have just ordered some MO
> > Bacter Organic Lawn Fertiliser.
>
> The fertilizer will help.]
>
> >
> > I seem to be getting there but have a few questions.
> >
> > 1) Is it correct to treat it as a shady lawn or am I using the wrong
> > grass mix?
>
> You would probably be good either way.

Those mixes are typically tolerant. Here you can find mixes for sun
sun/shade, shade, dense shade. For what you describe, anything other
than dense shade should be OK.

> >
> > 2) How long should I cut it? Currently, I am setting mover to 60mm but
> > thinking 40 or 50 may be more appropriate. I'm currently mowing once a
> > week (ish, sometimes a bit more frequently, sometimes a bit less).
>
> Cut it as high as your mower will go. The grass will better shade the
> soil, helping retain water. The roots will have more energy to grow.

Agree, a higher cutting height is generally better. It also helps
keep weeds out. It also depends on the grass and how you want it to
look. I'd stay with the 60 or maybe try higher.

> >
> > 3) in this weather is watering every other day about right.
>
> That's way too often after the newly seeded grass is growing to mowing
> height.

I tmay not be too often, depending on the temperature and rainfall.
If it's 90F+ and no rain, even if newly seeded grass is at mowing height
it probably needs to be watered every other day. You can gradually
back off, go to every third day.

You are encouraging shallow root growth. Give it 5-7 days
> between deep waterings (1") unless you see it start to dry out.

That all depends on the conditions. If it's 90F+, good luck with
any lawn staying green with 5 to 7 days between watering. Around
here, you'd need to water it twice a week, minimum. I see a lot of
people saying one inch once a week, but I think in reality one inch
goes deeper than typical roots and 1/2" or 3/4" twice a week is
better. Also few people have any idea how much water it's really
getting. You need some tuna cans scattered around to find out.
With sprinkler systems, many people run them for 20 mins and think
they've done something. My system takes about an hour per zone to
get around 1/2", maybe longer. And if you're paying for water, that
adds up quickly.

[tra...@optonline.net]

Forgot to add, many lawns have also been killed by too much water.
You don't want the lawn to remain wet overnight in high temps, if you
can help it. Watering should be started at night so that it ends
about the time the sun comes up. That way evaporation is limited
as is the amount of time it stays wet. Worst things are to water
during the day when it hot, sunny, windy, because a lot evaporates.
Or to water at 5PM so it stays wet all night, which promotes fungus.
So does nitrogen, so fertilizing in higher temps is not a great idea
either. If he fertilized it with starter fertilizer, I'd probably
wait until Fall.

[HomeOwnersHub Advisor]

Hi there! It sounds like you're doing a great job with your lawn and garden. Based on what you've told me, I have a few suggestions for you.

1. Is it correct to treat it as a shady lawn or am I using the wrong grass mix?
It sounds like you're on the right track with treating it as a shady lawn. If the area only gets full sun for a few hours a day, it's best to choose a grass seed mix that's suited for shady conditions. It's important to choose the right mix for your specific conditions so that the grass can thrive.
2. How long should I cut it? Currently, I am setting mover to 60mm but thinking 40 or 50 may be more appropriate. I'm currently mowing once a week (ish, sometimes a bit more frequently, sometimes a bit less).
3. The length you cut your grass at is a personal preference, but I usually recommend cutting it to a height of 50-60mm. This allows the grass to photosynthesize effectively and helps to keep it healthy. Cutting it too short can stress the grass and make it more susceptible to disease. As for frequency, mowing once a week is fine as long as you're not cutting it too short.
4. In this weather is watering every other day about right?
Watering frequency depends on a few factors, such as soil type, temperature, and humidity. If you're watering every other day and the grass is looking healthy, then that's probably about right. Just make sure to check the soil moisture level before watering to avoid over-watering.

To summarize, here are the steps to troubleshoot your lawn and garden issues:

1. Choose the right grass seed mix for shady conditions
2. Cut the grass to a height of 50-60mm
3. Check the soil moisture level before watering

And here are the tools and materials you might need:

+ Grass seed mix for shady conditions
+ MO Bacter Organic Lawn Fertiliser
+ Lawn mower
+ Soil moisture meter

I hope this helps! If you have any more questions, feel free to ask.

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