Bring lawn back to life

[Sally Scott]

Hi
I just don't know where to start. Been in this house a year. It's a new build, it's a Tall Fescue turf lawn. Problems are as follows.
- seems they laid the turf the wrong way. We have steep garden and they laid it up and down the hill. Hence there are gaps. Just read should be laid across.
- seems they did not roll it.
- lawn is patchy and lumpy.
- we did very little to care for it last year as we just moved in a week after having a baby and husband had surgery for cancer.
Where do I start and what order do I do things in....
Kill weeds, overseed, fertilize, grub/fungus treatments, aerate....?
Is it possible to revive my lawn?
Thanks

 

[Plantdoctor]

You do not roll a new lawn,it is more about the preparation, if it lumpy then the soil was not level to start with.

The way the turves were laid should not be a factor, if there are gaps then the turves have shrunk because they have not knitted together, lack of water probably.

There should be no weeds in a new lawn.

I would use a good weed and feed mixture,forget about grubs and fungus and things,follow the instructions and it will come back.

 

[Chuck]

Down here in Texas rolling a new lawn is a MUST. The turf must make good contact with the soil in order to establish roots. If there are humps and bumps the landscapers didn't do their job, it should be smooth. As far as weeds are concerned a BRAND NEW lawn should not have weeds but a lawn 6 months old will. Weed seeds fly in with the wind and there is not much you can do about that. I would NEVER put Weed & Feed on anything. The weed part of the W&F is nothing more than pre-emergent herbicide and an active herbicide. It may or may not work. It depends on the type of weed and when it sprouts. The fertilizer part of W&F is chemical based and does nothing for the soil. It makes the grass grow but in the long term will cause soil compaction and loss of soil microbes. The loss of microbial life in the soil means very poor plant growth. Fertilize with a good organic pelleted fertilizer. You can do this at any time and you cannot use too much, unlike chemical fertilizers. Slow deep watering is where to begin. If damage persists you may have recourse with the builder of your home as the landscaping was not done correctly. Call him and complain just to let him know before guarantee runs out.