What to do, once we get rain, to get lawn back.

[ericmark]

Two apple trees, and a large hedge, have taken all the water there was, and I had treated for moss, just before the drought so left with nearly no grass, not quite bare earth, but not far from it.

Clearly can't do anything yet, but once rain returns, what should I do?

 

[mikehammer69]

Do you use a weed and feed on the lawn or a fertilizer

 

[jj4091]

According to Monty Don on gardeners world last week "do nothing" grass is tough as old boots and will come back once we get some rain.
Personally I think it seems a bit of a waste of time having a nice green lawn through the Autumn and Winter when you can't really make use of it.
So I think a lot of people might be looking for drought tolerant grass before long

 

[ericmark]

Do you use a weed and feed on the lawn or a fertilizer

Weed and feed.

So I think a lot of people might be looking for drought tolerant grass before long

I think the main problem is the trees, which starve the lawn of water, but at least only had to use the lawn mover once this year.

How weeds still manage to push their way through the tarmac I don't know, it seems to be a regular thing going out with the weed killer spray gun.

My daughter tells me, they are not wind falls, the apples on the ground should be called drought falls?

 

[ericmark]

Well it has rained, mainly at night, but the grass one side of the drive has already started to grow with a vengeance.

But under apple trees, there seems to be no change. Around 5 days in all, but since at night, not sure exactly when it started.

The flowers have really come on.

 

[foxhole]

Different grass type is available for shaded areas .

 

[Koolpc]

Let mother nature take care of it. Give it a chance......

 

[Mottie]

We get full sun on the front of our house and for the first ten years we lived here without fail, the grass would burn and completely die every summer. It always came back. We now have a drive so it’s no longer a problem.

 

[Odds]

Well it has rained, mainly at night, but the grass one side of the drive has already started to grow with a vengeance.

But under apple trees, there seems to be no change. Around 5 days in all, but since at night, not sure exactly when it started.

The flowers have really come on.

If your apple tree is anything like mine then the recent rain won't have gone deep enough to slake its thirst after the long, dry Summer. Thin pickings this year, me thinks. Despite a day of rain yesterday the earth is only damp to about an inch below the surface, although a hint of Autumn is in the air this morning it'll take much more to replenish water levels; especially in the rain barrels, which still remain low.

 

[ericmark]

A bin left out in the rain, has just a covering of water in the bottom, so yes seems a lot, but really we got very little, hopefully enough to stop wildfires?

Never worried about it in the old house, it never got too hot in the house, and the pond never seemed to dry out, this house is so different, and only moved from North Wales to Mid-Wales. Did not think this much further South would have made a difference.

 

[Mottie]

If your apple tree is anything like mine then the recent rain won't have gone deep enough to slake its thirst after the long, dry Summer. Thin pickings this year, me thinks.

Many of the Apple and pear trees over the allotment seem to have a bumper crop this year.

 

[ericmark]

Yes, massive crop this year, even with lack of rain.

I did not have an angle grinder when I laid the first lot of paving slabs, and I ended up with a gap which needed filling, so a long thin flower bed was formed to take up the space.
The hedge to right and apple tree above mean this strip does not get much natural water, only prolonged rain reaches this strip, and the flowers etc, have suffered this year. Had a problem from the balcony even seeing the strip due to apple tree. From under the apple tree.

As can be seen not doing well, and this was planted last year. This year shed other side replaced with steps. The flowers to hide the sleeper wall have come on well, I expect the ash used under the steps will settle, so not cemented yet, that's next year once settled.

We did not water the grass, with so much hype about water shortage, we decided to leave it. At least have not needed to mow it.

So for 5 to 6 days we have had some rain. But no really heavy rain. When I realised plants under the apple tree were dieing off, I did water them a little, but I would have thought no need to water plants put out last year?

The rhubarb two plants, one really doing well, the other just a few small leaves the second plant at top, nearly died off, a bit of water seems to have kept it going, just 4 small leaves, it did early in the year have leaves same size as the lower plant. I suppose the two plants are too close to each other?

Problem is, I have never really bothered about the garden. So really not a clue what I should do.

 

[ericmark]

Well at last, a reasonable amount of rain, been drizzle for around 8 hours now, so enough to get through the trees and wet the lawn etc. And since such a long time, there has been chance for it to be absorbed.

I suppose now I will have to get a lawn mower out, it was used once this year.