Lawn care

A perfect lawn is virtually impossible to achieve in practical and economic terms. It's creation is not a straightforward one off operation. Having achieved it then requires ongoing work and expense, using not altogether environmentally friendly chemicals.One of the best ways, particularly for us, to achieve and keep a half decent ' lawn ' is to use a quality traditional mower in an appropriate manner, regularly. One of the joys of old lawnmower ownership is using them rather than having them over 'restored ' and sitting idle to preserve an over the top paint job.

An interesting thought! or is it,My suggestion is to join a relevant society or club,there are a few on the Internet.I have been professionally involved with turf and Horticulture most of my life, and am a qualified lecturer as well.Looking after turf is a science and you need to be fully qualified.

The average lawn in this country should be classed as a back cloth to the house and flower beds,building that to a highly manicured turf ie a golf green takes professionalism and allot of money and time.

I agree with Stonethemow most of the chemicals we use on turf are nasty, and should not be in the public domain .

To give a tip on the subject,What you do on a lawn is always opersite to what you would do in a garden! For example worms in a garden are beneficial,worms on lawns is a no,no.

Dear Warpa let me make a suggestion,it is in fact a very interesting field (forgive the pun) why don't you start collecting books on turf,my personnel collection is over 400 covering many different countries.I also collect books on soils and also commercial Horticulture,I even read them,(there seems to be a bit more time at the moment) the latter subject is riveting, and could be classed as a lost culture!

Kind regards

Andrew

I understand hesitance on creation of a forum category named "achieving a perfect lawn" but why would a general "lawn care" category be incongruous with a forum based on old lawn mowers? 

I feel like a heretic here, but I've got to admit it.

I like lawnmowers.

I like lawnmowing, the way you can see the job is getting done as you go, and the manly labour stuff, and all that jazz.

I just cannot be arsed with lawns.

I want trees and flowers and chirping birds - the only reason we have a lawn still is that it's nice to lounge on it with a Vera (RIP) every now and then. It's even had a test pit put in it by the local archaeology group - and it nearly always takes longer to fire up the antediluvian Mountfield than it does to actually do the job - the lawn is about six yards by three. I'm not even mowing it all - I'm keeping a wild border (ie not mowing a bit) for wildlife. 

I feel better for admitting that.

Yes, I did two years at my local golf club and hated using the awful worm killer, I cut the 18 greens three times a week too, with a 12 bladed three cutting  cylinders ride on. I cut at about a quarter inch, if I remember correctly, greens needed to be as flat as a board. We sprayed with awful chemicals to control fusarium fungus, we used treated sand that turned the greens black for days etc too etc. it's another world, and this was only the early 1980's. The grass on a green is extremely fine, like green wire, to use the chemicals and do that amount of mowing on an ordinary lawn would kill it, the ryegrass in it mostly could not stand the punishment!

Sorry to be a killjoy.