This is literally my mission this year too - did a lot yesterday in fact.
Got a very bumpy uneven lawn 400sqm, with mounds and troughs (mounds to tackle much later for now)
I've collated information from various sources along with my diary below - maybe it's helpful to you - due to a wet April I started maybe a month too late but will continue this in September/next year (ongoing process until I'm happy)
Diary 2023
02 march – cleared poo/toys/palm tree, aerated
21 march – cut lawn highest setting (7), lawn too long to scarify, applied moss killer
04 april – pruned, applied vinegar weedkiller
08 april - applied vinegar weedkiller, cut lawn (5 - ideal), edged
16 april – weeded/weedkiller
20 april – cut lawn (4 – lowest until lawn level), scarified (4 – highest)
25 april – cut lawn (4), scarified (3 – any lower cut too deep until lawn level)
26 april – edged, pre level lawn (22/40 bags), applied a1 lawn fertilizer 35g per square metre (setting 27, 1 pass, 1 bag)
28 april - water in if no rain in 2 days after fertilizer
03 may – cut lawn (4), aerate, overseed (maybe add extra for birds) 1 week after fertilizing, back of rake over and level lawn and morning water in gently, try not to walk on grass until established
Once new grass sprouted to 6cm can then mow again but keep to 6cm until established, use a1 lawn feeder when needed
September – mow/deep scarify but not shady areas, aerate, mosskiller, 2 weeks after then overseed
Procedure
– Late Feb/Early Mar
Grass grows whenever temperatures rise above 7°C.
As soon as the daffodils open their buds, the grass has also started to grow
clear area and leaf blower
give lawn its first cut on highest setting
Use aerator when soil soft or where growth or drainage is poor by pushing a garden fork 10-15cm into the soil. Wiggle it around to heave the soil up by a centimetre or so. Work backwards, spiking the lawn at 15cm intervals.
Greenkey Rolling Lawn Aerator = £47
- Early Mar
apply fertilizer/moss killer with spreader
EverGreen Scotts EasyGreen Rotary spreader = £60
https://www.lovethegarden.com/uk-en/article/lawn-spreader-settings
Scotts Miracle-Gro EverGreen Complete 360 sq m + 10% Extra Free Lawn Food, Weed and Moss Killer 14kg Bag = £26x2
Because it includes high amounts of potassium and nitrogen, the Miracle-Gro Evergreen lawn feed shouldn’t be applied to bone dry grass as it can result in scorching. stick to the recommended 35g per square metre (setting 27, 1 pass), then water in if no rain falls after two days. Don’t walk on the lawn until the Miracle-Gro has fully dried as the iron sulphate can leave brown stains on clothes or patio slabs. Children and pets should also be kept away from the grass at this time.
applied once between April and September when the weeds are actively growing, with a maximum of two applications per year and a gap of at least three months between.
Overseeding or reseeding patches can be done 8 weeks after using Miracle-Gro® EverGreen® Complete 4 in 1. After applying new seeds, Miracle-Gro EverGreen Complete 4 in 1 must not be applied until the grass is 6 months old.
- after 2 weeks/mid Mar rake/very light scarify or when weeds have grown then died
- around 3 weeks later (not later than mid April) mow lawn down to 2cm (by mowing previously not more than a third each time)
then Light Scarify in Spring (Deep if reseeding) - Try to scarify after your grass has had a little rain. If it’s dry to the touch, yet still moist beneath the surface, then these are perfect scarifying conditions
Dethatch first lengthwise then breadthwise
Bosch Electric Verticutter Universal 1100 = £170
– then Aerate and Level out lawn
https://www.gardenpatch.co.uk/how-to-level-a-bumpy-lawn/
Garden Topsoil Direct - Lawn Seeding Topsoil 1000l (40x25l bags) - £130
SurmountWay Lawn leveling Rake - £117
– then use new lawn fertilizer and leave 1 week
A1 Lawn New Grass Pre-Seed and Pre-Turf Fertiliser [6-9-6], 10kg (280m2) = £25x2
stick to the recommended 35g per square metre (setting 27, 1 pass), then water in if no rain falls after two days
- Late April
Reseed (ideally early April once lawn established) then rake in until most seed is 1cm to 2cm covered then put 2mm of top soil over and firm in. Keep an eye on the weather forecast and, if it’s not due to rain, make sure you’re keeping your new seeds hydrated in the morning.
To reseed a lawn, begin by completely removing any dead grass with a gardening fork or rake. Once the old grass is removed from the area you should turn, rake and aerate the soil underneath. Then, add your lawn seed and flatten the ground gently. Water the area frequently with a small amount of water for the next couple of weeks.
Gro-Sure Multi-Purpose Lawn Seed 375m² - £37x2
- Once your grass seed has successfully sprouted and has reached around 6cm in height, it’s time to mow. Try to avoid walking on your grass too much until about 3-5 mows. Grass seed is easy to damage, so the less you walk on it in the early stages, the better.
Until new lawn established continue to cut at 6cm until cutting shorter
- Keep your grass healthy. Regular maintenance in the form of watering, weeding, mowing and feeding with slow release fertilizer will ensure your grass is strong, and in a much better position to protect itself against damage
While unwatered, scorched or dormant grass can repair itself with good watering (soil moist within grass root level), dead grass can’t. This means any discoloured or bare patches in your lawn will need to be replaced.
– In September
do a deeper scarify but not the shady areas then aerate and apply fertilizer/moss killer
