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Worm infestation in grass
helmik
Posts: 2
We are finding it impossible to use any of our lawn because it is covered in worm casts which are leaving a sludgy surface - even the dog won't walk on it.
Just before Christmas we used Cast Clear on the lawn - but the weather has been so bad it is impossible to get on the lawn to use it.
Can anyone offer any resolution to this please - apart from using Cast Clear, or ripping up the whole grassed area and putting down shingle?
0
Posts
I would just leave the lawn until the weather is dryer and then scatter the casts with a besom or rake.
You should try to keep off the lawn in the winter - walking on lawns in the winter just leads to compaction and drainage problems.
Having a healthy population of worms in your lawn will help to keep the soil aerated and aid drainage, so you're lucky to have them.
Some tips here that may help http://www.rolawn.co.uk/winter-lawn-care
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Great minds think alike Verdun ...
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Thanks to you both. I spoke with a gardening company and they told me that because the lawn doesn't get the sun in the winter to dry it out I would be better to get rid of it. As you say - it would not be a garden without a lawn, but in 5 years this is the first time this has happened and we need somewhere for the dog to go outside and she won't even walk on it. The whole lawn is covered in the sludge the worms have left behind and we have to get to the shed.
We did aerate it before Christmas before applying the Cast Clear, but as my husband withdrew the tines of the fork hosts of worms came to the surface and waved to him! I think by the time it dries out enough to walk on, there will be no grass left
Personally I don't think there is such a thing as worm infestation.
create a path to the shed , problem solved.
scarify, aerate, and feed, let the worms do the rest,
at this time of the year most lawns are not at their best, when the better weather comes it will soon recover.
I agree AWB, lawns suffer from people and dog infestations in winter.
Mine is a mess and I haven't even got the excuse of a dog
In the sticks near Peterborough
I agree too
But if using the space 52 weeks of the year is important for Helmik and household, then a lawn probably isn't the best solution
And I know lots of successful small gardens that don't have lawns
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Sweep up the casts with a dustpan and stiff brush, bag it up and use it as free potting compost. Continue treating the lawn with worm killer and they will disappear eventually. I am guessing if your lawn never has any sun on it, your main problem will be moss. Aerate and lawn sand.
If your dog is a female, pour a bucket of water over any pee areas every time she uses it as the urine will cause yellow patches of grass which will eventually die(the voice of experience!)
Wom casts are one of the banes of bowls, golf, tennis and croquet green keepers. They all have to treat their lawns regularly, throughout the year. Not a one dose and done job I am afraid.