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  Jim Davidson April 24, 2010 at 5:44pm

  Looks to me that it needs scarifying again.
  
  Go in hard with the scarifier, broadcast seed and topdress but watch out for the weather!
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  Graeme @ BGS April 24, 2010 at 9:11pm

  Just a quick question, what's the soil like - Have you taken a plug sample?
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  Gareth April 25, 2010 at 12:46pm

  Thanks for the feedback.
  
  Not sure what chemicals were used as the moss treatment, pretty sure it was lawn sand which probably included a fertilizer, I’ll check. The soil is on the clayey side. I believe the scarifying wasn’t done during the freeze but recently whilst dry. The end result reflects the amount of moss and thatch that was present. Apparently the lawn had been maintained by a local franchise. Possibly not one of their better trained operatives. Nuff said. If a lawn is in that bad a state isn’t it inevitable that it’ll look that bad following scarification? Today first sprinkling of rain here for weeks. Keep an eye on the forecast before any seeding
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  Lawncare-4u.co.uk April 25, 2010 at 12:52pm

  go on......................... insist they have an outside tap / sprinkler and do it at 7pm every night !
  
  do we really want rain lol . i know we need it steve. wow its dry here ay ?
  
  Steve Kenyon The Garden Company said:

  summer is great for work , but i started a job friday which i cannot complete at the moment due to dry weather ! we have not had rain here for 2 weeks , and in need of laying approx 6sq mtr of turf , and you cannot rely on customer to water properly etc , its a bad time at the moment for grass to lay or seed ,
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  Graeme @ BGS April 25, 2010 at 1:18pm

  Gareth,
  
  I would class Lawn Sand more as a tonic and moss kill than fertiiliser. I wouldn't think lawn care franchises use lawn sand.
  
  Before planning on bringing the lawn back to a good condition, what caused the moss? Have you taken a soil sample? Understanding what is going on below the surface as well as on top is critical for successful turfgrass management.
  
  I appreciate that the soil type is clay but dig out a small sample (go to a depth of about 150 - 200mm) and check how much thatch has formed on the top layer of soil. If you have too much this will need to be addressed.
  
  Options to consider for this lawn would I suggest to hollow tine aeration - remove the cores off the lawn and then top dress and seed. Follow this up with a good spring fertiliser or one that is specified as a pre seed - this can be applied at the same time of seeding. If you are concerned that the client can't water the lawn or lack of rain, consider mixing the grass seed with your top dressing for a day or two before applying.
  
  To answer your question about the state of a lawn after scarification - Yes a lawn will look a bit beaten up but it will soon recover particularly if fed afterwards. I would only suggest a deep scarification towards the end of the year unless the lawn is in such a bad state and you are looking to undertake a full lawn recovery.
  
  Gareth said:

  Thanks for the feedback.
  
  Not sure what chemicals were used as the moss treatment, pretty sure it was lawn sand which probably included a fertilizer, I’ll check. The soil is on the clayey side. I believe the scarifying wasn’t done during the freeze but recently whilst dry. The end result reflects the amount of moss and thatch that was present. Apparently the lawn had been maintained by a local franchise. Possibly not one of their better trained operatives. Nuff said. If a lawn is in that bad a state isn’t it inevitable that it’ll look that bad following scarification? Today first sprinkling of rain here for weeks. Keep an eye on the forecast before any seeding