How to properly care for the lawn so that the grass is green
Lawn grass in the garden is said to be low-maintenance. After all, no one mows the grass or waters the flowers on forest lawns – And they grow great. The grass mixture for an artificial home lawn is assembled from crops that require attention. Lawns must therefore be properly cared for!
How often to water the lawn?
The best way to care for and water the turf in the evening or early in the morning. During the day, especially if the sun is blazing, the water evaporates faster and the plants do not have time to get enough moisture. Moisture penetrates deep into the soil overnight, saturating the roots of the plants.
Water your lawns in drips, not jets, to avoid damaging the stems and eroding the soil around the plantings.
How much to water?
Depends on soil, time of previous watering, weather. Determining an exact watering norm is problematic. Water your lawn generously, but not until puddles appear. To know if there is enough moisture for the grass, check the soil to a depth of 100mm. If it’s dry – Increase watering intensity.
How to water your lawn properly?
Also depends on soil and weather conditions. Water a meadow on sandy soils twice a week in hot weather, twice a week in cool weather – Once every 10 days. Lawns on clay or loam are not water intensive. Water as needed, so the soil has time to dry out.
How much to water?
Be guided by the size of the plot and the availability of equipment. There are several options:
- Watering with your own hands with a garden hose with a spray nozzle. When choosing a hose, pay attention to the number of layers. The more of these, the longer the hose will last. The top layers are designed to protect from the sun, the middle ones are reinforcing, and the inner ones – Do not allow the growth of simple algae. Also, the hose must be lightweight.
- Automatic irrigation with irrigation systems (sprinklers). Sprinklers – because they simulate raindrops, based on the work of sprinklers and sprayers, which disperse the water jet.
- Different sprinklers can be combined into a system and connected to one water source. They are optimal for small lawns. Several sprinklers can be combined into a system and connected to one water source. It is also possible to set a timer for switching on.
- Movable models rotate to irrigate areas one at a time.
- Irrigation systems are often hidden under the ground. Ideal for large areas, more than six acres. Sprinklers in such systems can be aboveground or underground (recessed), which are retracted only during irrigation.
It is not easy to carry out underground sprinkler systems with your own hands. This is usually handled by specialist engineers.
Lawn mowing
Lawn mowing – It is not just a matter of aesthetics. Mowing grass is essential for vegetative growth. This way they bush better. Their rhizomes proliferate and create a dense turf.
How to mow your lawn properly?
Mow in dry weather. But if the grass is already overgrown, it’s better to mow when it’s cloudy or early in the morning – with abundant dew. The blades of the mower are less likely to blunt.
The grass tilts in the direction in which you mow, so change the direction of the mower with each mowing. The grass cover will be dense and straight. And if you mow on time, then without gaps, which appear due to poor light penetration in the lower parts of the grass.
Grass cuttings are better collected and composted. Mulch makes an excellent organic fertilizer, rich in trace elements and humus. On hot days, you can leave mowing on the mowed area for 2-3 days to keep more moisture in the soil.
How often should I mow the lawn??
Mowing your lawn too often is not necessary. On average it is done once every 1-2 weeks so that the grass has time to grow, get stronger and give energy for the development of the root system.
The first mowing after winter is different than usual. Mow the meadow when the grass grows to 10 cm. Mow on ⅓ stalks so that the grass can recover faster after the cold weather. Set the mower blade at its highest level, at least 8 cm. This treatment will slow down the growth of weeds. After a few mowings «At the top» They will stop growing altogether. At other times, when grass is growing intensively, cut more, but leave at least 40 mm. Stems that are too short have weaker roots and are more likely to dry out the soil. Leave the grass longer – The stems will weaken.
If you don’t know when to mow the grass for the last time, use the weather as a guide. Grass grows at temperatures between 5 °C. Keep an eye on the air temperature to determine the last mowing.
How to mow a lawn??
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So that mowing the meadow doesn’t turn into a heavy duty, choose «correct» tool.
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- or with a gasoline trimmer is more convenient to mow than with a regular lawn trimmer. Trimmer is light and maneuverable, but noisy in operation. No such problem with a scythe, but it requires some skill and blunts quickly.
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- Lawn mowers make mowing easier. Unlike trimmers, they are equipped with grass collectors that collect and shred the mowing. You don’t have to rake the grass the old-fashioned way. Pay attention to motor power when choosing a mower. The more powerful, the tougher it is.
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- easy to use: no need to fill up with petrol and oil. But you have to worry not to get the wire under the knife, not to burn the engine, would be enough wire for the entire perimeter of the lawn… models are more practical. If your lawnmower has a 2.5 mm thick fishing line, you can even cut raspberries and currants. By purchasing removable attachments, you can easily turn your lawn mower into a cultivator or snow blower.
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And minitractors mow large areas that are difficult to care for by hand.
How to remove moss and weeds from your lawn
Moss in the glade appears due to unevenness of the soil, high compaction or increased acidity of the soil, as well as a lack of nutrients and poor soil drainage. It is also promoted by too low mowing and heavy shading.
To remove moss, find and eliminate its causes. Level the soil. If the soil is too acidic, lime it. For nutrient-poor soil – Comprehensive fertilization is necessary. To kill moss in the lawn due to heavy shade, replace the grass with a less fanciful. Plant red fescue or Kentucky bluegrass.
If large areas are infested with moss and the methods described above have proven ineffective – Use chemicals to remove moss or weeds.
Treat the clearing with a chemical solution on a warm, dry morning. After two days, water. Moss will turn black in two weeks after treatment. Rake it up, finish off the gaps with grass.
Destroying weeds is effective in two ways – Weeding or chemical treatment. It is most reliable to destroy weeds by hand, digging them up with the root. This gives good results, but is labor and time consuming. And in a large meadow, it’s almost unrealistic.
When weeds are abundant and the area under grass is large, it is better to use herbicides. Specialists recommend treating the area with herbicides before planting the meadow. When they have dried out the weeds, sow grass.
In a green and flowering meadow, apply selective herbicides that kill a particular type of weed without damaging the lawn crops. Selective herbicides are good because they kill not only the stems but also the root system of weeds. Chemical weed treatments are best done on a warm, windless day when the grass is dry.
Regular mowing and watering are enough to keep your lawn green and free of weeds. They increase the density of the grass carpet and turfgrass, thereby suppressing weeds. Annual weeds will die from frequent mowing.
Lawn fertilization and nutrition
Fertilize your lawn three times a year – In spring, summer and autumn. Timely fertilization strengthens the grass and helps eliminate weeds.
Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for the amount of lawn fertilizer and the order in which it should be applied. If you over fertilize, you can damage your lawn and simply burn the grass.
When choosing what to fertilize your lawn with, consider seasonality. Spring and summer fertilizers contain a lot of nitrogen, which is necessary for active grass growth. Autumn fertilizer has more phosphorus and potassium, which strengthens roots and increases resistance to cold.
How to fertilise your lawn?
After mowing, before watering. It is better to apply fertilizer through a special sieve or with a spreader.
There is a perception that grass clippings – Not a bad fertiliser for lawns either. This is a misconception. Mowing grass is useful as a protective layer for turfgrass in the hot season. Lawn cuttings and grass clippings are not frost-resistant, so cover them with cling film when the weather turns cold.
Aerating and scarifying your lawn
Scarifying – The most effective way to clear your lawn of dry grass, moss, and plant debris. By loosening and combing the soil, you’ll facilitate air and light access to the lower layers of grass and improve fertilizer penetration into the soil.
Scarify lawns as needed, several times a season: in spring after snowmelt, in summer – To remove grass clippings in autumn – For cleaning up fallen leaves.
Scarifying tools – Fan or ordinary garden rake, lawn blower, scarifiers or special attachments on lawnmowers.
After scarifying it is useful to aerate the lawn to allow water, air and fertilizer to the roots. To do this, the soil is pierced to a depth of 10-15 cm. You can prick the soil with a common pitchfork (several times a season), or with a hollow-toothed pitchfork (once every 2-3 years). There are also special aerators: foot aerators, in the form of sandals worn on the shoes with teeth, mechanical and electric.
After aeration, sprinkle coarse sand over the lawn to fill in the holes. Sanding improves soil permeability and renews the soil.
Lawn Repair
Smoothing and reseeding your lawn
The grass gets old with time and loses its density. If your lawn has sprouted «balding», Have your lawn repaired. To keep your lawn looking well-maintained, resow any gaps in time. It’s best to do it on a cloudy or rainy day. Before leveling or reseeding, sweep the grass with a rake to remove dead plants. To properly sow, cut out gaps, loosen the soil, add fertilizer, and sow the seeds.
If you need to level the landscaped area from knolls, trim the turf in the protruding areas, bend back and smooth out the excess soil. Do the same if tree roots have started to extend into the lawn which can cause damage to the lawnmower. Bend back the cut turf, remove the root and return the green layer to its previous position.
Mulching the lawn
Mulching – is the spreading of a special mulch over the surface of a lawn to correct irregularities in the soil, improve root nutrition and reduce evaporation.
Mulch the clearing with different mixtures, depending on the type of soil. Mixtures often include sand, peat, and fertile soil mixed in different proportions, sometimes with the addition of leaf mulch.
- Mulching prevents the evaporation of moisture from the soil;
- Protects the roots from freezing in the winter cold;
- regulates the acidity level of the soil;
- enriches the soil with useful substances and does not let them wash out or evaporate from the soil;
- Weeds are less likely to germinate through the mulch.
Mulch lawns once a year, usually in early fall, by first mowing and clearing away the felt.
It is just as important to earth the lawn once every five years in spring or autumn. Covering ground with decomposed organic fertilizers will improve grass establishment and make the sward thicker. Spend the organic mixture optimally, at a ratio of 7-10 kg per 1m² soil.
Lawn care calendar
Lawn care in the spring
Spring lawn care begins with the first thaw. The meadow after winter is full of moisture, weakened, and easily damaged. In March, try not to walk on it unnecessarily to avoid potholes or holes from footprints. This is especially dangerous for young lawns.
When the top layer of soil has dried, carry out combing (scarifying) and remove the resulting felt with a fan or regular rake. If you find pockets of grass disease, cut all the plants in the affected area as low as possible with a lawnmower. Dig it up, loosen the soil with a rake, and only 10 days later sow new seeds.
Taking care of your lawn in the summer
The main answer to the question: «How to care for your lawn in summer» – is to water it in time and mow it regularly. The lawn may need a mid-summer fertilizer. If you notice that the grass has started to turn yellow – Fertilise in spring. In July-August the topsoil compacts little by little, so aerate and mulch to improve air exchange.
Lawn care in autumn. Preparing your lawn for the winter
Lawn care in September is not very different from that in August. Mow and water as needed. If after the summer heat there are gaps in the grass carpet – is to replant these areas. Lawn dressing in the fall is carried out in October, using special fall fertilizers. Do not use spring fertilizers, which are very nitrogen-rich – grass does not need them at all after a cold snap.
On a dry day, aerate the lawn to drain rainwater into deeper soil layers. If they are not, your lawn will be covered in a crust of ice when the frost sets in.
The last mowing of the lawn in autumn takes place at the end of October – November. Ideally, grass stems should be 60-80 mm high before wintering. Clean grass regularly of fallen leaves, twigs, and dry stems so they don’t interfere with aeration.
Lawns don’t need to be treated in winter. The important thing is – Do not walk on it until there is a snow cover. On icy lawns, it is advisable to break up the ice crust.
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