A beautiful well-groomed lawn resembling a dense green carpet, without any harmful and sloppy bushes, is not a gift from nature and not a consequence of some overseas marvelous seeds or miraculous chemical preparations.
In order to form a beautiful grass cover of your lawn, you need it:
- to cut (regularly);
- water (required);
- weed (occasionally);
- feed (2-3 times a season);
- mulch (in the fall);
- puncture (when compaction of the soil);
- undersow (if necessary).
This is just the result of a number of works that are combined in one capacious concept – lawn care. Do not be alarmed, you should not devote all your free time to the lawn, daily and hourly caring only about its beauty. There are few such works, but the main thing is that they must be completed in a timely manner and without errors.
Mowing is the most important element in lawn care
Do not miss the right time for the first mowing of the lawn after planting the grass – in fact, it is very important. To determine if it is necessary, simply measure the grass. If you have grown to 10 cm – it’s time to cut. As a rule, the first haircut occurs in mid-May. If thunderstorms and rains are expected in May, try to have time to mow the lawn before these seasonal cataclysms, otherwise the grass will fall from heavy rain, and you will not be able to mow it normally.
For mowing grass on a lawn, the most common technical tool is a gasoline mower or electric. The choice of drive depends on the size of your site. If the lawn is small, not far from home, feel free to buy a light and inexpensive electric lawn mower.
Regardless of the type of engine, check the cutting system – it must be sharp so that part of the grass is not pulled out with the root. It is best to mow dry grass, because wet grass will clog the lawn mower. But the soil itself should not be solid and dried, it is better – a little wet. On wet soil, the wheels of the lawn mower are loaded and it “smashes” the lawn, leaving bald spots.
At the first haircut, set the largest cutting height, and with subsequent haircuts, focus on the 4-5 cm indicator. This is exactly what the grass height should be on an ideal lawn.
The mowing direction at the first mowing can be any, but remember: if the first time you cut in a direction from north to south, then next time cut perpendicularly – from east to west.
Before each mowing, clean the lawn of debris – stones, sticks, solid objects. If such objects fall under the knives of a lawn mower, it will completely jam the motor. If it is well protected from overloads, it just stops, otherwise it will burn out.
If the lawnmower is without a grass catcher, it is best to remove the grass after the first mowing. In subsequent haircuts – it can be left on the hay, while lawn mowers with side ejection are convenient. Left grass also protects the lawn from drying out in too hot summers. For the first lawn mowing, a lawn mower with a grass catcher is better, and even better – with a mulching function. Mulch will always come in handy as an organic fertilizer.
Subsequent haircuts depend on the intensity of grass growth and on the weather. In moderate sunshine and regular rains, this should be done approximately every two weeks. When drought, do not cut too short – the roots will dry.
If you do not have time to cut the grass in time, do not be discouraged. A high-quality lawn mower, with the possibility of setting a cut in five positions, cuts grass well above 20 cm, you only need to go through one place several times, each time cutting off the ends of the grass by several centimeters.
In hard-to-reach places, near curbs, under benches, between flower beds – you can use a convenient electric trimmer.
If there are a lot of bumps, bumps on the site – they need to be cut as short as possible and add mulch to level the area.
Do the last seasonal haircut in the fall, before frosts. If autumn is cold – in September, if warm – in October. In no case do not cut the grass in a cold and frosty wind – the tips of the grass will frostbite and next year it will grow poorly. How often to water
How often to water
Water when the grass loses elasticity, becomes lethargic. If you miss this important point, the grass will turn gray and lose its bright green color. Later, it will begin to turn yellow due to lack of moisture and dry. Watering should be done so that the soil is well saturated with water, but becomes excessively wet. It is convenient to water a large lawn with an electric garden pump or a water pump for irrigation. It is best to water the lawn in the morning or in the evening, since in the afternoon the sun will immediately dry the soil and get a dense crust.
The frequency of watering depends not only on the weather, but also on the type and structure of the soil. Sandy soils dry faster – they need to be watered more often, clay soils less often. But in any case, wait for the soil to dry out slightly between irrigations, otherwise the roots of the plants will be flooded all the time and not receive oxygen from the air.
Weed removal (weeding)
Weeds will become a rare occurrence on your lawn if you weed it well from the very beginning. Weeding is necessary carefully – tearing out the weed with roots. If the roots of the weed grass lie very deeply, whether the leaves have grown a large rosette, then you can use a special chemical preparation to remove weeds. This drug is called a herbicide, you need to choose it very carefully – just one that will destroy weeds, but will not damage the lawn grass.
Top Dressing the Lawn
Sunlight and heat, oxygen from the air and water – these are the main nutrition of lawn grass. But most often these elements are not enough to make the lawn look fresh and appetizing. The grass, which is regularly mowed, is not able to eat only natural offerings of nature – it needs a systematic feeding.
Fertilizing is done with fertilizers, three times during the season, and it is best to apply it with a fertilizer spreader. It is very easy to remember: in spring, summer and autumn. In the early spring, only nitrogen fertilizers are needed, but in the middle of summer – apply a complex top dressing containing nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus. The latest top dressing is done in the fall, when the lawn is preparing for winter. At this time, such minerals as phosphorus and potassium are relevant. How much fertilizer to apply is always indicated on its packaging.
So that the fertilizer is well absorbed by the grass, remember the main rule – do not apply fertilizer after rain or during rain. Calculate so that the grass is dry and the soil is slightly moist, and then it rains. If it will not be – water the lawn yourself.
Mulching, combing and puncturing
Mulching, combing and piercing are considered to be some kind of additional and optional work, but their importance for a beautiful lawn cover is difficult to exaggerate.
Mulch (loose crushed material) is scattered on the lawn once – in early autumn. For mulch, you can use shredded grass if you have a lawn mower with a mulching function or a garden shredder. In order to prepare a good mulch for the lawn, you need to add sand to the organic grass or leaf compost to make it crumbly. For sandy soil, too much sand is not needed.
Before mulching the lawn, it is advisable to comb and puncture it. Combing removes dry grass, unnecessary debris, branches, and piercing the soil helps fertilizers, as well as moisture and air to penetrate the roots of the plant. Combing is done with a rake, and piercing with a pitchfork. To optimize these work processes, it is better to buy a universal aerator-scarifier. It has two nozzles – a shaft for combing out mosses and old grass, as well as a shaft with knitting needles that cut through the soil well to the desired depth. Scarification (soil puncturing) can also be performed before fertilizing.
How to Avoid Holes On Your Lawn
Various troubles can occur with grass on the lawn: it may not overwinter, soak, dry. Often this grass loss does not occur on the entire lawn, but in separate areas. To level the lawn, it is necessary to produce seeding. You just need to loosen the soil from scratch, put the seeds in, sprinkle them with compost, and then easily tamp.