Luxurious flower beds, original rockeries, picturesque ponds, cozy gazebos would never have looked so attractive if it had not been for the background combining all these decorative finds - an even, thick, silky lawn. By itself, without additional solutions, it becomes an excellent decoration of a summer cottage. It is only necessary to properly organize lawn care. We suggest that you understand what care procedures exist and how to do them correctly.
A beautiful, well-kept lawn in front of the house or in the backyard is as important a part of landscape design as a flower garden or garden
Care for a carpet of lush green grass is necessary at any time of the year. Even during the winter, you should be careful about the lawn hidden under the snow: it is advisable not to walk on it, not to arrange a skating rink and not to clutter with snowdrifts while cleaning the tracks. Only a regular integrated approach can turn wild grass thickets into a noble, soft, beautiful lawn. So, we will consider a number of mandatory measures for caring for the front lawn.
Combing - remove felt
To free the lawn from the debris accumulated over a long time, to remove the felted felt layer from the soil surface, lawn combing is used. The presence of felt is a great opportunity for the development of pathogens and the reproduction of insect pests.
A simple and effective combing tool is a medium-hard fan rake. Garbage and felt are raked in piles, then taken out or taken out on a garden wheelbarrow. The combing procedure consists in multiple longitudinal and transverse processing of the lawn, so this type of work is considered time-consuming.
The fan rake, unlike the usual ones, allows you to collect garbage more carefully, at the same time, carefully, without damaging the shoots
Aeration - creating comfort for the roots
To conduct aeration, it is enough to make punctures in the turf layer so that the air freely reaches the roots. Ventilating the underground part of plants nourishes the roots with oxygen, does not allow stagnation of water and air. The moderate circulation of air masses prevents the appearance of fungal diseases and rot.
To combine the process of aeration of the lawn with a useful walk in the fresh air will help original devices worn on shoes - sandals-aerators
Aeration of the lawn is usually carried out in autumn or spring, but in no case in the summer, when too high temperatures can cause drought. Before the process of piercing the turf, you should water the lawn abundantly for two days in a row. Puncture depth - from 8 to 10 cm.
The most common aerators running on a gasoline engine or mains. Average power - 1400-1600 W, working width - 30-40 cm
The traditional tools for aeration are ordinary pitchforks. If the lawn is small in area, then they will be quite enough. When the area covered with grass takes up a lot of space, a special device is required - an aerator. There are several types of aerators that differ in technical characteristics and purpose. For example, a number of aerators serve for parallel formation of the root system.
Distinguish between piercing and pricking during aeration. Piercing is a deeper process: suppose the pitchfork penetrates to a depth of 8-10 cm
Along with aeration, verticulation is performed - cut off unnecessary shoots and extra stems with a special apparatus equipped with a knife mechanism. A good time for this event is the end of spring and the beginning of autumn. Immediately after verticulation, seasonally appropriate fertilizers are applied.
Top dressing - choose fertilizers
Regularly cutting, combing, and cleaning natural debris from the grass carpet causes the fertile layer to become poor and the grass to become frail and faded. Artificial fertilizing will help to recover substances lost from the soil. Experts recommend fertilizing every six weeks, with autumn formulations different from spring ones.
Fertilizers for spring dressing are enriched with nitrogen, which is necessary for plants for friendly seedlings and growth of leaf blades. The proper development of the roots and the strength of the shoots give potassium and phosphorus. Autumn top dressing is characterized by a low nitrogen content, since at this time of the year the growth of grass stops; potassium, on the contrary, prevails.
To fertilize the lawns, special fertilizer should be purchased. The best option is universal, packaged in packages of 3 kg. The price of one package is about 120 rubles
The use of a fertilizer spreader facilitates the feeding process. This model distributes the substance on both sides, the main thing is not to exceed the concentration of the mixture
Fertilizers are applied in various ways:
- through the irrigation system (or using a watering can), after making an enriched solution;
- with a seeder - automatic spreader;
- manually, evenly distributing over all areas of the lawn.
The diagram clearly shows how top dressing and removal of fertilizers that do not last long in the ground occurs. That is why the application of nutrients to the soil should be regular
Mulching - increase the fertile layer
September and October are suitable months for mulching. It consists in increasing the fertile layer due to the added mixture useful for plants. Typically, organic material consists of three components: peat, loam and sand. The proportion of parts depends on the type of soil:
- Sandy - 2: 4: 1.
- Clay - 1: 2: 4.
- Loamy - 1: 4: 2.
For mulching, they make up a nutrient mixture, one of the parts of which is peat. Lowland peat is especially useful for improving soil structure.
Regular mulching enriches the turf with nutrients, regulates the air-water regime, makes the surface of the grass carpet even.
Mowing - making the lawn even
The main purpose of mowing the lawn is to give it an aesthetically attractive, even impeccable look. Grass mowing is carried out throughout the entire growth cycle of the grass, that is, from spring to autumn.
Mowing grass with a lawn mower is not just a lawn care process, but a way of life. You get used to this action as well as to morning jogs or walks with a dog
A few rules will help make the process more efficient:
- Frequent and too short pruning threatens to weaken the shoots, as they begin to experience a deficiency of nutrients and moisture.
- Before cutting, the grass is straightened (for example, with a rake), and immediately after cutting, so as not to disrupt the aeration process.
- Wet grass is not recommended for mowing - the grass sticks to the details of the lawn mower. Better to choose a dry, sunny day. It is especially dangerous to use electrical equipment on a rainy day.
- Read the instructions that came with the mower, it will tell you how to mow grass and clean the machine.
- Mowing is done in different directions so that the lawn is homogeneous.
Approximate movement pattern of a lawn mower. Moving in different directions alternately, you must try to cover the entire area of the lawn, otherwise you will not achieve a flat surface
Watering - arrange irrigation
It is not necessary to water the lawn daily, 2-3 times a week are enough. Let watering be rare, but plentiful. The best time is early morning or late evening, until the sun has risen at its zenith. For this reason, it is not appropriate to use manual watering from a hose, but an automatic watering system that is programmed to turn on at a specific time.
Automatic lawn watering has two big advantages: it happens at the right time and frees the owners from unnecessary work
During watering, the soil should be moistened 15-20 cm in depth. 1 m² accounts for 15 to 30 liters of water. The process will be more effective if aeration and combing are performed in advance.
A well-groomed, evenly trimmed, dense lawn is the pride of homeowners and a great addition to design solutions that adorn the adjacent area
As you can see, a beautiful decorative look of the lawn is achieved by hard work and regular attention, but the result pleases the hosts throughout the summer.
