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First week
Watering: every day in the morning and evening. By the end of the first week, small roots should appear on the lower surface of the lawn. General water volume - at least 25-40 liters. for every sq.m. in a day.
Second week
Watering: after 1 day.
Mowing: the first mowing is carried out across or at an angle to the direction of laying the rolled lawn.
Fertilizing: After the first mowing, fertilize the lawn with complex fertilizer.
Third week
Watering: 2-3 times a week.
Mowing: Move the grass for the second time at an angle to the direction of the first mowing.
Fourth week
Your lawn is completely ready for use.
After laying the new finished lawn — Watering should begin immediately. From installation to watering, no more than 1 hour should pass on a sunny day and no more than 2 hours on cloudy weather. If you are laying a large area of lawn, begin watering as you continue laying. The lawn should be watered evenly over the entire area at the rate of 20-30 l/sq.m. depending on the moisture content of the lawn and the soil underneath it. Pay special attention to watering the edges of the covered area and areas located in open, sunny places. It is very important. We can say that a liter of water poured onto the lawn in the first hour after laying is more beneficial than five liters a few hours later. Under the rays of the scorching sun, a lawn steamed in a roll can get severely burned, which will lead to a loss of presentable appearance and a long recovery.
WATERING, in the future, should be performed at least 2 times a week and/or, if necessary, more often. But remember, excess moisture is sometimes more dangerous than its lack. Even in dry, hot weather, you should not water an established lawn more than 3-4 times a week. The lawn should dry well from one watering to the next. However, watering must be abundant (at least 20 l/sq.m.) in order to completely saturate the soil with water by at least 10 cm.
MOWINGshould be carried out as often as possible. Usually it is enough to mow the lawn once a week, however, For information, ground lawns and golf courses are mowed daily, and football fields at least 3 times a week . The optimal mowing height is 4-5 cm (the height depends on the purpose of the lawn and the types of grass). Do not remove more than 1/3 of the grass height in one mowing. It is very important to ensure that the mower blades are always sharp.
FEEDINGLawns with complex fertilizers should be applied regularly. Fertilizers help strengthen the grass cover, increase its density and resistance to drought and disease, and maintain good color and structure of the lawn.
How should you care for your lawn in the spring so that it looks as well-groomed and beautiful as possible in the shortest possible time? What unpleasant surprises could potentially harm your lawn and how should you deal with them? Let's find out what lawn care should be like after winter.
Lawn care in spring
Starting spring work in your garden is a responsible matter. It would seem that, in principle, you can start caring for your lawn in the spring immediately after the snow has melted and the turf has thawed. But it’s not so simple – you still need to give the soil time to dry. The fact is that immediately after the snow thaws, it still remains soft, and even ordinary walking on it can lead to the appearance of unsightly depressions.
Let us immediately note that spring is not the best time to lay a rolled lawn. It is better to do this in the fall so that the grass has the opportunity to strengthen and survive the winter. Therefore, we will not touch on this topic in this article.
The first thing you need to do in the spring is roll the lawn. In winter, moisture accumulated under the surface of the top layer of soil often damages the turf. The process of freezing and gradual thawing of the upper layers of soil leads to the appearance of tussocks of grass. As a result, its roots are torn away from the nutrient soil. Rolling the lawn will help solve this problem. Thanks to this procedure, the formed hummocks are reliably pressed to the ground. To roll the lawn, it is best to use a special roller.
The second stage of care is combing the lawn. Using special lawn or fan rakes, it is necessary to carefully rake the remains of dry grass, as well as leaves remaining from last autumn.
Aerator - a device for saturating the soil with air
An aerator will help at this stage. This tool is designed to saturate the soil layer with air by piercing the soil with thin teeth. In addition, such treatment destroys all germinating weeds and rids the soil of the remains of dead grass. Lawn aeration can be done several times throughout the growing season.
The next very important action, which should never be forgotten, is verticutation. Verticutation involves vertically loosening the top of the turf layer. The purpose of this procedure is to saturate the soil with air, as well as to remove felt - the remains of its old layer. When verticutating, specialists use special devices called verticutters. Using sharp blade blades, they pierce the turf to the desired depth, while simultaneously destroying the lawn's outdated root system (i.e., the felt). As a result, conditions for the emergence of new young shoots improve.
Important information: Rolling, combing and verticutation must be done before the start of the growing season, which occurs around the beginning of May.
After combing the lawn is completed, it should be fertilized with useful fertilizers. In early spring, in addition to other care activities, you need to give the lawn a small portion of nitrogen fertilizers (at the rate of 1.2 to 1.7 kg of fertilizer per 100 m2). Such actions will help speed up the regeneration process. That is, the grass will acquire a bright green color much faster.
Fertilizing the lawn using a seeder
Important information: For fertilizing, you can use ammonium nitrate, urea, or specially created complex fertilizers for lawns in the spring. They need to be distributed evenly throughout the site.
Fertilizing can be done manually or using a seeder designed specifically for this purpose.
You need to start watering the lawn in your garden plot taking into account the current weather conditions and the associated humidity levels. Experts recommend doing this in the early morning, because daytime watering, as a rule, leads to poor absorption of liquid by the soil due to its accelerated evaporation and causes minor burns of the green mass (water droplets on the grass act as a lens that concentrates the sun's rays at one point). Evening watering, especially on a cool and foggy evening due to excessive humidity, can contribute to the occurrence of diseases in your lawn.
Important information: After adding useful fertilizers to the soil, it is necessary to water it abundantly. After treating the grass with herbicides, on the contrary, watering it is contraindicated.
It is better to water the lawn early in the morning
We have familiarized ourselves with a detailed description of the basic lawn care procedures. It's time to schedule them for each month. Let us immediately note that the indicated time is not a dogma. You need to rely on current weather conditions. For example, if March turned out to be cold and the lawn is still covered with a layer of snow, there can be no talk of any work.
Lawn care usually just begins in March. During the period of active melting of the snow mass, try to avoid prolonged waterlogging of the lawn and in every possible way avoid the formation of puddles on it. Be sure to prick all wet areas with a standard or hollow-teeth fork (ideally, drainage first). Try to minimize movement on wet lawn surfaces. This will help avoid the formation of ruts, bumps, tracks and potholes, which are especially noticeable on young lawns.
A few days after the soil has dried, roll and comb your lawn. If, while working, you notice the initial signs of lawn diseases, you will need urgent treatment with fungicides. These substances will help prevent further spread.
After the top layer has dried thoroughly, it is time to remove dry and rotten leaves and shoots from it, as well as the remnants of felt from the last autumn-winter period. That is, carry out the verticutation procedure described above. If you don’t have a special machine, pick up a regular fan rake and move along and across your lawn. Timely verticutation is an excellent prevention of fungal diseases in the lawn.
Special shoes for lawn verticutation
April is the month when a stable positive temperature background is usually established outside. It's time to fertilize your lawn in the spring with complex fertilizers, which predominantly contain nitrogen. This beneficial nutrient, combined with phosphorus, potassium and other microelements, will help the lawn quickly recover. Fertilizer is usually applied manually. Under no circumstances exceed the dosage indicated on the package - otherwise you will only harm the young grass.
Helpful information. If your lawn is very sparse, experts advise carrying out reseeding planned for May as early as April. Reduce the rate of complete seed sowing by 2 times and scatter the required amount of seeds evenly throughout the lawn.
Don't forget to water your lawn thoroughly. By the way, if you did not manage to apply fertilizers in a timely manner, it is permissible to do this even after overseeding.
In May, you may already need to mow the lawn for the first time in the new season. After the grass has grown by about 7-9 centimeters, mow it evenly, leaving only 5, maximum 6. There is no need to mow lower - the lawn should have time to recover. Use a special lawnmower with a grass catcher that does not leave residue directly on the lawn. Otherwise, rotting may begin on its surface during frequent rains.
May – time to mow the lawn
To get a higher percentage of germination, feed the seeding areas with “starter” lawn fertilizer.
If you find areas of grass affected by diseases, take immediate measures to improve its health and stop the spread of infection. Choose specific activities based on the type of disease.
From time to time, it happens that on top of the surface of a fresh lawn there appear places with noticeably thinning grass, called bald spots by gardeners. If they are small in size, the optimal solution would be to replace the damaged areas with new fragments of turf. They can be taken from any other places, for example, from the edge of your lawn or from an area under bushes. If these bald spots are too large, add more grass in these places. To do this, first loosen the soil with a pitchfork, then level the surface (add sand if necessary), and finally sow the seeds.
Bald spots on the lawn need to be dealt with
When the weather is humid outside, you can sometimes notice a white substance that sticks together the grass stems. It's called "snow mold." This is a terrible, but, unfortunately, very common disease. It's not easy to fight her. Therefore, as soon as you notice the first signs of this disease, immediately begin to take action to eliminate it. Sometimes, at the initial stage, it may be enough to cut the grass very short in the area where the first traces of mold are concentrated. You can also spray the entire grass with a protective antifungal. But if the problem manifests itself in large areas of the lawn, and the mold has spread beyond measure, be prepared to re-lay or sow the lawn.
It happens that after winter, small depressions appear on the surface of the lawn, inside which liquid accumulates. This indicates that the soil in these areas is not dense enough. This problem can be solved by resorting to loosening the soil and filling the discovered areas with sand or peat. First you need to cut a layer of turf in the shape of a triangle, and then remove the resulting layer. Next, loosen the soil and mix it with added sand or peat. Maintain a 1:1 ratio. Remove the remaining excess soil and return the cut layer of turf to its place, pressing it firmly to the ground. If the recess is large in size, the operation described above may not be enough. Then you will have to replant the grass again, having previously prepared the ground for this.
Back in the Middle Ages, lawn grass was used as an element of landscape design. Today, the lawn has gained enormous popularity and has many varieties that suit a certain style. Rolled lawn has gained the widest popularity. The most important advantage of a rolled lawn is that there is no need to sow and grow grass yourself. Today this is the only way to quickly improve and green areas, sports fields, and lawns. The best time to lay a rolled lawn is spring, when the snow has melted on the site and the ground has already warmed up.
Rolled lawn consists of a durable mesh base and a layer of turf. Rolled lawn consists of two-meter mats, 40 centimeters wide and 20 to 25 millimeters wide, weighing no more than 15 kilograms. Today, the most popular types of rolled lawns are:
Rolled lawn has a number of advantages over seeded lawn:
To lay a rolled lawn, it is best to use the services of professionals, but it is also possible to lay it yourself. To do this, you will need to follow several rules.
So, the soil is prepared and you can lay the rolled lawn. The lawn is laid end to end throughout the prepared area. Also, the rolled lawn must be laid in a checkerboard pattern. If you need to trim excess edges of a rolled lawn, you can use a sharp bayonet shovel or knife. Under no circumstances should the edges of the rolled lawn be rolled up. After the lawn has been laid throughout the entire area, it must be compacted. Watering the lawn must be carried out daily, flooding it, so that the rolled lawn quickly takes root on the site. But you should not allow puddles to form on the grass.
In order for your rolled lawn to please you for a long time, you need to cut it correctly, water it and fertilize it.
Rolled lawn needs to be watered once a week. After planting, the rolled lawn needs to be moistened daily. It is not recommended to water the lawn in small doses, as this can lead to the formation of shallow roots. Rolled lawns should be watered in the morning or evening to avoid rapid evaporation of moisture. The lawn should be watered using the sprinkling method; under no circumstances should it be watered with a hose stream, as this may damage the lawn surface. If you do not have the opportunity to water the lawn yourself, it is possible to use an automatic watering system, which will save you not only time, but also water resources.
Ventilation or aeration has a beneficial effect on the condition and growth of the grass of a rolled lawn. Aeration helps oxygen penetrate the densely woven root system. Aerating the lawn helps nutrients reach the roots and be absorbed into the soil. The best time to ventilate your lawn is in early autumn. If your rolled lawn is in good condition, it should be aerated once a year.
It is also necessary to comb the grass cover of the lawn. Scarification is best done with a fan rake, in the spring before the first mowing and in the fall. This procedure should be combined with fertilizing and sowing grass. Combing the grass removes excess load from the lawn and improves the flow of air and nutrients to the roots of the rolled lawn.
When fertilizing the soil, keep the grass dry and the soil moist. Fertilizing the lawn should be done in the evening, after which it is necessary to water the lawn so that the fertilizer is absorbed.
In winter, you should not remove the snow cover from the lawn, and you should also not walk on the lawn, as there will be yellow grass in place of the winter paths. You should also not dump a large amount of snow on the lawn, as the lawn may “suffocate.” When an ice crust forms on the surface of the lawn, it must be broken.
Weed control is very important when caring for a rolled lawn. On young lawns, where the root system is not so strong, weeds appear. They must be destroyed using special preparations when cultivating the lawn in the spring.
Mowing a rolled lawn is one of the important stages of lawn care. You can also create works of art on a grass field, which will complement the picture of your landscape design.
The first mowing of the rolled lawn should be no later than a week after installation. Then the grass will have time to take root, take root and gain a foothold in the soil. To mow a rolled lawn, you must use a lawn mower, which must be maneuverable and comfortable. Each further mowing of the lawn is carried out at least once a week, when the grass grows no higher than 8-12 centimeters. To mow a rolled lawn, you need to choose dry weather, and after mowing, the lawn needs to be watered abundantly. Grass clippings must be removed from the lawn immediately, otherwise clumps may form, which will prevent the grass from growing normally. Regular mowing of the lawn ensures a beautiful appearance and minimal evaporation of water from the grass roots. It also prevents the proliferation of weeds. You should not cut the rolled lawn immediately after watering, as this may damage the grass cover of the lawn. Each subsequent cutting should be done perpendicular to the previous one, this will promote good growth of young grass shoots. Before wintering, the lawn can be mowed until mid-October. For the winter, the optimal height of the grass that must be left is no more than 6 centimeters, in which case the grass cover will be covered with a layer of snow. If you leave too high a layer of grass, this contributes to its freezing, and a small layer will not be able to produce strong young shoots. In the spring, when you mow your lawn for the first time, you only need to cut off the top of the grass, about one to two centimeters. After the first mowing, it is necessary to fertilize the lawn with mineral fertilizers and water it abundantly. If a lot of time has passed between mowing the rolled lawn, you should not cut the grass too short at once, this can lead to oppression and disease of the lawn.
To have an attractive lawn, you need to have a good lawn mower. When choosing such an important tool as a lawn mower, you should pay attention to the design, type of control and dimensions. So, what criteria should you use to choose a lawn mower:
The only way to quickly ruin the beauty of a rolled lawn is with dull lawn mower blades. The cutting part of the lawn mower consists of a two-bladed or four-bladed knife.
Based on the operating principle, lawn mowers are divided into three types: manual, electric, and gasoline.
Manual - suitable for small lawns and hard-to-reach places, easy to handle.
Electric - they work from the mains or from a battery, the motor rotates the blades, and you need to move them around the lawn yourself.
Gasoline - they run on gasoline, just like electric ones; the motor turns the blades and moves around the lawn both independently and with the help of a person.
Cutting height is the most important indicator. Most models are equipped with a grass cutting height adjuster.
There are three types of grass catchers: fabric, plastic and rigid.
Fabric ones allow air to pass through well, which allows for a powerful air flow to eject grass.
Plastic - found in inexpensive lawn mowers, they are often clogged with grass, which interferes with free air circulation.
Hard ones - their advantage is that they are well cleared of grass.
When choosing a lawn mower for a rolled lawn, you first need to compare the size of the area with the technical capabilities of the lawn mower. The width and diameter of the wheels also play an important role; wide wheels leave fewer indentations on the surface of the lawn, and a lawn mower with large wheel diameters should be used on uneven lawns with long grass. The motor in a lawn mower must be powerful, as devices with weak motors tear up rather than cut the grass. Another important parameter when choosing a lawn mower is the width of the blades. But the wider the grip, the less maneuverable it is, so it is not recommended to use such a lawn mower in small areas.
For a rolled lawn, you need to choose a lawn mower with wide wheels, a large blade grip and an aluminum body.
It has always been considered etiquette to maintain a green lawn. Grass that has grown beyond the size of a matchbox is considered overgrown and must be cut. Caring for a rolled lawn is not difficult, but it requires constant attention and compliance with certain rules and recommendations.
The first week after laying the lawn, care consists of daily watering until the soil is completely wet, but without allowing puddles to form on the grass.
Watering is carried out by sprinkling using a special sprinkler irrigation system or manually with a hose, but with an umbrella attached to the tip.
In the future, you will need to water the lawn at least once a week, but it all depends on the weather and soil conditions. Do not allow drying out, as well as waterlogging of the area.
It is not recommended to water in small, frequent doses; this leads to the formation of superficial roots in the grass mass, which is completely undesirable for. You need to water the lawn early in the morning or in the evening, when the sun sets below the horizon. This will prevent burns on plants and reduce rapid evaporation, allowing the soil to become saturated with moisture. consists of timely watering.
Afterwards, the first cutting should be done no earlier than a week later, when the roots of the grass have grown into the soil and become established there. The brush of a mowed lawn is usually 6-8 cm. The grass should be cut as it grows, but at least once a week. Immediately remove the mown grass into the compost heap, without leaving it on the lawn. Frequent mowing promotes denser germination of young shoots, since sunlight penetrates to the lowest stems of the plant, and when the grass is short, air circulation is not hampered. You cannot cut wet grass, but after cutting, the rolled lawn must be watered immediately.
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Ongoing lawn care involves regular fertilizing. In early spring, as soon as the snow melts, you need to apply nitrogen fertilizers in the amount of 5 g per 1 sq. m. m. After the first mowing, it is recommended to apply a complex fertilizer, which includes nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. In mid-summer, repeat the same fertilizer complex. And in the fall, before wintering, fertilize the rolled lawn with phosphorus and potassium, excluding nitrogen. Regular feeding will create good conditions for the growth of thick and strong grass cover. It is necessary to apply fertilizer before watering, distributing it evenly throughout the area.
Regular mowing significantly reduces the growth of harmful weeds, and yet the fight against them must be carried out constantly. On young lawns, where the root system of the grass cover is not yet so well developed and intertwined, weeds are especially “vicious”. Perennial dandelions, sow thistle, tansy and other grasses that are not suitable for a rolled lawn must be mercilessly destroyed. This must be done throughout the season, but especially carefully in the spring, when the weeds have just begun to grow and have vitality. Dig out their roots by hand, using special tools, being careful not to damage the roots of lawn grasses. This type of maintenance is much more difficult to do on an old, thick lawn. Here you should use herbicides with selective action. There are special drugs to combat. They do not cause damage to lawn grass, destroying only weeds. Lawn care requires attention and labor, but it pays back with a bright emerald of soft, delicate grass cover.
