Grass Lawn Maintenance is the Key to a Beautiful Garden Lawn

Grass Lawn Maintenance

Even the best sown grass lawn, with carefully selected grasses and thorough ground preparation, will degenerate rapidly if regular maintenance is not given sufficient attention.

It is the regular attention a grass lawn receives that gives it a professional look. The work need not become a chore if the right equipment is used, and the grass not allowed to become too neglected.

Mowing and Trimming

This is one task that cannot be neglected. There are many types of mowers, and the right choice is dictated by size and type of garden lawn, cost, and personal preferences. If stripes are required, however, it is essential to choose one with rollers.

Grass-boxes are useful. Normally it is best to remove the clippings (useful for the compost heap or as a mulch, but don't use within six weeks of applying a hormone weedkiller), as clippings left on the surface during damp weather can cause problems such as yellowing of the grass beneath and worm casts, and may encourage disease. The grass-box need not be used in dry summer weather.

Regular mowing is even more important with hand-powered machines, as the physical effort is much less if mown at least once a week.

Keeping a straight edge is important if the grass lawn is to look neat. Edges can be straightened at the beginning of the season by using a half-moon edger against a straight-edge timber. But resist the temp- tation to use this tool too often, otherwise the beds will soon become larger and the lawn smaller.

During the growing season, much can be done to improve appearance by using edging shears. These avoid the need to bend, and leave a trim edge. There is also a type with the blades set horizontally, for trimming close to a raised edge where it's not possible for the mower to reach.

Electric trimmers are available that are useful for trimming edges and grass beneath shrubs and round the base of trees.

Feeding and Weeding

Leaves are the factories of every plant, so it is a source of amazement how the grass plant can continue to thrive with its leaves constantly being pruned back. Survive they do, but like other plants, they need feeding to remain healthy. Hard cutting and no feeding can eventually kill grasses, and their place will be taken by daisies, plantains and other ground-hugging weeds, and by moss.

The most convenient way to deal with feeding and weeding a grass lawn is to use a combined lawn fertilizer and selective weedkiller. This is easy to apply, and an effective treatment. But do not use a combined lawn conditioner unless your lawn is weedy an ordinary specially formulated lawn fertilizer is all that's required.

If just a few weeds are present, hand weeding may be sufficient. A daisy grubber is useful for removing daisies, plantains and dandelions.

If lawn moss is a problem, one of the traditional and still very effective treatments is lawn sand (a mixture of sulphate of iron, sulphate of ammonia, and sand), or there are other proprietary moss killers. Selective hormone weedkillers have little or no effect on moss.

Follow the manufacturer's instructions for rates of application for fertilizers and weedkillers.

Watering

It is necessary to water a lawn in its first season while the roots are still shallow. For a long-established lawn, it may never be essential, but is desirable during dry seasons. On light, sandy and freely drained garden soils it is best begun after about two weeks of dryness, but on heavy soils only begin after about four weeks without rain.

Once it is necessary to water, it must be done thoroughly, applying enough to soak the grass roots down to about 15cm (6in). Moistening the surface is of little or no benefit. Sprinklers are best as they produce a fine spray which will not compact the surface. Choose a still day, otherwise coverage may be irregular and spray drift an annoyance to neighbours.