Maintaining a Healthy Lawn

Healthy lawn tips

The presence of weeds is often a sign of fertilization or lawn care problems.

Physical and Cultural Control
Following proper lawn care practice is the most effective method of controlling weeds.

Key points of a good lawn: good soil, fertilization, mowing, watering, aeration, and various other methods of physical control against lawn enemies.

Soil and Nutrition
Soil is the most important element for healthy grass growth. The roots of grass plants obtain needed moisture and nutrients from the soil and in order for roots to function they need plenty of oxygen in the soil.

Enrich the soil by adding organic matter before the lawn is planted. On the existing lawns, apply manure once per year or once per month in places where the soil is particularly poor. Fertilization provides minerals necessary for a healthy and green lawn, growth of robust roots and the resistance to the diseases.

Fertilizers contain nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K). All are vital to plant health. Nitrogen aids leaf growth and color, phosphorus helps promote strong roots and potassium makes the plant stronger and better able to fight pests and disease. Adding organic matter to your soil will add nutrients and also improve soil quality. A healthy soil will produce healthy turf and help reduce pest problems.

The lawn should be fertilized in the spring and fall when it is actively growing. In the fall, fertilize the soil using a fertilizer with low nitrogen. Fall is also a good time to aerate and re-seed damaged sections of the lawn.

Have the soil tested to determine the pH and fertility. If the soil is too acidic (the pH level is less than 6.5), the addition of limestone is necessary.

Have soil analysed every two to three years, and the pH level tested every year.

A pH level of 6.5 is optimum as the nutrients, which are vital to plant growth, are most readily available at this pH level.

Mowing
If cut short, the lawn will be less strong and more sensitive to weeds, insects, and dryness. The ideal mowing height is around 7.5 cm. Only the first cut of spring and the last mowing of the autumn must be shorter. A mowing of 5 cm at the beginning of season stimulates the growth of the turf, and at the end of the season, it prevents the development of the diseases. It is necessary to mow often to minimize the stress of the mowing and to use a mower with well-sharpened blade, which will not pull the grass, but will cut it. The mowing residues are natural manure; it is advised to leave them on the lawn, so that the microorganisms in the ground break them up, thus releasing the nutrients they contain. However, they should not be long, or they will aggravate the problem and block the sunlight. Each time you mow; alternate the direction in which you cut so as to reduce the build-up of grass clippings on the lawn. On slopes, it is preferable to mow crosswise. Fill in any small depressions in the lawn with a little soil, then rake until level and reseed. This reduces the risk of scalping on higher spots in the lawn.

Watering
In general, a well maintained lawn survives the summer heat rather well without watering. On the other hand, it will be green and dense during all the summer, and less vulnerable to traffic, the invasion of weeds and the infestations of insects, when it is nicely watered.

Proper watering techniques also help in the control of weeds. It is best to only water your lawn when it actually needs it. Ensure that water reaches the root zone. Frequent watering for short periods of time each day promotes shallow root growth. A single, heavy watering once a week provides sufficient water to the lawn, and promotes the development of deeper roots.

The best way to test the spray pattern of your sprinkler is to place some empty cans at various spots around the lawn and check how much water they receive. Then, you can adjust the spray pattern as needed.

Porous, black soaker hoses that leak water out through the material are a good method of applying water to the soil without excess evaporation or loss to wind. They are preferable to sprinklers where the water shoots up into the air before falling to the ground.

Aeration to reduce compaction
The reason for aerating is to amend compacted soil that no longer has adequate pore spaces for air and movement of water. This is most often accomplished with a machine that removes plugs of soil.

In order for this process to be successful the grass must be top-dressed after aeration to fill the holes in the soil with organic matter (or screened topdressing soil).

Otherwise the existing compacted soil gradually fills in the holes left by the machine leaving the lawn uneven, and the walls of the cores susceptible to drying out, damaging the roots adjacent to the core holes.

Good results are obtained by making a 15 cm deep hole and removing from 45 to 90 carrots/m 2. Leave the carrots of soil on the ground and rake the surface of the grass in order to disaggregate and uniformly distribute them on the surface of the ground. The micro-organisms, which they contain, will promote the decomposition of thatch.

Fall is the best time to aerate and topdress compacted soil because the soil is drained, warm and the temperatures are pleasant during the day and cool at night.

Weed -digging
Some weeds can be tolerated, for example, clover is now classified as a weed but used to be included in grass seed mixtures! Clover grows vigorously in the hot dry weather of mid summer shading the soil, and fixes atmospheric Nitrogen, which the grass can use. Clover mixed into the lawn benefits the grass plants.

Do not use a 'dandelion tool' for weed removal. Remember to remove the whole root system because perennial weeds will grow again if part of the root remains.

The hand weeding is an effective way of getting rid of weeds. Pull the weed or remove by digging them to tear off their roots!

Thistle, plantain and dandelions must be hand pulled by cutting the roots in the ground because mowing does not eliminate them completely. Lamb's quarter and barnyard grass disappear if the lawn is mowed regularly to 7 cm.

Thatch
Thatch results from cutting long portions of the grass repeatedly over the growing season. Earthworms love to eat short grass clippings but long ones dry out and do not decompose easily so build up as a layer over time. Homeowners should mow once a week so the clippings are short and attract the worms.

A gentle raking in the spring to remove debris is all the lawn needs.

If there is a thatch problem then topdressing is the most effective way to manage it as the thatch layer then decomposes.

Reseed bare patches
Weed seeds grow well in bare spots on the lawn so repair them as soon as possible. If the soil is compacted, loosen it, add organic matter and dig it in.

Sprinkle the seed on the soil surface, press it down but do not bury it, and then keep it moist until germination occurs.

Other Methods
A layer of mulch scattered on the lawn helps to fight the weeds. Mulch promotes the growth of the roots and prevents the germination of weed seeds. You can also remove weed roots with the help of a knife or a screwdriver. Hand weeding will reduce their number, especially if you do it before the production of the seeds. Always destroy weed grasses. By exposing them when the sun is high in the sky; the weeds will decay and end up dying under the effect of heat.