In early spring, at the beginning of April, when the temperature is already positive, lawns require very careful raking of dried grass remnants. It is also good to roll the soil with a roller that presses the roots against the soil.During severe frostsclumps of grassare pushed upwards, the roots lose contact with the ground, which contributes to drying up of the ejected parts of the turf.
After winter, empty spots, i.e. cavities, are sometimes visible on the lawn. These places are loosened and sown with a mixture of grass. The first mowing of the grass is made high (6-8 cm). It is important that the grass is dry.
Advantages of liming the lawn
Lawn liming is used when the soil pH has dropped below the pH of 6.8, and on light soils the pH has dropped to 6.5.Slight reduction of it can be leveled with the use of compound fertilizers containing calcium.In the case of highly acidic soils (pH below 6), use calcium fertilizers in early spring, e.g. calcium carbonate, quicklime, dolomite flour.
Lawn mulching
Mowers with the mulching function, i.e. mulching the cut grass and forcing it into the ground, have been launched. The decaying grass feeds the lawn and improves the soil conditions. It is important that mulching is not carried out too often as too much undegraded grass remains in the turf and then destroys the turf. When using mulching, it is worth feeding the lawn with higher doses of nitrogen fertilizers, which contribute to the rapid decomposition of the chopped grass.
Lawn aeration
Oxygenation of the roots is essential for the proper development of plants. If the soil is too compact or covered with an impermeable organic layer, the access of oxygen is limited.When observing an oxygen deficient lawn, we see that its surface gradually becomes covered with moss or weeds that do not need a lot of oxygen.Another reason for the lack of air access is often too moist and heavy soil acidic and improper care (for example, irregular mowing, no fertilization, and no mowing of the lawn).
In early spring, before fertilizing, we can aerate the lawn. This treatment is called aeration and consists in removing or loosening the impermeable organic layer on the soil surface (surface aeration) or at a greater depth (deep aeration).Surface aeration is performed with a specially built rake, the so-calledscarifiers or mechanical aerators.Deep aeration consists in making holes in the soil to a depth of 8 cm or cutting it. Machines with blades on rotating or rolling shafts are used for this purpose. Aeration is carried out on moist but not wet soil.
The height of the turf should not exceed 5 cm. Before performing the treatment, the turf should be mowed and the grass thoroughly ruffled.After aeration, the lawn surface should be evenly covered with holes every 15 cm in the amount of 120-130 holes per square meter on lighter soils and 180-200 holes on heavy soils .On small lawns, forks are used for aeration, a roller with spikes, and special covers with spikes for shoes. Electric or combustion gas aerators are used on large lawns.
How often do we mow the lawn?
The mowing frequency depends on the type of grass and the purpose of the lawn. Creeping grasses are usually mowed less frequently. Lawns used for recreational purposes, e.g. parks, can be mowed less frequently, e.g. every 20 days. We usually mow meadow lawns twice a season.
Lawns intensively exploited, for example by athletes, should be mowed even twice a week, especially during the intensive growth of grasses in May.Irregular mowing causes a deterioration of the quality of the turf, and also contributes to weed infestation or the appearance of moss.Mowing grass also depends on the speed of regrowth, which also depends on many factors, such as: climatic conditions, season of the year, soil abundance, type of grass and type of maintenance treatments.
