The lawn has an important aesthetic function, separating individual parts of the garden from flower beds and other garden equipment. Murawa is also an irreplaceable place to relax and play outdoors. When planning a lawn, remember that one large surface is always better than several smaller ones. It is important for aesthetic reasons, but also for practical reasons, as it facilitates care. The ground should be flat, only slight undulations are allowed in large areas. When setting up a lawn in the vicinity of roads and sidewalks, remember that the soil should be 3-5 cm lower than their edges, which will allow the lawn to be mowed in the plane of the roads.In the case of tree and shrub trunks, it is recommended to maintain clean soil surfaces, 30-50 cm long from the trunk and the base of the shrub branches, as it facilitates the care of both the lawn and plants.
Checking the substrate
On light, sandy soils that are permeable and unable to hold water, it is necessary to add 10-30% clay and mix it with the top layer of soil. On the other hand, on compact, loamy soils that tend to retain water, it is recommended to add loosening materials, such as coarse sand. When establishing lawns, the content of nutrients is important, which may vary in the soil, as lawns are often established on damaged soils that are insufficiently rich in nutrients. To such soils it is worth adding compost, decomposed manure or mineral fertilizers, such as Azofoska. The appearance of the lawn is also determined by the pH of the soil, which should be kept within the pH range of 5.6-6.5 for grassy plants. So before setting up a lawn, the soil should be free from permanent and annual weeds (these are combated with total herbicides, preferably Roundap).Three weeks after spraying, the soil should be dug, then leveled and left undisturbed for two weeks. Before that, it is worth applying organic or mineral fertilizers, possibly calcium fertilizers.
We sow the mixture
The lawn is made of various types of grass and their varieties. Their composition is determined by: soil type and moisture, climatic conditions, purpose of the lawn, anticipated intensity of trampling. When choosing a mixture, you need to take into account the above-mentioned factors that later arise from the way you use your lawn.
Sowing seeds should be started when the most favorable conditions for germination exist - the seeds then emerge quickly and evenly. Factors determining the sowing time are: temperature, soil and air humidity. In spring, favorable conditions exist from mid-April to mid-May. The second date is mid-August to the end of September. Before sowing, the soil should be smooth and not contaminated with e.g. stones, debris, etc.Level the soil surface with a rake. Before sowing, it is worth rolling the soil, preferably with a spike roller. Seeds are sown by hand or with a seeder. Manual sowing of seeds should not be done in windy weather, as the wind will blow away the delicate and light seeds. After sowing, the seeds should be covered by mixing in the shallow surface layer of the soil. A much better way is to spread a layer (1 cm high) of peat mixed with sand or compost soil on the sown surface. During drought, the seeds should be watered with fine-drop sprinklers, as coarser sprinklers will wash out the seeds. The dose of water should not exceed 10 liters per 1 square meter every 5 days.
First mowingWhen the grass is 3-5 cm high, it is worth rolling it with a light roller. After 2-3 days, we perform the first mowing, shortening the ends of the leaves by 2 cm. Mowing should be done regularly when the height of the grass exceeds 5-6 cm. In later years, it is important to mow the lawn frequently as well as fertilize and water it.It is recommended to use 2-4 kg of compound fertilizer per 100 square meters, and for intensive mowing - up to 8 kg. Half of the fertilizer dose is sown in spring and the other in early September. The last supply of nitrogen fertilizer is applied in August at a dose of no more than 1-2 kg per 100 square meters. Subsequent application of nitrogen fertilization promotes the infestation of grasses by diseases and pests. The most convenient way is to use long-acting fertilizers, such as Osmocote, which are applied once a season, gradually releasing the nutrients. After fertilizing, the lawn should be watered very much. Intensively used lawns require aeration. It is a procedure consisting in loosening the ground and improving air-water relations with the use of special devices, the so-called aeators, with which holes are made in the turf and, at the same time, 10 cm long rolls are cut. The lawn should be aerated annually after mowing the grass in July, especially on clayey and compact soils.In small areas, this procedure can be performed with an American pitchfork.
