Lawn rollinghelps to compact the soil, levels the surface of the turf and promotes better rooting of the grass. It is worth performing this procedure before setting up a new lawn, as well as during its further care. We advisewhen and what to roll the lawn withto make it even and dense!
Rolling the lawn
Fig. depositphotos.com
When to roll the lawn?
The first lawn rolling is done when it is set up . They are used to compact the soil and level the surface before sowing seeds, as well as immediately after sowing (thanks to this, grass seeds are not blown away by the wind and germinate faster).
Rolling the lawn should be donealso when installing a lawn from a roll. Roll before laying the turf strips, thus compacting the ground, and also after laying the lawn from the roll, thanks to which the grass will stick to the ground surface more tightly and will take root faster.
We also roll the lawn before mowing for the first time . In the case of year-round maintenance of a lawn that is already in use, rolling is only used once. During rolling, the soil must not be wet in order not to damage the soil structure.
Rolling a growing lawn, which has more than one season, is performed in early spring, preferably in MarchThis is especially necessary if we observe bulges and unevenness in the lawn. They mean that during the winter the water accumulated under the surface of the turf, and then it froze and thawed, causing damage and bulging of the lawn.
By rolling the lawn, the surfaces were leveled, and the weight of the shaft will break the blades of grass, which will improve their rooting.It is therefore an important treatment that helps to regenerate the lawn after winter.Rolling the lawn after the winter will help prevent the grass from drying out in spring
Rolling before setting up the lawn
How to roller the lawn?
A garden roller is used to roll the lawn.Metal and plastic rollers are available for sale. The latter, in order to add weight to them, are filled with water or sand. If the shaft is filled with water, the weight will be less than that of a shaft filled with sand. A hollow shaft weighing 15 kg, filled with water will reach a weight of about 65 kg, and filled with sand - over 125 kg.
The metal shaftturns out to be much more practical and durable. It is worth choosing one that is powder coated, which additionally extends its durability.
Sometimes in the set with the garden rollerwe get spikes for aeration of the lawn.After installing the aeration spikes, the soil structure improves significantly, which has a positive effect on the condition of the grass.The garden roller can be additionally equipped with a soil scraperThanks to this, it will be especially useful for works during the establishment of a lawn.
In the case of rolling the lawn right after its installation , use a roller weighing up to 50 kg. However, when rolling the lawn after winter, it is worth using a much heavier roller, weighing approx. 150 kg.
If you use a roller that is too heavy , for example over 300 kg, you will lose the flat surface of the lawn because such a heavy roller will tear the turf and cause it to settle unevenly. On the other hand,too light a shaft will not fulfill its taskHeavy shafts are used only on intensively used surfaces, for example on sports fields.
MSc Eng. Joanna Białowąs
