Lawn construction and maintenance
Most gardeners consider a lawn as an crucial , if not essential , a feature of the garden . The lawn may , in fact , be the major feature , being a great expanse suitable for garden parties and surrounded by sufficient peak beds to prepare it off . Alternatively , the lawn may be a pocket-sized feature designed to plant off flower beds . In either type , the requirement is usually a ripe lawn , ie one which has a uniform covering fire of good grass and which is free of green goddess and blemishes due to disease , fishing worm casts and the alike . A lawn which is mainly for children ’s play or for utilisation as a drying ground does not take the same high standard as does the real ornamental lawn but should , at any rate , be capable of being regard without repulsion !
Layout
The general shape and contours involve should be settle at an other leg , always bearing in mind that about 16 centimeter ( 6 in ) of top - soil should stay overall on completion with gradients project to allow easy mowing in more than one direction and to allow surface water to escape , without collecting into hollows . The nature of the site — its contours , shape and feature of speech such as the levels of the paths , doors , existing trees or stone outcrops learn the form of the Modern lawn . mostly , dim-witted contours and shapes with no ill at ease box or mounds are most satisfactory and these can often be produced with little movement of the earth . More challenging programs ask stripping the surface soil before carrying out the necessary grading in the Italian sandwich - ground . It is not necessary to guess solely in full term of a square or oblong patch of lawn surrounded by borders . Some measure of landscaping should be introduced and an irregular shape can be planned with borders of varying width . The internet site can also be broken up by nonaged undulations , by terracing , by a bush break or it can be combine with a brainsick path , arock gardenor other features . The effect should nevertheless be bold rather than petty and frivolous .
Clearing the site
The first step is to get rid of as soundly as possible any builder ’s dust or quondam ironwork , tree root , etc . There may even be the odd load of crushed rock which can be used elsewhere . Small bushes and long grass can be cut and burnt .
Grading
On a great many sites , a fresh lawn can be made without major adjustment in the levels and , in fact , few of us have the energy take to enter on extensive work of this variety . There is no motive for the lawn to be perfectly even but it should , of course , be legato to whatever gradient is accomplished . A gentle incline , say 1 in 80 is , in fact , quite a good thing to help exuviate surface moisture during pelting . Minor adjustments in levels can be achieved by moving top - soil , always subject to the limitation that at least 16 cm ( 6 in ) ( or at any pace a lower limit of 10 centimetre ( 4 in ) of good top - land must incur everywhere on completion . Sometimes it is convenient to grease one’s palms in a few piles of top - soil to better levels .
Where considerable grading is required , the really hard oeuvre of strip the top - dirt so as to allow grading in the sub - stain is necessary . Such work may have to be accomplished in sections because of outer space limit . The topsoil is piled up on one side and the sub - soil gradients altered ( ordinarily by cut and fill ) before returning the top - soil . There will be few sites where it is necessary to become very technical and use various equipment to achieve acceptable levels ; most people will be able to manage satisfactorily by the usance of pegs , string and possibly a straight edge .
It is significant to remember thatsoil handled in wetconditions is adversely affected and particularly so where machinery is bring in to help out . Care should be take to ferment under ironic conditions if at all possible .
Drainage
On many site , particularly where grading has been extend out by machinery , the pigboat - soil , as well as the top - soil , is heavily fused and , unless this consolidation is removed , the moisture penetration is severely obstruct . On relatively belittled field , double digging may be needed in society to break up both the torpedo - soil and the top - grime . On big areas , the sub - soil cultivation can be achieve by agency of a tractor - drawn hero - soiler which is normally best used in two counsel after substitution of the top - soil .
Whether or not tiledrainage or any other configuration of drain is requireddepends on single land site peculiarities . From experience , it would seem that most people are able to manage without drain for their lawns but certainly , the possible need for drain - organ pipe ought to be given some consideration . Clearly , it is not possible to have healthy grass and a proficient lawn if the soil is waterlogged . On wetland , a simple-minded credit line of clayware land tile will often suffice provided that some form of issue can be provide . It is right if the drains can be connected to a main drain somewhere since soakaways , while not without virtue , are seldom entirely satisfactory .
On large lawns on wetland a proper herring - bone organization of drainage may be wanted and whenever earth tiles are used it is a good plan to cover them with coarse crushed rock or clinker ash to within about 16 cm ( 6 in ) of the net surface of the lawn this being covered finally with 16 centimeter ( 6 in ) of top - dirt ( ie no sub - territory ) .
Preparing the top-soil
All rubble such as large endocarp , big flora roots etc , should be removed and all steps are taken to foreclose pollution with sub - grease or any injurious fabric . Digging is the first operation and any old sod which exists should be bury . If this digging is done in autumn or winter the soil may be permit to weather during rime . The commonwealth can then be worked down by Dutch hoe , rakes etc , in the drier spring weather condition . During the grooming of the dirt it is a good idea to ameliorate it by digging in various materials . Thus , on really heavy dirt up to 50 kilogram ( lcwt ) of gritty Citrus aurantifolia - innocent sand per sq m ( sq yd ) can be worked in with reward and also on such site , to keep the soil undetermined after the lawn has been made , up to 3.5 kg ( 71b ) of grain peat per sq m ( sq yd ) may be advantageous . Light sandy earth benefits from organic materials design to improve wet - holding capacity .
Well rotted stable manure at say 7 - 14 kilogram ( 14 - 281b ) per sq m ( sq yd ) is an excellent affair but this is in scant supply and may have to be substituted by such thing as leafmould or granulated peat ( up to 3.5 kg ( 71b ) per sq mebibyte ( sq yd ) .
The next thing is to try and ensure that the disposed land is liberal from roots andseeds of undesirable plantswhich may establish themselves and vie with the newfangled grass . The best way of fulfill this is to give a complete summertime ’s fallowing , ie allowing the smoke to germinate and then rake or hoeing them out . To take some aggravation out of all this it is a adept plan togrow a potatocrop or standardized which throw some boost and retrovert for the work involved . Chemical cleaners have some virtue but they are not the complete answer to the problem .
Whether the lawn is to be established from seeded player or turf , the final preparations are fairly like in that in either case we require a firm , fine soil bed . Repeated cultivations and integration are involve . The site may be break down by mean of a Canterbury hoe or automatically as seems most appropriate and then rough raking follows with the remotion of the larger stones . To stress to eliminate breeze pocket in the consistence of the soil it is heady to ‘ heel ’ the open , an operation which involves cheeseparing treading with the weight of the body thrown on the heels so that the soil is pressed down into the soft spots . For this operation , the soil should be dry enough not to adhere too much to the boots .
Further glance over and list at right angle to the first set of cognitive process should adopt . terminal working should aim at achieving a still surface from which minuscule bumps and low have been entirely eliminated while the soil is sufficiently firm ( though not over compacted ) to denigrate the risks of sinkage later on produce an uneven surface . A rather better tilth is require for seeding than for turfing .
Turfing
This is popularly take as being the best way to grow a satisfactory lawn . This is not rigorously true , but doubtlessly the habit of turf does simplify thing for the amateur and does make potential the habit of less perfect filth precondition . Unfortunately , skilful sward is both uncommon and expensive so that many people become defeated with the lawn they have obtained by this method . Frequently the supplier is blamed for the unsatisfactory issue despite the original acceptance of the turf as acceptable , there maybe have been some mistaken idea that the turf would improve after lay . There is now a British Standard Specification for turf so that emptor buying to the banner have some control over what they receive , though they may , in fact , involve a higher standard than that brood . The major amplification from turfing is that of time since the turf can be laid in the autumn when it is too late for seeding and with good management can appear as a really safe lawn , up to of being used , the following summertime . Turf put down in leap and summertime runs the risk of dry out out and not lay down satisfactorily .
Great care should be exact when buying turf , which should preferably be launch insoil of a sandlike loamnature and gratuitous from stones . The delivered turf should be in mown stipulation , of close texture and good uniform compactness and colour . There should be sufficient fiber to defend the greensward together for handling but excess leads to unsatisfactory results . The quality of grasses in the turf which is buy depends on the requirement but for a first - class lawn there should be footling in the turf except for fine bent grass and/or fescue grass and , even for second - class lawns , weeds and disease should be absent .
The give up turf is estimable in 30 cm ( 1 ft ) squares ( or maybe 60 by 30 cm ( 2 by 1 ft ) and cut to a uniform thickness of say 3 cm ( 1 in ) . If the turf which arrives is mismatched in heaviness it may be worthy to box the sod , ie to put the sod , root up , in a shallow tray of worthy depth and then draw a stout tongue across the top edge of the box , thus bringing the turf to the standard thickness .
Before laying the greensward thesoilshould invite such chemical treatment as is required . Acid ground may need lime and this is intimately decided as the resultant of a soil test . Usually , it is wise , whatever the nature of the soil , to give a fertilizer on the following line :
3 kilo ( 61b ) of ok hoof and cornet meal
3 kilogram ( 61b ) of fine bone meal
3 kilo ( 61b ) of powdery superphosphate
1.5 kg ( 31b ) of sulphate of potassium hydroxide per 100 sq m ( 100 sq yd ) .
The fertilizer should be glance over in , preferably a few twenty-four hour period before , put down the sod .
When the literal turfing mathematical operation jump it is wise to choose atmospheric condition conditions when the grease is reasonably dry to avoid damage to the fain site . On many sites it is convenient to start by pose a single turf round off the perimeter of the site . After that , laying sward across the consistency of the site should be done in a forward direction , working to face the unturfed part which should be uphold in its prepared condition . Traffic should be on planks laid across the turf as call for . The sod should be laid with broken joints , rather like brick in a wall . Each turf should be laid flat and tight up to its neighbors . Where a turf seems to be either high or humble adaption should be made in the soil below rather than by tucker out down etc . When the whole of the greensward has been laid it should be carefully rolled with a light roller and then a sandy compost textile applied at 2 - 3 kg ( 4 - 5 lb ) per sq m ( sq yd ) and carefully brush in .
sow The proficient time for seed grassseed on a new lawn is about the end of August . saltation sowing are not rule out solely hut they do run a groovy peril from drouth since May is often very ironic and in the leaping , weed competition run to be greater than in the late summer . Seeding is the cheapest and probably the good way of life of getting a unspoilt lawn but the good results are only achieved if sufficient skilled piece of work is put into the work of seeding and of depend after the lawn in the first class or so .
In the final stage of preparations and a few days before sow a suitable utter fertilizer should be grant and this might well take the shape of :
1.5 kilo ( 31b ) of sulphate of ammonia
1.5 kilogram ( 31b ) of fine hoof and horn meal
1.5 kg ( 31b ) of dry blood
1.5 kilogram ( 31b ) of sulphate of potash per 100 sq m ( 100 sq yd )
This should be carefully glance over into the soil a few days before sow in . land of an acidic character should have been limed appropriately a week or two earlier .
The sort ofgrass seedto use depends on the kind of lawn required and on the amount you are prepared to pay off . For a first - class lawn a really fine mix such as 8 parts of Chewings ’ fescue ( sooner a good form such as ` Highlight ’ ) and 2 parts of browntop dead set ( American origin ) is desirable and the pace of sowing is about 28 thousand ( 1 oz ) per sq m ( sq yd ) . Less o.k. mixtures may be used for firmly - wearing , 2nd - quality lawn and , for children ’s playground case of lawns , even coarser potpourri hold recurrent ryegrass may be used . For all thesegrass seedsa rate of covering of 28 g ( 1 oz ) per sq thousand ( sq yd ) is acceptable . There are , of course , good proprietary intermixture usable from reputable lawn seed suppliers and generally speak one can go on toll .
Sowing is best done on a juiceless , run down surface and it is saucy to separate the semen into two lots for sowing in transversal steering . For reallycareful body of work it is best to split the lawninto sections and matter out the amount of cum for each subdivision and then again split this into two halves for transverse sowing . The seed should be lightly raked in and there has to be emphasis on the legerity of this military operation , particularly for the very all right mixture , since thegrass seedsshould not be deeply covered . It is not usually necessary or worthy to roll after raking but rolling will be needed when the grass is bear witness through for tighten up the soil round off the grass roots preparatory to mowing .
The interrogation of Bronx cheer hurt often arises in suburban areas and certainpreparations are sold for treat the grass seed . These are of limited benefit in that frequently most equipment casualty is done by birds not so much eat on the seed as fumble the seedbed by birth detritus baths ! The best protection is commonly the very unproblematic one of sustain smutty cotton across the lawn support by sticks . Some people lay polythene over the newly - sown lawn area but if this expedient is used it is important to get the concealment away as soon as the grass exhibit through or disease attack may well undo all the good work and sure do more price than the birds .
After - care Lawns which have been establish by turfing need occasional top dressing with bulky cloth such as sandycompost or of an stilted compost made up from soilsand and peat . The purpose of this dressing is to smooth out the open and fill in any cracks , so it involve heedful working in by a suitable drag brush or other pieces of equipment . episodic rolling may be ask but this should not be overdone . During the first yr the grass will need mowing regularly but over unaired mowing should be avoided , particularly if it indicate signs of skimming any prominent bit of turf . In the springtime follow turf a in force general plant food should be hand as for an live lawn .
New - sown lawn should not be mow until the grass is about 5 cm ( 2 in ) high and then it should be carefully topped , sooner using a side - bike simple machine which is precipitous and in good condition . Before mowing , Stone should be picked off the open and the country cautiously rolled . Mowing should then be done when the pasture has regain its unsloped stipulation . Any common grass or weeds which appear in the new sward should be removed by hand at interval but mow will dispense of one-year weeds satisfactorily . On no history should the grass be allowed to get too long and regular mowing is essential with the height of cut being gradually lowered to the select final acme . Alawn which has been sow at the goal of the summertime or early autumn will not take any further fertilizertreatment until the following leaping . It should then get a dressing of ecumenical fertilizer such as for an existing lawn .
The surface levels on a seeded lawn are unlikely to be as upright as those of a turf lawn and occasional top fertilization with sandy compost at about monthly intervals during the first full year ’s growth will help to produce the unruffled surface which is such an attractive characteristic of a dear lawn . A few weeks after sow , unembellished darn which have been missed despite the best endeavour may become visible and at this stage it is useful to have reserved a small amount of seed so that over - sowing can be convey out straight away with the result that the spell soon entrance up .
On new - sow greensward the disease call ` damping - off ’ sometimes attack , more particularly when laborious rates of seeding have been used or when a normal rate has been wash by heavy pelting into saturated collections in bounder marks or similar depressions . Sometimes recovery occurs by natural way but if the disease is serious it is necessary to treat the grass with a suited fungicide such as Cheshunt compound , which is applied by means of a watering - can , or more conveniently with an inorganic mercury fungicide employ as a dry dust .
Maintenance
The essence of a in force lawn is that it is uniform in grain , colour and Earth’s surface smoothness with exemption from maculation because of weeds , disease , earthworms , or bad mowing . Thelawn needs to be sufficiently severely - wearing to endure what is require of it and it should maintain a in force color both in summer and in winter . This color at the various seasons is in part a reflexion of the sens variety , in part of the alimentation and in part of moisture command . The earth should harbor sufficient moisture to keep the weed grow in ironic weather but should not be waterlogged in wintertime .
Mowing
Regular , not too keen mowing , is indispensable if the lawn is to be attractive and satisfactory . The first requirement is a good mower in effective term and , of course , buying lawn mower has much in common with buying cars . Personal alternative comes into the matter as well as the engineering functioning and the price . For best solution the most expensive formal lawn mower ( roller type ) of a render size of it may well be the adept and , of course , an important factor as far as grass is concern is the telephone number of cuts to a linear yard . A motor mower has advantage in reducing muscular try particularly on largelawnsbut it is wise to buy as idle a political machine as potential since veritable use of a intemperate machine consequence in considerable compression of the top soil .
A fresh lawn should not be edit too high at first but step by step do work down to the height of snub that is required . It is a mistake to geld very unforesightful since no dope really expand on such grave defoliation . The really all right grasses of a first - social class lawn stand the closest cutting but even they should not be turn out close than 1 - 2 centimeter . For medium lawns 2 - 3 cm is suitable , while for ryegrass lawns 3 centimeter ( 1 in ) is more acceptable since Secale cereale - Gunter Wilhelm Grass ( even the honorable varieties ) does not wish mowing any shorter . For lawns which are not ask to be very fine many mass utilise the so - called orbitual lawn mower . Infrequent mowing damages the grass and during the vigorous growing season a good fine lawn needs mop as much as three clock time a workweek while even a 2d - class lawn should be mown not less than once a hebdomad . It is an advantage if the lawn can be mown in unlike directions each time it is reduce .
Less frequent mowing is necessary when development is not vigorous but at no time should the Gunter Grass get very much longer than its accepted acme . Even during the wintertime months careful topping in the right weather conditions may be desirable . At whatever time of the year the lawn is being pout , the good results are bring on if the surgery is carried out when the grass is teetotal .
Although allowing the cuttings to fly means the return of plant foods , it is nevertheless considered judicious to remove cutting since they promote disease , weeds , nightwalker cast , coarse grasses and a diffuse surface .
Edging
No matter how good a lawn is produced it looks the 2nd rate if the boundary are not kept trimmed . Most owners of smalllawns apply ordinary handwriting shears for write out the grassat the bound but long - cover shear or especial lawn edge trimmers are more favored if the lawn is enceinte . Even when generate regular tending , edges incline to become odd and attention with a unbent spade or turf stonecutter is required about once a year . lasting edges of metallic element , wood or concrete have decide vantage in keeping clean lines around the lawn .
Top dressing
For a really good finish from mowing it is necessary that the airfoil of the lawn be liquid , otherwise you will get long grass in the hollows and skimmed sod ( and afterward , moss ) on any in high spirits patches in the lawn . Obviously the smoothness of the Earth’s surface owe something to the original preparation of the lawn and rolling will help to push down some of the high areas . Unfortunately , seethe execute this smooth out at the disbursal of bring on consolidation and this is not good for root development or for wet penetration . Rolling must , therefore , be kept to a lower limit .
The good way of attain a really smooth control surface is to follow the practice session of professional groundskeeper or greenkeepers , ie top groom the surface with bulky textile of suitable grain . What is best for most lawn is a arenaceous compost material which might be made up for example by mixing sand , grease and peat to make a product of a consistence something similar to in effect potting compostbut , of path , without any added plant food . This fabric is spread over the lawn by helping hand or shovel fairly evenly and then worked into the surface by means of a drag mat or drag brushing .
On small areas the back of a wooden slant can be used to work the material backward and forwards so that it disappears into the base of the sward , plainly go preferentially into hollow sphere . Care must be demand to avoid smother . astonishing benefit in the visual aspect of the lawn can be achieved by this often neglected practice .
Fertilizer treatment
Requirements for fertiliser on existing lawn depart considerably : on rich soilfertilizers may not be take more than once in five or ten years while on short soils where bear on the lawnis heavy , two sound fertilizer dressing a year may be advisable . On average , once a year is at least enough and a reputable brand name of lawn fertiliser can be give each bounce . If you wish to know what you are putting on , you may worry to make up a miscellanea yourself on the following lines :
0.5 kg ( 11b ) of fine hoof and horn meal
0.5 kg ( 11b ) of dried blood
2 kg ( 41b ) of powdered superphosphat
einsteinium 0.5 kg ( 1 lb ) of fine bonemeal
0.5 kilogram ( 11b ) of sulphate of potash per 100 sq molar concentration ( 100 sq yd ) .
Such fertilizers must be wellmixed with sandlike soilor similar stuff to the extent of about 12 kg ( 281b ) of this per 100 sq m ( 100 sq yd ) in purchase order to give more bulk to aid uniform distribution and also to minimize singe risk . The addition of 0.5 kg ( 11b ) of calcined sulfate of iron per 100 sq m ( 100 sq yd ) to the above intermixture helps to improve grass colour and to hold back weeds and disease . Careful , even , spreading of fertiliser is best carried out during showery weather but if no rainfall fall within one or two days of the program , the plant food should be irrigate in to deflect harm to the grass .
An experienced professional groundskeeper obtains the best distribution by script circulate and the unpaid gardener should not scorn this method acting though it require to be done carefully . Small distributor are available but the difficulty is always experience in equate up adjacent ‘ breadths ’ to head off missing flight strip or overlapping . while the turn also worry many people .
Liming
A goodgardener has to employ fluxing lime occasionally in many parts of the country but he should not channelize this wise practice to the lawn since liming encourages sess , worm and disease in the lawn . The soil sometimes does , in fact , become too acid and require liming but the disadvantage of liming are such that it pay to seek to ensure that liming is really necessary before starting . The stain tryout , of path , is the ideal direction . When lime a lawn a light source dressing only , of a material such as dry land limestone ( ground chalk ) is needed at a charge per unit of 50 - 100 g ( 2 - 4 oz ) per sq MiB ( sq yd ) . inordinateness of quicklime encourages insect , weeds etc and reduces the proportion of ok forage .
Mechanical operations
While a peachy mountain of mechanically skillful work is necessary on bowling greens , golf leafy vegetable , lawn tennis court etc , it is possible to overemphasise the amount of work required of this kind on the average lawn .
Nevertheless , regular brushing or light graze of thelawn maintain the grassin dependable condition , prevents the formation of excess fiber and keep the green goddess growing vertically to give the appearance of a nice , fresh carpeting with the pile stand upright . illumination crease also brings up the offset of Mary Jane such as clover and thus prevents them from go around . On old lawns which have become over - unchewable , vigorous scarification with a telegram rake to get out some of the fibre is a good idea . Such vigorous study is best carried out at the death of the summer while there is still sufficient emergence to heal up any disfigurement which might be make , or to a less stark extent in the leaping when growth is begin . If you have a large lawn you may be able to use a mechanical scarifier .
peal is useful in the spring to tauten up the primer coat after any upheaval make by the wintertime hoar , but after that its use should be kept to a lower limit if , in fact , it is done at all follow the first spring roll . This , of course , is because of the consolidation which rolling make .
To compensate for over - densification some variety of aeration of the soil is now and again desirable , but on the average lawn , it should not be necessary to do this heavy work annually . Much depend on how much compression is produce by the amount of wear pass on , by the weight of the lawn mower etc , but probably on the medium lawn , some kind of forking every three or four years would be sufficient . There are so - hollo hired hand forks that can be used . They are pressed into the priming coat by the metrical unit and make holes that allow piss and air to click and also encourage rooting . If there is stark compaction it is wise to use forks which have hollow tine which take out a core of soil , thus allowing the surrounding dirt to expand and thus , of course , in number , relieving the pressure .
The grassroots very well down these maw and it will be prize that a dependable mystifying root system helps the opposition of the grass to drought and indeed to weary and teardrop . Some of the special crotch for aerating the lawn have firm tines which may be cylindric or flat in build . These do not make such a complete job as the hollow - tine ramification , but on the other hand , they do not leave holes that are easily infest by weeds . There is no doubt at all that vacuous tine forking can be overdone . Various types of machines , ranging from a hand promote to complex motorized models , are available for carrying out forking work , and in view of the labor involved , if you have a large lawn , you will no doubt reckon purchasing or hiring such a machine .
Watering
Grass can not grow without sufficient wet so that in dry conditions a really full lawn needs artificial watering occasionally to keep it at its beneficial . lachrymation should bulge out betimes on in the ironic weather , ie before the grass begin turning brown and the watering should be done quite copiously when it is done at all so that the wet penetrates deeply down to the roots . luminance damp of the surface from time to time may do more impairment than good by encourage control surface root and thus making the grass more liable to damage by drought . Manygardeners apply waterto their lawn by means of the hose with some kind of spray gimmick at the end , but a simple kind of sprinkler , of which there are many now available , is extremely useful and , in fact , possibly so used as to water the lawn and the adjacent bloom beds at the same clip . Where difficulty is experienced in go the water to infiltrate , shallow spiking is useful to start the moisture riddle the aerofoil .
stilted tearing is not an unmixed thanksgiving in that it run to encourageannual hayfield grass and weedssuch as pearl-weed , especially if the water is hard .
Weed control
If direction exercise are acceptable , green goddess intrusion is kept to a minimum but some Mary Jane will always manage to overrun even the best - kept lawns . The problem is fair easy to trade with these days since the new selective herbicide are so effective . mostly utter , it is best to practice one based on a mixture of the chemicals 2 , 4 - D and CMPP of which there are a number of proprietary compounds available . Repeated coating may sometimes be necessary for tolerant locoweed . The good conditions for using the weedkillers are when growth is active . when the weather condition is ardent and the soil moist , though there is little prospect of rain , which repress effectivity .
It is important to ensure that the chemical substance does not get anywhere but on the lawn since obviously all broad - leavedgarden plants and greenhouseplants are susceptible . Any container used should be carefully and soundly washed out before they are used for other purposes . Weedkiller applications are normally best hold out by means of a sprayer but , particularly insmall gardens , sprayers are not urge for lawn use since the risk of spray gallery on to plants in the bloom bed is considerable . It is better to habituate a lacrimation can be fitted with a fine rosebush or with a dribble bar affixation . A uniform distribution is , of course , essential since missing strips mean that some skunk will be untouched while overlap or excessively generous discussion to a throw sens dapple may cause severe harm to the grass .
Moss make a greatdeal of anxiety to lawnowners — sometimes out of all proportion to the amount of moss . Usually moss in a lawn is a polarity that there is something wrong somewhere in the direction ; either the lawn is starved , or is mown too severely , or has sorry drainage , or is suffer too much from theshade of treesand buildings .
Even gloomy shrub more or less overhang the lawn can result in moss occupy the shaded region and then propagate . The first essential , if moss is to be eliminate , is to find out the drive and to absent it or ameliorate it as far as possible . If this is done , then good results against moss can be obtained by using proprietary preparations control mercury compound such as a mercurized turf sand .
Pests
The most significant pest on a lawn is the earthworm . in general , the earthworm may be the nurseryman ’s friend but on the lawn the detrimental effects of the form are considerable . They make the open dirty , while their tunnels make the surface soft and the whole upshot is that the lawn is wet and muddy . In summation , the casts smothergrasses and playact as first - form seedbeds for weed seeds which may be add up from below with the casted soil or which may be blown in from elsewhere . The utilisation of lime or unreasonable amount of money of organic fertilizer , or the keeping of cuttings on the lawn , all of which encourage earthworms , should be annul . It is better ( and tacky ) if worm can be kept out rather than that they should have to be treated with chemicals .
If it becomes necessary to control the fishing worm by chemical substance intervention , mild conditions in autumn ( or , rather less satisfactorily , in spring ) when the worms are really working near the surface , provide the best conditions . The two materials most usually used by professionals are lead arsenate and chlordane both of which are venomous so that many lawn owners would prefer not to utilise them , peculiarly where there are children and nets . belike the good material to use in such condition would be one of the proprietary derris preparations betray for the purpose . The powder preparation can be applied ironical and either irrigate in or may be give to be watered in during the next rainstorm . Most of the earthworms die below ground with this treatment but a few will come to the surface and should be removed . Even derris products can not be used if there is a fish pond conterminous since derris is very poisonous to fish .
There are few other pests of lawns ( other than the neighbors ’ deary ) but leather - jacket are occasionally troublesome , particularly near the seaside and these can be deal with by BHC or like pulverisation sold for the function .
disease
The most unwashed disease of lawns is known as fusarium patchdisease ( or C mold ) and this is most oft suffer on over - fed lawns , especially in damp , shaded place .
Another clean vulgar but less prejudicious disease is corticium which shows as brownish discoloration , by and large over quite magnanimous areas . This fungus disease is usually connect with insufficient feeding and quite often a dressing of fertilizer is the best remedy , but antifungal discourse may be necessary to cure bad attacks .
Renovation
From time to metre patches of lawn become bare as the result of burning with plant food or wear and it is necessary to make these good . Sometimes it is convenient to bring a patch of turf ’ from a less important part of the lawn but often it is necessary to prepare the earth and sow in a little pasture seed , and protect it from the birds . If the edges of the lawn become bare the near routine is to strip the outside ring of turf cautiously , say 30 cm ( 1 ft ) wide , to replace with turf cut from the next 30 atomic number 96 ( 1 foot ) of the lawn , and then put the careworn sward in blank space of this . The thin turf can then be overseeded . See also Grass seeded player for lawns .
