Spring lawn care. Lawn grass care: cutting and watering in spring

A beautiful and well-groomed lawn is an integral part of landscape design. Luscious green grass provides a rich backdrop for any landscape. But most decorative effect can be achieved if proper care behind the lawn will become a habit throughout the season.

Lawn care in winter

Winter lawn care is just as necessary as the growing season. Reduce any load on the lawn:

• do not walk on the lawn if the snow layer is less than 20 cm;
• do not unload snow cleared from the paths onto the lawn;
• do not flood the rink.

Due to thaws in winter or in early spring an ice crust may form on the snow cover. Which in turn can lead to a lack of oxygen necessary for plant respiration. The ice crust on the snow (nast) is easy to destroy with a conventional garden rake.

Lawn care in spring

In the spring, the lawn needs to be given the most attention. Subject to right technology lawn care in the spring ensures the normal growth and development of lawn grass throughout the season.

Sod combing

After the snow melts and the topsoil dries up, the sod is combed out, leaves and other debris are removed. It is recommended to comb the lawn in two mutually perpendicular directions using a fan rake or special mechanical means.

Lawn aeration

For successful growth and the development of lawn grass after wintering, it is necessary to aerate the soil of the lawn. With the help of this procedure, the upper layer of the soil is enriched with oxygen, in which the bulk of the root system is concentrated, as well as ensuring the normal access of fertilizers and moisture to plants. Also, lawn aeration is necessary when water stagnates on small areas. You can ventilate the lawn with the help of special aerators.

Lawn aerators

by the most a simple tool for lawn aeration are aerator sandals. They are equipped with sharp spikes that pierce the lawn in a vertical direction. You need to put on this simple lawn aerator on your feet and take a walk on the lawn.

Lawn care in a small area can be done with a rake-aerator. They consist of thin steel blades that, when combing dry grass, horizontally cut the soil without damaging the appearance of the lawn.

The roller aerator for a lawn represents the same rake, only equipped with a mobile roller with thorns. Such an aerator requires less energy during operation than simple aerator rakes.

Motorized aerators are much more convenient to use, as they simultaneously pierce the soil and collect foliage and debris from the lawn. Also, such aerators are used for processing large territories.

Lawn fertilization

Lawn fertilizer should be applied in early spring immediately after mowing. For the first feeding use nitrogen-containing mineral fertilizers. Nitrogen stimulates the growth of green mass and the intensity of tillering grass. Phosphorus improves root formation, and potassium enhances resistance to drought and disease. After fertilization, the grass takes on a healthy appearance and develops well.

Lawn treatment

In damp and warm weather on the lawn, such fungal diseases like fusarium and different kinds mold. Also lawn grass can be affected powdery mildew. If lesions are detected, it is necessary to spray three times systemic fungicides.

Overseeding of lawn grass

On the damaged areas where there are gaps yellow spots or loose grass, it is necessary to oversee the lawn grass. To do this, all plants are removed on a heavily damaged area, the soil is loosened, fertilizers are applied with a predominance of nitrogen, the seeds of the grass or grass mixture that was used to create the entire lawn are sown, and watered.

In areas where loose grass is observed, first mow it low, loosen upper layer soil, and then produce a uniform sowing over the surface of the lawn. At the same time, the sowing rate of lawn grass seeds should be reduced by 50%. Then mulching is carried out with a mixture of peat sand with a layer of 0.5 - 1 cm and the entire lawn is watered abundantly.

lawn mowing

The first mowing of the lawn is carried out when the grass grows back by 8 - 10 cm. The height of the grass after the first mowing should be at least 5 - 6 cm. Repeated mowing after a couple of weeks can reduce the height to 3 - 4 cm, depending on the purpose of the lawn. Subsequent haircuts are carried out at intervals of 1 time in two weeks. More often, depending on climatic conditions.

Mow the lawn only on dry grass. In wet areas, lawnmower wheels can slip, leaving marks, and the mower can become clogged wet grass. Cut grass must be removed from the lawn.

Lawn care in summer

As a result of proper lawn care in the spring, you can guarantee minimum costs for lawn care in the summer. The main actions for lawn care in the summer are mowing and watering, the secondary ones are trimming the edges and top dressing.

Mowing and watering the lawn

A prerequisite lawn care in the summer, is regular watering after each mowing. in dry and hot weather watering needs to be increased.

Watering the lawn is best done in the evening 3-4 times a week. This will help reduce evaporation and reduce moisture loss. Also, direct sunlight can cause burns to shoots through dew drops, which in this case act as lenses.
In the hot summer months, lawn burnout, wilting and drying of shoots can occur. In this case, it is necessary to make abundant watering, but at the same time, puddles should not be allowed to form.

Lawn fertilization

In summer, due to regular shearing, the supply of nutrients for plants is depleted and therefore it is necessary to feed. To do this, you can use liquid organic fertilizers or special complex nitrogen-containing fertilizers for feeding the lawn in summer period.

Lawn care in autumn

lawn care in autumn period includes removing fallen leaves from the lawn, repairing damaged areas, top dressing with fertilizers, aerating those areas where there is stagnant water as a result of prolonged autumn rains.

Lawn repair

In autumn, you can repair those areas of the lawn that have suffered due to the hot summer. Can be re-sowed lawn grass in burnt or thinned areas. Overseeding of grass is carried out similarly to spring technology.

Lawn fertilization

In order to root system the grass grew stronger before winter period, the application of phosphorus-potassium mineral fertilizers for the lawn is mandatory. Phosphorus is the main element for ensuring normal overwintering of the lawn; it strengthens the root system and increases the resistance of plants to negative factors environment. Lawn fertilizers that are used in the fall should not contain nitrogen, because when it is applied, active growth of young shoots occurs, which are easily exposed to frost.

Lawn aeration

Last lawn mowing

At the end of October, the last mowing of the lawn before the winter period is carried out. Minimum Height the last haircut should leave at least 5 cm.

In conclusion, I would like to say that proper care will ensure the presence of a beautiful and healthy lawn, which will be the subject of your pride.

Lawn care

The lawn, like any other plant, requires maintenance. Lawn care includes regular mowing, fertilizing, cleaning, etc.

It is especially important to carefully care for the lawn in the first year of its creation: periodically water, control the appearance of weeds and diseases. The lawn requires extremely careful and accurate attitude in winter time. Lawn grasses suffer more from the cold than other plants, so in winter there is a danger of freezing the lawn. With the onset of frost, the grass enters a dormant period, and the lawn should not experience any stress at this time, otherwise “bald spots” will inevitably appear in the spring, brown spots and natural recovery takes a long time. In addition, damage to plant tissues weakens plants and can become a source of various diseases.

Walking on the lawn in winter is not recommended until a snow cover of sufficient thickness (20-25 cm) forms on it. If a thinner snow cover is formed (when strong wind And low temperatures air), experts advise, while caring for the lawn, to artificially increase the thickness of the snow cover. To do this, special shields are installed on the lawn to ensure snow retention.

In winter and early spring, an ice crust can form on the surface of the snow cover, preventing the air exchange of plants, which in turn inhibits the development of the lawn. The ice crust must be destroyed (for example, with a rake), otherwise the root system of lawn grasses may partially die.

When winter comes into its own and a stable snow cover forms on the lawn, you can begin preparing lawn equipment and tools for spring care.

It is especially important to check the condition of the lawn mower, with which the lawn is mowed, because a well-timed haircut is one of essential requirements for creating beautiful lawn. The condition of the rest of the tools also needs to be carefully checked - after all, the better the tools are prepared, the less hassle-sweat lawn care will require with the onset of spring.

When the snow begins to melt, you need to make sure that puddles do not form on the lawn. For this, the ground on damp areas pierce (for example, with a pitchfork). To prevent spring waterlogging of the lawn, drainage work can be carried out in the fall. In any case, in the spring, experts advise you to move as little as possible on a damp lawn in order to avoid the formation of marks and potholes.

With the onset of warm temperature conditions When starting lawn care, you can fertilize it with complex fertilizers to speed up the growth of grass and restore the lawn after winter. Top dressing can be made a little later, after spring processing lawn. It should be remembered that at the beginning of spring, plants especially need nitrogen and phosphorus, and after mowing they need almost all the nutrients.

The use of fertilizers contributes to the development of the root system of grasses, its thickening, revitalization of green color, increased resistance to trampling and diseases, and helps the lawn to recover faster after loads.

In arid regions in the spring to stimulate the root system, in addition to introducing into the ground phosphate fertilizers, carry out mulching. Mulching - this is a uniform distribution over the surface of the lawn, fertile soil. The surface of the lawn is mulched, sprinkled with a mixture of peat, sand and finely sifted light loam. The composition of the mixture depends on the nature of the soil: on heavy soils, a large proportion of sand should be present in the mixture; on sandy soils, fine loam or soddy soil is added.

Mulching reduces the evaporation of moisture and helps to protect the surface of the earth from the formation of a crust, and also stimulates the formation of shoots, increasing the fertile layer. Mulching helps to increase the grass stand as the grass begins to form new side shoots.

After the spring “feeding” of the lawn, after waiting for the fertilizer granules to completely dissolve, the earth thaws and its surface dries up, a “general cleaning” of the lawn is carried out.

In the autumn-winter period, the so-called felt is formed on the soil. Felt and plant residues are often the cause of disease of grasses, and the appearance of insects. Therefore, it is necessary to carry out the so-called verticulation and scarification of the lawn (that is, remove the felt and loosen the soil surface). This allows you to create favorable conditions for air exchange, soil and carry out the prevention of possible diseases.

Before the soil dries up, verticulation and combing of the lawn is not recommended, so as not to pull out the grass with roots and damage the surface of the lawn.

It is necessary to clean the lawn regularly - at least three times per season.

For lawn treatment, special units are used - a verticutter (verticulator) and a garden vacuum cleaner. You can also use ordinary fan or twisted rake. The main task is to remove debris as thoroughly as possible, remove all dry rotten leaves and shoots and slightly loosen the surface of the lawn. With pitchforks and fan rakes, the lawn is combed up and down several times. A garden vacuum cleaner removes the smallest plant residues.

Lawn care also includes such an event as aeration - artificial saturation of the soil with air. Since after winter the soil is compacted, and the turf accumulates carbon dioxide, as a result, grass roots have nothing to breathe, grass growth slows down or even completely stops. In addition, on the compacted and flat surface lawn, the grasses of which are tightly intertwined with their roots, moss can spread, for which the accumulated moisture residues create a favorable environment. If the root layer is damaged in some places, this will deprive the moss favorable conditions for development.

For work, special equipment is used - aerators and cultivators. You can also use regular forks. The earth is pierced to a depth of at least 5 cm. It is especially important to pay attention to areas with highly compacted soil, overgrown with moss or having stagnant water.

If cavities or large bald spots open under rotten leaves and grass residues, these places will need to be “repaired”: pour the earth, level it and sow the seeds from the same mixture that was used when laying the lawn so as not to change the color and nature of the herbage. Small areas can be left - after a while they will be covered with grass themselves.

Usually the seeds are evenly distributed over the surface of the lawn, but it is especially important to carefully overseeding in damaged areas that have been subjected to freezing or wetting. To do this, remove all plant residues from the damaged surface and level the ground, filling and compacting the ground. The place of sowing is loosened with a verticutter (you can also do it manually, with a conventional rake) and the same grass mixture is sown that was used for the entire lawn. Specialists recommend compacting the overseeding area and watering the entire lawn in the evening of the same day.

Weed control. Toward the end of spring, a problem with weeds appears. They fight weeds in two ways - mechanical and chemical. Mechanical - weeding the lawn with your hands. With this method, the roots of weeds are pulled out with a shovel or root extractor.

The chemical method of weed control is based on the use of special preparations - herbicides, designed to remove unwanted vegetation. Preparations differ in the type of action: some affect plants (solid action), others - only one kind (selective action). Chemicals can be in the form of a powder or liquid, applied with a sprayer, syringe or brush to the surface of plant leaves. Getting on the plant, the drug disrupts metabolism (metabolism), as a result of which the plant dies.

Usage chemicals can significantly facilitate weed control, however, experts consider their use as an extreme, forced measure, which can only be resorted to when all other means of weed control have been exhausted. When using any chemicals, one should not forget about their high toxicity. It is necessary to strictly follow the instructions that are necessarily attached to the preparation. When working, you must use all means personal protection- goggles, respirator, rubberized gloves, rubber boots; wear thick clothing. Chemicals must be handled with extreme caution - keep them away from children, pets, strictly ensure that drops of the drug do not accidentally fall on vegetables and fruits.

Disease control. During spring care disease damage to the lawn can be detected. In this case, it is urgent to take necessary measures to improve the health of the lawn and stop the spread of the disease. Sometimes it is enough to carry out verticulation, feed the lawn with fertilizers and mow the first grass. If, after these measures, the grass remains affected, more radical healing measures are required. In this case, according to experts, the affected area should be mowed as low as possible and the top layer of soil should be dug deep (to a depth of 20 cm, with a layer turnover). After that, after waiting at least a week (so that the soil "rests"), you should sow desired mixture herbs.

Experts recommend mowing the lawn to a height of 8-10 cm, leaving the plants at a level of 5-6 cm. They also advise using a lawn mower with a grass catcher so as not to leave plant residues on the surface of the lawn.

“Combing” the lawn with a garden or fan rake is recommended every time the lawn is subjected to intense stress, such as trampling, and also before mowing. When combing, the crushed grass is lifted with a garden tool.

Experts still advise mowing the lawn with a lawn mower with a grass collector and sharp knife. The sharpness of the knife is very important only so you can get a quality cut. A poor-quality cut made with a blunt knife provokes death upper parts grass stand, after which the lawn becomes brown. IN hard-to-reach places it is recommended to use a trimmer.

The lawn is mowed to a height of at least 4 cm. If mowing too low, there is a risk of damaging the density of the herbage, and besides, this allows weeds to develop faster. If the grass has grown to a considerable height, mowing the lawn it is recommended to carry out several times a week, while cutting off no more than a third of the plants.

If necessary, immediately after mowing the lawn, you can trim its edges - horizontal and vertical. If you want to give the lawn certain form or to prevent the growth of rhizomes, perform a horizontal trim. If you need to arrange a hard-to-reach area, for example, along a curb or around a tree trunk, apply vertical trimming of the edges of the lawn.

Water the lawn after each mowing, and in hot weather - between mowing. Watering should be carried out abundantly, but avoiding the appearance of puddles. Water is one of the most important factors influencing the growth and development of the lawn. It is believed that optimal amount watering the lawn for the season 20-30 times. To reduce moisture loss, watering is best done in the evening or early in the morning. Evening watering is most effective also because during the night the topsoil has time to completely soak in moisture. Conversely, daytime watering, especially in hot summers, only leads to strong evaporation of moisture, and it can even harm plants, water drops act as a lens and plants can get burned.

It should be especially emphasized that it is not necessary to water the lawn with a jet, since this can lead to the formation of gullies, but drip method(irrigation). To do this, you can install automated system irrigation (or use a regular watering can).

At the height of summer, the lawn is strongly influenced by the wind and scorching rays sun, suffers from lack of moisture. At this time, the plant may die, begin to wither, dry, etc. To prevent this phenomenon, regular, but not daily lawn irrigation is required.

Daily watering, according to experts, leads to a delay in the growth of lateral roots and the development of the root system in depth. That's why the best option- to carry out watering with an interval of several days or immediately after the first signs of lack of moisture appear.

Over time, the soil on the lawn becomes more and more dense. This leads to the fact that the flow of oxygen to the root system is hindered, and as a result, carbon dioxide accumulates. As a result, grass growth slows down. In order to achieve optimal gas exchange, a special tillage is carried out - aeration. The soil is treated with an aerator.

Lawn care also depends on the type of lawn. For example, at the end of summer Special attention required flowering (Moorish) lawns. Many annual plants fade, and the period of flowering of perennial plants has not yet come. At this time, you can mow the lawn, but not lower than 8 cm.

In autumn, the lawn also needs top dressing. You can also fertilize a flowering lawn immediately after mowing it, as this stimulates the development of the lawn in the fall.

The Landscaper Stroy company offers lawn care services from professional agronomists. Departure of specialists throughout Moscow and the Moscow region.

Call and order services with a guarantee of quality!

But this is not very difficult, as it might seem at first glance. You need to know some rules and purchase special tools and equipment. Where to start? Decide on the choice of a place for a green carpet and buy seed.

Landing and care

Many at the word "lawn" represent even and short-cut grass. But that's just the classic version. Exists several types and styles of lawns: flowering (meadow and Moorish), garden and sports (resistant to abrasion). It depends on the variety which grass to choose, how to care for the lawn in spring, summer and autumn. Site preparation for all types is the same.

The lawn can be sown at any time from mid-May to early September. Work on site preparation, sowing and germination takes about 5 weeks.

Landing stages

Lawn seeding is carried out in two stages:

1. Site preparation. The first thing to do is markup. It is necessary to immediately determine the places for rabatki, flower beds, paths and paths.

To do this, it is better to use twine and pegs. For classic options boundaries need to be clearly defined flowering lawns you don't need to do this. The site is cleared of debris and weeds, dug up and leveled, then treated with a herbicide. It will help to get rid of weeds and prevent their occurrence in the future.

The soil for the lawn must be fertile and loose, so that the grass seeds sprout together and quickly. Mineral fertilizers are applied before sowing. The last stage of preparation is leveling the soil. Please note that before sowing, the land must be aged for several days.

2. Grass selection and seeding. The stores sell special mixtures for lawns. When buying, immediately calculate the amount that is needed for your lawn.

Before sowing, divide the plot into several parts (mentally) and prepare seeds for each. No need to save, otherwise there will be "bald spots". You need to sow only on a calm day, first along the site, then across, so that the seeds are distributed evenly. When the work is finished, you need to level the ground with a rake, then pour from a watering can so that the soil becomes moderately moist.

After planting, you need to wait until all the seeds sprout, and you can start caring for the green carpet.

Video about sowing a lawn with your own hands.

Care

Planting lawn grass is only half the battle, you also need to properly care for it. For every season there are rules.

1. Lawn care in summer. During the summer, the lawn needs watering, mowing, mulching and weeding.

You can water the grass only in the evening, otherwise the sun's rays will burn the green spaces. This can be done in the morning, but the effect will be less. It is necessary to cut the grass as soon as it has reached 10 cm, in case of severe droughts - 6 cm.

For mowing and mulching, use a lawn mower without a grass box. The cut grass can be left on the lawn for no longer than 7 days. It is important to remember about the aeration of the soil, it is carried out as needed.

2. Fall care. After summer, the lawn needs to be prepared for winter rest. Gradually reduce the number of waterings and haircuts.

The restoration of the green canvas is also carried out if the lawn was damaged in the summer. In September, phosphorus and potash fertilizers, which will help the grass to endure frost and resist diseases. Before frost, you need to make the last mowing of the lawn.

It is better to do this in late October or early November, but it is also important to focus on weather. The mowing height should be more than 6 cm. At the same time, all fallen leaves must be removed, otherwise it will begin to rot under a layer of snow, and this will cause the grass to die.

3. . After winter, melt water is drained, grass is fertilized and the lawn is checked for diseases and pests. This is the most important stage for the gardener. The quality of work during this period depends on how the lawn will look in the summer.

Care tools and equipment

IN last years lawn care has become much easier, because there are special tools and equipment which greatly facilitates the work of the gardener. The market presents inventory and equipment in various price categories. What should a gardener have?

1. bayonet shovel. Without it, it is impossible to take care of the lawn. With its help, the soil is prepared, the rolled lawn is trimmed.
2. Garden rakes. They are used for laying a rolled lawn, they level the soil before sowing seeds.
3. Pitchfork. Designed for lawn aeration.
4. Fan rake. They take out garden debris.
5. Gardening scissors. Necessary for mowing the lawn in hard-to-reach places where the lawn mower cannot work.
6. Lawn irrigation system. It is possible to water the grass by hand, but it is difficult and time consuming. It is enough to turn on the irrigation system.
7. Lawn mower. The most expensive lawn equipment, but you can not do without it. The lawn mower cuts the grass evenly and gives it a neat appearance.
8. Trimmer. If the lawn small size, you can use a trimmer instead of a lawn mower.
9. Motor cultivator. With its help, the land is prepared for sowing grass. It can be purchased if you need to dig a large area.

This is the main equipment that a lawn owner needs to buy.

Lawn care

Rolled lawn is quite common. But in order for it to serve for several decades, you need to properly care for it. The grower must do three things: water, fertilize and mow.

1. Watering. In the summer, you need to water the lawn every day, otherwise the grass will turn yellow and burn out. By autumn, the amount of water is reduced, but experienced gardeners It is advised to focus not only on the time of year, but also on weather conditions.
2. A haircut. The first haircut is carried out 7 days after styling, but not later. Next, you need to look at the height of the grass: as soon as it has reached 6 cm, you can get the lawn mower.
3. Fertilizer. To keep the grass constantly green and not depleted, fertilizers are constantly used. Sold in stores special formulations, which should be used immediately after laying the lawn, during the growing season and under adverse weather conditions.

Disease and weed control

Another task of the gardener who strives to grow the perfect lawn is weed control and. Annual and perennial weeds can grow on the site. Some disappear after mowing the lawn, while others disappear only after treatment with pesticides. You can use these funds only from May to September.

In no case should such work be carried out in dry times, because the weeds are unlikely to disappear, and the risk of burning the grass increases.

One more problem - fusarium. On a lawn affected by this disease, appear brown spots. To get rid of them, the grass is treated with a liquid fungicide. If green carpet faced this problem, in the autumn, in no case should nitrogen fertilizers be applied.

Most lawn owners face dangerous pest – moss. It appears if the lawn is not properly cared for (low fertilizer is applied, the grass is cut low, the soil is poorly drained). To combat this pest, special preparations are used, but first you need to establish exact reason appearance of moss.

So that the lawn pleases with an even cover and saturated in green, you need to choose the right place for planting and seed.

It is important to learn how to care for a green carpet, cut it regularly and fertilize it. All work and efforts will surely be justified, and the plot will be decorated with a smooth and thick carpet.

Nutrition: the foundation of the basics

First spring work lawn care should begin with top dressing. Some gardeners recommend spreading fertilizer over the melting snow. This is not very effective, since half of them will be taken out of the soil with melt water. Be patient, wait until the soil warms up to 10 ° C and then fertilize the grass nitrogen fertilizers at the rate of 0.5 kg per 1 weave (this corresponds to 1.2 kg of carbamide or 1.5 kg of ammonium nitrate).

It is better to divide the first top dressing into two "portions" (for example, 0.6 kg of urea per hundred square meters) and apply them at weekly intervals.

The fertilizer mixture must be evenly distributed throughout the lawn. For this, it is better to use a hand sprayer.

Our advice:

Not justified in early spring to use complex fertilizers, which contain, in addition to nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, trace elements. It is better to make them in early May.

If the weather is dry outside, then after top dressing it is necessary to water the lawn so that the fertilizer dissolves well and does not burn the plants.

Spring lawn care: comb out and "prick"

A couple of weeks after fertilizing the soil, the lawn must be “combed out”. For this purpose, use a rake. They do a great job with fallen leaves and dry grass.

After you have cleaned the lawn, aeration should be carried out. Special aerators or garden forks will do the job well. If you use a fork, then carefully make sure that the depth of the puncture of the soil is at least 8 cm. At this depth, air will easily flow to the roots.

Our advice:

If your lawn is large area, then it will be difficult for you to care for it manually. Then concentrate your efforts on those areas where water stagnates.

Down with the weeds!

In late April and early May, weeds begin their "expansion". IN spring period I would like to do lawn weeding. You can use two weeding options:

1. Organic - for these purposes, use a narrow weeder or special forks for the lawn.
2. With the help of chemicals. Selective herbicides show their effectiveness in the fight against dicotyledonous weeds (lintur, makstar, golf and others), as well as dandelion, clover.

Herbicides should be discarded if legumes are part of the lawn mixture.

We sow empty areas on the lawn

If you saw withered grasses or bald spots on your lawn, then it is necessary to sow the lawn in these areas. To get started you need:

• level the area, roll it with a roller or tamp with boards
• loosen the top layer and sow a mixture of lawn grasses
• the seed rate for oversowing is 50-60% of the initial sowing rate

Align the bumps

Bumps can form due to the heterogeneity of the soil and its uneven moisture in winter. During lawn care in early spring, they should not be left on the lawn, as they will spoil it. appearance. Even rolled lawn may "bubble" after winter. Rolling the lawn with a roller helps to get rid of bubbles and bumps.

Lawn care after winter: and get rid of snow mold

Snow mold can develop on the lawn if there were thaws in winter. As a result, the mycelium of several types of pathogenic fungi is formed, which cause a fluffy pink coating on the grass and a fluffy coating of light gray color.

Snow mold is easily visible in cloudy and calm weather on an unmowed lawn. In appearance, she looks like thin layer snow.

• The most resistant herbs to the disease: many varieties of red fescue.
• Have an average degree of resistance: meadow fescue and reed fescue.
• Most vulnerable: meadow mint and perennial ryegrass.

Our advice:

To protect the lawn from snow mold, it is necessary to carry out autumn or early spring treatments with fungicides (foundation).

Tatyana Yukhimenko, landscape architect
© Magazine "Ogorodnik"
Photo: depositphotos.com

Spring is the perfect time to get started on lawn care. Caring for this element of the garden never stops, but in spring it is especially important! If you're dreaming of an emerald green grass carpet in your garden, don't miss out. important procedures during the spring period.

March

The beginning of spring in Ukraine comes only formally on the calendar, while winter is still in full swing outside. Its only difference lies in the frequent thaws mixed with snowfalls, which leads to the formation of an ice crust on the lawn. Under such a crust, the lawn begins to rot and "suffocate", and subsequently this negatively affects the quality of the grass cover. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor the formation of an ice crust and break it in time. You should also evenly distribute snow over the entire surface of the lawn, limit movement in these places, otherwise dents may form. And the formation of stagnant puddles should not be allowed, this leads to aging.

Top dressing with fertilizers. The first top dressing - nitroammophos at the rate of 20–30 g / m² - can be carried out on snow or after it has melted in the second half of March. Any other fertilizer with a high nitrogen content that is labeled "Spring" or "Spring-Summer" on the package will also work, for example:

● Agricol (Agreecol) (N 34%);
● Fertika (Kemira) (Fertica), NPK + (11-12-26) with the addition of trace elements;
● Florovit (Florovit) NPK+ (18-2-9+4Fe);
● fertilizers "Green Guy", NPK (27-4-10) + trace elements (EDTA);
● Scotts Landscape Pro, NPK (27-05-05 + 2MgO) - long-term fertilizer (4 months);
● Novofert for lawns, NPK (20-10-12+3MgO+4S+ME) and others.

Try to apply fertilizer evenly, otherwise in the place where it will be large quantity, a hill of lush grass awaits you.

If you applied fertilizer not in the snow, then after that you should carefully water the lawn.

apply fertilizer evenly

April

Combing and aeration. Important milestone in lawn care comes in April, when the snow melts and the overwintered lawn has an unsightly appearance. It is covered with felt and plant remains, which can cause diseases and contribute to the settlement of pests.

It is necessary to make verticulation - piercing the surface of the lawn with a pitchfork. As well as scarification (from lat. scarifico - “scratch”), which is produced by loosening with a rake or aerator. These actions will help to establish air exchange in the root layer of the soil.

During winter, the soil under the lawn becomes compacted, which prevents the supply of sufficient oxygen for the growth of grass roots. As a result, carbon dioxide accumulates, grass growth slows down or stops altogether. Aeration should be carried out - artificially saturate the surface layer of the soil of the lawn with oxygen. For these purposes, special aerators with different teeth are used. An ordinary pitchfork is also suitable as an aerator, with which it is enough to pierce the soil to a depth of 8 cm in those places where there was stagnant water or moss formed. For large area it is advisable to use special equipment, since it will be difficult to do it manually.

felt combing

Disease treatment. In the spring, very wet soil after the recent melting of snow begins to warm the sun, which can cause fusarium and mold. Unfortunately, to notice the processes of infection in initial stage difficult, fusarium is manifested by spots or rings of yellowing grass already in May. The spots gradually increase in diameter, forming bald spots. In wet weather, fluffy white or pink mold may appear on the edges of the affected areas of the lawn.

Preventive measures against lawn diseases should be taken in April.

That's why preventive measures must be taken in April, using the drug Maxim at the rate of 20 ml of the drug per 10 liters of water per 2 acres of lawn.

Fertilizer. If you did not have time to apply the first fertilizers in March in the snow, then in April you need to do this after combing and aeration. Mortar fertilizer has proven itself well.

The main rule of fertilizer application is uniformity. This is not so easy to do even with the use of seeders. It is recommended to apply part of the fertilizer by hand scattering it over the lawn, and part of it should be dissolved in water and applied using a knapsack sprayer.

Sanding. The next step is to improve the soil structure of the lawn with sand mulching. Sand gives soil porosity, improves its structure and, as a result, promotes the formation of grass roots. Sanding is mainly used on loamy soils or in areas of heavy use, such as sports turf.

For sanding, dry alluvial sand with a grain size of 0.6–1.2 mm should be used in the amount of 0.1 m3 per 100 m2 of the site. Sanding is done once a year after combing and aerating during the most active grass growth.

May

Weed control. May is characterized active growth not only lawn grass, but also weeds, which are not easy to deal with. There are two ways to fight:

● Mechanical– weeding special device, the so-called root extractor, or manual pulling of weeds. But this method is suitable for small areas of the lawn.
● chemical method - application of herbicides. These drugs are like continuous action, the use of which kills all vegetation, and selective, which allow you to destroy weeds without damaging cultivated plants.

How to use herbicides? Herbicides of continuous action on the lawn are used locally, that is, they are carefully applied from a syringe to the leaf of the plant. The Roundup preparation with a wide spectrum of action has proven itself well: the consumption rate is from 50 to 120 ml per 10 liters.

Selective herbicides kill weeds on the lawn, causing minimal damage to lawn grasses. It is recommended to use drugs such as Lintur (the consumption rate of the drug is 2 g per 10 liters of water) or Lopren. Multiplicity of treatments - at least two times with an interval of one week. Herbicides should be applied in calm, warm and dry weather. For the best effect, it is recommended to use two types of herbicides.

Restoration of a damaged lawn. After winter snow and frost, it is difficult to predict what condition the lawn will be in. Damaged areas that are subject to cardinal repair may be found.

The damaged piece of turf must be cut out and a new one put in this place. It can be cut from another site or purchased at a garden center. Adjust the soil level under the new piece of sod by adding or removing soil until the new piece is level with the rest of the lawn.

Having equalized the height of the piece with the lawn, tamp it reverse side rake or small roller. Sprinkle some sand over the surface, especially at the joints, and water thoroughly.

Leveling a hole or hump. As mentioned above, during high humidity you can’t walk on the lawn, otherwise dents and various irregularities will form on it. But it is not always possible to keep the lawn intact, the main thing is to know how to fix everything. For example, in places where hills or pits have formed, it is necessary to make two cuts in the sod at a right angle with a semicircular blade and unscrew the sod from the deformed place. Depressions should be filled with sandy soil, and excess earth should be removed from the hills. After turning back the edge of the sod, lightly compact and mulch with fertile soil over the entire area.

Lawn mowing. Lawn mowing is the most important and responsible care procedure! In May, grass growth is most intense, and the lawn requires mowing 2 times in 10 days, and in summer it can already be reduced to once a week. The cutting height is recommended from 5 to 6 cm, a shorter one can weaken the lawn and provoke the loss of narrow-leaved grasses. Mowing is carried out in dry weather, in no case on a wet lawn. After mowing, abundant watering is required.

If you do not have a lawn and you only dream of sowing it, be sure to read the useful article on our blog. And in the next article about the lawn, we will talk about the work of caring for it in the summer. Good luck!