Planting lawns: basic rules and useful tips. How to sow lawn grass

• May 18, 2019
• Greens and herbs
• Ksenia Stepanishcheva

To complete the design of the landscape at your summer cottage, you need to plant a lawn. Although the planting procedure may seem simple, there are still some subtleties that need to be taken into account. Only if you follow the rules will you get a beautiful green lawn. The article describes how to plant a lawn and take care of it yourself.

When to plant?

It is preferable to plant lawns in the fall or spring. There are varieties that can be used in summer. Spring is the most suitable period for sowing grass.

The most suitable time is April, because in this month the ground has the necessary supply of moisture after snow. If you start planting in May, you will need regular and intensive watering. But in March it is dangerous to do this, since in some regions there may still be frosts, which are detrimental to the first shoots.

How to remove surface debris

First, the selected area must be prepared for sowing grass:

• collect all large debris;
• cut out dead wood;
• cut down unnecessary trees;
• uproot stumps;
• remove weeds.

Attention: you cannot bury waste in the soil. This will lead to poor root development in the vegetation.

All sticks and stones (both small and large) must be separately piled and removed from the site.

Blend selection

What grass to sow the lawn depends on the lawn. Usually the packaging will indicate what type of lawn the contents should be used for. The manufacturer also indicates in which place it is best to sow and what kind of soil is needed.

Many companies deliver seeds from Western Europe, and then they are only assembled and packaged. But not all foreign herbs are suitable for Russian conditions. Therefore, before sowing, you need to select the necessary composition.

For the Moscow region and central Russia, it is allowed to choose a mixture of bluegrass and fescue. They produce a dense, rich green carpet that is easy to cut. The lawn gets its dark colors due to the presence of bluegrass in its composition. You should not choose a mixture where the ryegrass content is 50-60%, since it freezes and retains the result for 3-5 years, and then falls out.

Choosing a place to lay a lawn

• You should choose the most flat area, well-lit, and periodically shaded. This could be an area near the main buildings, on the border of the garden, along the fences of the territory;
• Such areas are characterized by a large accumulation of snow in winter, which is good for preserving the grass from frost. For example, the same area for lawn along the fence. More snow always drifts under vertical surfaces;
• A lawn in the garden is a good idea, but not the most practical. The grass will receive little sun and at the same time a minimum of nutrients, since the root systems of the trees will absorb them;
• It is advisable to choose a site that is either as flat as possible, or with smooth changes. It can be formed independently by arranging a small geoplastic;
• Planting a lawn requires drained or simply dry soil so that the root system does not rot in the first year!

Advantages and disadvantages

By planting a lawn you can beautify your landscape. In addition, such a lawn will be useful. The lawn protects against soil erosion. Therefore, the planted area retains its shape throughout the entire period of growing lawn grass. It also purifies the air. Constant mowing will prevent flowers from appearing on the lawn. Therefore, relaxing on such a lawn is also suitable for allergy sufferers.

To answer the question of how to properly sow lawn grass with your own hands, you need to understand what kind of design is required for the territory. Disadvantages include the need for frequent mowing and watering. In the absence of timely watering, the cover dries out and needs to be changed. Before planting a lawn, you need to evaluate your lawn care options.

How to make a beautiful lawn in an overgrown area

To make a lawn in an overgrown area, you must resort to the procedure of removing the turf. The roots of numerous weeds are intertwined in the upper layers of the soil. Using a shovel, they cut off layers of soil and place them in a separate place, roots up. To prevent them from drying out, they are covered with dark material that does not allow sunlight to pass through. Periodic treatment of the turf with urea over several years will turn the layers into useful compost.

The area cleared of turf is dug up, covered with high-quality black soil, thoroughly watered and leveled with a rake, removing previously unnoticed stones and roots. It is necessary to ensure that fresh soil does not mix with old soil.

Important! The layer of fertile black soil should be at least 20 cm.

After leveling, the area is trampled down with feet, sprinkled with granular fertilizers and mixed with a rake. The soil is allowed to rest for 2 months. During this time, insects will enrich the earth, and birds will rid it of pests.

The prepared and rested area is sown with lawn grasses. In a month, the area will be covered with a smooth, beautiful lawn. To prevent weeds from growing around it, the paths are covered with peat or covered with a layer of newspapers.

Where are they planted?

Planting lawns is not difficult, but without regular maintenance the area will not look neat. It can be done in almost any area. Areas with sandy or clay soils are needed. Emerging difficulties are eliminated thanks to the selection of herbs - you can always find ones that are undemanding, for example, in terms of soil fertility or lighting.

If you have the opportunity to choose a location for your lawn, it is better to choose sunny areas. There the grasses form a dense carpet, and bald spots sometimes appear in the shade. In a wetland or close to groundwater, you should not place a lawn there. At least until drainage work is carried out.

To protect against possible problems, the lawn layout must be thought out in advance. On the site that you want to landscape, trees, flower beds, and structures can be placed. Won't they interfere? Everything needs to be thought through. Using a border tape, you can limit the area of ​​lawn growth so as not to damage other plantings.

You should not create a lawn near alpine hills, a rose garden or a club, as such grasses can easily develop new territories and destroy other plantings. Experts call this phenomenon “lawn creep.” They advise insulating it with curb tape.

Planting lawns near trees or large shrubs is also contraindicated, since it grows up in the trunk and goes deep into the soil. As a result, the root collar of the tree becomes overheated, and the plant dies. Therefore, experts do not recommend laying out a lawn under a tree or bush. The option of simultaneously planting plants and arranging a lawn is allowed. Then you can make a small hill and plant a tree on it. In this case, the neighborhood will be positive.

Advantages and disadvantages of spring sowing of lawns

Lawn sowing is carried out in April-May. The exact dates are chosen based on the climate of your region. The grass will grow well if the soil has warmed up, the air temperature has reached a positive temperature, and the entrances are regularly watered.

You can plant a lawn not only in spring, but also in autumn. Pros of spring planting:

• before the onset of the first autumn frosts, the grass will have time to get stronger;
• if necessary, it will be possible to carry out redevelopment and reseeding;
• the ground is saturated with melt water, thanks to which the seeds will quickly sprout.

We also must not forget about the length of daylight hours, the supply of nutrients in the soil, and the high germination of seeds.

Planting a lawn before winter requires precise calculations. Otherwise, the seedlings will die due to sudden temperature changes. The risk of freezing will increase if the winter has little snow, is excessively harsh or warm.

When planting a lawn in the summer, you need to be wary of drought. To avoid drying out the soil, you will have to spend too much time on watering, which, in turn, can cause the seedlings and seeds to wash out. Therefore, it is better not to plant a lawn in summer (except in regions with cold climates).

The disadvantages of spring planting include return frosts and a large number of weeds.

Therefore, in regions with a harsh climate, it is recommended to postpone sowing grass mixtures on the lawn until the summer, and the soil must be treated.

Soil preparation

How to grow lawn grass? It is necessary to first level the ground and remove hummocks and holes. The work uses a shovel and a rake. The soil must be loosened so that air can flow to the roots of the plants.

The soil must be a soil mixture that meets several requirements:

• pH: 5.5-6.5;
• humus: 2.5-3.5%;
• nitrogen with compounds: 10 mg per 100 g of soil;
• phosphorus: 15-25 mg per 100 g of soil;
• potassium: 20-30 mg per 100 mg of soil;
• trace elements: the presence of copper and zinc.

Gently add sand to the soil until it becomes loose. Only then will planting lawn grass be completely successful.

A set of necessary tools and materials

Creating a lawn in an overgrown area will require a lot of patience and physical endurance. To make the work easier, it is recommended to prepare the following tools, devices and materials :

1. A simple scoop that can be used to loosen the soil around surface weeds and undermine them. This will help you easily remove the plant from the soil.
2. Hoe for weeding the top soil layer.
3. Saw, hacksaw, pruning shears for removing the top part of unnecessary trees and shrubs.
4. A winch or brush cutter for uprooting roots.
5. Shovel, pitchfork for digging the area.
6. Tape measure, rope, bars and pegs for marking the territory.
7. A rake to carefully distribute the soil and a roller to compact the soil.
8. Sprayer, watering can for treating areas with chemicals, folk remedies, as well as watering.
9. Fertilizer complexes to enrich the substrate with useful substances.

Advice ! It is also good to use a motor cultivator or mini tractor. Such equipment can be rented. Of course, this will not save you from manual work, but at least it will reduce the load on the muscles.

Preparation

How to sow a lawn at your dacha with your own hands? It is important to carry out pre-sowing preparation, which consists of the following:

1. A week in advance, mineral fertilizer is scattered over the prepared soil.
2. It is necessary to loosen the soil so that the mineral components penetrate deeper.
3. The next day, rake the soil again so that there are no large lumps.

Preparation is the basis for the quality growth of ornamental lawn grass. Only then can sowing be carried out.

Is it possible to grow a beautiful lawn?

It is difficult to imagine a modern country house without a beautiful and well-groomed lawn.
In addition to its decorative functions, it will help strengthen the soil, humidify the air in the summer heat and prevent the growth of weeds , eliminating the tedious work of removing them.

Therefore, many are interested in the question of whether it is possible to arrange a lawn in an overgrown area.

You can tidy up a neglected area and turn it into a lawn; this task is quite labor-intensive and will take a lot of time and effort . But a complex of agrotechnical and chemical measures, as well as an irresistible desire and immense patience, will allow the abandoned area to be improved.

Before boarding

How to grow lawn grass? Markings are created in the area where it is planned to make a lawn. There weeds are removed and leveling is carried out:

1. The marking is carried out according to the plan of the summer cottage. Pegs or tensioned fishing line should be used. Flower beds and paths are also laid. Avoid making strict lines and rectangular shapes to make the clearings more natural.
2. The area is treated for weeds before sowing lawn grass with Roundup or Argument (herbicides). Weeds are eliminated 14-20 days after treatment. Especially overgrown parts are sprayed several times with an interval of 2 weeks.
3. When the weeds have dried, their remains are scraped off and the soil is leveled. If necessary, the area is covered with geotextiles, which will prevent the germination of seeds of remaining weeds.

Lawn or beds - which is better?

Photos of a beautiful lawn are not only pleasing to the eye, they evoke envy and a desire to get into this wonderful world. The lawn, so common for Americans, is still a luxury and a dream for Russian people.

Standard summer cottage plots, cut into 6 acres or a little more, are used mainly as a source for the production of vegetables and fruits. For some, this is significant budget savings, for others, it is concern for the health of their loved ones, because only by growing vegetables yourself can you be sure that the products do not contain dangerous amounts of nitrates or that they have not been treated with pesticides.

The desire to plant a lawn arises among older people only when the annual physical labor of cultivating the garden becomes too difficult.

For the new generation of summer residents who have not survived the shortages of Soviet times, the dacha is a place for outdoor recreation, an opportunity to get together with friends, and spend time with children.

The production of agricultural products is not paramount for them, but beauty, comfort, and respectable appearance are of great importance.

And, indeed, a good lawn on the lawn in front of the house emphasizes the wealth and certain status of the owners of the site. And landscape design, performed by professionals, complements the impression.

But if mowing the lawn is not difficult, if you have a good lawn mower, any man and even woman can handle it, the main thing is to do it regularly, then it is better to entrust the construction of the lawn to professionals.

Selection and calculation of the number of seeds

Lawns are created for various purposes. Therefore, different mixtures of herbs are sold. Ryegrass, fescue, bluegrass, timothy, and bentgrass are in demand. They differ only in the combination and quantity in the package.

The choice depends on the climate, lighting on the site, and groundwater. All this information can be obtained from the seller or read on the packet of seeds. You need to look at the packaging for certificates.

To keep your grass thick and without gaps, you should know how to plant and care for your lawn. Experts recommend using 30-50 g of seeds per 1 m2. Even before planting, you need to experiment: germinate about 100 seeds for a week to notice the density of germination.

How to sow grass?

Sowing must be planned for the warm season from April to October, and it is important to select comfortable weather conditions for sowing :

• air temperature at night is more than 10°C;
• lack of rainy weather: excess water will form bumps and puddles and wash away seeds;
• moist and well-warmed soil, so the seed will swell and germinate faster;
• absence of strong wind, as it will prevent the seeds from being evenly distributed over the soil surface.

A favorable time for planting is warm, calm weather , after a good rain, when the substrate is well saturated with moisture.

It is also better to use seeds of mixed species for sowing; they can boast greater vitality and adapt well to any climatic conditions. It is important to correctly calculate the volume of seed material, depending on the area of ​​the plot.

Seed planting algorithm:

1. Pour the seed into a large container and mix.
2. Loosen the top layer of soil by making small holes.
3. Distribute the seeds evenly over the surface (40 g per 1 sq. m.): for large areas it is better to use a seeder.
4. Moisten the soil to a depth of 10 cm using the fine-drop method. It is important to water carefully, without washing away or creating puddles. In the future, irrigate, based on weather conditions, on average every 2-5 days.

Attention ! The main thing is not to forget that the lawn needs care. This is the only way he will delight you with the lush greenery and velvety softness of the cover.

Drainage

When planting perennial grasses for lawns, a drainage system is required. If the site is located in a good place, then it should only be dug up, limed and fertilized. In other cases, it is necessary to create a drainage system, which is carried out to level the terrain.

If there is stagnant rainwater in the area, drainage is mandatory. To do this, the fertile layer removed during leveling must be laid on top of 2 layers of drainage. The lower one consists of coarse gravel or broken bricks, and the upper one includes small stones or sand. It turns out that a 3-layer base appears on the site:

• at the top 15-20 cm of fertile layer;
• below 10-15 cm of sand;
• base – 10-15 cm of large stones.

Each layer is compacted as it is laid. Which type of drainage to choose depends on the size of the area, the location of groundwater, communications and other factors.

Expert advice on creating a quality lawn

Who knows, perhaps the piece of turf thrown in front of the cave entrance was the very first lawn created by man.
Scientific lawn growing has already begun since the mid-19th century. The chief gardener of the Petrovsky Academy, R.I. Schroeder, made a special contribution to the study of lawn grasses. The data he obtained is still relevant today. Lawns are excellent at purifying the air, trapping toxic emissions, and resisting soil erosion... So how can you create the most beautiful lawn?
And what is he like? I addressed these and many other questions to Dmitry Lyanguzov
, one of the most authoritative law practitioners.
— There are different types of lawns: urban, parterre, sports... But such a classification does not allow us to clearly draw a line between them in terms of the composition of the grasses and the characteristics of their maintenance. Therefore, it is better to divide lawns into temporary or permanent ones, simple or difficult to maintain. Pay attention to the table.

We'll talk about a temporary lawn later, but a permanent lawn is a serious matter. The grass for it must have certain properties: low growth, sufficient density and reproduction by rhizomes. Thanks to these underground shoots, the lawn acquires “immortality”: instead of old plants, new, young ones are imperceptibly formed. But there are very few lawn grasses with similar qualities - only two: meadow grass and red fescue. All kinds of herbal mixtures are just different combinations of these crops.

— Dmitry Yuryevich, you put meadow bluegrass in first place. Why?

- This is a classic lawn grass. Thanks to its uniformity, it creates an even and dense (without hummocks) perennial lawn of excellent quality. Exceptionally winter, heat and drought resistant. And bluegrass can grow on any soil, from sand to clay. It competes well with weeds, and at maturity it has practically no equal in resistance to trampling.

Meadow bluegrass.

In Soviet times, an experiment was conducted. In the center of a plot two by two meters, one (!) meadow grass seed was sown. Two years later, all four square meters were occupied by a dense lawn of this grass.

It is thanks to its vitality and variety of forms that the plant has earned the attention of lawn growers in countries with cold and temperate climates. But its downside is that it rises very slowly and forms just as slowly. A lawn made from bluegrass becomes a real lawn only in the second or third year. The plant loves care. It absolutely does not tolerate shading, begins to suffer from powdery mildew and dies. And it is very demanding on nutrition, especially nitrogen.

It reacts sharply to a lack of care: it thins out, loses its inherent luster and dark malachite color. But, having received what he wanted, he recovers surprisingly quickly. Bluegrass is the first of all grasses to begin to turn green after winter and remains so until next spring, retaining its color even under snow.

In an open, sunny area, with proper maintenance, bluegrass is equally good at both five and fifty years of age.

Other types of bluegrass are also used for lawns. Thus, common bluegrass is moisture- and shade-loving and does not tolerate heat and drought. Canadian bluegrass is interesting for city and roadside lawns. Poa squat is the most shade-tolerant of all lawn grasses. And it spreads not by rhizomes, but by stolons, which, like strawberry mustaches, go along the top. Poa annua is considered a weed and is rarely used for lawns: it is very difficult to get rid of. Bluegrass is not exactly a lawn grass: it dies immediately from mowing and trampling.

— What are the advantages of red fescue?

— This is a unique lawn grass. It is called red for the reddish color of the flower scales in the ear.

Red fescue.

Red fescue is not so demanding of light and can withstand shading. Considered more drought-resistant. However, this is a controversial issue. She just tolerates drought differently. If the meadow bluegrass simply disappears, shedding its leaves, then the fescue remains green, although it dries out, like a herbarium. It germinates faster than bluegrass, and it develops much more vigorously.

With good care, a fescue lawn will be soft and silky. There are no complaints about it either in terms of density or winter hardiness. Its resistance to diseases and weather surprises is also beyond praise.

What red fescue does not like is clay soils and excessive dampness, as well as active trampling.

Among the subspecies, the most durable and most widespread is red fescue. This is a grass for the lazy. You can forget to mow it on time, not feed it or water it - it will forgive everything, shrink its tube leaves from resentment, turn yellow, but will not die.

If we talk about other types of fescue, tall fescue and sheep's fescue are champions in heat and drought resistance, but they can form hummocks. Meadow fescue is also found in mixtures of many lawn grasses. It is often added to cheap formulations, but it is not suitable for a decent lawn: it is a forage grass with wide leaves, which produces a tall lawn. But it has one undeniable advantage - non-competitiveness. Meadow fescue can be added to mixtures as a lighthouse grass. She rises first, and then, unable to withstand the competition, disappears.

— What is good about perennial ryegrass?

“It’s rare that a lawn mixture can do without it. It is perennial ryegrass (also known as perennial, English) that is the basis of temporary lawns. It sprouts quickly (sometimes after three to five days), quickly (after two or three weeks, when the bluegrass doesn’t even think about sprouting yet) it forms a rather dense, beautiful carpet on which you can run and jump. By the way, almost all world football championships and even the famous Wimbledon tennis tournament are held on ryegrass lawns.

Perennial ryegrass.

The downside is probably that ryegrass is very aggressive: it sprouts quickly and just as quickly kills everything that grows nearby, be it weeds or other lawn grasses. To prevent this from happening, there should be no more than 20 percent of it in the mixture.

Thanks to new breeding varieties, ryegrass produces a lawn of exceptional quality. True, for a short time. After two or three years it ages, loses winter hardiness, becomes sparse and tussocky. And all because there are no rhizomes, which ensure the evenness and density of the carpet. Therefore, ryegrass bushes, forming hummocks and thinning out at any sowing density.

By the way, the density of the lawn only in the first year depends on the number of seeds sown, and later - only on the biological characteristics of the plants.

— What other herbs are worth mentioning?

— A story about long-lasting lawns would be incomplete without mentioning bentgrass. But she is extremely aggressive: she fills everything and everyone. Its seeds are very small, and even a small (up to five percent) addition of them is harmful, because in a couple of years there will be nothing in the lawn except bentgrass. But at the same time, in our climate, it is impossible to create a high-quality golf course without it.

The common bentgrass.

At the same time, bentgrass is a capricious lady; it requires frequent short haircuts, regular watering, and proper nutrition. At the beginning of growth, it is affected by many diseases and endures them with difficulty. Gray snow mold is like a runny nose to bluegrass, but is like death to bentgrass. But bentgrass is the only one that can withstand mowing up to three millimeters! You see the lawn with your eyes, but you don’t feel it with your hands.

A more interesting species is the thin bentgrass. If you give it in a mixture with modified fescue, the lawn turns out dense and springy. Dog bentgrass is also good. But giant white bentgrass is not suitable, because it is generally a forage crop.

— Is it worth mixing herbs?

— I’m not a supporter of mixtures, but if you make them, then clearly understand why. In some cases, it is more advisable to mix not different types of herbs, but different varieties of the same species.

Bluegrass and fescue get along well, complementing each other perfectly. But such a lawn will never be uniform. In drought, the bluegrass hides, giving the fescue the opportunity to show off, and in cold weather, on the contrary, it takes the lead on its own. Therefore, the same lawn can be both bluegrass and fescue at different times.

Avoid mixtures that contain even minimal amounts of perennial hay (so-called forage or, as I call them, anti-lawn) grasses. These are meadow fescue, cocksfoot, timothy, foxtail, white bentgrass, bromegrass, festulolium. They form ugly bumps on the lawn, which are then very difficult to get rid of.

You should not purchase mixtures with a high (more than 20 percent) content of perennial ryegrass, except perhaps only for creating a temporary or special (for example, sports) lawn. It is even more dangerous to add bentgrass to the mixture. It is so aggressive that even a 0.5 percent addition can suppress other herbs.

By the way, “small admixture” is a very loose concept. In mixtures, the composition is given in weight percentage, and not in the number of seeds. In order to correctly evaluate the mixture, we must remember that the number of seeds in 1 g varies from species to species. Ryegrass has the largest seeds (about 500 pieces in 1 g), fescue seeds are almost two times smaller, bluegrass - six to eight times smaller, bentgrass - 20 times smaller. For example, in a mixture containing 95 percent perennial ryegrass and five percent bentgrass, there will be fewer ryegrass seeds than bentgrass.

— What herbs can be sown in the shade?

— Dead shadow is lethal to any lawn. Therefore, in such places it is better to use ferns, sedges, periwinkle, hoofweed... The list is quite extensive. Among the cereals, red fescue, common bluegrass, turfgrass, squat bluegrass, and oakgrass bluegrass are characterized by increased shade tolerance.

— Are there grasses that can withstand snowdrifts?

— Snow is common. Snowdrifts do no harm. Another thing is dense, compacted snow and ice. This must be taken into account in winter when cleaning paths: it is better to scatter the snow over the entire area, rather than pile it in dense piles. If you flood a lawn with a roller, the grass will die. A way out of the situation may be to sow ryegrass annually before winter. Nothing will happen to it, and it will sprout well in the spring.

— Does the lawn need any special soil?

— Light loam with a high content of coarse granular sand is best. It retains moisture and microelements well. Peat is generally best avoided. Or add 70 percent (!) sand to it: for two buckets of sand, one bucket of peat. You can grow a good lawn on sand, but not on peat.

Weeds can provide a lot of information about the soil. If they are cereals, then the lawn will be fine here. If they are broad-leaved, then the soil will require alteration, and perhaps replacement.

It is necessary that at least the top 20 centimeters of soil be homogeneous. If this is not the case, then you cannot do without cultivation. On heavy loamy soil it is necessary to pour at least 10-15 centimeters of sand and cultivate it twice.

— When is the best time to lay out the lawn?

— We must clearly understand the time frame within which preparations for sowing can be carried out. If there are a lot of weeds on the site, it will take two months to get rid of them. And continuous herbicides based on glyphosate will help here.

It is also very important to roll and level the area three or four times. The skating rink exhibits irregularities, which must then be removed. Some people do the final sanding coat with just sand.

If the soil is loamy, no rolling is necessary: ​​a crust may form. If it is sandy, then rolling will even be useful: seedlings will appear faster.

Preliminary preparation should not be neglected. All mistakes made at this stage will appear sooner or later, and correcting them later will be very difficult or almost impossible.

Surface water flow is also very important when laying out a lawn. It is much more important for the lawn than the drainage system, which it often does not need at all. It is enough to clearly see where the water will flow in order to divert it outside the site. Otherwise, nothing good will come out of the lawn. And then it will be impossible to correct these flaws.

The best time to sow a lawn in our climate zone is late summer. At this time, lawn grasses develop well and weeds develop more slowly. In spring, the opposite is true: weeds sprout faster than cereals. In addition, in the spring there is a great danger that young seedlings will be exposed to heat and drought. Risky times are September and October. Young seedlings do not always have time to grow stronger to survive the winter. But pre-winter November sowing is usually very successful.

— How to calculate the seed sowing rate?

— The lawn density is considered normal, at which per 1 sq. m there are 10,000 blades of grass. We start from these 10,000 seeds. In reality, you need less, because the lawn is bushy. True, very often not all seeds germinate: some die due to competition. 10,000 seeds are 10 g of red fescue, 15 g of ryegrass, 3 g of meadow grass and less than 1 g of bentgrass.

— What are the features of sowing itself?

— A few days before sowing, you need to water the rolled and leveled area well so that the water penetrates deeper and the top dries out a little during this time. After this, we slightly loosen the surface, apply fertilizer (NPK - nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium - 5:20:20), scatter the seeds and cover them with a light rake. Seeds planted deeper than 2 centimeters may not germinate. There is no need to be afraid if some of them end up on the surface. You don’t need to give a lot of nitrogen right away: by the fall it still won’t have time to be absorbed, but you can’t put it in for future use. A good result will be from mulching with peat (0.5-1 centimeter) or covering with non-woven mulch material.

By the way, after using herbicides, you can immediately sow the seeds: the drugs are not absorbed through the roots.

If you sow by hand, then divide all the seeds into a certain number of parts, like the plot itself, and sow them in this area. And go through each square two or three times along and across so that the sowing is more even.

For better germination, the seeds can be sprinkled with water or soaked for two to three hours. If the grains do not hatch and there is no rain, then it’s okay. But if they have already sprouted and a drought sets in, then until friendly shoots appear, the soil should be constantly moist. It is because of insufficient watering that all the problems happen. In the first year before winter, the lawn should be large enough to be mowed at least once.

— What is the most important thing in lawn care?

- Here are the three pillars on which the beauty and durability of the lawn rest: fertilization, watering and mowing.

For feeding, you can use any fertilizer in which the ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium is 4 (or 3): 1: 2. It is important to pay attention to the percentage of nitrogen. During the season, you need to give 1.5 kg of it per hundred square meters, but no more than 500 g at a time: you still won’t be able to absorb more.

We apply once in May, June and August. July (as the hottest month) can be skipped, but August feeding is the most important: at this time the root system begins to form and actively grow.

In early spring, nitrogen fertilizing on melted snow is useless. At temperatures below plus ten degrees, the applied fertilizers will still not be absorbed. And because of the rains, nitrogen will go deeper and be lost without working.

In the fall, potassium is also needed: it will allow the lawn to overwinter better. But it should be applied not before winter, but at the end of summer or beginning of autumn.

As for watering, once a week per 1 sq. m should be given from 25 liters of water. The watering rate can be increased, but it is not advisable to reduce the interval between waterings. More often does not mean better. You should not water the lawn every day; the grass must dry out. In our climate, I have not seen a single lawn that would die due to a lack of moisture, but lawns often suffer from its excess.

— Many questions always arise regarding mowing.

— The 30 percent rule works here: no more than a third of the vegetation should be removed in one mowing. Has the grass grown 9 centimeters? 3 centimeters were cut off. The ideal height is four to six centimeters.

If you want to mow the lawn less often, then you should mow it not low (as many people think), but, on the contrary, high. But if you want to have a low lawn, up to 2.5 centimeters, then you will have to mow it three to four times a week. We are now preparing a pilot batch of lawns that can be mowed once a month.

The last, pre-winter, mowing should be as low as possible, literally to the point of yellowness. Don't worry, the grass won't freeze.

— Is aeration important?

- Certainly. And you can use spiked slippers for it. But I would modernize them, leaving only two or three needles. And of course, every lawn worker should have a regular pitchfork. Forks with tubes instead of teeth are very good. They leave holes through which moisture and nutrition quickly flow to the roots of plants.

If something happens to my lawn, I stop watering and fertilizing and aerate it. And only then do I look for the problem and a way to solve it.

A good lawn can cope with whatever attacks it, be it weeds, diseases or other misfortunes. As for mushrooms, you should not fight them. The mycelium is the main and most important component of a mature lawn, ensuring its health. In addition, it lives not on, but in the turf, decomposing organic matter and supplying the lawn with nutrients and phytohormones. By eradicating the mycelium, we will destroy the lawn itself. But to prevent a lot of mushrooms from appearing on it, you should not get carried away with organic matter when preparing the soil. Plus, you must follow all the above lawn maintenance rules.

Moss is not the problem itself, but only its manifestation, a sign that the grass is dark and damp and refuses to grow in dense soil. And diseases appear only on a weakened lawn.

Rust indicates a lack of nitrogen. This is an Indian summer disease, when there are strong changes in day and night temperatures. A small foliar fertilizing with Urea or other nitrogen fertilizer will remove rust. The drug “Prognoz” also helps. In principle, rust does not cause much harm to the lawn, although it looks unattractive. After all, when mowing, it is the rusty upper third that we mow down.

And in order for the lawn to be green in early spring, we must not forget about fungicidal autumn (September - October) treatment, which will protect the plants from snow mold. And here the same “Forecast” will be effective.

A beautiful and well-groomed lawn has long ceased to be a wonder. Anyone can break it, and even a novice gardener who is familiar with the basics of traditional agricultural technology can handle it.

A smooth and attractive lawn is a real decoration for any area.

ANTI-GRASSES

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Selection of the required composition

The characteristics of the plants present in the lawn mixture affect the resistance to trampling. The composition should be selected based on the following rules:

1. If the lawn is intended for sports fields or as paths, then choose meadow bluegrass, red fescue, and perennial ryegrass.
2. To equip a playground, you need perennial ryegrass, meadow grass, and red fescue.
3. For a shaded area you need perennial ryegrass.
4. If there is a lawn with infrequent watering, then choose sheep fescue.
5. Giant bentgrass is planted in areas with high soil moisture.

A separate type is rolled lawn. It can consist of various herbs. Its installation is very simple. You also need to take into account another classification:

1. The road mixture consists of plants with a strong root system that are resistant to trampling.
2. The universal mixture is used for sowing in open areas.

Planting and caring for the lawn (step-by-step instructions)

After all the perennial weeds have been destroyed on the site, it is also plowed and cultivated several times until the ideal result is achieved. The soil ready for planting needs to be leveled and compacted a little.

In a summer cottage, you can use a rake and a metal barrel as a roller. And only after this comes the long-awaited moment of sowing. Lawn grass seeds are only lightly incorporated into the soil by harrowing with a rake.

The question of how to make a lawn beautiful is answered by the composition of herbs, which must be carefully studied when choosing a lawn mixture. They have different purposes and require more or less strong trampling; they can contain either one type of grass or several different ones, some even include flowers. And, of course, you can’t do without a lawn mower. After all, its quality and appearance depend on the regularity and frequency of mowing the lawn.

Tillage

A small area should be treated with a fork or shovel. You should dig down to 20-25 cm. During this period, organic fertilizers and sand are added to the soil.

If the earthen lumps are not broken up before planting, then the soil will not settle evenly on a flat surface. Lumps are removed with your own hands, breaking them with a heavy rake. During this work, stones, weed roots and debris are removed.

Large areas are easier to handle with a motor cultivator. When planning spring sowing, if the site is being prepared for autumn, the lumps are left until sowing time and leveled.

Before compacting, you should drive pegs around the perimeter of the area and stretch a rope through them. For this work you need a building level.

How to clean an overgrown area

In accordance with the drawn up plan, they proceed to the main points of development of the overgrown site:

1. First, the area is cleared of surface debris that can be collected on your own - stones, sticks, branches. This work does not require significant physical effort. All unnecessary collected waste is placed in 1 - 2 small piles. It is advisable that there is vehicle access to this place.

   
   Important! You cannot bury garbage, even small ones, in the soil. This will interfere with the development of the root system of plants planted in the future.

1. To remove dry bushes in an overgrown area, a significant part of the branches is cut off with garden pruners, without affecting the central ones. Then they dig up the roots and uproot the plants. Simply cutting down a bush with a saw is not enough. After some time, young shoots will turn green on it. All cut down and uprooted dead wood is transported in parts to a landfill. This way you can assess the size of the work done and make room for further weed control.

2. You should not cut down all the trees in an overgrown area. Some of them are still better left. This will help create shade conditions for those crops that will be planted in the future. And in the overall landscape design of the site being developed, even trees with a beautiful crown will look appropriate. Thin specimens are cut down with an ordinary ax, thick trunks are sawed off with a saw. To remove tall trees, it is better to contact specialists. Leaves from the branches can be collected, dried and then used as organic soil fertilizer.

3. Uprooting stumps from an overgrown area will be more convenient if their height does not exceed 1 m. Such objects are dug up, the roots are cut off and taken to the surface. Each stump is then rocked and pulled out of the soil; if there are a lot of them and it is not possible to pull them out manually, you will have to hire a tractor that will pull them out of the ground using a winch. This method is quite expensive. You can also use a crusher. This is a safe option, but not very effective because it does not remove all the roots and some still remain in the soil. If the owners of an overgrown plot have enough time and planting fruit and vegetable crops in the next year or two is not part of their plans, you can use more long-term methods of stump removal. Wet saltpeter is poured into the hole made by a drill, and it saturates the entire stump for a year: later all that remains is to set it on fire so that it instantly burns to the ground. This place can be used for planting plants only for the next year. There is another exotic way to remove a stump from an overgrown area. If you plant honey mushrooms on it, the mycelium will destroy it for several years, and at the same time, throughout this time, delight the owners with a fresh harvest of delicious mushrooms.

After completing the first four points of the plan for clearing the overgrown area, proceed to the next, no less important and voluminous stage - removing thickets from grass and weeds. Methods of combating them are divided into chemical, folk and agrotechnical.

How to clean an overgrown summer cottage with chemicals

The use of chemical herbicides effectively removes all unnecessary vegetation on the site. Many summer residents and gardeners are increasingly resorting to this method in order to save time and effort.

Advantages of treating an overgrown area with chemicals:

• guaranteed removal of all types of weeds;
• the ability to clean large areas;
• the drugs do not accumulate in the soil and are removed from it within 2 weeks;
• selection of alternative chemicals taking into account the individual characteristics of the territory.

Depending on how the herbicides affect the weeds, the drugs can be systemic or contact. Systemic - upon contact with a plant, they quickly penetrate all its cells, simultaneously affecting the root system and the above-ground part. Contact - affect only the site of contact.

Based on the direction of action, herbicides are divided into selective, which destroy only weeds, and continuous, which can also damage valuable crops. The latter are used in cases where the soil in an overgrown area is very hard and cannot be dug up with an ordinary shovel. Weeds with a perennial root system are also an obstacle to developing a site using gentle methods and the basis for the use of such effective drugs as Arsenal, Graud Bio, Tornado, Hurricane Forte, Roundup. These products get rid of weeds the first time. In rare cases, repeated treatment is required with a dose increased by half of the volume indicated in the instructions.

The main disadvantages of treating an overgrown area with chemicals include:

• destruction of not only weeds, but also cultivated plants;
• the possibility of re-germination of plant pests, since herbicides do not destroy seeds;
• the need for caution and the use of personal protective equipment, due to the high toxicity and danger it poses to humans and animals.

Weeds must be destroyed before plants enter the flowering phase. To treat an overgrown area with chemicals, choose a hot, windless day. It is advisable that no precipitation is forecast for the next 10 to 12 hours.

Weeds treated in accordance with the instructions become yellow, and after 2 weeks they die along with the root system. Then they must be collected and burned. The resulting ash cannot be used as fertilizer.

Important! If after the first treatment with chemicals it was not possible to completely destroy the growing weeds, a repeat procedure can be carried out only after 4 - 5 weeks.

Several recommendations will help you avoid some of the main mistakes of removing weeds from an overgrown area using green manure:

1. Be sure to strictly follow the dosage indicated on the drug packages. Incorrect proportions can lead to soil contamination.
2. In small overgrown areas with plantings of berries and fruits, it is better to do without the use of herbicides against weeds. Their use is justified on large plantations intended for planting crops such as pumpkin, potatoes, and corn.
3. Digging up the soil before spraying will slow down the penetration of drugs.
4. Using the same chemicals reduces the effectiveness of treating an overgrown area.

Fruit and vegetable crops can be planted on the treated area only next spring, after plowing it first. And in order to enrich the soil with useful elements and substances during this time, it is recommended to sow green manure, which will help improve the structure of the soil.

How to tidy up an overgrown area using folk remedies

Experienced summer residents and gardeners know many unconventional but effective ways to destroy weeds, using available means available on every farm:

1. Waste paper and rotted manure. Compost, humus or chicken droppings are evenly distributed over the entire surface of the overgrown area and covered with newspapers 5 to 7 layers thick. Newspapers can be replaced with thick cardboard. A layer of compost mixed with manure is poured on top. You can make holes in newspapers and plant seedlings in them, for example, tomatoes, beets or strawberries. At the end of the season, the owners of an overgrown plot will receive not only a harvest from the planted crops, but also weed-free soil enriched with vitamins and microelements.

2. Black film. Cover the entire surface of the overgrown area with opaque material. In the summer, in hot conditions, such a temperature is created under it that not a single weed can survive. At the end of the season, the film is removed, the soil is dug up and allowed to rest. Plants can only be planted next year. The method is very effective and destroys even perennial weeds.

3. Alcohol. A month before sowing, the soil is treated with ethyl alcohol diluted with water in a ratio of 150 g of vodka per bucket. Under the influence of an alcoholic solution, the weeds begin to grow intensively, after which it is enough to weed them.

4. Blowtorch. Before the cultivated plants sprout, all weeds are burned with a sliding flame of a soldering iron, which does not linger in one place. After treatment, the area must be watered.

5. Soda. Spraying clusters of weeds with a strong soda solution will reduce the intensity of their growth.

6. Herbicidal soap. The composition obtained from grated laundry soap and the same amount of vinegar and salt is sprayed on the above-ground part of the weeds.

You can spray weeds from a spray bottle with a product prepared at home from improvised means:

• 2 tbsp. water;
• 2 tbsp. vinegar;
• 30 g alcohol;
• 2 tsp. dishwashing detergents;
• 1 pack of citric acid.

When spraying the product, care must be taken so that it does not get on crop plants.

How to develop an overgrown area using agrotechnical measures

Using available garden tools and products, you can no less effectively clear an overgrown area of ​​weeds. True, some agricultural methods require the use of certain physical efforts, which is why they are not very popular with gardeners:

1. Digging the soil. After all the grass has been removed, it is necessary to mechanically cultivate the ground, preventing the possibility of re-growth of weeds. To effectively dig up an overgrown area, turn the soil over with a shovel, crush the earthen clods and fertilize with organic compounds. Usually one digging to the depth of one shovel bayonet is enough. In rare cases, two-tier digging is required.

2. Planting cabbage, bush beans, potatoes. The distance between plants should be no more than 10 cm, between rows - no more than 30 cm. The leaves of these plants will create shade and prevent weeds from growing. Periodic hilling of the beds will also facilitate their effective removal. Bean tops can be added to compost after harvesting. The area should be treated with a hoe.

3. Application of green manure. Rye, rapeseed, and mustard do an excellent job of controlling weeds. In the fall, green manure is cut and dug up, thus creating an excellent fertilizer for the soil. At the beginning of May, sunflower seeds are sown as thickly as possible. By growing the root system, sunflowers will take food from the weeds, and they will not be able to survive. With the onset of autumn, the sunflower crop needs to be mowed, cut into pieces 20 cm long and distributed over the site. Having decomposed, the green manure will fertilize the soil and prepare it for planting new crops next season.

4. Mulching between rows. Mown grass, laid out in a 5 cm layer between the rows of cultivated plants, will not allow weeds to germinate.

These methods have proven to be effective and do not have a harmful impact on the environment. Because of this, they are widely used by garden owners.

Operating rules

How to sow lawn grass with your own hands? The procedure is performed like this:

1. The surface is loosened with a trusty rake so that there are small grooves on it. The seeds must be mixed thoroughly. On each side, you should extend 8 cm beyond the edge of the lawn. Therefore, you will need a little more seeds than the area itself.
2. If there are no instructions on the package, you need to calculate that 30-60 g of seeds will be required per 1 m2. If you sow less frequently, weeds will grow through the lawn grasses.
3. The volume of seeds is divided into 4 parts and each of them is sown on 1 part of the area. If you have a seeder, half the seeds are sown along the furrows, and half - across. The planting material is covered with a fan rake to the top.

How to arrange a neglected area after clearing?

After clearing the area of ​​heavy overgrowth, immediately before planting grass, you should carry out a number of agrotechnical practices that will help you get a luxurious lawn:

1. Site marking. It is necessary to mark the boundaries of the future lawn by driving in pegs and pulling a rope. Using the markings, it is more convenient to measure the area for sowing and correctly calculate the number of seeds.
2. Preparing the area. Check that there are no weeds, then dig the soil further, breaking up clods and achieving a fine texture. Then smooth it out, removing all the bumps and filling the depressions.
3. Improving soil composition. In order for lawn grass to sprout well and grow well, it is important to enrich the soil with mineral fertilizers, adding a complex of nutrients at the rate of 50 g per 1 square meter. m into the top layer of the substrate to a depth of 5 cm. This procedure must be done 10 days before sowing.

Important ! Before sowing, the area must be compacted with special care so that there are no voids left anywhere.

Eliminate Gaps

This spoils the appearance of the site. Gaps appear due to stagnation of water, damping off of grass under the snow, freezing of roots over the winter, diseases and fungi, and trampling.

In this case, help is needed:

• cutting grass on space bar;
• loosening the soil on it and applying fertilizers;
• sowing seeds;
• raking the area and filling it with compost or peat mixture;
• compacting with feet and watering.

It is advisable to lay tiles in walk-through areas. Otherwise, it will take forever to eliminate bald spots.

When and how to do the last lawn mowing?

In the fall, it is important to properly prepare the lawn for winter, including pre-winter mowing on time. If this is not done, during cold weather the tall grass will lie on the ground, and in the spring it will interfere with the germination of young shoots. In addition, such a lawn is more vulnerable to many diseases.

The last mowing should be done about 2 weeks before the first frost, on a warm and windless day. The grass should be mowed 1-2 cm higher than normal. Grass clippings should be removed.

Rolled lawn

Compared to a regular lawn, a roll lawn does not require seeding. It is sold in small rolls measuring 0.8-1 m by 2 m. But this lawn requires special soil preparation. You also need to determine the dimensions of the roll.

Organizational procedures are the same. They consist of cleaning the site, removing weeds, leveling the soil, arranging drainage, applying fertilizers, and compacting. Then the rolled lawn is unrolled and laid. This significantly saves time.

Rolled lawn allows you to update the look of your garden or yard in a few days. Another advantage is the uniformity of the cover and the absence of bald spots on it. But the rolls should be laid and watered immediately, otherwise the grass will dry out.

What is lawn grass for the lazy

Imagine grass that never needs to be mowed or watered; it does not rot, does not dry out, and does not change color in the sun. In winter it looks the same as in summer and is completely weed resistant. This is a description of the ideal grass that many lawn owners dream of in their garden.

Today, special herbal mixtures have been developed that allow you to get closer to the ideal and grow grass that does not require active participation and a lot of time spent on care. Gardeners often call it “grass for the lazy” or “lazy lawn.”

Did you know? Every 100 m² of lawn generates enough oxygen per year for 10 people to breathe, and also increases the humidity of the atmosphere and cools it.

Care

It is necessary not only to plant correctly, but also to care for the lawn. Moreover, this should be done in a timely manner. The lawn should be protected and fertilized. You just need to follow some simple tips to avoid problems:

1. Summer and autumn. When the grass has grown, proper watering is required. Fertilizers are required during the summer. In autumn, watering should be reduced. Timely removal of emerging weeds is mandatory. In November, you need to do the last trimming and remove the fallen leaves.
2. In winter. To ensure that the lawn does not disappear during this time and grows in the spring, it is necessary to complete watering. Loading is also prohibited - walking on plants is prohibited. If snow rarely appears in the region, agrofibre covering is used to protect against frost.
3. In the spring. At this time, the old grass should be removed. But work must be carried out only on dry grass and in dry weather. Old germinating weeds must be eliminated. Then the soil is aerated. It is necessary to exclude the accumulation of melt water, and when warm weather sets in, nitrogen fertilizers are applied.

To keep the lawn always green, regular watering and mowing, fertilizing and fertilizer are required. Well-groomed lawns will be an excellent decoration for a summer cottage.

Where to start treating an overgrown area

In order for the work of clearing an overgrown area to be rational, it is necessary to determine a plan of sequential actions, adhering to which you can save effort, finances and bring the overgrown virgin soil to ideal condition in the shortest possible time.

The plan for clearing an overgrown area should include the following main points, depending on the presence of certain objects:

1. Collection of unnecessary garbage.
2. Cleaning of bushes and dead wood.
3. Removing unnecessary trees.
4. Uprooting stumps.
5. Removing grass and weeds.
6. Digging and loosening the soil.
7. Delivery of black soil.
8. Leveling an overgrown area.
9. Fertilizer application.
10. Giving the land rest.

It is also necessary to decide what can be left in an area overgrown with weeds, and what must be gotten rid of.

What lawn doesn't need mowing?

If you want to get a problem-free lawn, you can sow shoot-forming (shoot-bearing) bentgrass . This is a low cereal plant that grows no higher than 15 cm in height. The bentgrass spreads along the ground and forms small bushes. The result is a light green “mat”. It looks very neat and quite unusual, since the grass grows in several tiers, and you get a lawn that does not require mowing. The bentgrass grows quickly, so in a very short period of time it occupies the entire area allocated for the lawn. At the same time, lawn care is quite simple, because the plant is unpretentious to the composition of the soil and other growing conditions. However, bentgrass will grow best in well-drained, fertilizer-rich soil.

Another lawn option that does not require regular mowing is Moorish lawn . To create it, just buy a special mixture of seeds. When choosing it in the store, try to choose mixtures with herbs that grow well in your area. Many different types of plants are used for the Moorish lawn: daisies, calendula, poppies, flax, cornflowers, delphinium and others.

What do you think of the idea of ​​creating a meadow in your backyard? Although the meadow lawn It is created from a mixture of seeds of low-growing grasses, cereals and legumes. Mixtures may include: fescue, ryegrass, creeping clover, yarrow, loosestrife, daisy, perennial chamomile, chionodoxa.

We have answered all the important questions regarding lawn mowing that most often arise among gardeners. We hope that now your lawn will always be well-groomed and beautiful.