How to sow sports turf in the spring. Planting and caring for lawn grass. Video: correct watering of the lawn

More recently, the owners of the coveted six hundred square meters could not even think of starting an affectionate and soft lawn on their site.

Everything that was not occupied with a vegetable garden and a berry plant was planted with potatoes with a tenacity worthy of better use. In extreme cases, the aesthetic needs of the owners were satisfied with a small flower bed near the porch. The current landowners, who are not limited to six hundred square meters, quickly appreciated the charm of open lawns, and lawns quickly gained popularity in Russia.

If you decide to join the army of admirers of beautiful velvet grass and set yourself the task of creating a real lawn, making it the basis of the landscape of your site for many years, first of all think about the choice of seed. It is no secret that most of the cheap mixtures consist of either slightly cultivated or just forage grasses. It is clear that they are completely unsuitable for a quality parterre lawn, and even more so for a golf lawn. To get a good lawn, you need special grades of herbs.

An ideal lawn, regardless of the specifics of its application and the mixtures included in it, should have a high density of sod, have a beautiful rich dark green color and be as unpretentious as possible. The correct choice of lawn mixture guarantees an excellent result, and modern selection allows you to find the best option.

What types of lawn grasses you can not find today! Fast-growing and shade-tolerant, versatile and for creating sports fields, flower, parterre, for extreme urban conditions; there are even separate mixtures for landscaping slopes and roadsides. Seeds in a special casing are in great demand, which fundamentally changes the technology of creating a silk lawn. The composition that envelops each seed allows you to do with a minimum of fertilizers. It already contains the main trace elements necessary for friendly emergence and rapid growth of young lawn grass. This significantly reduces the cost of time and money, and the birds become completely indifferent to such seeds, without pecking them up when sowing.

And three more things are important for the successful implementation of the plan - thorough tillage before sowing, timely watering and cutting of the grown grass. As a result, a gorgeous green space that you can be proud of is sure to be the envy and admiration of all your friends and neighbors.

What are the characteristic features of different types of lawns, the peculiarities of their cultivation and the biological requirements of plants?

The main types of lawns

Parterre lawn- a beautiful decorative lawn of emerald green grass. It consists mainly of a mixture of narrow-leaved cereals, some of them can be used. We recommend sowing bent grass, which has a valuable biological feature - aggressiveness, since its stems (stolons) are able to quickly grow and restore bald patches that have appeared on the lawn. Seed consumption - 1.5 g per 1 sq. m. The bent is mowed less often than usual - once or twice a month. Seeds are sown only in weed-free soil as it is a slow growing cereal. Do not sow bent grass if you cannot ensure regular watering. The main part of the roots is located in the surface layer of the soil - no deeper than 15 cm. This type of lawn is used in places not intended for walking and not experiencing increased stress. The parterre lawn does not forgive mistakes in maintenance, and if you are not yet confident in your gardening abilities, it is better to choose a mixture of grass seeds from an ordinary lawn.

Ordinary lawn... Do not be intimidated by such a prosaic name: in most cases, this is just what you need. You can choose a trampling-resistant Sport and Play mix, made up of special types of grasses that form a dense turf. It is perfect for a sports or playground, sowing around the barbecue. Special mixtures have been created for shaded areas that perfectly tolerate partial shade (for example, "The Shady Garden"). The "Lilliput" mixture will reduce the number of lawn mows by 2-3 times. If the site is versatile or you do not expect too active walking on the lawn, stop at the "Universal" mixture.

Clover lawn is created from creeping clover. An ideal lawn for lazy people or for those who do not have time to mow it weekly. It does not require special equipment - a trimmer or, at worst, a braid is enough to mow the clover once a year, after flowering. Resistant to trampling, easily tolerates lack of moisture, grows even on acidic soils. Flowers attract bees and other beneficial insects to the site. By the way, the clover produces a wonderful fragrant and tasty honey. The soil for clover is prepared as for a regular grass lawn. The seeding rate is 1.5-3 g of seeds per 1 sq. m. Clover is an aggressive crop, do not let it occupy other areas, dooming yourself to many years of weed control. Mow the clover heads until seeds form.

Perennial moorish lawn(meadow lawn) consists of grasses and 10-20 species of annuals and perennials, usually undersized flowering plants. Usually sown in small areas in the far corners of the garden. The Mauritanian lawn is as close as possible to natural plant communities. It is very difficult to preserve its fragile ecological balance. A properly selected Moorish lawn blooms with all the colors of summer from June to the first frost.
The aromas of meadow grasses are no worse than luxurious roses and levkoy. In addition, such plantings attract a lot of beneficial insects, birds, lizards.

Annual moorish lawn consists of 20-30 kinds of flowers. Weeding by seedlings is impossible, therefore, before sowing, it is necessary to especially carefully prepare the soil, ridding it of the rhizomes of perennial weeds. The place is sunny and open. It blooms later than the previous species, but surpasses it in showiness and colors. Drought-resistant, practically does not require maintenance. Mow the lawn after the plants have bloomed and inseminated. The next year, the species composition, unfortunately, may decrease: the most viable species survive.

Seeds and grass mixtures

Of the plants for non-grass lawns, especially on poor sandy or stony soils, the horned lily, a perennial legume plant, which is still rare for our gardens, has proven itself well. It blooms annually from May to July - the period when the lack of flowering plants is most acutely felt. Lyadvenets forms a beautiful golden yellow carpet. Grows back well when cut. Endures trampling. Plants reach a length of 35 cm, but the height of the lawn is no more than 20 cm, since the flower tree spreads along the ground. Undemanding to soil, grows well on sandy and rocky soils. Drought-resistant. As befits any self-respecting legume plant, it enriches the soil with nitrogen. If its color or flowering time does not suit you, sow phacelia - an ascetic plant, generously ready to forgive the owner and poor soil, and lack of watering. Blooms 45-60 days in July-August, forms a violet-blue carpet. One of the best herbaceous melliferous plants. Sow it in the spring at the rate of 2 g of seeds per 1 sq. m.

We recommend experimenting with ground cover plants, setting aside a small area for this. You don't need a lawn mower. You can use various types of sedum, veronica, bird highlander, umbilical noble, creeping yarrow varieties. Couldn't buy seeds of these species - it doesn't matter, buy a couple of plants in the nursery or find in nature, and in a month or two, by cuttings, you can easily grow the required amount. Plant in a permanent place at intervals of 20 cm. After one or two months, they will close into a solid carpet.

In the southern regions of Russia, thyme (thyme) is excellent. Thyme has small fragrant leaves, plant height from 5 to 15 cm. Its flowers are tiny and colorful.

The lawn is usually the center of the garden, the canvas on which the main pattern is drawn. Without maintenance, an abandoned grass lawn can turn into a wasteland in a few months.

Calculation of seed consumption for sowing a lawn

N = n * p / D

Where the values are equal:

N is the optimal seeding rate of grass mixture seeds;
n is the seeding rate of a certain type of seeds (kg / ha);
p is the percentage of participation of this species in the mixture in pure form (%);
D - actual seed germination%.

Germination table for seeds of different herbs:

Soil preparation

The plot for the lawn is being prepared for many years to come; it will have to provide the plants with everything necessary for full growth and development. We start preparing in advance. It takes about three months from the start of work to sowing seeds. The site should be cleaned, all the necessary components should be added, planning (leveling), one or two times to treat the soil with continuous herbicides (depending on the weediness of the site). Then the soil should settle.

We begin work with clearing - uprooting stumps, removing stones and debris. Do not bury garbage on the site, in the future in places of such "burial grounds" plants will differ in color and appearance.

If the soil is waterlogged, drain it. Loamy and clayey soils require the mandatory introduction of sand (better than coarse-grained river) at the rate of 10 kg per 1 sq. m. On sandy and sandy loam, peat or rotted compost is introduced. Fresh manure is not recommended. In the Central and Northwest regions of Russia, the soil is often acidified (the optimum pH is 5.5-6.8). If you do not have the opportunity to conduct an agrochemical analysis, focus on biological indicators of soil acidity: horse sorrel, horsetail, moss growing on the site indicate the need to deoxidize the soil with slaked lime, chalk or dolomite flour at the rate of 50 kg per hundred square meters.

The fertile soil layer must be at least 25 cm, otherwise you will have to add soil.

Before digging the soil, apply a complete mineral fertilizer (nitroammofoska, lawn kemira or any other) - 50 g per 1 sq. m. Three to four weeks after digging, the rapidly developed weed vegetation is treated with continuous herbicides (Roundup). The main problem of the newly created lawn is perennial rhizome weeds (dandelion, field thistle, wheatgrass, horsetail, etc.), literally breaking through the forming sod of the lawn. Chemical treatment is often the only way to get rid of them. On a heavily contaminated area, after two to three weeks, it is better to re-treat with herbicide. During treatments, crop plants located in the same area or nearby, protect with plastic wrap.

The next stage is soil leveling. Small areas are leveled by dragging a small ladder or a 2-3-meter board several times in perpendicular directions. The remaining depressions in the future can lead to wetting and dampening of the lawn. Be sure to thoroughly reconsolidate the soil, this will ensure its more even subsidence and the absence of bumps and holes.

How to sow correctly

You have completed the most time consuming step - preparing the soil for sowing. The next step, sowing seeds, does not tolerate carelessness and haste.

Grass seeds should have normal germination and vigor. For the Central and Northwest regions, germination rate of at least 80-90% is required. According to Russian standards, seeds must correspond to the 1st class, i.e. have an admixture of weeds of no more than 1%. Unfortunately, it is not yet possible to completely free the seeds of lawn grass from weeds, but it will not be superfluous to make sure that the seller has a quality certificate.

The mixture used or the type of lawn grass must correspond to your climatic zone, type of soil, and the level of illumination of the site.

Observe the seeding rate indicated on the package. By lowering it, you doom yourself to a constant war with weeds, which will not miss their chance in the fight for a place in the sun. On the other hand, do not act according to the principle "you cannot spoil the porridge with oil" - overestimation of the seeding rate in the future can lead to the drying out of the lawn.

Be sure to save 10-20% of the seeds for possible lawn restoration in the future (your four-legged friend is too actively enjoying life on a lawn that has not yet matured, but you never know what ...), since each mixture has its own shade of green. Lawn grass seeds remain viable for three to four years, so it is better to insure your lawn against the possible vicissitudes of life.

You can sow lawn grasses from the end of April to the second decade of August.

Summer July sowing is only allowed if you are able to provide constant watering. The soil is thoroughly shed one or two days before sowing. The best conditions for sowing seeds are when the soil is slightly dry on the surface and does not stick to the sole. Sow in calm, windless weather.
Shake the seed bag thoroughly. It is better to mix them with sand in a 1: 1 ratio. The sand marker (clearly visible on dark soil) allows for even seeding. Seeds are divided in half, half is sown, passing along the site, and the other half - across. To move around the site, so as not to disturb its layout, use a wide board or sheet of plywood. After sowing, lightly cover the seeds with a fan rake and roll again. Do not try to completely embed them in the soil, otherwise uneven seeding will not be avoided.

After a couple of days, water the lawn with a fine spray to keep the seeds from washing out. Water stagnation can also disrupt planting uniformity.

Birds pose a serious threat to newly planted lawns. From them it is better to pull a special net or black threads crosswise with a meter interval at a height of 5-10 cm. In the first stages, sowing is especially sensitive to a lack of moisture. There is no rain for several days - be sure to irrigate with a sprinkler or a watering can with a fine spray of water, which does not allow the seedlings to wash out.

How to care for

In the first year after planting

Seedlings usually appear one to three weeks after sowing, depending on the type of lawn and air temperature. The slowest sprout are bluegrass, bent grass, clover, and, accordingly, they make higher demands on cleaning the soil from fast-growing weeds, since they simply cannot withstand competition with them.

In a mixture of lawn grasses, perennial ryegrass is an indispensable component. It quickly occupies the territory, and then under its protection other more valuable narrow-leaved cereals - fescue, bluegrass - develop. If necessary, water the lawn carefully, in order to avoid sunburn of the leaves it is better in the evening hours. Remove weeds with a sharpened knife. The first shearing is carried out when the length of the plants is about 15 cm at a height of 10 cm. The height of the next haircuts is reduced, bringing them to 5 cm after one or two months. In addition, lagging mowing can result in pale green patches on the lawn. Use a lawnmower with sharpened blades and a crop receptacle, or carefully harvest the cut grass with a fan rake. Staying under the cut grass, the plants can weed out. The mowing height depends on the type of lawn (for example, the parterre lawn is cut to a height of 3 cm, normal - 5 cm) and the conditions of the season (in a dry season, we recommend increasing the mowing height by 2 cm).

If you mow a lawn higher than 7-8 cm, there is another danger - less valuable broad-leaved grasses will be supplanted by narrow-leaved grasses, which, in fact, ensure the quality and aesthetics of the lawn. It is best to mow the lawn a day or two after watering.

When watering, the soil should be soaked to a depth of 15-30 cm. Frequent and weak watering leads to superficial root development. There are no clear rules for watering. Plants signal moisture deficiency by loss of firmness and wilting. Water the lawn when the surface layer dries up to 10 cm, in dry weather - once a week. The main thing is that the soil has time to dry out between waterings and the root system of the plants receives enough air. Excessive watering can lead to the appearance of mosses on the lawn, insufficient watering - to the displacement of lawn grasses by drought-resistant weeds. In the first year, if you have prepared the soil well, it is better not to feed the plants and not put undue stress on the plants (even if you sowed a mixture of lawn grasses for sports and games). Before leaving for the winter, in order to avoid winter damping of the plants, the lawn must be mowed, but so that the grasses are gone before winter with a height of at least 10 cm.

After the lawn has wintered

It is better to start the second year of life of a successfully overwintered lawn with top dressing. Lawn mowing results in significant nutrient removal. If we do not compensate the plants for irreversible losses, the blades of grass will become thinner, become rare, pale green.

In the spring, a nitrogen or complete mineral fertilizer is applied (containing nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium - NPK, as experts say). In autumn, it is better to add only phosphorus and potassium. Two or three additional dressings are usually sufficient per season. Follow the recommendations on the package, do not overstate the application rate. Check the weather forecast - it is advisable to fertilize the lawn before the rain. Herbs are responsive to feeding. Literally before your eyes, the plants will acquire a bright green color and a juicy healthy look.

The main problem of keeping the lawn in good condition in Russia is weeds. Unfortunately, there are not so many ways to deal with them.

Preventive methods have already been discussed above. For manual weeding, use a lawn knife or hoe. In rhizome plants (dandelion, field thistle, etc.), it is necessary to completely remove the entire rhizome, and fill the resulting hole with soil and slightly compact.

The chemical method of dealing with casual fellow travelers of lawn grasses is popular. Dilute the Roundup herbicide in the proportions recommended in the instructions (50 ml to 5 liters of water) and apply the solution with a brush to the leaves of weeds. It has a systemic effect (penetrates into the rhizomes of plants) and will save you from the laborious process of picking out weed roots from the soil. Be patient, the weed dies within 10-20 days after the drug is applied.

It is easiest to use herbicides on weed spots. Fence the weed spot with plastic wrap to protect the lawn from the wind blowing away the herbicide. Treat the stain with the prepared compound and sow the seeds reserved for lawn regeneration one to two weeks after the soil has been worked.

Sometimes on acidified soils with excessive watering, moss appears on the lawn. Reduce the number of waterings, water less often, but abundantly. Before watering, apply wood ash to the site at the rate of 50 g per 1 sq. m.

On heavy soils in dry weather, it is necessary to carry out aeration by piercing the sod to a depth of 10-20 cm with a garden pitchfork. At the same time, the roots of the grasses receive additional oxygen, the excess water is diverted to the lower layers of the soil. Plants grow and develop better. In winter, keep an eye out for snow on the lawn, and arrange for snow retention if necessary. In winters without snow, you can cover the lawn with straw or high-moor peat. Just do not forget to remove them when the plants begin to develop in spring.

Enjoying the splendor of a well-groomed lawn from the window of the house, you literally physically feel how, after a difficult day at work, a juicy bright color relieves psychological stress, normalizes blood pressure, and fills the body with vital energy.

The lush green grass in front of the house looks very aesthetically pleasing and brings a lot of benefits. Plants perfectly absorb dust, purifying the air in the country, increasing humidity and making the backyard beautiful and well-groomed. Before planting a lawn with your own hands, you need to think carefully about what it will be used for and purchase the necessary seeds in the store.

What are the lawns

A lawn is a kind of rammed area sown with dense or creeping grasses. It can be placed in different corners of the personal plot.

For an area where children often play, or for a football field, it is better to purchase a special sports mixture of herbs that is denser than others and is not afraid of trampling.
The English lawn is planted to decorate landscape compositions, fountains and statues in parks. You can't run with a ball there, the delicate grass will immediately lose its gorgeous look. She needs to be looked after regularly, often watered and mowed.
The Moorish lawn is usually laid out in front of the house. It consists of a mixture of meadow grasses. These can be cornflowers, chamomiles, red poppies, echinacea, and many others. It all depends on the imagination and preferences of the owner. Seeds can be collected by hand or purchased from a store-bought assortment. You should not run on such a lawn. The grass instantly crumples and is difficult to recover.
The easiest way is to plant a park and garden lawn. Unpretentious herbs that do not need specific care are suitable for him. Such a lawn is used to decorate the land in front of the pool and various recreational areas.

When you decide what kind of lawn you want to see in the country, and purchase planting material, you can start preparing the soil.

How to prepare the soil

To keep the lawn thick and beautiful, it is important to properly prepare the soil. This is the most difficult moment, requiring some effort and time.

First of all, inspect the garden and try to level it. Fill in any holes and make sure there are no more drops in the relief.
Dig the ground thoroughly onto the bayonet of the shovel, meticulously breaking up the lumps. Such maintenance will improve the air permeability of the soil.
Check carefully the thickness of the fertile soil. It should be at least 15 cm. When there is not enough soil, be sure to add it to the desired size.
If there are small pebbles, branches and other debris on the site, get rid of them.
Do not forget to remove the weeds, and when digging, try to pull out all the roots that you notice with your own hands from the ground.

When the soil is dug up, you need to correctly apply mineral fertilizers. Do not neglect this step. Grass needs nutrients to grow quickly. You can use the following components:

ammonium nitrate at the rate of 40 g per m 2.
potassium sulfate - 30 g per m2.
double superphosphate - 40 g per m2.
magnesium and boron - 2 g per m2.

Spread the first three ingredients evenly on top of the soil, and dilute the magnesium with boron in the liquid and saturate the garden with it.

It often happens that there is no time to use individual components. Then get a mineral complex in the store. The preparations developed by the firm "Russian lawns" have proven themselves well.

Alignment

In order for the lawn in the country, made by hand, to please the eye for a long time, the soil must be properly leveled and tamped before sowing the grass. This maintenance can be accomplished with a massive, fine-toothed rake. After processing the soil, they put a wide board on it and begin to walk on it. The ground should be well compacted and not sag underfoot.

Use a garden roller instead of a board. Walk them around the site, making some effort. The earth will quickly settle and become dense.

To prevent weeds from interfering with the development of the lawn, after leveling the soil, you will need to thoroughly water the lawn. In a few days, young shoots of weed will hatch from the ground. Gently remove them along with the roots. Such care will relieve excess vegetation for a long time. After that, do not forget to weed the bed and finally level it.

What grass to plant

Do-it-yourself lawn planting in the country will be more successful if you use a mixture of herbs. It takes root better.

In our climatic conditions, they often plant:

red or sheep fescue;
thin or escaping bent field;
pasture ryegrass;
meadow bluegrass.

These plants are hardy, unpretentious. They only need to be watered regularly and provided with minimal maintenance.

Sowing technology

It is better to plant the lawn in the spring, in mid-May, when the land on the site has already warmed up enough and a lot of moisture has remained in it. Sometimes the lawn is sown in August. It's a good time too. The main thing is to guess so that about 2 months remain before the cold weather begins. During this time, plant roots will form their own system and get stronger.

You need to choose a sunny day for work, when there is no wind.

Small seeds are difficult to plant evenly, so for convenience they are mixed with sand in a 1: 1 ratio.
Divide the prepared planting material into two identical parts.
Rakes on the future lawn.
One part of the seeds is sown along the bed, and the other - across.
Places along the edge of the lawn are covered with seeds denser than the rest of the plot.

At the end, you need to carefully sprinkle the bed with a layer of peat. Such care is necessary to retain moisture and protect delicate seeds from ultraviolet radiation.

The technology of growing lawn grass requires frequent watering of the lawn during seed germination. Do this with soft sprinklers. The optimal time to moisturize is in the evening or early morning. Make sure that the moisture soaks the soil 10 cm deep. This is the only way the plants will sprout quickly. It is necessary to prevent seeds from washing out of the soil, the formation of puddles and stagnant water on the site.

In no case should the earth dry up. Swollen seeds in dried up soil instantly die. If the lawn is watered regularly, the grass will begin to hatch out of the ground after 2 weeks.

How to care for your lawn

If you planted your lawn with your own hands in the spring, in the summer you will already have a beautiful green lawn, which must be properly maintained. In the first year, it must be especially taken care of. Try to walk on the lawn as little as possible, do not allow cats or dogs to rummage in the grass.

The main care a lawn needs in summer is mowing. With its help, weeds are easily destroyed, the elegant appearance of the lawn is preserved, the density and density of the sown material is increased.

For the first time, trimming is done when the plants have reached a length of 10 cm. Then 2 cm of the tips of the leaves are cut off.
Then the mowing is carried out weekly with a lawn mower. Leave the greenery 3-4 cm from the ground. When it gets longer, it often slopes downward, and the lawn in the country looks unpresentable.
Remove cut grass immediately. If you leave it, bald patches quickly form under it, and the grass cover is difficult to restore.

In order for crops to grow well, they need to be watered as soon as the topsoil dries up. Aridity leads to the fact that the grass instantly turns yellow and begins to wilt.

In the summertime, the grass on the lawn is often deficient in potassium. To replenish it. Experienced gardeners use a good anti-stress supplement Kali Gazon in the country. It was developed by German scientists and works great on plants. They have increased immunity to diseases, resistance to pests, increased drought resistance. It must be used correctly. Apply Kali Gazon 2-3 times over the summer, spending 30 g of the product for each m2.

In early September, lawn care involves another feeding with superphosphate and potassium sulfate. A week after it, it is advisable to treat the area with Agrokiller, a modern herbicide. It will help to completely destroy weeds, the fight against which is very tiring.

At the end of September, the cultivation technology requires mowing the lawn, weeding out the weeds or pulling out single specimens with our own hands, raking up the fallen leaves and sowing seeds into the bald areas of the lawn.

You can't do without a lawn at the dacha. It fits perfectly into the landscape design and creates a single finished picture. To maintain the attractiveness of the lawn, you need a little - you need to regularly care for it, water it often, treat it carefully and with love.

You can quickly equip a lawn on your site using a purchased roll lawn. This is specially grown turf, which is sold immediately in the form of wide strips. Such a lawn will cost a pretty penny, but it does not require additional effort. But you can sow the lawn yourself, as it is easy and will save you money.

Lawn layout

A lawn is not always a classic short-cut lawn. The lawn can be garden, flowering, or even sports. The choice of herbs, mowing, feeding and watering of the new lawn depends on this. The very first stage is the planning of the future lawn. You need to have an idea of what this area will look like. You might want to keep the trees or plant a small garden.

Therefore, it is best to depict the lawn schematically. It is also necessary to take into account the distance between the grass and the curb and the correct neighborhood of grasses and shrubs. If it is planned to place paths and flower beds on the lawn, then before sowing, it is necessary to mark it with a rope and a peg.

Lawn preparation and grass selection

Before you start sowing your lawn, you must:

remove all garbage from the territory;
uproot all roots and stumps of old trees;
destroy weeds;
dig up the soil by adding fertilizers;
create a drainage layer;
level the surface of the site;
thoroughly compact the earth;
loosen the surface of the earth a little with a rake.

For weed control, it is best to use a general herbicide. If there are a lot of weeds, the area will have to be cultivated several times at intervals of 10-15 days. Plants are destroyed much better in spring than in autumn. In addition, in the fall, the seeds often go deep underground and germinate in the spring.

Before sowing, the soil must be fertilized and loosened. To do this, you need to find out the composition of the soil. For acidic soil, it is better to use slaked lime or chalk. If there is a lot of clay in the soil, it is important to add humus and vermicompost to it. And only after that you can fertilize the territory.

In the spring, it is best to fertilize the soil with nitrogen fertilizers, as they enhance the growth of the grass. But during autumn sowing, the soil must be fertilized with potassium and phosphorus, which make it easier for the seeds to "winterize". If before that vermicompost was added to the soil, then the amount of the main fertilizer should be reduced.

After preparing the site, the land must be left for several days. If the lawn is left standing for a week, then weeds can be removed, the seeds of which will enter the soil along with fertilizer. At this time, you should tackle the selection of herbs that will grow on the lawn. The density of the lawn depends on this, since there are always several types of lawn grass in such a mixture. You can buy a special set of herbs, but here it is important to take into account the local climate, the purpose of the lawn, the composition of the soil, etc.

You should not immediately buy universal mixtures, since they are not always durable. For example, ryegrass is now very popular and is present in many formulations of lawn grasses. It is often planted in Europe, where it grows rapidly. But the climatic conditions of those places cannot be compared with ours, so in Russia ryegrass freezes in the very first winter.

Therefore, it is best to choose herbs such as meadow bluegrass or red fescue. They have a very high frost resistance. In addition, these plants are bright green in color and are renowned for their durability. For example, fescue is quite unpretentious and does not mind growing in the shade. These grasses are ideal for creating a parterre lawn. You can buy them immediately assembled or one by one, so that you can mix them later.

You should also pay attention to the instructions on the package with the seeds. Seed consumption as directed by the manufacturer must be adhered to if sowing occurs in the fall. But in the spring it is better to increase this amount, since most of the seeds will be washed away by floods.

In the summer, sow a little more grass, taking into account the heat, which kills a lot of seeds. The seeding density also depends on the location of the lawn. In higher elevations, you should always sow a little more grass, as it is quickly washed out by the rain.

Sowing time

Experienced gardeners know that it is best to sow the lawn in the spring or late summer, that is, during a time of year when there is no heat. The air temperature should not exceed +25 ° C, otherwise half of the seeds simply will not germinate. It is even better to sow the grass in rainy weather when the soil becomes moist and the seeds swell faster.

Before sowing, dry soil should be well watered with a hose. First, you need to distribute the number of seeds throughout the territory. They need to be spread evenly so that the entire lawn is sown. You can do this with a seeder, but if you don't have one, you can also scatter the grass by hand. The main thing is that there is no strong wind. On average, 1 sq. m. 50 grams of seeds is enough. For convenience, seeds should be mixed with sand in a 1: 1 ratio.

For a large lawn, you need to prepare the composition for the entire area at once. Sowing is usually the same as wheat was sown in the old days - first along the plot, and then across. Immediately thereafter, the soil must be thoroughly loosened, for example with a rake. This is done so that all the seeds are under a layer of earth.

A rake is best to take a fan-shaped rake for work in the garden. A heavy metal rake or one with large teeth can burrow seeds too deep or rake them together. The depth should not exceed 1.5 cm.

The next step is to compact the earth with a roller. If it is not there, ordinary skis will come to the rescue, which you need to walk on the lawn. A small area of lawn can be easily tamped down with a wide plank. It is laid on the ground and trampled on it.

Then they shift the board further until all the ground is trampled down. Before this, the area can be sprinkled with peat. After all the work, the lawn needs to be watered. As soon as the grass rises, weeds are sure to appear. You do not need to pull them out, since all the grass will still need to be mowed. And annual weeds will disappear over time.

Naturally, the lawn must be mowed from time to time. Its density and appearance depends on this. The main thing is that the knives are very sharp. If the lawnmower tears the grass while mowing, it will quickly turn yellow. Also, do not mow the lawn immediately after rain or watering.

The mowing height is very important in this case. The first mowing is done high enough - the grass should not be lower than 6 cm. Further, the grass should be mowed depending on what type of lawn. An ordinary lawn is about 5 cm, and a parterre lawn is 3-4 cm. If you cut very low, the grass will weaken and will not be able to receive the amount of nutrients necessary for the formation of roots. If you cut the lawn above the established norm, then soon the narrow-leaved plants will be drowned out by the broad-leaved ones.

It is not uncommon for gardeners to make several serious mistakes, such as cutting the lawn very low or doing it irregularly. The grass weakens, and weeds such as moss or bryozoan begin to "choke off" it. It is necessary to mow the lawn depending on the season, soil moisture, etc. It is best to do this once a week or, for example, when the grass grows 1.5–2 cm.

If the lawn has not been mowed for a very long time, then it is not recommended to immediately cut the grass at the root. First you need to cut off the top a little, and mow the required amount after a few days. In the fall, the hay may not be removed from the lawn, but left for natural organic feeding.

Lawn care

In addition to mowing, the lawn also needs mulching and feeding. Sand, turf humus and rotted compost are used for mulching. It is better to feed the grass with complex fertilizers, which can be bought in the appropriate stores. In August-September, you need to stop feeding the lawn.

Water the lawn, especially a young one, only with the help of special sprayers. Hose or watering can damage the roots of the grass. The soil should be moistened by 6-7 cm. If the weather is dry, it means that you need to water the lawn every day. Especially if the grass has just sprung up.

Sowing and growing lawn grass is not difficult. But it is important to know how to do it correctly and not to forget about constant lawn care. If you fertilize and water the grass in time, then it will delight the owners for a long time with its well-groomed appearance.

Video: how to sow lawn grass with your own hands

It would seem, what could be easier than growing grass? Meanwhile, in order to get a well-groomed green lawn, it is necessary not only to properly plant the lawn grass, but also to prepare the soil for planting, and subsequently to properly care for the young lawn.

Types of lawns

The lawn does not have to be green grass cut short in a classic style. It can be flowering - Moorish or meadow, sports - resistant to abrasion, or garden. The choice of seeds for sowing and subsequent care, for example, the frequency of mowing and feeding, watering and aeration, depends on the type of lawn. Soil preparation for different types of lawns is carried out using a single technology.

When is the best time to sow your lawn?

There are no strict rules for sowing a lawn. It is necessary to take into account the time for the preparation of the site, the soil, for the germination of the grass. That is why the best time to start work on the design of the lawn is considered to be the period from mid-May to early September. On average, lawn seeding and germination work takes 4 to 6 weeks and is best completed before snow and frost.

Site preparation

The first and most important stage at which the future lawn is marked, weeds are cleaned and leveled. Careful preparation will save you the hassle of weeding and make it easier to mow your already grown lawn. The time required to prepare the site is from 1 to 4 weeks.

Fertilization and soil preparation

The second stage, at which favorable conditions are laid for the quick and friendly emergence of seedlings of lawn grass and its subsequent growth. The need for fertilization depends on the type of soil. It should be fertile, friable, permeate and retain moisture well, and contain a sufficient amount of elements that ensure rapid growth. The lead time is from 3 to 7 days.

Sowing rates are usually indicated on the seed package and may vary for different types of lawns. Do not skimp on quantity - the “bald spots” on your lawn will not remain bare for long, very soon they will be occupied by weeds, and you will have to repeat everything again. The time it takes to sow the grass is short - if the lawn is small, you can do it in a day.

Lawn care

During the period of emergence and rapid growth of grass, the lawn needs regular maintenance. It consists in regular watering, removing the remaining weeds, as well as cutting young grass. It is not recommended to walk on the lawn before the first mow.

A two to three year old lawn with uniformly growing grass is considered mature. Such a lawn needs not only watering and mowing, but also aeration, as well as additional fertilization. At the same time, a strong and healthy root system will not allow weeds to emerge and sprout accidentally seeds, and your lawn will delight you with luscious green grass for a long time.

In order for the landscape design at the summer cottage to look complete, a lawn planting should be planned. It would seem, what is there to plan? Green grass, and nothing more. But it is not so. There are certain rules on how to properly plant the grass and the observance of which will help you enjoy the green lawn in your yard for a long time.

What is a lawn, types of lawn, where to place a lawn area

What is a lawn? A lawn is a cover of grass that is artificially planted. For lawn grass, special grasses are selected, and that is why the lawn looks so neat and becomes a suitable backdrop for parks and suburban areas.

The lawn in the country can be sown for various purposes and not only decorative. For example, a different lawn seed mixture will be used for the area around a flower bed than for a sports lawn. Depending on the characteristics of the grass, the lawn can be divided into:

Parterre. It is a soft green lawn with a rich deep color. Such a lawn is sown to decorate the site. Therefore, it requires special care.
Sports. Such grass is used for recreation and outdoor games. For the sports lawn, grasses are selected that are resistant to trampling and quickly settle. Their cost is higher than usual.
Garden. It is a dense grass cover that is resistant to trampling and damage. Suitable for picnic and hiking areas.
Universal. Suitable for any purpose. It is easy to restore and maintain.
Shadow. From the name it is clear that the grasses of such a lawn grow quietly in the shade.

Parterre lawn

You can sow lawn grass in any corner of your suburban area: sunny or shaded, horizontal or slope, sand or clay. It is good if water does not stagnate on the site after rains and snow. To plan everything well, sketch out a sketchy area for the lawn. Apply trees, flower beds, flower beds, exterior elements to it. All this is needed to make it easier for yourself in the future to mow the grass. Lonely trees and shrubs are best decorated with crumbs and ground covers.

Site preparation and soil cultivation

Any painstaking business takes a certain amount of time to complete. So preparing a plot for sowing a lawn with your own hands will take you a couple of weeks. Take your time and energy to prepare the ground. In the future, you will save time on weeding and cutting the grass.

First of all, clear the place where you plan to sow grass from debris (construction, household, root residues).

Remove weeds with the help of herbicides, because in a hand-to-hand fight you will lose with them - some of the roots will surely remain in the soil and germinate again.

Remove dried weeds. If the soil on your site is not fertile, then it is worth adding "rich" soil.

Now is the time to level the ground from unevenness. To make it easier to work, perform this step on a clear day - then the earth will be dry and free-flowing. Use a level to get the perfect lawn grass carpet. If there are pits or lowlands on your site, then you can fill them up with earth removed from a hummock or hill, or buy peat soil.

Soil preparation

The next step is optional for everyone. It's about drainage. Such a water drainage technology is needed only if the land planned for the lawn with your own hands is flooded with rain and groundwater. The drainage system is created in the process of leveling the site. To do this, you need to remove the top layer of soil, fill in 15 cm of gravel, 15 cm of sand and 20 cm of soil complete this "sandwich". Naturally, everything is smoothly compacted during the installation process.

Step-by-step instructions on how to grow a lawn (video)

We continue to prepare the land to sow the lawn. Dig the ground 20 centimeters deep, removing any debris that comes across. Apply fertilizer depending on the type of soil. Enrich the soil with nitrogen fertilizers in the spring, and with phosphorus and potash fertilizers - in the fall. Level the soil with fertilizer with a rake, breaking up clods and compact with a roller, but only do this on dry soil. The ramming of the earth will not allow irregularities on the sprouted grass to crawl out over time. In the process of tamping, add soil to voids or remove excess from hills. Let the soil settle for a couple of weeks (during this time weeds will sprout up, which can be removed immediately).

Also, owners who have a negative attitude to fertilizing their land with animal waste products or chemical fertilizers will find it useful to familiarize themselves with such technology as green manure.

Sideration is a specially sown grasses that make the soil structure better and richer. Lupine, clover, rye, etc. cope with this task. They do not allow weeds to germinate so freely and, with their branched root system, improve the quality of the soil and its permeability. It is better to sow them 1.5 months before you plan to plant the grass.

Selection and calculation of the number of seeds

As we mentioned, lawns can be designed for different purposes. Accordingly, there are various mixtures of herbs on sale. Although it should be said that most of the seeds in such mixtures are similar - they are ryegrass, fescue, bluegrass, timothy grass, bent grass and many others. They differ in the combination and quantity in the pack. Your choice should also be influenced by: climate, illumination on the site, groundwater. Ask the seller for all this information or read on the package with seeds. Look for national or international approvals on packaging.

Ryegrass

In order for the grass to grow thick and without gaps, you need to know how to sow the lawn correctly. Experts advise taking 30-50g of grass seeds per 1 sq. M. You can also experiment before planting: germinate approximately 100 seeds for a week to see the germination density.

Planting season and methods

Planting your lawn in spring or autumn is up to you. There is no consensus among gardeners. You can start planting lawn grass from spring until the first frost.

Some facts regarding planting a lawn in spring:

The grass sown in May grows much better; you need to wait for the earth to warm up; when planting in spring, regular watering and weeding of weeds is necessary.

Some facts regarding planting a lawn in the fall:

The lawn sown in early autumn will rise to frost, and you will have time to process the grass for the winter; if sown with the first frost (but before the first snow), the seeds will acquire immunity to diseases and germinate in the spring like a thick brush; the seeds sown for the winter will undergo stratification - i.e. holding the seeds at a low temperature for better germination.

Plant in spring or autumn - it's up to you

We have already mentioned how to correctly calculate the number of seeds for dense grass germination. We will only remind you that saving seeds, you will surely find ugly gaps on your lawn area that do not decorate the lawn at all. And besides, weeds will sprout very soon in the gaps.

Follow these tips and you will figure out how to sow grass correctly:

Divide your lawn into equal parts and divide the seeds into equal parts. Thus, you will evenly sow the lawn;
Loosen the soil with a rake to create shallow furrows;
Before planting, spray the soil with a spray hose and let the water soak slightly;
We look at the weather and sow seeds on a clear, quiet day;
Spread the seeds along and across the lawn so they spread evenly. Try to go over the edges on each side of the lawn;
Loosen the soil with a French rake to lightly mix the seeds with the soil;
Fill the seeds with the peat mixture about 1 cm and walk over the lawn with a compactor;
Now water the already planted lawn;
If you dream of a beautiful lawn and are thinking of how to plant it correctly, do not be afraid to use special tools - a seeder or a cannon.

Although a little more should be said about the first watering. Already in the third week you will notice the first grass shoots. Watering at this time requires abundant (of course, if there is no rain). Watering should be very gentle so as not to damage the young grass. For this purpose, a hose with a spray or a rain-type installation is suitable. Just avoid strong water pressure.

Sowing a lawn (video)

Lawn gaps and how to deal with them

Gaps in the lawn lawn spoil the overall view of the entire site. Such bald spots create the impression of sloppiness and carelessness. They appear due to stagnant water, damping grass under the snow, freezing of roots during the winter, diseases and fungi, and also due to trampling. The reasons are known, but how to overcome the problem?

The lawn lawn can be patched:

Mow the grass on the gap;
Loosen the earth on it and apply fertilizer;
Sow the same seeds as you sowed the main area;
Rake the area and cover with compost or peat mixture;
Tamp with your feet and pour.

It is best to lay tiles on the passages, otherwise you will always struggle with bald spots on them.

Lawn care and mowing

In fact, many rules and recommendations can be written about how to sow a lawn and how to grow it thick and well-groomed. Let's try to give the most basic ones:

Do not forget about watering, especially during the period of intensive germination;
Do not be discouraged if you find weeds in your area - no matter how carefully you prepare the land, they will still germinate. Therefore, do not be too hard on yourself, but, roll up your sleeves, fight with them;
Feed your lawn regularly, but do not overdo it in the first year - young grass does not need large doses of fertilizer;
What can not be said about mature two-three-year-old grass - it needs regular feeding;
In the fall, remember to remove dry grass and leaves from your lawn.

Timely lawn mowing makes the lawn neat and attractive.

Mowing the lawn also helps control weeds.

Hairdressing procedures are also needed to stimulate the development of additional shoots. Before each mowing of the lawn, be sure to remove any foreign objects from the lawn. And already after a month and a half after germination, you can mow the lawn. Cut at a height of at least 8 cm, and in subsequent times - 3-5 cm (in autumn-spring - 4-6 cm). Change the cut for each cut - either across or diagonally to the previous cut. Remember to keep the blade sharp at all times. Regularity is the best way to keep your lawn neat and tidy. Cut about once every 7 days.

Don't forget to mow your lawn in time!

The owner, who loves minimalism in the design of the exterior, will have enough lawn lawn and flowers grown with his own hands. This will be a worthy decoration for any site. We hope this article will help you figure out how to properly plant and care for your lawn.