Lawn grass care after winter. Year-round lawn care at their summer cottage

Proper lawn care

Lawn is an artificially planted grass cover, which is the main or background element of landscape design. In central Russia and more northern regions, it is advisable to use meadow bluegrass for planting.

Decorative lawn can be of the following types:

Parterre lawn... Should be uniform in composition, color and height. To create it, it is most advisable to use one type of grass.
Moorish lawn... Diverse in composition and contains not only herbs but also flowering plants.

In order for the decorative lawn to always look perfect, it needs careful maintenance. This is especially true after winter.
The main recovery activities in the post-winter period

You will need to carry out the following procedures:

Neutralizing the ice crust on the surface of the lawn. When the snow melts, the ice crust formed on the lawn provokes damage to the root system of lawn plants, as it disrupts air circulation. Any garden tool, such as a rake, can be used to neutralize the crust. Important: it is required not only to break the ice, but to remove it from the lawn. This is due to the fact that the crushed ice will melt faster and freeze again. It is also recommended to take preventive measures against the appearance of an ice crust, which is typical for spring, when the day is warm, and at night it is freezing. Prevention is carried out by organizing drainage from the lawn: surface (creating a slope) and internal (piercing the soil with a pitchfork or similar devices).
Fertilization. In the spring, lawn grass is clearly lacking in nutrients and nutrients necessary for growth, such as nitrogen and phosphorus. This is due to the winter freezing of the soil during the winter, which contributes to the destruction of nutrients, and leaching of the soil with spring waters. Important: fertilization is adequate, only after the snow has completely melted. Otherwise, another washout and minimization of the required effect is possible. It is not recommended to apply complex fertilizers before the first mowing of the lawn grass.
Mulching. This is not a mandatory procedure, but it is recommended in order to reduce the number of waterings (the lawn requires a lot of waterings to maintain a highly aesthetic appearance). A mixture of sand and peat is ideal for mulching.
Weed control. Most important for a homogeneous lawn, where the appearance of other plant species, except for uniform green grass, is unacceptable. Removal of weeds is allowed manually using country tools, or by exposure to chemical preparations - herbicides. When using chemicals, it is necessary to apply herbicides directly to the weeds to be destroyed.
Restoration of the original appearance of the lawn. After the winter period, as a rule, “bald spots” and areas with yellowed grass cannot be avoided. In this case, it is necessary to re-sow the damaged lawn.

The complex of actions is as follows:

the lawn should not be located on a level higher than other territory, as this will provoke excessive leaching of nutrients and soil;
it is recommended to enclose the lawn with a stone or similar solid border;
it is necessary to remove the waste products of animals from the lawn, otherwise it can provoke a chemical burn of the grass cover with the subsequent formation of bald spots.

Neat green lawns are a great decoration of the site, a bright background for ornamental crops, a blooming garden and a cozy home. But only regular, competent lawn care can turn the territory overgrown with grass into an owner's pride.

Many inexperienced summer residents believe that by arranging a lawn on the site, you can save effort, quickly transform the surrounding space and not think about independently growing cereals for several years. But in reality, the lawn requires constant attention. The first exit to the lawn must be done as soon as the snow melts, and the lawn care is completed in the fall, a couple of weeks before the snow cover is established. And yet, you should not be afraid of difficulties.

If the grass is regularly looked after, and all the planned procedures are performed on time, then the lawn really pleases the eye for many years, and taking care of it brings only pleasure.

How to care for the lawn in the country? What are the features of work on the lawn in different seasons of the year, and how to properly distribute the efforts?

Features of lawn care after winter

The first spring days, when the snow begins to melt actively, but at night open places on the site are covered with a dense crust of ice, this is the time when the owner of the lawn must get out on the grass cover for the first time in a year. How to care for your lawn after winter if some of the grass is still hidden under winter cover?

The fact is that the snow and ice that compacts in the spring hinder the penetration of air to the waking grass. Moisture can build up under the ice crust. As a result, the root system of plants suffers, the remaining leaves can rot. The gardener's task is to gently break the ice, remove accumulations of packed snow.

Brushing and cleaning the lawn

When the snow melts and the ground dries up a little, the grass cover should be cleaned of the remnants of last year's grass. Blades of grass that have died out during the fall and winter under the snow settle to the ground and crumble, forming a kind of gray-brown felt. If such plant debris is not removed, it is:

hinder the germination of young grass;
stimulates the development of putrefactive processes and the dispersal of pests;
will reduce the density of the grass cover, and the lawn will eventually lose its even green color.

You can comb out the lawn with a fan rake, which, due to the design, does not penetrate as deep into the ground as usual. Such maintenance of the lawn in the spring will help to clean the coating of both plant debris and accidental debris accumulated during the cold season.

The procedure is carried out in the longitudinal and then in the lateral direction so that the first stage of lawn care after winter affects all its areas.

Aeration for lawn care in spring and autumn

The roots of the perennial grasses used to plant the lawn quickly form a sod so dense that it can be compared to a rough and very tough burlap.

Therefore, in the spring, when the soil is watered with water, the growth of grass is activated, it is important to help the plants and provide them with air. For this purpose, lawns are laid. The lawn care procedure consists of piercing the coating. Point punctures with a depth of 8 to 10 cm are made at a short distance from each other over the entire coverage area.

Such holes:

help oxygen to penetrate deep into the soil;
stimulate the activity of beneficial soil microorganisms;
prevents the development of putrefactive fungi and bacteria;
prevent waterlogging of the substrate;
provide root respiration;
accelerate the renewal of the grass cover after winter.

If the area under the grass is small, a conventional pitchfork will help to cope with aeration.

With extensive lawns, aeration after winter care requires mechanization. Gasoline or electric aerators will be useful here, which both speed up the work and simplify it many times over.

Re-aeration is carried out closer to autumn. In summer, especially on hot days, such a lawn care procedure is not carried out.

Mowing: the main task of lawn care in spring and summer

If the lawn is not mowed, the grains will grow and the surface will lose its evenness. Therefore, mowing is the main measure for lawn care. It is carried out from spring to mid-autumn, when it is time to prepare the coating for "hibernation".

The main purpose of mowing, as a stage of lawn care in spring and summer, is to make the lawn look neat and attractive. With any area of \u200b\u200bthe lawn, its owner cannot do without a high-quality or at least a trimmer, otherwise it is almost impossible to get an even grass cover of the same height.

Mowing the grass is preceded by cleaning the lawn. This measure is needed not only to remove debris that can damage the lawn mower mechanism, but also to straighten the grass. The lawn is mowed on sunny, cool days. The grass must be dry, otherwise the blade of grass sticks to the knives and damage to mechanization equipment.

As part of regular lawn care in summer, mowing is carried out as the leaf plates grow back. The frequency depends on the weather conditions and the plant chosen for sowing.

Most often, the interval between mowing is from 2 to 4 weeks, but wanting to delay the next procedure, some gardeners try to cut the grass lower. This is a dangerous mistake. Mowing in this way greatly weakens the lawn, depriving plants of important nutrition through photosynthesis. It is better if the grass cover maintains a height of 7–9 cm from the ground level.

Lawn mowing is carried out in two stages. First, the area covered with grass is traversed in one direction. The second processing is carried out perpendicular to the original.

Top dressing of the lawn in spring and autumn as part of lawn care

Spring lawn care in the country is not limited to mowing, aeration and timely cleaning. Frequent cutting, causing intensive grass growth, invariably leads to weakening of plants and depletion of soil reserves of nutrients and trace elements.

Therefore, top dressing is an essential part of lawn care in spring, summer and autumn. Fertilization is carried out after cutting and must be accompanied by abundant watering of the plants. The frequency of fertilization depends on the condition of the plants. The interval between dressings varies from 4 to 6 weeks, and the first procedure is carried out immediately after the complete disappearance of the snow, and the last one - two weeks before the onset of cold weather.

Lawn care in autumn is different from spring. If during the active growing season the grass needs more, then by winter it is limited in this element, replacing it with potassium and phosphorus. To simplify the care of the lawn in the country, experts recommend using complex formulations that fully meet the requirements of cereals at different times of the year.

Fertilizers are applied dry by hand or using a special device, or the plants are fed with liquid agents, including them in the irrigation scheme.

In addition to fertilizing, in the spring and in the summer, weeds and fungi that often populate green lawns are controlled. If it is sometimes possible to cope with weed shoots manually, then only systemic fungicides, produced specifically for use as part of caring for a summer cottage, will help to remove mycelium from the site.

Watering the country lawn: leaving the warm season

The lawn needs moisture throughout the warm season, while the grass grows and receives nutrition from the soil. In the middle lane, you can water the lawn 2-3 times a week, but sometimes the weather makes its own adjustments to the schedule:

in the rainy period, watering is reduced or stopped completely.
in dry times, the amount of irrigation water is increased, but the procedure is never carried out at noon, when the sun is most active.

Due to the risk of damage to the superficial root system of the grasses, the lawns should never be watered with a hose.

Much more effective are all sorts that provide for the dissection of the water flow or the use of the drip method. To meet the needs of the lawn, the soaking depth must reach 15–20 cm, otherwise part of the root system ends up in dry soil and the grass does not receive proper nutrition.

Mulching: Part of Falling Lawn Care

Spring maintenance of the lawn determines its future growth and beauty. Measures taken in the fall help keep the grass healthy until next season.

From September to mid-October, lawn owners begin preparing their lawn for wintering. An important element of lawn care at this time is soil mulching. The procedure consists in evenly scattering a mixture of their peat, sand and humus on the site, which helps:

increase the thickness of the nutrient layer of the soil;
improve the growth and renewal of the root system;
stimulate the growth of grass;
level the lawn next year.

You need to take care of the lawn all year round. Only such a systematic approach will ensure the stable long quality of the grass cover, its beauty and uniform density.

Spring lawn care videos

Soon, even in the northern regions, snow is growing and the time will come "to do something with the lawn." Having studied the experience of FORUMHOUSE users, we will tell you what activities this “something” consists of.

The first work on bringing the lawn to life after wintering begins even before the snow has completely melted. It is important at this stage to prevent stagnant water on the lawn.

Sodmaster

When snow melts, measures should be taken to ensure that the water does not stagnate on the lawn (playing "rivulets"). If there is ice on the lawn, break it.

After the snow melts and the frozen soil thaws, you need to roll the lawn with a roller. Thus, we "settle" the ground, which was swollen during the winter freezing.

The third activity is to comb the overwintered lawn with a sharp rake.

Sodmaster

We use a "verticutter" - a thing with a motor and knives mounted on an axle. The lawn looks terrible after treatment, but then!

Further, if increased aesthetic requirements are imposed on the lawn, aeration and sanding are carried out. Moreover, the introduction of sand can be very useful to the lawn, and it can cause harm. It is best not to do what you are not sure about without consulting a specialist.

Experts advise not to rush with feeding - it is better to apply fertilizers after the first mowing. Let's dwell on some points of this spring lawn program in more detail.

Rolling

Spring work on the lawn begins with rolling. This procedure will bring nothing but benefit to the lawn.

Combing out

After wintering, especially if the winter was not cold, the lawn sometimes resembles a work of decorative and applied art made by felting. Some kind of matted layer of grass, and green is firmly intertwined with dry .

Kern FORUMHOUSE user

I tried to comb it with a fan rake, but broke the rake. Ordinary - not all dry grass is combed out. Leave her? Perepreret?

In such a situation, when it is necessary to "pull through", you need to use a special rake for the lawn, which do not have teeth, but blade-knives. They will cope with this task.

In other cases, it is better to comb it with caution, especially when it comes to a one-year-old lawn that has not yet formed sod. Combing is mandatory when it comes to lawns over two years old. For younger lawns, gently, when the ground dries up, rake over the top.

Technologist FORUMHOUSE user

Of course, it is dangerous when wet - you can clean up a lot of unnecessary things. I remember that last year I didn’t wait until it dries up, and in some places I scalped the lawn.

Lawnmower agronomist, user of FORUMHOUSE

Thickness of felt up to 1 cm is considered acceptable and does not bring any harm, rather it even helps (reduces evaporation).

Aeration

Sometimes after winter, the lawn resembles a swamp - it looks like a normal lawn, and do not step on, the legs fall through. Such a lawn is obvious. Not a single lawn owner regretted that he bought this unit, which simultaneously pulls dead grass out of the lawn and makes punctures for air exchange. If the family budget does not plan to buy an aerator, you can buy "aeration sandals", also known as "slippers". They cannot remove dead grass, but they do the punctures perfectly, "you cannot compare with a pitchfork."

After such a lawn dries up, you can comb it with a plastic rake - they handle the grass more delicately than metal ones.

Snow mold control

It happens like this: the snow has melted from the lawn, and we see disgusting dry bald spots on it, like in the photographs.

At the same time, the lawn under the trees can remain ideal, dense, juicy green. The situation seems dire, but fortunately it only seems. Snow mold - and this is it - dies in the spring sun at freezing temperatures, and Fusarium, which causes snow mold, damages only the old grass, but not the growing point. Everything will grow back, and quickly enough. No emergency action is required - it is enough to clean the lawn, in the future, perhaps, sow if necessary; but may not be required. The lawn will look like last year anyway. And the ideal state of the lawn under the trees is explained by the fact that there was simply less snow there. There are special drugs that reduce the number of spring problems. In the fall, professional lawns are usually treated - those for which it is important how the lawn will look in March: in front of hotels, conference rooms, etc. For home lawns, this is not rational, ordinary dressings will be enough.

Lawn leveling

If the lawn was sown in a hurry, and in the spring it turned out that the soil had subsided by a few centimeters, it would be correct to properly roll the sagging area after the soil thawed, add soil, roll it in, level it, add it - and so on until the lawn is even. And only then sow.

Almost everyone who has moles on or near the site inevitably passes through the mole mounds on their new lawns. Here it should be remembered that moles for the lawn are not the worst evil. You just need to collect loose earth from mole piles and use it for some other purpose, or just scatter the earth over the lawn, and the hole will gradually tighten. You can close the wormhole with a patch - how to do it, read below.

Lawn repair

If the lawn is damaged it needs to be repaired. For example, at FORUMHOUSE there was such a story: in the spring it turned out that a neighbor's Alabai climbed over the fence and made puddles on a 100% bluegrass lawn.

Sodmaster

I would cut out these circles and plug them with patches cut somewhere in an inconspicuous place on the edge.

If there is nowhere to cut, then you need to cut from anywhere. The resulting patch must be divided into parts, taken for repair, and one part must be put back.

A square decimeter of a lawn contains more than a hundred blades of grass, and each of them is able to take root and grow. To completely restore a square decimeter bald spot, 15-20 blades of grass are enough. Also, small, 2-3 cm in diameter, bunches of grass are used for repairs - the grooves in their place will overgrow so quickly that you will not even notice. It will not be possible to "fix" the bluegrass lawn with seeds so quickly.

Overseeding

Overseeding is carried out as the very last of the spring work - so that it is clear exactly where it is needed.

Sodmaster

I did this: I mixed the seeds with the ground (such a sandy loam crumbly soil) and sprinkled the bald spots. And also like this: I passed it with a verticutter, then with a seeder, and then again with a verticutter and a roller. It looked creepy, but the effect was.

Often, sowing, and mainly ryegrass and fescue, the owner gets a nice green lawn, and even quite thick. But after the first wintering, the lawn looks like this.

There are two ways out of this situation: the first of the series “expensive, but reliable” is to re-grow the lawn with a roll lawn with a good bluegrass. The second option is to sow the lawn with ryegrass every spring. Bluegrass for overseeding is rarely used if the original mixture did not contain such energetic herbs as fescue and ryegrass. Young bluegrass develops slowly, and if at least 10% of the planted survives, this can be considered good luck. From the age of two, bluegrass becomes an aggressive plant and is able to displace other grasses.

When over-sowing, it is better to under-depth the seeds than over-depth.

Spring haircut

In spring, the lawn grows unevenly: in one place the height of the grass will be 15 centimeters, in others - 5. The first mow should just make it even and uniform. Sodmaster uses an empty cigarette pack to determine the timing and height of the lawn mow.

Stand the pack upright - if the grass is at least as tall as the pack, it's definitely time to mow. The height of the grass after mowing should be equal to the height of the pack, set sideways or laid flat (this is the minimum allowable lawn height). On the lawn, only those bald spots are allowed that can be covered with this pack. There should be at least 50 blades of grass under the pile on a quality lawn.

Top dressing

There are many different fertilizers for the lawn - both universal and designed for each specific season - Spring feeding of the lawn is certainly necessary: \u200b\u200bafter winter, minerals are washed out of it by melted snow, there is practically no nitrogen in the soil. Spring fertilizers contain an increased amount of nitrogen, it is important to carefully read the instructions on the packaging and follow them.

It's not so easy to have a beautiful green lawn at your summer cottage. In order for your lawn to delight you for a long time, special attention should be paid to it every spring.

When positive temperatures are established and the upper layer of grass is dried, it is recommended to start preparing the green area for the next season, in other words, in early spring, you should start restoring the lawn after wintering.

As a rule, the following stages should be included in the basis of spring care:

combing out;
aeration;
top dressing;
sowing new grass (optional).

Video: spring lawn care

Combing out

Important! As much as you would not like to grab a fan or ordinary rake upon arrival at the site and start combing in spring, you should refrain from this procedure until the grass is completely dry.

For combing, you can take a simple rake or a fan. The latter are more desirable and convenient, because ordinary ones can pull out the grass along with the roots, especially if you have young crops (they are 1-2 years old).
First, you should collect all fallen leaves and other debris on the site.
Further, it is good to comb the lawn, that is, you need to comb out all the caked grass that is on the surface of the earth, and then collect it in a pile and take it to the compost pit or destroy (burn).

Video: combing the lawn in early spring

Aeration

This is the process of enriching the upper and lower layers of the lawn with oxygen, in other words, providing access to the roots of air, which contributes to a more rapid development of the root system. Thus, acting with the help of special devices, the soil is pierced to a shallow depth (8-10 centimeters). It should be noted that 3-5 cm will be enough for young grass.

Various means can be used to aerate the lawn. For example, verticutters or scarifiers (they are mechanical, electrical and gasoline). With the help of the same units, it is possible to comb out especially large areas, which are very difficult to handle with a rake, as well as time- and labor-intensive.

By the way!If you have a small area, then you can use special aerator sandals or a pitchfork to perform this procedure.

Video: aerating the lawn in spring

Top dressing and fertilization

Top dressing is a very important part of spring lawn care. During this period, it is necessary to give preference to nitrogen-containing fertilizers, which help any plants to grow green mass. For example, ammonium nitrate or carbamide (urea)... There are also special complex mixtures for feeding the lawn (usually spring-summer).

By the way!It is very convenient to apply prolonged complex fertilizers especially for use on large areas. It is enough to apply them in early spring, and this will be enough until the end of the growing season (that is, there will be no need to feed in summer and autumn).

According to some gardeners, it is most convenient to use liquid fertilizers. If you respect the proportion, you will definitely not burn out young grass, unlike dry and granular counterparts.

After fertilizing the lawn, it is imperative to water it abundantly: so that the process of burning the young grass with fertilizer granules does not go through, they must be dissolved with water by all means.

The main thing when applying dressings is their even distribution over the entire still yellow-green area, otherwise the grass will grow unevenly, and it will look sloppy.

By the way! There are special devices for feeding lawn grass.

Video: what and when to feed the lawn

Restoration (overseeding of lawn grasses)

If there are damaged areas on the lawn (all sorts of bald spots), then darning or restoration should be performed, in other words, a new one should be planted. To do this, clean its upper part, slightly loosen it, and then sow the seeds evenly and mulch with a thin layer of soil (with the addition of river sand). Then tamp well.

Advice! Irregularities can form on the lawn during the winter. Such depressions should also be covered with soil.

Video: lawn restoration

Thus, if you properly care for your lawn in the spring, then every year you will have a beautiful emerald green lawn, which will fall on the envious glances of the lazier neighbors.

Video: lawn care in spring

In contact with

The lawn after winter often looks quite deplorable - bald patches appear, yellow spots, the grass can vanish in places. However, if you carry out the correct maintenance of the green lawn during the season, then many problems can be avoided: correct and timely feeding, cutting and watering give excellent results. If the winter was too harsh or, conversely, with thaws, then the grass cover may lose its splendor. In this article, we will show you how to restore your lawn after winter to restore its healthy appearance and beauty.

Lawn care in autumn and winter

For successful wintering of plants, it is enough to adhere to simple rules:

Removing excess water

Spring lawn care begins with ensuring a good flow of melt water. During snow melting, water can stagnate, leading to damping, mold on the grass and yellow spots.

If the drainage system was properly made before laying the lawn, then such problems should not arise. What to do with the lawn if there is no drainage? In this case, the snow must be evenly distributed over the entire area, avoiding the formation of large snowdrifts, then it will melt gradually. This is especially important for shady areas. Try to start this work as early as possible, while the ground has not yet thawed, otherwise dents and footprints will remain on the lawn, which will be difficult to remove.

In order for the drainage system to function well, all drains and wells must be cleaned.

Rolling

At the young lawn, the sod has not yet compacted, so thawed earth can rise in some places with ugly hillocks. Most often this happens if the area was not rolled out before sowing the grass mixture. To remedy this situation, you need to roll the lawn in the spring. You can use a roller or self-made tools. We pass in one direction 1 time - this will be quite enough.

Rolling is not required for old, perennial herbaceous plantations.

Combing (scarification) of the lawn

After the snow melted, did your lawn look like a caked felt mat? Old dried grass, leaves fallen in autumn - all this inhibits the growth and vegetation of plants in spring, therefore, cleaning the lawn is necessary. For combing, you can use a fan rake - they have less distance between the teeth, and they will not injure the young turf if the lawn is young. To do this work thoroughly, you will have to walk the entire area in two directions: up and down. It is better to renew the lawn by combing before the emergence of young shoots.

If this felt mat is thick and dense, it is better to mechanize the combing and use a special unit - a scarifier, which not only removes the felt layer, but also makes small cuts in the soil, improving its ventilation. This procedure is called lawn scarification.

Aeration

Lawn aeration is the piercing of the lawn sod with sharp thorns. This technique is necessary to improve the supply of oxygen, water and nutrients to plant roots.

It is known that two types of bacteria live in the soil: aerobic and anaerobic. Aeration activates aerobic soil bacteria by delivering oxygen to them. As a result, the assimilation of nutrients by the plant roots is improved, as well as the structure of the soil.

Aeration must be done once a year in spring. With intensive use of the coating, as well as with severe drought or heavy rains, the procedure will have to be repeated.

Important: we carry out aeration before spring feeding.

To find out whether the lawn needs aeration, you need to make a small vertical cut of the turf: if the rhizomes penetrate only five centimeters or less, then this procedure is vitally necessary for the plants, followed by intensive care (feeding and watering).

Aeration tools:

1. Special sandals with spikes.

Spiked sandals are attached to the shoe. Moving along the lawn in small steps, we pierce the soil, pressing our weight on the sod. The more often the steps are, the better the aeration. For 1 sq. meter, you need to make 200-300 punctures. On a young lawn, sandals are not used - the sod is still too weak and you can easily damage it. If you find it difficult to pierce the soil - try removing a few teeth, but you will have to step more often.

2. Aerator.

This garden tool is a long-handled sprocket or spike roller. It can be mechanical or equipped with an engine (electric, gasoline). When choosing an aerator, first of all, it is necessary to be guided by the size of the area sown with grass, as well as its distance from the power source.

Mechanical aerators require a lot of physical effort to work, so they are best used on a small lawn. Among the advantages of such a tool, one can note a low price, independence from energy sources, low weight, and no noise.

Electric aerators have a higher performance, but an extension cord will have to be pulled to the place of their work. Such a tool will successfully process a medium-sized lawn and a woman can easily handle it.

Aerators with a gasoline engine are distinguished by their maximum productivity and large loosening depth. They are designed to handle very large grass coverings and long continuous operation.

When choosing an electric or gasoline aerator, consider the following tool parameters:

engine power
tool weight
tillage depth (the best models are equipped with 3-5 modes)
working width (the wider the grip, the faster a large area can be worked)
the presence of a grass catcher

If no other tools are available, you can use a conventional garden fork with sharp teeth. Pierce the turf as often as possible without turning the layer over. To make the holes even, and the forks can be easily pulled out, do this: stick them into the ground and swing a little back and forth or right and left.

How to properly aerate your lawn?

We carry out this event only in cloudy weather.
It is better if the soil is sufficiently moistened: in a couple of days, in the absence of rain, we water the area well.
We pierce the sod in rows with an overlap of 3-4 cm. Increase the number of punctures if the sod is very dense (old lawn).
We leave the lawn for several days to dry the clods of earth pulled out by the thorns. Then we remove them with a rake.
We apply fertilizers.
We water the lawn.

In the spring, nitrogen-containing mineral or organic fertilizers are introduced to stimulate the growth of the aboveground part of the plants. Read about how to choose and apply fertilizers correctly in our special article.

Overseeding of the lawn grass mixture

After the spring care activities, problem areas where the grass has come loose or died are clearly visible. The repair of the lawn in the spring in such areas is carried out by overseeding the grass mixture. It is best to use the seeds left over from the lawn. If they are not there, select the mixture of the same manufacturer that is as similar as possible in the composition of varieties, as in the entire area.

Sowing is done as follows: in the place where there is no grass, we scatter seeds evenly, scatter the earth from above, carefully leveling it with a rake. In the absence of rain, the overseeding site must be carefully watered.

Dealing with problems

In spring, unpleasant stains... This can be due to various reasons:

1. Mold, fungus.

If the grass in the area of \u200b\u200bthe spot is dark and covered with a whitish coating, this area is affected by a fungal disease and must be treated with a fungicidal preparation. Measures of a radical struggle are also possible: cut out a piece of turf and sow seeds on this place again.

2. Chemical burn.

If fertilizers were applied unevenly in the fall or there was no watering after they were applied, the grass may burn. The same burns remain from spilled gasoline or oil when using the lawn mower, as well as from the waste products of animals - cats or dogs. To restore the damaged area, we carry out all standard care measures: combing, aeration, watering, feeding. If there are no changes, then the roots are damaged and only removing the sod in this place and sowing the seeds will help.

To clear the lawn of fungi, they must be removed along with the mycelium in the soil. Carefully dig a trench as the mushrooms grow, fill it with new soil, compact and add seeds.

Fighting moles. The appearance of large piles of soil on the lawn in spring signals that moles have visited here. These animals feed on worms and various insect larvae. When digging passages, moles periodically throw earth onto the surface, which forms the so-called "mole holes". It must be removed from the surface of the lawn, and the course must be covered. Numerous folk methods of fighting moles often do not bring any results: the mole closes up the old tunnel and digs a new one.

The most effective remain: purchased ultrasonic scarers, mole traps and poisonous baits.

1. Scarers.

In order for the devices to help in the fight against moles, monitor the number of repellents on the site. It must match the one recommended by the manufacturer; replace the batteries in them in time.

2. Mole traps.

Mole traps are installed in a path dug by a mole, which can be found along slightly raised ground. Carefully open the course with a shovel and put in it, moving as far as possible, two mole traps, oriented by the entrance in different directions. We put one mole trap to the right of the hole, the other to the left.

3. Poisonous bait.

To lay the bait, you need to pierce the ground along the tunnel with the help of a sharpened stick or pin. We put the bait through the hole with a spoon, carefully fill the hole with earth, trying to prevent shedding.

Conclusion. If you have completed the whole range of lawn care in spring, it will regain its former healthy and beautiful appearance in a few weeks. It's time for regular haircuts and watering. In our special article, we talk about how to properly lawn, as well as the tools necessary for this.