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Spread out the green carpet

NOW: Lawn is the most charismatic and basic component of any garden landscape and brings out the true character of garden design.

Spread out the green carpet


Amarjeet Singh Batth

Lawn is the most charismatic and basic component of any garden landscape and brings out the true character of garden design. Grass is an excellent ground cover, which keeps the house cool and house owners happy throughout the year.

A good lawn shows a gardener’s concern for his gardening. A well-kept lawn — regularly mowed and free of weed and dead spots — surpasses the elegance of any plantation and can even make native plants look exotic, while a poorly maintained lawn is an eyesore and capable of overshadowing the beauty of its rich plantations. However, laying grass may look like an easy job, but it’s not.

Where to lay grass

Grass, in general, occupies a central location in a home garden design, but should also be used to drive the visitor through the garden.  As far as the location of the lawn is concerned, all grasses flourish in full sunlight. Therefore, avoid shady corners in the garden. Dichondra, however, is a variety preferred for a shady location.

Shape of your lawn

An aesthetically crafted lawn is an area of attraction and gives the gardener natural undulations. Heart, kidney, oblong, elliptical or circular shaped boundaries are appealing. Straight lines look good in a formal garden concept.

Gradient and drainage

A good drainage system is the pre-requisite for a garden. Give special attention to the levelling of the lawn with the help of an expert so that water does not stand. This effort will definitely help you maintain your lawn well, especially during monsoons.

Irrigation

If the lawn is medium sized or big, think of irrigation with water sprinklers than merely watering with a hose pipe. If the lawn is small, portable sprinklers may be used. Irrigation needs to be looked into before getting the ground levelled.  It saves water, energy and grass as well and creates a cool micro environment. 

Watering requirement varies with the changing weather conditions, soil texture and type of grass. The roots of grass are shallow and do not need deep irrigation. However, sandy soil requires frequent irrigation while heavy soil needs less, but deep irrigation. Restricted irrigation helps develops a good root system. Irrigation should be done once a week in winter and on alternate days during peak summers.     

Preparing the ground

It is always better to get the soil tested for its quality of soil and Ph value. 

A light loamy soil allows air circulation and good drainage. If the soil is heavy, add sand in the ratio of three parts to one. Do not use farm yard manure as it yields weed in excess. Use vermi compost; recommended dose being one kg per sq metre.

Grass can be sown almost round the year, except during extreme hot and cold weather. May-June is the right time to lay fresh grass as well as for re-laying an existing lawn, which has overgrown with weed.  Irrigate the lawn to make the soil soft. Then dig the soil deep so that weed is removed. 

When the weed is pulled, the root comes out giving an impression that the weed is uprooted, but its tuber remains buried in the soil and quickly grows into new plants as the growing conditions become favourable. Continuous removal of nut grass leads to reduction in the number of underground tubers. 

Thereafter, the soil is exposed to scorching sun for a month to kill the diseases, pests, fungal spores and weed seeds in the soil. This exercise should be repeated 3- 4 times. Vermi compost manure (50 kg bag in 500 sq feet area) can be added at this point so that weed can germinate and be eliminated during this practice. Just prior to laying the grass, apply 2 kg of DAP per 500 sq feet area.

Now, the upkeep

Runners of the grass are sourced and torn apart. These are planted six inches apart, ensuring that two third part is under the soil. For immediate results, turf is laid as bricks. Ensure the turf quality is good and weed free.

Once the grass is laid, it requires regular irrigation and a check on the weeds. Once the grass is seen with new growth, monthly liquid dose of urea (2ml dissolved in one litre water) must be administered on a regular basis. The grass grows extensively throughout the year, except during December-January. To protect grass from frost, irrigate in the evening to develop a water front above the grass.

Management of weed is thus done by regular mowing of the grass before seed formation takes place. During rainy season, fungal attack is quite predominant. To save from that, spray Diathane M 45 (2ml per litre).

Rejuvenate old lawns

With the passage of time, an existing lawn needs to be rejuvenated and scrapped with the onset of pre-monsoon showers as the atmospheric humidity help the grass spread fast. It is followed by raking of soil and breaking the compaction and improving aeration. Grass stems tend to become hard with age. Therefore, every three to five years, the grass needs to undergo scrapping so that the new shoots that emerge are tender and soft.

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