Green House

Amarjeet Singh Batth

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A weed free, rich green, nicely mowed grass in lawn adds to the elegance of a home garden. But it is not easy to maintain grass as even a small patch of weeds or brown dried grass can mar the overall look of your garden.

If not managed well the weeds can literally take over the grass over a period of time. Management of weeds is done by regular mowing before seed formation takes place and on ‘spot a weed and uproot it’ basis.

Summer months, especially April-May, are ideal to lay the foundation of an elegant ‘emerald carpet’. First of all you will need to uproot the existing grass, and expose the soil to sun for a fortnight or more to sterilise the soil from fungal infections. Deep digging is done to expose the insects, fungal spores and weed seeds to the heat of the sun, which kills them. Irrigate the lawn again so that the tubers germinate and uproot them. This exercise has to be repeated three to four times so that the new tubers, which germinate, come out and are removed.

In an existing lawn, ‘Cyperus rotundus or nut grass (Motha) is the most serious weed which needs to be eliminated with a specialised technique. The weed roots have a tuber at the end. These tubers are uprooted by making the soil moist and using a long blade khurpi to pull it out. When the weed is pulled the root comes out giving an impression that the weed has been uprooted but in fact the tuber remains buried in the soil which quickly grows into new plants. So it is important to remove the tuber also, but in case that is not possible for the threat of destroying the grass then continuous removal of nut grass leads to reduction in the number of underground tubers. A tuber even cut into pieces grows into a new plant, therefore ensure that the weed is dug deep to ensure that tuber is uprooted completely. Do not throw the tuber, but burn it. Vermi compost manure @ 50 Kg bag in 500 sq feet area can be added at this point of time so that weeds can germinate and eliminated during this process.

Tiny seeds of weed which spread through wind, bird droppings, and dissemination cannot be controlled. These also have a long dormancy period. Round up @ 4 ml / litre of water is sprayed quite close to the ground. Grass should not be grown for 2-3 weeks to neutralise the effect of the weedicide effect.

Grass can be sown almost all round the year except during extreme hot and cold weather, but summers offer an excellent opportunity to rejuvenate the lost elegance. It is advisable to prepare the lawn for sowing grass before the pre-monsoon showers. Gradient is very important and excess water should be drained properly without leading to water logging as it can turn the grass pale.

Sprinkler system

Prepare your lawn for underground sprinkler system. If the lawn is small, then portable sprinklers may be used. Sprinklers save water and provide a cool micro environment around the grass. Irrigation may not be needed on a daily basis. it should be done on need basis, but whenever it is done it should moist the soil up to 4-6 inches which will help the grass develop a better deep root system.

Tips to remember

• Just prior to laying of the grass apply 2 kg of DAP per 500 sq feet area and avoid organic manure at this stage which may increase weed growth. ‘Selection No 1’ grass is recommended for home gardens.
• Regular irrigation is required once the grass is laid keep the soil moist.
• Keep a check on weeds which may appear even in newly laid grass.
• Once the new growth is seen, monthly liquid dose of urea @ 2ml dissolved in one litre of water should be administered on a regular basis.
• The grass grows extensively throughout the year except during December- January. In order to protect grass from frost, irrigate in the evening to develop a water front above the grass.
• The grass should be scrapped once in 2-3 years at the onset of pre monsoon showers. Scrapping removes the hard stems and soft stems appear and it is also done to rejuvenate the root system.
• Raking of soil should be carried out to loosen the soil.
• During rainy season Brown Spot, fungal attack is quite predominant. Spray Diathane M 45 @ 2ml / litre to control this.

Fast facts

• Spot a weed & uproot it.
• Mow the grass before seed formation.
• Regular irrigation and fertilisation is desirable.
• Selection No 1 variety of Grass is recommended.
• Do not throw the nut grass tubers, burn them.