Totex

GUIDE TO ESTABLISH A NEW LAWN

SOIL PREPARATION FOR GRASSING

If the place, designed for cropping is strongly weeded, you will better treat it with total herbicide. Wait for two weeks. Dig the ground over or till it with motor cutter. For compact clay soils it is advisable to add more sand.

If the superficial soil layer is quite polluted, the best option is to change it entirely and to bring in new generous layer. Carefully and delicately rake the top soil layer using a rake on the desired level.

After you made all that you will better use a complex (NPK) fertilizer with a pre-sowing rate. Put the fertilizer in depth by a rake.

Remember, that the good drainage and the precise tilling are one of the most important conditions for establishment of a good green field, and the added nutrients will help for the faster grass rooting.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT GRASS MIXTURE

A determinant in your choice on the first place must be the way, in which you will use the green fields ( for decoration, for games and rest, intensively loaded ) and second – the way, in which you will water the grass. If the ground is large and you have no established irrigation system, you will better orientate towards drought-resistant grasses.

TIME FOR SOWING

In principle you can sow any time from early spring to late autumn, on condition that during the dry periods you have secured the necessary moisture for the seeds for the grass to develop well. Even if you decide to use drоught-resistant grass mixture, you must know that seeds need adequate watering during their germinating and establishment.

SOWING AND HOW TO DO IT?

The recommended rate for sowing is from 3 to 4 kg per 100 m2. No matter whether you sow by hand or with the help of machines it is good to cross – fertilize the sowing, because in that way you will cover densely the whole area. An easy way to do it is to divide the ground equally and after that to divide the grass mixture into as many equal parts as the ground. First sow the half of the quantity for one lot from left to right, and the rest spread in the opposite direction. That way you will distribute the seeds evenly on the whole ground.

SOWING DEPTH

The perfect sowing depth is 1 cm. That way you will be sure that the seeds will germinate and establish. If you sow more deep, you risk that the smaller ones die and not sprout. So you won’t achieve the desired result.

COVERING THE SEEDS

In order to avoid taking out the seeds by ants and to protect them from birds, cover the seeds by a garden broom or rake. Be careful not to dig the seeds too deep. If you have the opportunity you can cover the ground with a thin turf layer or another similar material. Roll by a heavy roller crosswise to get the seed into contact with the soil. With compact clay soils rolling is not advisable, but only trampling on.

WATERING

While the seed is germinating keep the soil permanently moist, especially during the summer. Later on you can make the watering less frequent, but after all do not forget, that 80% of the grass is water – provide it!

MOWING

The first mowing must be done when the grass is 6-8 cm. Later, during the period of intense vegetation mow frequently, at least once a week and try to keep the rule: never remove more than 1/3 of the grass growth at any single mowing.

RIGHT GREEN FIELD MAINTENANCE

MOWING

Mow frequently, but do not try to remove more than 1/3 of the grass growth at any time. For the last several mowings at the end of the year start gradually mowing with high cut. The same is recommended during the dry periods in the summer. Earth the grass at about 5 cm height.

WATERING

Watering is crucial for the good look of the lawn. Water is necessary both for the new and the already existing green fields. You will better water in a rain-like way in the morning or in the evening, and with newly sown grass it is necessary for the soil to be kept permanently moist until the turfgrass is strengthened. Water heavily, not lightly and superficially, especially during the dry periods.
Do not forget, that 80% of the grass is water – provide it!

FEEDING UP

As a rule you must remember that the more frequently you mow and use a green field the more frequently it needs feeding. The green field must be fertilized with a complex NPK fertilizer at least once in the early spring, once in the middle of summer and one more time in the autumn. The fertilizer, which you use in the early spring and in the middle of summer, must have high nitrogen content which improves the growth and the color. The fertilizer, which you use in the autumn must have high potassium content that helps for the grass strengthening against cold and diseases. In the period of intense vegetation ( May, June, July, August ), when watering and mowing are more frequent, it is useful to use ammonium nitrate with a rate of 3 kg per 100 m2 once a month.

WEEDS

One-year weeds – they appear mainly in newly sown lawns and disappear after the first mowing.

Perennial weeds - they appear in all green fields, do not disappear after the first mowing and must be treated with selective herbicides. They keep the green field, but destroy deciduous weeds. The already constructed green fields can be treated with herbicide every time from May to September, but not in the dry periods, when the herbicide is not effective and may only burn the grass. In order to have pure grass it is necessary to do the treatment at least once a year.

Persistent weeds - the selective herbicides cannot destroy them. The only way to remove them is to cut the roots with a very sharp cutter.

Moss. This is usually the biggest problem and it can be caused by a number of reasons: poor soil, soil with low status of lime, rare mowing, poor drainage, shade, fall of leaves, small soil horizon. In order to get rid of the moss, first you must determine which one of the factors mentioned above is the reason for the problem, and if it is possible to remove it. With us the fight against mosses is accomplished by treating with ferrous sulphate or other similar detergents.

HARROWING

This is taking of the dead and dry grass out of the grass root. In the course of time, as a result of the frequent mowing and the natural fall on the soil, a thin layer of dried up grass is formed. This prevents the access of water and nutrients to the soil, hinders the air-exchange and grass development. That is why it is necessary for it to be removed. For bigger grounds this operation is done with machines, but for small gardens it is enough to “comb” well the grass in both directions with an aerator rake twice a year – in the spring and in the autumn.

Advantages:
- improvement of grass growth and stimulation of its restoration;
- allowing the water, air and fertilizer access to the roots;
- destroying a part of the weeds and partial cessation of moss development.

AIRING

This is a deep piercing of the soil in order to improve the drainage and the natural air-exchange of the soil. It is advisable to do it once a year for firm and frequently loaded grounds. For sandy soils this can be done once a couple of seasons. The airing must be done usually before the autumn or spring fertilization and if the soil is clay it is recommended after the airing to sand the ground. The airing must be done with special machines, but for small grounds an ordinary pitchfork can be used, with which the whole ground must be pricked.

Advantages:
- the air access to the roots is improved and the growth is stimulated;
- the soil drainage is improved;
- the grass renovation is stimulated.

ROLLING

This is an operation which is absolutely necessary in order to keep the green field with no lumps. With the rolling the roots are spread evenly in the superficial layer and the grass does not raise in clumps. It is necessary that this operation be done once a month on a moist soil, but dry grass. It is advisable for the roller to be with a weight over 100 kg. Roll after mowing. For compact and clay soils the frequent rolling is not advisable. If it is necessary it is recommended before that to air the ground.

HOW TO TURN YOUR OLD GRASS INTO AN ENGLISH LAWN?

The already existing green fields with bad look and obviously decreased grass thickness can be restored by overseeding. The new grass keeps the green color longer in the dry periods, because of the better rooting of the old turfgrass. The weed development is also decreased since the turfgrass becomes thicker. The overseeding can be done during the whole year – from early spring to late autumn if only you provide the necessary moisture for the good seed development.

MOW THE LAWN

The first important step is to mow low the grass choosing a time when the lawn is dry. Then precisely remove any clippings after mowing.

HARROWING

The easiest way to do this operation is to “comb” the grass in two perpendicular directions with an aerator rake ( can be an ordinary one, too ). That way you will allow the seeds, fertilizers and water access to the soil.

AIRING

If the soil is clay it is good to air it. This can be done with the help of pitchfork at a depth of 15 cm or with a special machine – aerator for bigger grounds. This will improve the soil drainage and will help for the better development of the grass roots.

OVERSEEDING

If the “sparse” lots are few, overseed only them. In principle it is good to overseed the whole ground in order to improve the total thickness of the grass. It is important to chose the right grass mixture that contains strong and quickly growing grasses, that germinate for a short time and cover the bare places.

FEEDING THE LAWN

Both the old and the new grass need adequate fertilization. It stimulates the growth and improves the esthetic qualities of the grass. You will better use complex NPK fertilizers with high N content in the spring and summer and NPK fertilizers with lower N and high P and K content in the autumn.

COVERING THE SEED

Lightly cover the seeds with a rake to get them into contact with the soil and to allow the fertilizers to penetrate in depth. This will improve the renovation of the old grass as well. Then roll it.

WATERING

The newly sown seeds need enough moisture to germinate. The old grass does it as well. That is why watering is obligatory. During the summer, with our climatic conditions, it must be done every day. After the newly sown grass germinates and strengthens, watering can be done less frequently.

MOWING

When the newly sown grass is 6-8 cm mow it with high cut. With every next mowing gradually decrease the height until it reaches the perfect height of 3 – 4 cm. Mow frequently, but do not remove more than 1/3 of the grass growth at any time.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND THEIR ANSWERS

1. Why does my lawn look thin and is full of weed?

One of the most possible reasons is the bad choice of grass mixture. The low-quality and unselected grasses are uncompetitive and thus conditions for weed establishing in the green fields appear. If you use the lawngrasses of TURFLINE mixtures, it will not happen to you. The other possible reason is the lack of systematic cares of the green field (feeding, spraying with selective herbicides, airing, harrowing).

2. Why is my lawn disappearing under the trees?

Most lawn grasses do not thrive under shade. That is why, forced to develop under shade, they get dry, get yellow and as a result of that the grass becomes less thicker, does not look good or disappears. For the establishment of lawns under dense shade ( under trees, north lots, etc. ) special mixtures must be used. SHADOW of the TURFLINE mixtures is especially selected to resist shade.

3. Why does my lawn have yellow spots?

The most possible reason for this can be the poor soil. You must fertilize regularly. Feed with NPK fertilizers with high nitrogen content in the spring and summer and NPK fertilizers with low N content and high potassium and phosphorus content in the autumn. Compact soil together with poor drainage is the other possible reason. In this case your grass needs airing. And last but not least a reason for these spots can be fungi. Treat with fungicides.

4. Why is my grass dying out in spots?

The most possible reason is an attack of fungi. Treat with fungicides and fertilize the green field. If this does not help, consult a professional about this.

5. Why do I have a lot of moss in my lawn?

This is a big problem and it can be caused by a number of factors: poor soils, or soils with low status of lime, poor drainage, shade, rare and irregular mowing, small soil horizon. In order to get rid of the moss, first you must determine which one of the factors mentioned above is the reason for the problem, and if it is possible to remove it. With us the fight against mosses is accomplished by treating with ferrous sulphate or other similar detergents. It is good to air the green field regularly.