The grass is always greener

I help people with their grass. Lawns.

Here are some tips and tricks to have a greener lawn.

The first step is to choose the right lawn for your location. If you have shade you need to go for LM lawn. Kikuyu will never grow well in shade.

The next step is make sure your levels are right. In everything preparation is key and more so with landscaping.

You don't need compost in this this step although it is common practice to use it.

Next you pack the grass out over your area. It looks like a patchwork quilt at this point. Then your roll the grass with a heavy roller.

For the next 2 weeks you need to water a lot. After this period you will see the grass "taking" and then it will need the first mowing.

Things people do wrong typically:

Don't cut the grass to short. Use the highest setting on the lawnmower. If you cut too short the roots get exposed and burn.

You need to aerate the lawn. The best way to this is manually. With a garden fork. Stick the fork in the ground all the way [about 20cm] and lift the fork at a 45degree angle. This allows water and nutrients to reach the roots better. Compaction is a lawns greatest enemy. The grass grows on tip of hard soil over time if this step is not followed.

Fertilize. This is not top soil. Just like we need vitamins to live better, plants need a boost too. You need a NPK of 12:1:5 The first number promotes leaf growth. The middle is for fruit [not important for grass] and the last is to help roots grown. The roots of grass can be 3 meters down. That is why you can buy grass from a farm where they cut the top off and a few weeks later the grass grew again.

If you have divots in the grass you use lawn dressing to even out the lawn. Top soil is too heavy and smother the grass.

Grass need to be watered. Indigenous lawn like LM requires less water when it is established that kikuyu.

Grass is a big topic and very technical. I have just covered a few basic steps. There are more types of grass used for sport greens and areas such as old age homes.

Happy planting.

www.ineeden.co.za

P.S. We are very grateful for the rain in Gauteng at the moment.