The Sunday Mail
NOW that your lawn is established, mowing can start as soon as there is grass high enough to cut. An un-mowed lawn is tacky and untidy.
Your lawn must always be cut in time at the correct height. Cutting your lawn at the wrong height results in scalping, which would be brown patches on your lawn without the green part, which we so desire. Keep your mower blades sharp for a clean cut.
On the aspect of removing mowings the issue is always a contention but from a disease point of view its best to remove them. The frequency of mowing depends on the rate of growing of your lawn governed by availability of water.
When it comes to feeding your lawn it is a matter of fact, since with any plant what you put in is what you get. Depending on your watering regime, feed your grass 15 to 20g of ammonium nitrate per square metre every month if it is watered throughout the year. If you rely on the rains then fertilising can occur then at 50g per square metre monthly as long as the rains are available.
A fertiliser applicator comes in handy as it helps avoid darker and light patches due to uneven hand application. Wash off the fertiliser with a hose to avoid scotching the grass.
The popular practice of top dressing with soil is really not essential except to correct depressions in the lawn, because it also brings its fair share of problems such as weeds if untreated soil is used.
It does have its rejuvenating properties but so does just fertilising, which is less labour intensive.
We move on to spiking, which basically is a practise to both aerate and fertilise the lawn. This can be done by driving a garden fork into the lawn to a sufficient depth when the soil is moist and then moving the fork forward and backwards.
The holes created can then serve as fertiliser entry points into the root zone. Apply single super phosphate at a rate of 50g per square metre. An untidy appearance will be the result after spiking. The situation can be corrected by rolling the grass. Spiking can be done once in two years. All having been said about spiking most of our soils are well drained enough not to warrant this procedure.
The control of weeds is important in a lawn because weeds can take over and destroy a once beautiful lawn. A starved lawn is likely to leave gaps and thus give weeds a foothold.
Watering, fertilising and mowing in time will help control weeds. It is important to choose the correct lawn for your area. Many people make the mistake of planting a full sun lawn in a shady place. That gives weeds an opportunity to take over. Selective herbicides can be used to kill weeds though their availability on the market is a cause for concern. A well-maintained lawn is seen by its dark green colour: A perfect place to enjoy a picnic and with the holidays coming that is the place to have an outdoor party or braai.
Happy gardening!
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