SECRETS TO A LAWN YOUR NEIGHBOURS WILL ENVY
Your garden won’t look good if your lawn is patchy and weed-infested – no matter how much effort you put into your flowerbeds. Many homeowners strive for the perfect lush green lawn, but it takes more than just regular mowing. The best time to give your lawn a boost is NOW – early spring – and you will be rewarded with a lush green lawn in summer.
How do I achieve this?
- Firstly, you start by removing all weeds from your lawn.
- Mow your lawn a little bit shorter than you normally do. (Normally you should remove 1/3 of the leaf blade, but now you can remove up to half of the leaf blade.)
- Aerate your lawn (soil), especially in areas with heavy traffic, from dogs or human feet. Do this by using a garden fork or a spike roller. This enables air, minerals, nutrients and water to reach the roots.
- Spread a thin layer (up to 3cm) of lawn dressing made up of well-balanced organic matter and weed-free soil on your lawn. Use only a good quality lawn dressing from a trusted supplier. This lawn dressing will help to level an uneven surface, help the lawn to recover after a cold winter, and improve drainage and water retention. The organic matter will also serve as fertiliser for a green lawn. (Note: Buffalo, LM and cool-season lawn grasses don’t tolerate lawn dressing well.)
- Over-seed in open spaces where the lawn has died.
- Water well and keep moist – especially in over-seeded areas.
Tips for maintaining your lawn
Mowing is the best way to bring out the best in your lawn. On our Cape hot summers days, don’t mow your lawn too short – it will put stress on the grass and limit deep root growth. This, in turn, will decrease its ability to resist weeds, pests and drought conditions. Rather, set your lawnmower blade up and mow it twice a week.
Do not fertilise your lawn before going on holiday over the Christmas holidays. Rather water it thoroughly before leaving. Before the Winter season (in March), fertilise your lawn with a fertiliser high in potassium. This will help strengthen your lawn for the winter ahead.
During winter months service your weed eater and lawnmower. The lawnmower blade should be kept sharp for a clean cut.
Organic fertilizer doesn’t provide immediate results like synthetic fertiliser, but over time it improves the overall quality of the lawn and also reduces the number of future applications.
A low-maintenance lush lawn adds value to your life and to your property and also forms an important part of family life.
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