Mow and care for the lawn - this is how it works
The best tips for a healthy lawn
The own garden. A place to relax, grow your own vegetables and fruits, and laze on the lawn in summer. Or celebrate a barbecue, build a pool, or, or, right? The garden as a piece of quality of life. What is taken for granted in rural areas is a rare exception in densely populated urban areas. Those who have the privilege of having their own garden would like to have it as beautiful as possible in their small oasis. What grows in the flower beds is a matter of taste. Also, if there are any beds. However, since only a few decide on a Chinese rock garden, mostly a lawn takes up the lion's share of the garden. And he wants to be well groomed. Otherwise, it quickly shows bald or brown spots, instead of a rich green and dense growth.
The following tips should help you to choose the appropriate seed and lawn care. Anyone who chooses wild growth and uncut grass will certainly support the ecological diversity of his garden. As a lawn or playground is such a wild grass but hardly to use.
The myth of the "English lawn"
If a lawn seed called "English Lawn" is offered in the garden or hardware store, this is clearly a misleading customer. You can not buy English turf. The fact that the name is now regarded as the epitome of the beautiful and well-tended lawn has the simple reason that the English have always played a pioneering role in the cultivation of the green. They are the uncrowned kings of lawn care. In addition, the climatic conditions in England are optimal to breed a top lawn.
Anyone who is in the situation to create a new lawn should keep their hands off cheap seed mixtures. They usually contain a high proportion of seeds of grass for grazing animals. Although this is growing fast, it displaces the slower-growing turf grass just as fast. As a result, at the end of summer, the lawn has large holes where dandelions and clover can settle.
Since seed manufacturers have no legal requirements for the naming of their product, terms such as "puncture-proof", "easy-care" or "hard-wearing" are meaningless. It is better to rely on the name RSM (Rule Seed Mix) on the package. It is the only quality standard for grass seed. For example, RMS 2.3 is the label for "turf grass".
The most important care: Lawn mowing
To maintain a well-groomed and healthy lawn, regular (and above all correct) lawn mowing is essential. Here are the golden mowing rules:
Sharp knives, high speed
In German gardens are mainly so-called Rotary mower for use. They cut the grass off with horizontally rotating knives. The sharper the knives, the cleaner the cut. In winter, you should use the mowing break to grind the knives in a specialist workshop. A high speed of the lawnmower engine contributes much to a clean cut.
Mow once a week
This is a guideline. During the strong growth of the grass in May and June, it can make sense to mow more often. The mowing frequency also depends on the type of grass. While quality turf grows on average 2.5 centimeters per week, low-priced varieties, such as "Berliner Tiergarten", can grow about 3.5 centimeters per week.
Do not step on uncut areas
When mowing you should only move on the already mown surface. Deteriorated grass only slowly re-establishes and the cut becomes uneven.
The optimal cutting height
The optimum cutting height of a utility lawn is four centimeters. Deviations of half a centimeter up or down pose no problem. On many lawn mowers, there is no centimeter indication of the cutting length. If only different cutting steps are indicated on the lawnmower, you should mow a small spot and measure with a ruler.
The "one-third rule"
This rule states that never more than a third of the length of the tail should be cut off at once. If more is cut off, the lawn will not recover well. As a result, the lawn becomes holey and can burn more easily in the heat. Once the lawn has become very long (during holidays or similar), it should be mown in stages. Always pay attention to the "one-third rule".
Do less in the shade, in the fall and in the drought
In order to operate the necessary photosynthesis, the lawn needs sufficient green mass. In shadow areas, the stalks should therefore be about one centimeter longer than in places with direct sunlight (ie five instead of the usual four centimeters). The same is true for the fall when the sun intensity decreases.In pronounced heat and dry periods, longer blades of grass can better shade the ground and protect against dehydration.
Do not mow when wet
When wet, the grass blades can be cut much worse clean. In addition, the clippings clump and is not completely absorbed by the lawnmower's grass catcher. Finally, heavy petrol lawnmowers can sink into the damp soil and destroy the delicate sward.
Mow slopes across
On slopes should always be mowed across the slope. The cut will be smoother and the turf will not be damaged by the lawnmower due to uneven ground. At the same time you protect yourself from injury by a slipping lawnmower.
Additional lawn care
Fertilize the lawn
If the lawn turns yellowish and weeds spread, the lawn urgently needs a suitable fertilizer. The specialized trade offers a variety of (also ecologically harmless) means.
Water the lawn
How often and how extensively a lawn has to be watered depends of course on the weather. In the hot and dry summer months, should be watered once or twice a week in the absence of rain. Lawn under trees needs more water due to competition with tree roots. Lawn in the shade needs less water, because the evaporation is less.
Scarify the lawn
To protect the lawn from moss, it is recommended to use a scarifier. It loosens the lawn with vertical cuts and promotes ventilation between the stalks. At least once a year, preferably in March, this treatment should be performed. Do not worry ? the slightly battered look of the lawn after scarifying goes by itself. The best time is after mowing and before fertilizing the lawn.
Hopefully these tips will be helpful to the garden owners among you. Do you have any other tips or suggestions? Every supplement is welcome!
