Lawn
A lawn is an area of soil-covered land planted with grasses and other durable plants such as clover which are maintained at a short height with a lawnmower and used for aesthetic and recreational purposes. Common characteristics of a lawn are that it is composed only of grass species, it is subject to weed and pest control, it is subject to practices aimed at maintaining its green color (e.g., watering), and it is regularly mowed to ensure an acceptable length, although these characteristics are not binding as a definition. Lawns are used around houses, apartments, commercial buildings and offices. Many city parks also have large lawn areas. In recreational contexts, the specialised names turf, pitch, field or green may be used, depending on the sport and the continent. The term "lawn", referring to a managed grass space, dates to no earlier than the 16th century. Tied to suburban expansion and the creation of the household aesthetic, the lawn is an important aspect of the interaction between the natural environment and the constructed urban and suburban space. In many suburban areas, there are bylaws in place requiring houses to have lawns and requiring the proper maintenance of these lawns. In some jurisdictions where there are water shortages, local government authorities are encouraging alternatives to lawns to reduce water use.
5 steps for planting grass seed
Planting (or seeding) a lawn is not difficult and can be done successfully by anyone. If you are planting grass seed, follow these five simple steps for best results.
Step 1 – Buy the best grass seed
A great lawn can only be grown from great grass seeds. To find a top quality grass seed, look for an NTEP rated variety, which means it has been independently evaluated and rated by the National Turf Evaluation Program, (NTEP). The NTEP rating on grass seeds means you are purchasing grass seeds that have been specifically bred for superior green grass color, disease and insect resistance and drought tolerance.
The price of grass seed is small compared to the time that will be invested in building a great lawn. To get the best lawn results you need the best grass seed.
Step 2 – Prepare the soil
For planting new lawns:
- Loosen the top 2 to 3 inches of soil.
- Remove debris (sticks, stones, etc), from the area.
- Break up soil clumps larger than a half dollar.
- Avoid too fine soil, small clumps are acceptable.
- Level the areas where excess water might collect.
- Do not use weed killers before or after planting seed.
For overseeding an existing lawn:
- Mow grass as short as possible.
- Loosen the top ¼ inch of soil in bare spots.
- Remove debris and dead grass.
- Level the areas where excess water collects. Use existing topsoil; added soil may have weed seeds.
- Fertilize the bare spots after overseeding with a starter fertilizer like GreenView Fairway Formula Seeding Success
Step 3 – Plant grass seed
- Spread the seed evenly by hand in small areas.
- Use a hand or lawn spreader or a mechanical seeder in large areas.
- Apply approximately 16 seeds per square inch. Too many seeds too close together causes seedlings to fight for room and nutrients. Grass may be weak or thin in these areas.
Step 4 – Cover seeds
- Lightly drag the grass seed bed so no more than ¼ inch of soil covers the grass seed.
- Cover the grass seed bed with GreenView Fairway Formula Seeding Success to hold seeds in place and retain moisture.
Step 5 – Water often
- Keep grass seed bed moist to enhance germination.
- Water lightly (don’t saturate), and frequently (at least once daily), until new grass is two inches high.
- Water new grass regularly to keep roots moist.
When to plant grass seed
Grass seed can be planted in the spring and fall with good results. If you are planning a spring planting of grass seed, do not apply weed control products to the grass. Delay the weed control application until the grass seed has germinated and you have mowed the grass at least 3 times.
For a fall planting of grass seed, follow the same weed control precautions and time the seed planting to allow the grass seed to fully germinate before freezing temperatures arrive in your region.
LAWN AND LAWN MAKING
A lawn is an area where grass is grown as a green carpet for a landscape and is the basic feature of any garden. It serves to enhance the beauty of the garden, be it larger or smaller. Proper lawn maintenance plays a crucial part in any landscape design. A beautiful well maintained lawn can make the entire landscape look good, whereas a lawn that is not maintained can completely ruin it's beauty. The lawn not only harmonizes with a decor of the drawing room, but also sets of a suitable background for a specimen tree or a shrub, as well as for colourful beds and borders. The position of the lawn largely depends upon the layout of the garden in relation to the house. In general lawn should be wide open with access to direct sunshine, especially in front of a rockery and a water pool.
Site and Soil
After choosing the site, the next important factor for consideration is the size and shape of the lawn. The preparation of site includes digging, leveling and enriching the soil with organic manures or by amending with fertile soil. If the soil is very heavy, coarse sand may be added by removing subsoil to a depth of 20 cm. The ideal soil pH should be 5.0 to 5.6. If it is very acidic 500 g/m2 lime should be added and to clayey loam or alkaline soil gypsum of the same quantity may be added. Provision of drainage for excess rain water should be made if the ground is not sloppy.
After choosing the site, the next important factor for consideration is the size and shape of the lawn. The preparation of site includes digging, leveling and enriching the soil with organic manures or by amending with fertile soil. If the soil is very heavy, coarse sand may be added by removing subsoil to a depth of 20 cm. The ideal soil pH should be 5.0 to 5.6. If it is very acidic 500 g/m2 lime should be added and to clayey loam or alkaline soil gypsum of the same quantity may be added. Provision of drainage for excess rain water should be made if the ground is not sloppy.
Levelling
The site should be thoroughly levelled with spade, pebbles and weeds are hand picked. The soil is rolled with a roller. Weeds especially nut grass should not be allowed to grow and should be removed with roots for at least 2 to 3 times.
The site should be thoroughly levelled with spade, pebbles and weeds are hand picked. The soil is rolled with a roller. Weeds especially nut grass should not be allowed to grow and should be removed with roots for at least 2 to 3 times.
Methods of lawn making
1. Seeding
The most popular grass suitable for seeding is "Doob" grass (Cynodon dactylon). It has the fast spreading mat forming habit, radially forms roots at the nodes, the foliage is dark green, narrow with parallel vines. A lawn from seed is thought of only when grass roots are not available. About 30 kg of seed is required for planting one hectare. The soil should be reduced to fine tilth and given a light rolling. The site should be divided into suitable small squares or rectangles, the seeds are mixed with double the quantity of finely sieved soil and should be rolled again and watered liberally with rose can. The seeds take four to five weeks for germination. Care should be taken not to flood the site. For the first few times, the grasses are cut with a scythe. Lawn mower may be used for easy maintenance and for its spreading.
2. Turfing
The turfs are nothing but pieces of earth with compact grasses on them. These turfs should be cut uniformly in squares from a place where the grass is short, compact and free from weeds. These turfs should be placed on the prepared ground site, side by side and beaten down flat with a turf beater. The cavities in between should be filled with fine soil. The entire turfed area should be rolled and watered liberally. This is the most expensive way of lawn making.
3. Turf plastering
The doob grass can be procured in large quantities free from weeds and chopped properly into small bits of 5-7 cm long. Two baskets of chopped grass pieces should be mixed well with one basket each of garden soil and fresh cow dung and a shovel full of wood ash with required quantity of water to form a thick pasty substance. This mixture is then spread uniformly on the surface of a previously wetted perfectly leveled ground to a thickness of at least 2.5cm and watering should be done with a rose can. The next day, ground should be rolled and the grass should be allowed to spread. The grass will shoot up in a fortnight. To start with, cut with a scythe and after three months, use the lawn mower.
4. Dibbling roots
This is the cheapest but time consuming method. Small pieces of grass roots should be dibbled 10 – 15 cm apart in a leveled ground when it is wet after rain. The roots spread and grow underground in the course of six months making a fairly compact lawn by frequent mowing, rolling and watering.
After Care: It includes rolling, mowing, watering and restoration of patchy places, which should be done regularly.
It is a synthetic lawn popularly used in developed countries in roof gardens as well as in play grounds. It dispenses the normal maintenance usually required for normal lawns. Constant sprinkling of water is one of the prime requisite to bind the synthetic fibre to provide a surface akin to a lawn carpet.
A spacious lawn though beautiful will often be monotonous. So, to break the monotony, some beautiful tree or shrub is recommended as single specimen in the lawn.
Plants suitable for planting in lawns as single specimen
Trees:
Shrubs and creepers:
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Description of lawn grass species
| S. No | Botanical Name | Common name | Texture | Situation |
| 1 | Cynodon dactylon | Hariyali (or) Arugu (or) Doob grass | Medium fine | Suitable for open sunny location; drought resistant |
| 2 | Stenotaphrum secundatum | St. Augustine grass or Buffalo grass | Coarse texture | Suitable for shady situation; requires frequent watering |
| 3 | Sporobolus tremulus | Chain grass (or) Upparugu | Fine | Suitable for saline soils and open sunny locations |
| 4 | Poa annua | Annual blue grass | Medium fine | Suitable for acid soils and suitable for higher elevations |
| 5 | Pennisetum clandestinum | Kikuyu grass | Rough | Grow well in acids soils, suitable for higher elevations. |
| 6 | Zoisia japonica | Japan grass | Coarse | Suitable for poor sandy soil; open sunny situation, slow in growth |
| 7 | Z. matrella | Manila grass | Medium | Suitable for open sunny situation |
| 8 | Z. tenuifolia | Korean grass or velvet grass or carpet grass | Fine | Suitable for open sunny situation |
| 9 | Cynodon sp. | Bermuda grass (or) Hyderabad grass | Fine | Suitable for open sunny situation, needs mowing |
| 10 | Cynodon sp. | Dwarf Bermuda | Medium | Suitable for open sunny situation |
| 11 | Festuca sp. | Fescue grass | Coarse | Shade tolerant, survive on inferior soils |
| 12 | Paspalum vaginatum | Paspalum grass | Medium | Suitable for open sunny situation |
Problems in a lawn
| Problem | Symptoms | Control |
| Chlorosis | Grass turns yellow with the deficiency of magnesium and iron | Iron: Spray Ferrous sulphate 25 g dissolved in 10 litres of water per 100 sq. metre. |
| Magnesium: Spray Magnesium sulphate 100 g in 10 litres of water per 100 sq. metre. | ||
| Dog urine | Dead grass in the lawn | Re-plant grass in a circular manner |
| Fertilizer burn | Grass browns especially in hot weather | Drench the lawn in injured areas to leach excess fertilizers deep into the soil. |
| Improper mowing | Lawns cut too closely turn yellowish and often look diseased or dried | Mow enough to remove not more than 1/3rd height of the grass at a time. Keep mower blades sharp. |
| Improper watering | Light sprinkling encourages shallow roots. Over watering causes diseases | Water the lawn to wet the soil about10 to 15 cm depth. |
Plant Protection
Pest
| Symptoms | Control |
| Leafhoppers | Suck the juice from grass blades causing stripped white, then yellow and finally brown leaves. | Spray Dimethoate 2 ml/l |
| Nematodes | Affect the roots, lawn takes a bleached out appearance | Apply Furadan 40 g /sq.m |