Guided by our article. If your family lawn near the house- an unpretentious place of relaxation and a cozy picnic on a day off, then you can get by with a minimum of effort to lawn care. If your lawn  conceived as a decorative element of the garden and you want the perfect grass without flaws, it is best to immediately tune in to the significant cost of labor, money and time. Work on lawn care  contribute to improving water and air permeability of the soil, better nutrition of grass roots, prevent waterlogging, fungal infections, the growth of moss and weeds, give the lawn a well-groomed appearance.

Once a foreigner, visiting the estate of an English lord, looking at a chic smooth green lawn, asked the owner: "How do you support your the lawn  in such excellent condition? "." Oh, it is very simple, - the descendant of a noble family answered. “You just sow grass, it grows, you cut it, it grows, you cut it again ... and so for 500 years

Of course, this is just a joke. Beautiful and well maintained lawn  impossible to get only with haircuts; it will take knowledge, effort and time. On the other hand, for do-it-yourself lawn devices  centuries are not needed at all: with modern possibilities and some luck with the weather you can create a lawn  on their own and in one season.

Watering the lawn, watering rate

New, just made lawns (both rolled and sown grass) need regular watering. but watering the lawn, which was arranged a few months ago, is a matter of personal choice and the availability of resources. For example, in the UK watering private lawns and public lawns  even in dry periods, despite the fixed cost of cold water. The British consider it unacceptable to use national water resources for lawn watering, the grass on which in a few rainy days naturally restores in all its green splendor. Brown during a drought lawns  in the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, in the gardens of the Royal Horticultural Community and other national parks here is perceived quite naturally.

If you have opted for watering your lawn (lawn)then do it strictly as necessary using lawn watering system  with spray guns. Lawn watering rate  makes 13 mm of water at a time. More water at watering the lawn  will be wasted. Place an open glass dish with a flat bottom in range lawn watering systems  and note the time during which it will collect 13 mm of water. If you automatic lawn watering system, then you can set the timer at the right time and watering the lawn  will be made without your participation.

Mowing grass on the lawn

Regular and competent grass mowing on the lawn  - absolutely necessary job if you want to have a well-groomed the lawn. Lawn grass  grows at a temperature of +5 degrees and above. Focus on it, timing first lawn mowing in spring  and last mowing the lawn in the fall.

During first lawn mowing in spring  set the mower blade to the highest level. With the onset of sustainable heat, grass growth becomes more intense and you can already cut grass on the lawn  more often (once a week) and shorter, but not shorter than 5 cm. In hot weather, growth grass on the lawn  slows down especially on sunny lawns. Do this time lawn mowing  less often (once every 2-3 weeks), mow quite a bit by disconnecting the basket of the lawn mower. Sheared grass will be evenly scattered over the lawn  and serves as a natural fertilizer and mulching material that protects lawn  from sunburn and excess moisture loss. The remnants of mowed grass will soon disappear into the soil on the lawn  or will be picked up by a lawn mower during the next lawn mowing.

Cut the lawn  always better in dry weather. Beveled lawn grass can be added to the compost pit, alternating with other components, only if you have not used lawn  herbicides for at least 2-3 weeks before lawn mowing. Too short lawn mowing  contribute to exposure of roots, drying out of the soil and general weakening of the grass. Too long mowing grass  weaken the aerial part of the grass. General rule mowing grass: it is better to cut less, but more often to cut. To achieve beautiful stripes or another natural “pattern” on the lawn, change direction with the lawnmower.

After the main lawn mowing  gently cut the grass at the borders with special lawn scissorsor lawn trimmer.

Spring lawn care

In the spring, at the very beginning of the season, treat the lawn, which includes removing weeds, scarification (cleaning, removing “felt” from dry grass and moss), aeration (puncturing compacted soil), repairing bald spots, laying out the edges of the lawn, top dressing, leveling surface and mulching (land) of the lawn with a mixture of light garden soil and sand.

Lawn Care: Scarification

Start spring lawn care  with the removal of perennial rhizome weeds (dandelion, daisy, plantain, etc.) and mechanical cleaning. Carefully dig up or rhizome weeds with a chopper and pull them out, trying to completely remove the root from the ground. For cleaning on small lawns, use a rigid (metal) fan rake, with which you need to rake the dry leaves and debris collected during the winter, and also comb out the moss and a layer of dry grass ("felt") that forms on the soil surface lawn. All this will go to compost. On large lawns  use special scarifiers - machines for cleaning the lawn (see photo at the very top of the page) or a special nozzle-scarifier for the lawn mower. After scarification, moisture, air and fertilizers will be easier to pass to the roots of the grass, not lingering on the surface lawn.

Lawn Care: Aeration and Sanding

After scarification lawn  perform aeration - piercing the topsoil to a depth of 10-15 cm. Aeration provides access of air, water and fertilizers to the roots of the grass and is especially important on heavy and clay soils, in places of stagnation of water or on lawnswhich are especially intensively used. On small lawns  Use garden pitchforks or special shoes with spikes for aeration. On large lawns  and in especially advanced cases it may be required lawn aeratorwhich extracts soil from the holes made to the surface. After aeration, apply to the surface lawn a layer of coarse sand that will fill the holes and provide better water permeability of the soil. We usually rent lawn scarifier and aerator  a couple of times a year for spring and autumn processing of our lawn.

Spring lawn care: repairing bald spots and bumps

Next stage spring lawn care  - repair bald spots. Scaffolds are “bald” or sagging areas that result from heavy use. lawnin wetlands when on   the lawn  for a long time something was standing (for example, a children's slide or a swing) or in areas where you removed a whole colony of rhizome weeds. The bald spots need to be sown with fresh grass (for how to sow grass on the lawn, read our lawn in our article), and sprinkled with a mixture of garden soil or leaf humus with sand that you prepared for mulching the lawn (see below), so so that the level of the worn zone is equal to the main level of the lawn.

At the same time, irregularities on the lawn are being repaired: lowlands and tubercles. The tubercles should be compared with the general level, sown and lightly sprinkled with mulch. The lowlands are filled with earth with sand, grassed, and then lightly sprinkled with a small layer of mulch.

Spring Lawn Care: Edging

If you have a formal lawn of the correct form, then the greased, worn and fuzzy edges (borders) will completely ruin the impression and negate all the hard work of caring for the lawn. Therefore, be sure to take time to align and restore the edges of the lawn. Draw straight lines of borders along the board or along a rope stretched on pegs driven into the ground (see photo above). Next, use a straight, sharp shovel to create a clear edge. Form the wavy edges of informal lawns on a hose laid out in the desired shape. After repairing the edges, correct and update the grooves - small empty areas that separate the lawn from the built-up areas of the garden, for example, garden paths or patio tiles (see the "before and after" photo).

Collapsed and highly oiled borders of formal lawns are quite difficult to restore. Although this "trick" greatly facilitates the work. Cut a rectangle or square of turf to a depth of 10 cm at the site of damage from the border to the healthy part of the lawn. Gently with a wide shovel, cut the sod (grass with roots and soil) from below, separate and lift it. Now flip it 180 degrees and put it in its original place. Now the edge of the lawn has again become clear and beautiful, and the problematic worn area has moved inside, where it is much easier to fix it. Treat the bald spot as described above and grass it.

Spring Lawn Care: Mulching

If the grass on the lawn is rare and weak, additional sowing can be done at this stage. After sowing the grass, it remains to mulch the lawn. Mulch will shelter grass seeds from birds, which instantly flock in huge numbers, you just have to sow the lawn. For mulching, use a mixture of coarse sand with light garden soil or leaf humus (2: 1), carefully leveling the composition on the surface of the lawn and correcting irregularities with the back of a rake or garden mop with a long hard pile. Mulching the lawn improves the structure of heavy soils, promotes better nutrition of grass roots, and also corrects small irregularities on the surface of the lawn.

Lawn care: top dressing, fertilizers

For grass on the lawn to be healthy, strong and bright green, at least three seasonal top dressing of the lawn is required: spring, summer and autumn. Top dressing strengthens the grass and helps it to clog the weeds, which are always present in one quantity or another on any lawn. Often, grass fertilizer already contains herbicides (weed control agents). Always fertilize as recommended by the manufacturer. Too much fertilizer spoils the environment, it can be dangerous for people to “burn” grass and ruin the appearance of the lawn for a long time. Fertilizer should be applied through a special sieve, which can be bought at the garden center (see photo below).

Spring and summer fertilizer for lawn grass contains a large amount of nitrogen and causes an active growth of green mass. Feed the grass in the spring a couple of weeks after the completion of the autumn lawn processing, and in the summer in not too hot and dry times. Try to fertilize the lawn before the rain. Autumn fertilizer for lawn grass contains more phosphorus and potassium, which strengthen the roots of the grass and help it move the winter without loss. Always use fertilizer according to the season.

Lawn care in the fall, preparation for winter

Autumn lawn processing is very similar to spring. The differences are that in the autumn repair of bald spots, decoration of the edges of the lawn and grass sowing are not necessary, especially if you live in a cold or snowy region and the lawn will not be used in winter.

Additionally, in the fall, regular cleaning of the lawn from falling leaves will be required. Use a garden vacuum cleaner or lawn mower for this. The latter crushes the leaves and can immediately be used to compost or mulch other areas of the garden. Remember that the colder the weather, the more you need to leave the height of the grass.

Remember that in wet and frosty periods of the year you should as little as possible disturb the lawn, try not to step on the grass, and carry out the necessary work standing on the board, not on the grass.

This article is an abridged version of my article. "Real English Lawn"   for the magazine "The New Gardener and the Farmer" (Nos. 5 and 6 for 2006).

Luxurious flower beds, original rockeries, picturesque ponds, cozy gazebos would never have looked so attractive if it had not been for the background combining all these decorative finds - a smooth, thick, silky lawn. By itself, without additional solutions, it becomes an excellent decoration of a summer cottage. It is only necessary to properly organize lawn care. We suggest that you understand what care procedures exist and how to do them correctly.

A beautiful, well-kept lawn in front of the house or in the backyard is as important a part of landscape design as a flower garden or garden

Care for a carpet of lush green grass is necessary at any time of the year. Even during the winter, you should be careful about the lawn hidden under the snow: it is advisable not to walk on it, not to arrange a skating rink and not to clutter with snowdrifts while cleaning the tracks. Only a regular integrated approach can turn wild grass thickets into a noble, soft, beautiful lawn. So, we will consider a number of mandatory measures for caring for the front lawn.

To free the lawn from the debris accumulated over a long time, to remove the felted felt layer from the soil surface, lawn combing is used. The presence of felt is a great opportunity for the development of pathogens and the reproduction of insect pests.

A simple and effective combing tool is a medium-hard fan rake. Garbage and felt are raked in piles, then taken out or taken out on a garden wheelbarrow. The combing procedure consists in multiple longitudinal and transverse processing of the lawn, so this type of work is considered time-consuming.

The fan rake, unlike the usual ones, allows you to collect garbage more carefully, at the same time, carefully, without damaging the shoots

Aeration - creating comfort for the roots

To conduct aeration, it is enough to make punctures in the turf layer so that the air freely reaches the roots. Ventilating the underground part of plants nourishes the roots with oxygen, does not allow stagnation of water and air. The moderate circulation of air masses prevents the appearance of fungal diseases and rot.

To combine the process of aeration of the lawn with a useful walk in the fresh air will help original devices worn on shoes - sandals-aerators

Aeration of the lawn is usually carried out in autumn or spring, but in no case in the summer, when too high temperatures can cause drought. Before the process of piercing the turf, you should water the lawn abundantly for two days in a row. Puncture depth - from 8 to 10 cm.

The most common aerators running on a gasoline engine or mains. Average power - 1400-1600 W, working width - 30-40 cm

The traditional tools for aeration are ordinary pitchforks. If the lawn is small in area, then they will be quite enough. When the area covered with grass takes up a lot of space, a special device is required - an aerator. There are several types of aerators that differ in technical characteristics and purpose. For example, a number of aerators serve for parallel formation of the root system.

Distinguish between piercing and pricking during aeration. Piercing is a deeper process: suppose the pitchfork penetrates to a depth of 8-10 cm

Along with aeration, verticulation is performed - cut off unnecessary shoots and extra stems with a special apparatus equipped with a knife mechanism. A good time for this event is the end of spring and the beginning of autumn. Immediately after verticulation, seasonally appropriate fertilizers are applied.

Top dressing - choose fertilizers

Regularly cutting, combing, and cleaning natural debris from the grass carpet results in the fertile layer becoming poor and the grass frail and faded. Artificial fertilizing will help to recover substances lost from the soil. Experts recommend fertilizing every six weeks, with autumn formulations different from spring ones.

Fertilizers for spring dressing are enriched with nitrogen, which is necessary for plants for friendly seedlings and growth of leaf blades. The proper development of the roots and the strength of the shoots give potassium and phosphorus. Autumn top dressing is characterized by a low nitrogen content, since at this time of the year the growth of grass stops; potassium, on the contrary, prevails.

To fertilize the lawns, special fertilizer should be purchased. The best option is universal, packaged in packages of 3 kg. The price of one package is about 120 rubles

The use of a fertilizer spreader facilitates the feeding process. This model distributes the substance on both sides, the main thing is not to exceed the concentration of the mixture

Fertilizers are applied in various ways:

• through the irrigation system (or using a watering can), after making an enriched solution;
• with a seeder - automatic spreader;
• manually, evenly distributing over all areas of the lawn.

The diagram clearly shows how top dressing and removal of fertilizers that do not last long in the ground occurs. That is why the application of nutrients to the soil should be regular

Mulching - increase the fertile layer

September and October are suitable months for mulching. It consists in increasing the fertile layer due to the added mixture useful for plants. Typically, organic material consists of three components: peat, loam and sand. The proportion of parts depends on the type of soil:

• Sandy - 2: 4: 1.
• Clay - 1: 2: 4.
• Loamy - 1: 4: 2.

For mulching, they make up a nutrient mixture, one of the parts of which is peat. Lowland peat is especially useful for improving soil structure.

Regular mulching enriches the turf with nutrients, regulates the air-water regime, makes the surface of the grass carpet even.

Mowing - making the lawn even

The main purpose of mowing the lawn is to give it an aesthetically attractive, even impeccable look. Grass mowing is carried out throughout the entire growth cycle of the grass, that is, from spring to autumn.

Mowing grass with a lawn mower is not just a lawn care process, but a way of life. You get used to this action as well as to morning jogs or walks with a dog

A few rules will help make the process more efficient:

• Frequent and too short pruning threatens to weaken the shoots, as they begin to experience a deficiency of nutrients and moisture.
• Before cutting, the grass is straightened (for example, with a rake), and immediately after cutting, so as not to disrupt the aeration process.
• Wet grass is not recommended for mowing - the grass sticks to the details of the lawn mower. Better to choose a dry, sunny day. It is especially dangerous to use electrical equipment on a rainy day.
• Read the instructions that came with the mower, it will tell you how to mow grass and clean the machine.
• Mowing is done in different directions so that the lawn is homogeneous.

Approximate movement pattern of a lawn mower. Moving in opposite directions, it is necessary to try to cover the entire area of \u200b\u200bthe lawn, otherwise you will not achieve a flat surface

Watering - arrange irrigation

It is not necessary to water the lawn daily, 2-3 times a week are enough. Let watering be rare, but plentiful. The best time is early morning or late evening, until the sun has risen at its zenith. For this reason, it is not appropriate to use manual watering from a hose, but an automatic watering system that is programmed to turn on at a specific time.

Automatic lawn watering has two big advantages: it happens at the right time and frees the owners from unnecessary work

During watering, the soil should be moistened 15-20 cm in depth. 1 m² accounts for 15 to 30 liters of water. The process will be more effective if aeration and combing are performed in advance.

A well-groomed, evenly trimmed, dense lawn is the pride of homeowners and a great addition to design solutions that adorn the adjacent area

As you can see, a beautiful decorative look of the lawn is achieved by hard work and regular attention, but the result pleases the hosts throughout the summer.

Nutrition: The Basics

The first spring work on lawn care should begin with top dressing. Some gardeners recommend dispersing fertilizer through melting snow. This is not very effective, as half of them will be taken out of the soil with melt water. Be patient, wait until the soil warms up to 10 ° C and then feed the grass with nitrogen fertilizers at the rate of 0.5 kg per 1 hundredth (this corresponds to 1.2 kg of urea or 1.5 kg of ammonium nitrate).

It is better to divide the first top dressing into two “servings” (for example, 0.6 kg of urea per one hundred parts) and add them with an interval of a week.

The fertilizer mixture must be evenly distributed throughout the lawn. To do this, it is better to use a manual sprayer.

Our tip:

It is not justifiable in early spring to use complex fertilizers that contain, in addition to nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, and trace elements. They are best made in early May.

If the weather is dry, then after feeding, you need to water the lawn so that the fertilizers dissolve well and do not burn the plants.

Spring lawn care: comb out and chop

A couple of weeks after fertilizing the soil, the lawn should be combed out. For this purpose use a rake. They will perfectly cope with fallen leaves and dry grass.

After you have cleaned the lawn, aeration should be carried out. Special aerators or garden pitchforks will well cope with this task. If you use a pitchfork, then carefully watch that the depth of puncture of the soil is at least 8 cm. At this depth, air will easily flow to the roots.

Our tip:

If your lawn covers a large area, then it will be difficult for you to take care of it manually. Then concentrate your efforts on those areas where water stagnates.

Down with the weeds!

In late April and early May, weeds begin their "expansion". In the spring, it is advisable to do lawn weeding. Two weeding options can be used:

1. Organic - for these purposes, use a narrow scoop-wearer or special pitchforks for the lawn.
2. With the help of chemicals. Selective herbicides show their effectiveness in the control of dicotyledonous weeds (linthur, makstar, golf and others), as well as dandelion, clover.

Herbicides should be discarded if legumes are part of the lawn mixture.

We sow empty areas on the lawn

If you see stale grass or bald spots on your lawn, then you need to sow the lawn in these areas. First you need:

• level the area, roll it with a roller or tamp with boards
• loosen the top layer and sow a mixture of lawn grasses
• seed rate for sowing is 50-60% of the initial sowing rate

Align the bumps

The bumps can form due to the heterogeneity of the soil and its uneven moisture in the winter. When caring for the lawn in early spring, they can not be left on the lawn, as they will spoil its appearance. Even a rolled lawn can “bubble” after winter. Getting rid of bubbles and bumps helps rolling the lawn roller.

Lawn care after winter: andwe get rid of snow mold

Snow mold may develop on the lawn if there were thaws in winter. As a result, the mycelium of several types of pathogenic fungi is formed, which cause a fluffy pink coating on the grass and a fluffy coating of light gray color.

Snow mold is easily noticeable in cloudy and windless weather on a mowed lawn. In appearance, it looks like a thin layer of snow.

• The most resistant to disease herbs:many varieties of red fescue.
• The average degree of resistance possess:  fescue meadow and reed.
• The most vulnerable:  meadow mint and pasture ryegrass.

Our tip:

To protect the lawn from snow mold, it is necessary to carry out autumn or early spring treatments with fungicides (foundationazole).

Tatyana Yukhimenko, landscape architect
© Magazine "Gardener"
  Photo: depositphotos.com

How to care for the lawn in the spring so that it takes as soon as possible a well-groomed and beautiful appearance? And what unpleasant surprises can potentially harm your lawn and how to deal with them? Let's find out how lawn care should be after winter.

Spring lawn care

Spring lawn care

The beginning of spring work in your garden is a responsible matter. It would seem that you can start lawn care in the spring, in principle, immediately after the snow has melted and the turf has thawed. But not everything is so simple - you still need to give the earth time to dry. The fact is that immediately after thawing the snow, it still remains soft, and even ordinary walking on it can lead to the appearance of ugly depressions.

Just note that spring is not the best time to lay a rolled lawn. This is best done in the fall, so that the grass has the opportunity to harden and winter. Therefore, we will not touch on this topic in the framework of this article.

Rolling

The first thing to do in the spring is to roll out the lawn. In winter, moisture accumulated beneath the surface of the upper layer of the earth often damages sod. The process of freezing and gradual thawing of the upper soil layers leads to the appearance of grass hummocks. As a result, its roots are torn off from nutrient soil. To solve this problem will help the lawn rolling. Thanks to this procedure, the formed bumps are reliably pressed to the ground. To roll a lawn - it is best to use a special skating rink.

Combing

The second stage of care is combing out the lawn. With the help of special lawn or fan rakes, it is necessary to carefully rake up the remains of dry grass, as well as the leaves that have remained since last autumn.

Aerator - a device for saturating the soil with air

At this stage, the aerator will help. This tool is designed to saturate the soil layer with air by piercing the soil with thin teeth. In addition, such treatment destroys all germinating weeds and rid the soil of the remains of dead grass. Lawn aeration can be carried out several times throughout the entire growing season.

Vertication

The next very important action, which in no case should be forgotten is vertication. Verticulation involves vertical loosening of the upper part of the turf layer. The purpose of this procedure is to saturate the soil with air, as well as remove felt - the remains of its old layer. When verticating, specialists use special devices called verticutters. Using sharp plate knives, they pierce the sod to the desired depth, while destroying the obsolete root system of the lawn (i.e., felt). As a result, the conditions for the rise of new young shoots are improving.

Important information: Rolling, combing and verticulation must be done before the start of the growing season, which occurs around the beginning of May.

Top dressing

After combing the lawn is done - it should be fertilized with useful fertilizers. In the early spring, among other care measures, you need to give the lawn a small portion of nitrogen fertilizers (from the calculation of 1.2 to 1.7 kg of fertilizer per 100 m 2). Such actions will accelerate the regeneration process. That is, the grass will acquire a bright green color much faster.

Topping the lawn with a seeder

Important information: For top dressing, you can use ammonium nitrate, urea or specially created complex fertilizers for lawns in the spring. Distribute them throughout the site should be evenly distributed.

Top dressing can be done manually or with a specially designed seeder.

Watering

You need to start watering the lawn in your garden, given the current weather conditions and the associated humidity indicators. Experts recommend doing this in the early morning, because daytime watering, as a rule, leads to poor absorption of liquid by the soil due to its accelerated evaporation and causes small burns of green mass (water droplets on the grass act as a lens concentrating the sun's rays at one point). Evening watering, especially on a cool and foggy evening due to excessive humidity, can contribute to the occurrence of diseases on your lawn.

Important information: After applying useful fertilizers to the soil, you must definitely irrigate it abundantly. After treating the herb with herbicides, on the contrary, it is contraindicated to water it.

It’s better to water the lawn early in the morning

Schedule for each month

With a detailed description of the basic procedures for lawn care, we reviewed. It's time to paint them for every month. Immediately, we note that the indicated time is not a dogma. You need to build on current weather conditions. For example, if March turned out to be cold and the lawn is still covered with a layer of snow - there can be no talk of any work.

March

In March, lawn care usually only begins. During the period of active melting of the snow mass, try not to allow prolonged waterlogging of the lawn and in every possible way avoid the formation of puddles on it. Be sure to prick all damp areas with a pitchfork with standard or hollow teeth (ideally, pre-do drainage). Try to minimize movement on the surface of the wet lawn. This will help to avoid the formation of ruts, humps, tracks and potholes, which are especially noticeable on young lawns.

A few days after the soil dries, roll and comb out your lawn. If during the work you noticed the initial signs of the appearance of lawn diseases - it will require urgent treatment with fungicides. These substances will help prevent further spread.

April

After the top layer is thoroughly dried, it is time to remove dry and rotten leaves and shoots, as well as the remnants of felt from the last autumn-winter period. That is, to carry out the above procedure of verticulation. If you don’t have a special machine, pick up a regular fan rake and move along and across your lawn. Timely verification is an excellent prevention of the appearance of fungal diseases of the lawn.

Special footwear for verticut lawn

April is the month when a stable positive temperature background is usually established on the street. It's time to spend spring fertilizing your lawn with complex fertilizers, which are dominated by nitrogen. This beneficial nutrient, combined with phosphorus, potassium and other trace elements, will help the lawn recover quickly. Fertilizer is usually applied manually. In no case do not exceed the dosage indicated on the package - otherwise you will only harm the young grass.

Helpful information. If your lawn is very sparse - experts advise to carry out the sowing calculated for May in April. Reduce the rate of complete sowing of seeds by 2 times and evenly scatter the number of seeds you need throughout the lawn.

Do not forget to water the lawn abundantly. By the way, if you didn’t have time to fertilize in a timely manner, it is permissible to do this after completing the seeding.

May

In May, it may already be necessary for the first time in a new season to mow the lawn. After the grass grows by about 7-9 centimeters, evenly mow it, leaving only 5, a maximum of 6. Mowing below is not necessary - the lawn should have time to recover. Use a special lawnmower with a grass catcher that does not leave plant debris directly on the lawn. Otherwise, decay may begin on its surface with frequent rains.

May - time to mow the lawn

1. Mow all affected areas low, then free them from residual mowed grass.
2. Loosen the top ball of soil with a rake or cultivator.
3. Level the surface.
4. Scarify seeds. So called surface damage to their hard shell to accelerate growth. To do this, you can wrap them with a layer of gauze and 2-3 minutes alternately lower them into hot and icy water. Or mix and grind with sand.
5. Sow fresh seeds of lawn grass and mulch - cover the seeds with a centimeter layer of a mixture of sand and peat. So they can take root.
6. Roll the lawn at the places of performing subseeding.
7. Water the grass - everywhere, and not just where the seedling was done.

To get a higher percentage of seedling - feed the seedlings with “starting” lawn fertilizer.

If you find foci of grass damage by disease - take urgent measures to improve it and stop the spread of infection. Select specific activities based on the type of disease.

From time to time, it happens that on top of the surface of a fresh lawn, places with noticeably thinned grass appear, called gardeners bald spots. If they are small in size, the best solution would be to replace the damaged areas with new turf fragments. They can be taken from any other places, for example, from the edge of your lawn or from the area under the bushes. If these bald spots are too large - finish off the grass in these places. To do this, first loosen the ground with a pitchfork, then level the surface (if necessary, adding sand), and, finally, sow the seeds.

You need to deal with bald spots on the lawn

When the weather is wet, you can sometimes notice a white substance that sticks together the stems of the grass. It is called "snow mold." This is a formidable, but, unfortunately, a very common disease. Fighting her is not easy. Therefore, as soon as you notice the first signs of this disease - immediately start taking action to eliminate it. Sometimes at the initial stage it can be quite very short to cut the grass in the place where the first traces of mold are concentrated. You can also spray the entire grass with a protective antifungal. But if the problem manifests itself in large areas of the lawn, and the mold has spread beyond measure - be prepared for new laying or sowing of the lawn.

It happens that after winter on the surface of the lawn there are small indentations, inside which liquid accumulates. This indicates that the land in these areas is not dense enough. This problem can be solved by resorting to loosening the earth and filling the discovered areas with sand or peat. First you need to cut a layer of turf in the shape of a triangle, after which - remove the formed layer. Then loosen the earth and mix it with sand or peat. Observe a ratio of 1: 1. Remove the excess earth, return the cut layer of turf to its place, firmly pressing it to the ground. If the recess is large in size, the operation described above may not be enough. Then you have to sow the grass again, having previously prepared the ground for this.

Video. Spring range of lawn care

Having a beautiful green lawn in your summer cottage is not so easy. In order for the lawn to please you for a long time, every spring it should be given special attention.

When establishing positive temperatures and drying the top layer of grass, it is recommended to start preparing the green area for the next season, in other words, in early spring, you should start restoring the lawn after it has been wintering.

As a rule, the following stages should be the basis of spring care:

• combing out;
• aeration
• top dressing;
• planting new grass (optional).

Video: Spring Lawn Care

Combing out

Important!  No matter how you would like to grab a fan or ordinary rake on arrival at the site and start spring combing, you should refrain from this procedure until the grass is completely dry.

• For combing, you can take a simple rake or a fan. The second is more desirable and convenient, because ordinary ones can rip up grass along with roots, especially if you have young crops (they are 1-2 years old).
• First you should collect all the fallen leaves and other garbage on the site.
• Further, it is good to comb the lawn, that is, you need to comb out all the packed grass that is on the surface of the earth, and then collect it in a pile and take it to a compost hole or destroy it (burn).

Video: combing the lawn in early spring

Aeration

This is the process of enriching the upper and lower layers of the lawn with oxygen, in other words, providing access to the roots of the air, which contributes to a more rapid development of the root system. Thus, acting with the help of special devices, the soil is pierced to a shallow depth (8-10 centimeters). It should be noted that for young grass 3-5 cm will be enough.

Various means can be used to aerate the lawn. For example, verticutters or scarifiers (they are mechanical, electric and gasoline). Using the same aggregates, it is possible to comb out especially large sections, which are very difficult to handle with a rake, as well as time and labor.

By the way!If you have a small area, then you can use special aerator sandals or pitchforks to complete this procedure.

Video: spring aeration of the lawn

Fertilizer and fertilizer

Top dressing is a very important part of spring lawn care. During this period, it is necessary to give preference to nitrogen-containing fertilizers, helping any plants to grow green mass. For example, ammonium nitrate or urea (urea). Also exist special complex mixtures  for feeding the lawn (usually spring-summer).

By the way!It is very convenient to apply prolonged complex fertilizers especially for use in large areas. It is enough to apply them in early spring, and this will be enough until the end of the growing season (that is, it will not be necessary to feed in the summer and autumn).

According to some gardeners, it is most convenient to use liquid fertilizers. If the proportion is respected, you will definitely not burn out young grass, unlike dry and granular counterparts.

After feeding the lawn, it is imperative that it be abundantly irrigated: in order for the grass to not be burned by granules of fertilizer, they must be dissolved with water at all costs.

The main thing when applying fertilizing is their uniform distribution over the entire still yellow-green area, otherwise the grass will grow unevenly and it will look messy.

By the way!  There are special devices for feeding grass.

Video: how and when to feed the lawn

Restoration (replanting lawn grasses)

If there are damaged places on the lawn (various kinds of bald spots), then it should be darned or restored, in other words, plant a new one. To do this, clean its upper part, loosen it slightly, and then sow seeds evenly and mulch with a thin layer of soil (with the addition of river sand). Then ram well.

Advice!  During the winter, irregularities may form on the lawn. Such cavities should also be covered with soil.

Video: Lawn restoration

Thus, if in the spring you will properly care for the lawn, then every year you will have a beautiful emerald-green lawn, which will fall the envious glances of more lazy neighbors.

Video: spring lawn care

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