| If you've ever wanted to improve the | | | | A smooth clear surface is essential, |
| look of you lawn there are a few things | | | | with no holes, dips, or drainage |
| you can do to maintain your lawn on a | | | | problems.Seed is best applied with a |
| weekly basis without doing any major | | | | rotary type spreader. Half the seed |
| work often required to recover a damaged | | | | should be spread in one direction, the |
| lawn.Lawn Fertilizer- Lawns need their | | | | remainder in the opposite direction. |
| Spring feed most of all, especially one | | | | This gives good soil contact for the |
| containing nitrogen, backed up with both | | | | seed, and uniform germination. The type |
| phosphates and potash. One feed per | | | | of grasses to be grown are dictated by |
| annum is not enough, and a Summer feed, | | | | climate, and are best planted 30 days |
| if the lawn is looking a little jaded | | | | before real warmth or chill sets in. |
| should contain either a proprietary lawn | | | | Only hot season grasses should be sown |
| tonic, or nitrogen rich fertilize. An | | | | when the temperature reaches 80 to 90 |
| autumn lawn care feed should concentrate | | | | degrees. Hot season seed is very small |
| more on phosphates and potash rather | | | | and can be spread lightly, whereas cold |
| than nitrogen, possibly combined with a | | | | climate seed is larger and requires |
| worm killer and disease | | | | heavier coverage for good thick |
| preventive.Watering Your Lawn - Rainfall | | | | grass.There are various lawn care |
| in the is normally sufficient to keep | | | | machines that can be rented for a day or |
| the roots supplied with moisture, but | | | | two to power seed a lawn. The seed is |
| dry spells do occur in late spring and | | | | dropped into ready made grooves as the |
| summer months. The first sign of drought | | | | machine moves over the ground. Again, a |
| will be colour change, from green to | | | | level surface is essential, and power |
| straw or even brown. It is advisable to | | | | seeders are not recommended where it is |
| water at the coolest time of day, early | | | | rough or uneven.A further solution is to |
| or late, and best with a rotary | | | | Hydroseed. Under this process the seed |
| sprinkler. A good watering once a week | | | | is mixed with fertilizer and a lawn care |
| for optimum lawn care is preferable to | | | | mulch plus water, and sprayed on to the |
| over watering,unless it is extremely | | | | lawn. This encourages quicker |
| hot. In this way deep root development | | | | germination. The spray is coloured blue |
| will be encouraged.Weed Control - This | | | | or green for identifying the sprayed |
| is really down to good lawn care | | | | area, and later turns white. The machine |
| management. With an established lawn, | | | | will usually have to be hired rather |
| laid with good quality seed or turf, the | | | | than rented. A lawn can also be |
| rules for maintaining it include the | | | | renovated easily with a lawn care |
| following. Appropriate mowing, at the | | | | dethatcher, which scarifys the surface, |
| correct height and little and often, and | | | | and aids germination of scattered seeds. |
| proper watering especially at the hint | | | | This machine needs using with care in |
| of a dry spell. Scarifying helps to | | | | respect of the lawn surface.Preparing |
| control weeds and invigorates lawn | | | | the Seed Bed.For New Lawn care - Rake |
| growth, as does proper feeding. Good | | | | and smooth, remove any debris. |
| fertility combats the growth of weeds | | | | Renovating Established Lawns - Mow |
| and builds the strength of the grass. | | | | closely. To overseed or repair bare |
| Worm casts invite weed seeds, worm | | | | spots, rake to produce a viable surface, |
| control is necessary, and prevention of | | | | then check section on 'fertilizing'. |
| disease in bare patches.Mowing Your Lawn | | | | Kill off remaining seed with Finale. |
| - Mowing keeps the lawn looking | | | | Vegetation will brown within 7-10 days. |
| attractive. It should he done regularly, | | | | A good raking will remove loosened |
| from March to October, with sharp | | | | thatch and expose soil for seed. Bare |
| blades, set not too low. It is better to | | | | spots can be chopped into small chunks |
| mow when the grass is dry, to reduce | | | | to allow use of the slit seeder in a |
| mower clogging. The mower should be | | | | grid formation. Slits should run in a |
| moved in a constant direction at a | | | | horizontal fashion across slopes. Do not |
| steady pace, and not hoovered backwards | | | | use a Rototill, which will expose and |
| and forwards. When newly sown grass | | | | spread weed seeds.About this article: |
| reaches 2" or 3" inches high, the top 2" | | | | Quick and helpful lawn and lawn care |
| can be mowed with care.Advice for new | | | | tips and advice |
| lawn care.Establishment lawn care - | | | | Lawn Care |
| Whether starting entirely from scratch, | | | | Information. Reproduction of this |
| or renovating and old, tired lawn, the | | | | article is permitted |
| following is the best way to proceed. | | | | so long as this resource box is |
| Seeding - for a lawn to be created from | | | | included, it remains unchanged |
| a bare, grassless mud patch, it is | | | | and all links remain active and |
| easier to get professional help with the | | | | clickable. |
| levelling, via a tractor and box blade. | | | | |