Lawn care background knowledge.

What is Grass, how do we look after it?

Before we get into the world of lawn care, let’s cover some basics. What exactly is grass?
Grass is the common name for the Gramineae family of plants. With more than 9,000 known species, this family is one of the largest on Earth.
Grass is extremely important to most people’s lives, whether they know it or not. For one thing, grass is a major food source all over the world. Rice, corn and oats come from grass plants for example, and most livestock animals feed primarily on grasses. In some parts of the world, people use grass plants in construction (bamboo is a grass, for example), and wherever it grows, grass plays a vital role in curbing erosion. Grass is also used to make sugar, liquor, bread and plastics, among many other things.
Grasses have a very simple structure, and a very simple way of life. You can better grasp what grass needs when you understand how it actually functions in the world.
At the base of the grass plant, roots grow down into the earth. Typically, grass roots are fibrous, or threadlike. They extend into the soil like fingers, collecting nutrients, soaking up water and securing the plant to the ground.
Grass stems, called culms, grow up from the base of the plant (the crown). In most grass species, the culms are hollow and rigid, except at the nodes — joints that join stem segments together.
Narrow leaves extend out from the culms, above each node. The leaves alternate in direction. That is, if the first leaf on a culm grows to the right, the second leaf will grow to left and the third leaf will grow to the right and so on.
The lower part of the leaf is called the sheath, and the upper part is called the blade. In most grasses, a ligule surrounds the connection between the sheath and the blade. A ligule can take the form of a thin membrane or a fringe of hair-like projections.
Like the leaves on a tree, grass leaves serve to collect energy from sunlight through photosythesis. The photosynthesizing chlorophyll in the leaf gives grass its green color.
There are two major methods of reproduction in grasses. Some grasses have additional stems that grow sideways, either below ground or just above it. Stems that creep along the ground are called stolons, and stems that grow below ground are called rhizomes. Grasses use stolons and rhizomes to reach out and establish new grass culms. The stoleon or rhizome nurtures the new plant until it is strong enough to survive on its own.

Grasses also have flowers.

The small flowers in most grass species are known as florets. Florets grow together in small groups called spikelets, which collectively form inflorescences. Flowers produce the spores that pollinate other flowers, which produce seeds. With any luck, some of the seeds will grow new healthy grass plants.
In some grasses, such as corn, the stem and the flowering part of the plant are obvious. But in lawn grasses, the long thin leaves overshadow the other elements of the plant. Unless you’re up close, all you see is green stalks.
So,­ let’s say you want a perfect lawn — a lawn that looks like a golf course, a nice green carpet surrounding your house. Is this possible?
It’s not only possible, it’s really not that complicated, at least in most parts of the world. None of the advice that follows will help you grow a luscious lawn at the North Pole or in the middle of the Sahara desert, but it should do the trick in more temperate regions.

Like most plants, grass needs three things to thrive. It needs:
Sunlight
Water
Nutrients
Additionally, it needs to be largely free of destructive elements, namely:
Weeds
Disease
Bugs

Soil

No amount of water and sunlight will make your lawn luscious and green if you have poor soil, so this is a good place to start.
A grass plant’s backbone is its root system. The roots soak up water, collect nutrients, anchor the plant and, in some species, spread out to grow new plants. A plant can only do these things effectively if the soil is right.
The soil needs to be loose enough that the grass roots can spread easily, absorbent enough that it will collect water and rich enough that it can provide the plant with nutrients. Roots also need a certain amount of circulating air, which means the soil can’t be too compact.
Ideally, you want loam — soil that has roughly equal amounts of silt, sand and clay (a “perfect” loam is about 40 percent silt, 40 percent sand and only 20 percent clay). Loam is fairly loose, but it has enough clay to absorb water effectively.
The soil’s pH rating is also important. This rating tells you the relative acidity and alkalinity of the soil. The ideal pH level is around 6.5 or 7, but levels vary between different grass species and climate conditions. You can find out your soil’s pH level with a home test or a professional test.
If you need to substantially increase the acid level, add sulfur. If you want to reduce the acid level, add lime.
To improve your soil, you can amend it with topsoil, compost or fertiliser.
Next to soil, the most important factor in lawn care is the grass species itself.


To establish a beautiful lawn, you need to choose an appropriate type of grass. There are two major factors in this decision:
• Your local climate (average rainfall, heat, etc.)
• The amount of sunlight your lawn gets.
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Planting

If you’re starting a new lawn from scratch or overhauling an ailing one, you’ll need to add grass. There are two ways to go about this:
• Seeding – Planting grass seed in the soil
• Turfing – Laying out chunks of turf containing healthy grass plants

The most common method (and the cheapest) is seeding. When planting new seed, select a good species or mix for your area. Look for high-quality seed — don’t go for the cheapest option.

• To seed, first mix any topsoil, fertiliser or compost into your existing soil using a rotary tiller.
• Then use a rake to level the soil. This minimizes bumps and holes, which make mowing more difficult.
• Next, scatter the seed, either by hand or with a mechanical spreader.
• Compact the seeds.
• Rake the seeded area to lightly cover about half the seeds with soil.
• Soak the seeded area and water regularly until the grass starts to come in.

Maintaining Your Lawn
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­Finally, we get to the meat of the matter. If you’ve got the right soil, and you’ve planted the right grass, how do you keep your lawn healthy and green?
There are eight major components to lawn maintenance:
• Watering
• Mowing
• Fertilising
• Weed Control
• Fighting pests
• Disease Control
• Aerating
• De-thatching

Periodic Maintenance

In addition to mowing and watering regularly, you’ll need to make time for several larger jobs throughout the year.

Fertilising

Fertilizing adds nutrients to the soil so that the soil can provide nutrients to the grass. If you mow regularly, your grass will grow very quickly, which means it needs more nutrients than an average plant. Your soil can provide nutrients for most native plants by itself, but it may need some help to feed your grass.
The most effective way to fertilize is to spread slow-acting commercial granular fertilizer. Unlike water-soluble spray fertilizer, which acts on the leaves directly, granular fertilizer releases nutrients gradually over several months. If you spread the fertilizer in the autumn, it will strengthen the plant’s root structure, making it more resilient to drought and more resistant to weeds.

Aerating

When soil gets compacted — from foot traffic, mowing and the like — oxygen can’t reach the microbes that break down organic matter to enrich the soil. To keep your lawn healthy, it’s a good idea to aerate it periodically — to open up the compacted soil.
Manual and power core-aerators remove narrow sections of soil to form shallow holes. Air, water and organic material spread into the ground through the holes, revitalizing the soil. If heavy traffic compacts your lawn severely, it’s best to aerate it every autumn.

De-thatching or scarification

In any lawn, thatch material collects around the base of the grass plants. Thatch is not made up of mowed grass clippings, as is commonly believed. Clippings usually break down in a week or so. Thatch is actually made up of culms and crowns that have died naturally.
A small amount of thatch helps conserve water in the soil by blocking evaporation, but heavy thatch build-up (more than a quarter-inch / 6 mm thick) keeps air and water from ever reaching the soil. If there’s too much thatch on your lawn then it is likely that not enough air, water and nutrients are making there way down to the root system. This will in turn quicken the demise of the lawn.

Weed control

Weeding is an ongoing part of the lawn care process. Grass, especially modern mixtures are extremely competitive and will crowd out most weeds by itself. If a lot of weeds do pop up, take it as a sign that your grass is weaker than it should be. This could mean your soil is deficient or water-logged, or it could mean you’re cutting the grass too short. Weeds will also pop up in a healthy lawn, of course. For the most part, this isn’t anything to worry about. Almost all lawns have weeds, and they don’t do much harm in small numbers.

Pest Control

Pest control is similar to weed control. If you have a healthy, thriving lawn, you shouldn’t have to worry about it. Bugs will make their home in your lawn, but they won’t be able to damage the grass much.
From time to time, however, bugs may destroy some of your grass. You can treat infestations by spraying insecticide or certain bacteria. Only use insecticides that kill harmful insects specifically. Ants and spiders prey on lawn pests, so you certainly want to keep them around.

Fighting Disease

Diseased lawns are usually caused by fungi feeding on the grass plants. Healthy grass stands up to fungus very well, but it develops disease now and then. Fight persistent or widespread fungi with a fungicide. The best way to fight disease is to incorporate a good lawn care program.

 

Watering Advice from surrey total lawn care

Turf areas

Freshly laid turf will need to be kept damp as soon as it is put down for at least the first 2 weeks. After 2 weeks, the frequency can be reduced, until the lawn is growing at a steady pace. Bare in mind the weather conditions, as in extremely hot weather you may need to have sprinklers on almost all day and night. We recommend that each area that the sprinkler can cover will need 20 – 40 minutes watering 2 to 3 times per day. (or more in extreme heat conditions) Once the turf has rooted, usually between 7 to 14 days, the frequency can be reduced. If the new lawn needs cutting, try stopping the watering for 2 days before the cut, so that the soil underneath the new turf dries out a little before running over with the mower. Then resume your watering. Reduce the frequency further until the turf is growing healthy and strong. Keep the mower set high for the first few cuts, then lower it down to a normal height in stages. 3.5cm minimum height recommendation by Total Lawn Care

Seeded areas

Seeded Areas or seeded lawns will need light watering on a regular basis, so as to keep the soil damp. We recommend that each area that the sprinkler can cover will need 20-40 minutes watering 2 to 3 times per day. (or more in extreme heat conditions) Be careful not to over water as this will cause the seed to pool up into clumps and the area will then need re-seeding. Once the seed has germinated, 10 days as a rule, the frequency of watering can slowly be reduced. Keep watering until the seeded areas are growing steadily. 3 to 6 weeks. Mowing can take place as soon as the grass is long enough. Keep the mower set high for the first few cuts, the lower it down to a normal hight in stages.

Summer time watering

When the lawns are turning brown, it is a sign that they are in drought. Try to start watering before the grass starts to turn from green to brown. We recommend that a good amount of water is put down at least once per week. allow the water to pool up on the surface, up to a centimetre, so that the standing water can seep down as deep as possible. Lawns that have not had any aeration may not be able to absorb the water. if this is the case, try forking the lawn with a garden fork. As lawn aeration cant take place until the ground has softened up, usually in the autumn, or the spring.