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How to plant lawn grass: useful tips. How to plant lawn grass - when to sow, what varieties and seeds to plant, how to grow and care for the lawn Lawn grass how to plant correctly

To turn your plot into a neat green meadow, you need to spend quite a lot of time and effort. In addition, you need to know exactly when to sow lawn grass(in autumn or spring), how to care for it and what other points you should pay attention to.

Lawn grass: features

The selection of plants that can be used as lawn grass has been carried out over several generations. Preference was given to crops with the following characteristics:

The last quality is considered especially important, since in its absence it is impossible to create a full-fledged lawn. Florists are not so picky about the height of plants, but low-growing lawn grass requires much less care (it does not need to be cut and leveled weekly). It would also be more forward-thinking to choose perennial crops: they do not need to be replanted every year, and the growth activity of such varieties is noticeably lower.

Interesting! There are lawn grasses that help get rid of weeds. They are a mixture of plants, necessarily including bentgrass. True, this crop requires a lot of moisture for normal growth and development.

Thanks to good watering and fertilizing, you can get uniform green shoots already 1.5-2 weeks after planting. In the future, they can be admired during every spring-summer period for several years. However, in order to avoid the development of diseases that can destroy most of the plants on the site, experienced gardeners Every 2-3 years they get rid of the old lawn grass and grow crops of other varieties in the selected area.

When is it better to plant lawn grass - in spring or autumn?

From the point of view of many landscapers, the arrangement of a lawn can be carried out throughout the entire growing season. However, each season has its own advantages and disadvantages.

in autumn

Sowing lawn grass in the fall is most preferable for several reasons:

• absence of drying heat and sharp thermal fluctuations within a day (such conditions are favorable for seed germination);
• optimal, almost unchanged level of air and soil humidity (the liquid necessary for growth accumulates due to abundant dew and prolonged rain);
• the intensity of weed growth is noticeably reduced.

This option also has negative sides. For example, night frosts can destroy what a landscaper has sown. And the probability of this is relatively high.

Attention! The minimum temperature at which friendly autumn shoots can be expected to appear is +6…+8 °C.

Timely preparation of the area for the lawn begins 4-6 weeks before the landscaper plants the grass mixture. First of all, the selected location will need to be cleared of:

• waste (for example, construction waste);
• cobblestones;
• branches;
• stumps;
• unnecessary trees and shrubs;
• weeds (if there are too many of them, you can treat the soil with herbicides 3-4 weeks before sowing).

If the soil is clayey or heavy, then it will need to be loosened and mixed with sand or fine (0-4 mm) gravel. This will improve aeration. Sandy soil It is recommended to enrich it with nutrients by adding humus or compost.

The optimal acidity level for a lawn is 5.5-7 pH. If this indicator is too high for the soil, it can be corrected by liming with dolomite flour.

Lawn grass

Areas with excessively wet soil must be drained. To do this you need:

1. Remove the fertile part of the soil.
2. Pour pebbles, broken bricks and stones in a layer of 15-20 cm.
3. Raise the achieved level by another 8-10 cm by adding sand.
4. Level the surface by rolling it with a thick log.
5. Bring back the humus.

After 10-15 days (after the soil settles), the area will need to be leveled by pouring soil into the holes and removing it from the hummocks. After this, you can fertilize the soil with potassium-phosphorus or special lawn compounds, spreading them with a rake.

The finishing touch is compacting the soil with a garden roller or log. To further stabilize the soil, you can water the area generously.

Autumn sowing of a lawn can be:

1. Moisten the soil a couple of days before the expected sowing day.
2. Mix seeds with sand in a 1:1 ratio.
3. Spread the resulting mixture evenly over the area (first walk lengthwise, then crosswise, crossing the rows).
4. Loosen the surface of the soil with a rake, simultaneously planting the seeds to a depth of 1-2 cm.
5. Compact the soil with a roller and sprinkle with a layer of peat 1-1.5 cm thick.
6. Water the soil carefully using a fine sprinkler.

In autumn on 1 square meter area, about 60-70 g of seed material is consumed.

Attention! To avoid damaging the fragile root system, in the first months after the emergence of seedlings, you should not walk on the lawn.

in spring

The spring option is good because during this period the germination of seeds improves natural reasons- daylight hours are lengthening and it is getting warmer. It is better if the lawn is sown in April, since during this period moisture is still retained in the soil. Later - from late April to early July - you can sow lawn grass mixtures only if they are guaranteed regular and sufficiently abundant watering (from a watering can with a fine spray).

The soil for spring planting is prepared in the same way and at the same time as for autumn planting. Feeding and intensive watering during spring planting begins in March. This allows you not only to make the soil as suitable as possible for the lawn, but also to germinate all weed seeds remaining from last year, and then promptly remove unnecessary grass from the area.

Pay attention! During sowing, you should move around the site on wide skis or boards. This will prevent you from leaving unnecessary traces.

For 1 m² you will need 30-50 g of seeds. It is also recommended to leave some of the seed material in reserve in case there is a need for additional seeding. After completing the procedure, the ground must be mulched with peat, humus and sand.

The first mowing is done when the lawn grass reaches a height of 6-10 cm.

In summer

Planting lawn grass in July or early August is perfectly acceptable. However, the consumption of seeds will be slightly greater than in the spring, since some of them burn out (accordingly, another part will have to be left for sowing bald spots that may appear later). More intensive watering will also be required, since in July - August the soil dries out especially quickly.

Otherwise, summer planting leaves a positive impression:

• at proper care shoots appear after a week;
• it is possible to see before the snow falls which places on the site remain empty and sow them before the growing season ends;
• the lawn will be green for most of the fall (before frost sets in).

It is preferable to plant a lawn at the end of summer, when the earth is still sufficiently warmed up, and the humidity of the air and soil is already beginning to gradually increase.

Lawn grass

Seedling care

The main part of lawn care involves:

• glaze;
• cleaning;
• feeding;
• cutting.

All these procedures are simple to perform, but they must be repeated regularly, otherwise appearance the lawn will noticeably deteriorate.

• walk on the lawn if the snow cover is less than 20 cm thick;
• arrange a skating rink on the lawn area;
• cover the lawn with snow;

In the spring, you need to do the following:

• clear the area of ​​debris, stones and leaves;
• comb the lawn with a fan rake;
• aerate and fertilize the soil;
• treat plants from fungal diseases by spraying them with fungicides;
• reseed those areas that remain bare;
• mow the lawn.

In summer, the list is reduced to watering (performed once every two days), fertilizing and mowing. With the onset of autumn, it will be necessary to reseed the bare areas, fertilize the soil and aerate it.

Rolled lawns

Tools needed for planting and care

To prepare the soil, and then plant and care for the lawn, the following tools are required:

• metal and wooden rakes;
• wooden slats 1 m long (several pieces for leveling the area);
• mosquito net (used to protect seeds from exposure to sunlight);
• fertilizer (special lawn or complex): 50 g per square meter;
• watering can with fine spray;
• scales.

Of course, you will need high-quality seed material (preferably grafted) or several strips roll lawn.

Oats, rye and other cereals are often used for sowing. Best grasses for lawns in the south:

• meadow bluegrass;
• meadow fescue;
• ryegrass

If desired, lawn crops can be combined independently in suitable proportions, checking the success of the chosen combination on the site next to the dacha.

Thus, there is no specific time frame for planting a lawn. You can sow seeds at any time of the year, except winter. When choosing a time for planting, you need to consider the advantages and disadvantages of each season of the year.

Many people think that there can be no difficulties in growing grass. But this only applies to weeds; they really grow well on their own. But to get a beautiful grass lawn, you have to work, there are certain subtleties in this matter. We will figure out how to plant lawn grass with your own hands and what care to provide it with.

When to plant lawn grass

Planting lawn grass with your own hands can be done in spring, summer and autumn. Let's look at the positive and negative aspects of each of these periods. It is recommended to plant lawn grass in the spring in the last ten days of April - early May. Such terms have their advantages:

1. By this time the soil is quite moist and no longer frozen.
2. The first weeds will have time to sprout, and it will be possible to get rid of them even before sowing the lawn grass by using herbicides.
3. By the end of the season, the grass will be stronger and even survive several mowings. You will be able to detect errors, and if there are bald spots left somewhere, then sow the seeds.
4. In spring it is already quite warm, and if the seeds have good germination, you will be able to admire the young green lawn within a month after sowing.
5. TO winter period such a lawn will be strong and well-rooted and will easily withstand frost.

Flaw spring planting is that the prepared soil may not have time to stand. That is why experts recommend preparing the plot before winter and sowing the seeds in the spring.

Some people believe that it is better to plant lawn grass with seeds in June, since the soil is already quite warm. In addition, if the site was prepared in the spring, the soil will have time to settle, revealing errors during leveling.

You can sow a lawn in the second half of summer (July - early August), but in this case it all depends on the region. In areas where cold weather sets in early, there is a risk that the grass will not have time to mature. In addition, insufficient mowing will prevent the formation of a uniform surface. Some plants may freeze and not sprout in the spring, and then you will have to re-sow the lawn.

As for the autumn period, there are two options for planting lawn grass. A good time for regions with moderate winters is the beginning of September; you just need to carefully prepare the site in the summer. In the fall, lawn grass not only has time to sprout, but also grow to the height of the first cutting (about 10 cm). Thanks to mowing, the lawn will become stronger and at this stage it will winter well under the snow in regions with moderate winters.

The second option is to sow the plot with seeds before winter (at the end of October), after fertilizing the soil. The grass will not have time to grow, but the seeds will undergo stratification, harden and sprout perfectly in the spring. But even in this case, it is necessary to take into account the characteristics of the region. If the second half of autumn is warm, the plants will begin to emerge (at temperatures above +5°C), and the sudden onset of cold weather will destroy them.

Where to start

The arrangement of the lawn begins with planning a suitable place in the country and marking it, while taking into account the general plan of the site and landscape style(if it is already formed). Then they begin to remove weeds from the designated area. If there are too many of them, then the area must be treated with herbicides. As soon as the weeds turn yellow and dry out, proceed to spring cleaning territories. Everything is removed - dried grass, stumps and roots of cut trees, branches, stones, construction waste and unnecessary bushes.

Site preparation

Now the cleared area needs to be dug up. This is one of the most difficult stages. Do not neglect digging if you want to get a really healthy and beautiful lawn. Depending on the soil structure, there are two options: Simple (or single-tier) digging. Only the top layer of soil on the bayonet of the shovel is affected (if it is heavy, you can also use a pitchfork). This method is suitable when you know for sure that the site has normal drainage and the land was previously cultivated.

For example, single-tier digging is sufficient if the lawn is broken up on the spot old flower bed or vegetable garden. Two-tier digging. It will be required in areas that long time were not plowed. With this method, the top layer of soil is removed and taken to the side, and the bottom layer is loosened using a pick or fork. When digging like this, it would be good to add manure or rotted compost.

The soil on the site needs fertilizing. If she increased acidity, add chalk or slaked lime. Heavy and clay soil loosen using humus or compost. And of course mineral fertilizers: nitrogen in spring, potassium and phosphorus in summer and autumn.

The prepared area is allowed to stand for 1-2 weeks so that the soil settles. After this, carefully inspect the area of ​​the future lawn from all sides for unevenness, otherwise, when the grass grows, it will be clear that the lawn is uneven. It is necessary to level out the hummocks, fill the depressions with soil and thoroughly walk over the entire area with a rake. The finally prepared area is rolled with a garden roller.

Is drainage needed?

If the lawn is laid out in a wetland or the soil composition is dominated by clay, drainage is essential. In this case, when preparing the site, it is necessary to make three layers. First, broken bricks (adobe or ceramic), tiles, gravel, and stones are poured to a thickness of 10 to 15 cm.

Sand-lime brick is unsuitable for arranging drainage - under the influence of moisture it quickly collapses and changes chemical composition soil.

Then a layer of the same thickness is formed from fine screenings of crushed stone or sand. And only after that fertile soil is laid.

How to choose grass mixtures

Which grass mixture to choose for planting a lawn depends on its functional purpose, illumination of the area, and climatic conditions:

• the sports ground should be able to withstand mechanical damage and trampling (red and meadow fescue are suitable, meadow bluegrass, perennial ryegrass);
• the lawn for children's games should be soft, so it is better to sow it with hedgehog grass, different types of clover, and meadow timothy;
• The decorative covering should look elegant; sheep fescue, awnless brome, and shoot-forming bentgrass are used for its arrangement.

A good option for creating a background for others landscape elements- Canadian lawn grass. It is unpretentious when sown, grows on any soil, and is easy to care for. “Canada Green” retains its greenery even under snow cover and does not allow weeds to sprout. If you want to create a bright flowering lawn, choose Moorish lawn grass mixture. A beautiful low-growing lawn is created from white clover, Corsican mint, anise and creeping thyme (thyme).

Sowing technology

The technology for sowing a lawn is no different. The main rule is that there must be calm weather to ensure even distribution of seeds throughout the entire area.

Most lawn grass seeds do not require any special preparation before sowing. Only in some plants (bromeless brome, tall ryegrass, meadow bluegrass) the seeds have thin hairs with which they adhere to each other, form lumps and lose their flowability - to restore their properties they are processed at home using a grater.

Two days before sowing, water the area to plant the seeds in slightly moistened soil.

If the area of ​​the future lawn is large, then you cannot do without a special seeder. In small areas you can sow by hand. The grass mixture is poured into sand (equal proportions are taken), mixed thoroughly and scattered over the entire area. This mixing allows for uniform distribution.

Sow in two directions: along the plot, then across. Then the soil is loosened and rolled with a roller so that the seeds are not blown away by gusts of wind, and preferably sprinkled with peat (a layer of 1 cm will be enough). The final stage is watering the area with a hose with a fine spray.

Rules of care

And now a little instruction on how to care for a planted lawn: The main thing is to ensure proper and timely watering - always using a fine sprayer, so that a powerful water jet does not wash out the grass roots while they are still weak. Water daily early in the morning and evening, but not in the scorching heat of the afternoon. A lawn sown “before winter” is not watered - the seeds should sprout in the spring. When the grass grows to 6-10 cm, the first cutting is carried out, with the exception of the Moorish (flowering) lawn.

Subsequently, mow every 2-3 weeks (the frequency depends on the type of lawn and the variety of plants planted). The soil needs aeration twice a season. Top layer They are pierced with special devices, which ensures normal exchange of atmospheric and soil air.

The lawn needs to be fed three times during the season. For the first time at the end of spring, preparations containing nitrogen and phosphorus are applied - they promote the rapid growth of green mass, as well as the strengthening and development of roots. To improve color and growth, grass is fed with nitrogen fertilizers in the summer (you don’t have to do this if the season is not too dry, with moderate temperatures). Applying potassium fertilizers in the fall will give the grass resistance to winter cold.

Possible problems

It happens that young grass grows poorly and loses its bright color. Most likely there is not enough in the soil nutrients, which means that fertilizing with nitrogen-containing fertilizers is needed. Weeds may appear if the area has not been thoroughly cleared of them. preparatory stage, that is, you will have to dig them out manually.

The appearance of cracks in the lawn indicates poor watering. To eliminate them, you need to water the damaged area well and mulch it, adding a little grass mixture to the mulch. Yellowing and dying of grass indicates fungal or viral diseases- the entire lawn can die. It is necessary to immediately treat the lesion with special preparations, for example, foundationazole.

We hope that you will be able to properly sow your lawn with your own hands. It will take root, will not hurt and will delight the eye with beauty for many years. bright view and it feels good to tickle your heels.

Any person enjoys not only looking at the soft green lawn, but also sitting on it. Children especially love to run on green grass. A lawn that is planted and grown correctly can last a very long time.

Selecting Lawn Grass Seeds

How to grow a beautiful green lawn? First you need to select the appropriate seed material. Manufacturers offer a wide range of already ready-made compositions for sowing lawns. For example, it could be a sports lawn or a lawn for family recreation. When deciding how to plant a lawn with your own hands, it is important to pay attention to the composition of the lawn mixture. Seeds must be adapted to the local climate.

Alternative to lawn - low blooming rug Covers the soil with thin creeping stems that take root in “mustaches” up to 70 cm long. Yellow flowers open in May - August: a lawn with cinquefoil looks beautiful and bright. Please note that the plant needs to be limited.

Large-rhizome ground cover geranium is unpretentious and drought-resistant. It forms a dense, closed thicket up to 30 cm high with bright purple or reddish flowers (June-July).

A carpet made of soft cuff has a height of up to 40 cm in the sun and in partial shade, blooms luxuriantly with yellow inflorescences (June-August). Grows well on rocky and peaty soil, but can clog the area.

What is the best time to plant grass?
Spring

Any lawn grass develops quite intensively. Having planted it in the spring, the summer resident will receive a full-fledged “green carpet” on the site already in the same season.

It becomes possible to “adjust” the lawn, promptly identify and eliminate mistakes made during its formation. All shortcomings (for example, uneven planting of seeds) will immediately be visually noticeable as soon as the first shoots hatch.

Many gardeners claim that lawn grass sown in the fall grows more lush and friendly.

IN autumn period There are two ways to sow seeds:

In early September. When you sow grass in the early fall, you need to wait for it to emerge and then treat it before the upcoming winter.

Late autumn/first November days. In this case, the seeds are sown in already frozen ground, and thus, having overwintered in the ground, they undergo natural stratification and receive immunity from most diseases. There is no point in planting a lawn in October, because before the frost the grass will have time to sprout, but the roots will not yet be strengthened, because of this they will have little chance of a successful winter.

Lawn grass in summer, then perfect time is the end of summer. During this period, several factors coincide very well that guarantee good results. This is an excellent degree of warming of the earth and its optimal humidity. In addition, at this time the weeds are no longer as active as at the beginning of the season. And the grass will have time to hatch and get stronger before the onset of frost. As you can see, sowing lawn grass in the summer is a good idea.

When planting a lawn, one type of seed or a grass mixture can be used. What type of seeds or their combination is used determines the density of planting of lawn grass. On average, this is 30-50 g per m2. For one hundred square meters this is 5 kilograms of seeds or grass mixture. At the same time, it was taken into account that sowing may not be carried out perfectly.

If you plan to sow manually, without a seeder, then it is still better to add 10 percent of the total seeds to the sowing rate. If you skimp and take less seed, then seedlings will be rare and there is a danger that weeds will clog the grass. It is also advisable to take some seeding material for repairing and reseeding the lawn in the future.

Choosing a place for lawn grass

Choosing a location for a lawn requires certain knowledge of certain plant properties. In particular, one should take into account the biological and chemical processes occurring in the root system of the predecessors of future lawn grass.

Before you start sowing lawn grass, you need to decide on the location where the lawn will be placed. This place should, first of all, be accessible for mowing. There should be no inconvenience when caring for the grass; the lawn mower should easily reach all areas of the lawn. For these reasons, it is recommended to place the lawn where there are few or no trees and shrubs.

Preparing the site before planting lawn grass

Before proceeding with soil preparation, vertical leveling should be carried out and all work related to laying should be completed. utility networks, planting large trees and installing drainage. When planting plants, please note that the root collar is deepened to the grass stand level you intend for the future lawn.

Drainage work cannot be avoided if water stagnates on the site in the spring, when the snow melts, or after heavy rains. The drains are cleared of fertile soil and filled with 10–15 cm broken bricks or gravel, compacting this layer, then lay and compact a layer of sand approximately 10 cm thick. Up to 15 cm of fertile soil is poured on top of the sand and rolled with a roller.

Immediately before sowing the seeds, the soil must be compacted with a hand roller (weighing 100-150 kg). The soil can also be compacted with its own weight, replacing the roller with a large board: lay it over the entire area of ​​​​the site and, often stepping over it, walk along it from one end to the other.

Advice: compact the area under the lawn only in dry weather on dry soil.

You cannot walk on compacted soil. If you need to walk across the area, tie small planks (like short skis) to your feet.

In dry weather, the area must be watered 2-3 days before sowing.

Lunar calendar for December 2017 for gardener and vegetable gardener

Lunar sowing calendar for September 2017 for gardeners and gardeners

Lunar sowing calendar for October 2017 for gardeners and gardeners

Lunar sowing calendar for November 2017 for gardeners and gardeners

Preparing the soil for lawn grass

The soil for the lawn is prepared after the drainage is constructed; work can begin in the fall. The ground is carefully leveled with a rake and trampled down. To do this, tie scraps of a wide board or tile to your boots and walk over the entire surface, placing your feet close to one another, completely transferring your body weight at each step. A trampled lawn will not collapse or sag underfoot.

Lime and mineral fertilizers can be applied immediately before sowing grass.

Lawns are sown mainly in spring, less often - early autumn. Sometimes winter sowing is used - in such a way that the seeds germinate early spring. With proper watering, you can seed your lawn in the summer. However spring sowing preferable to all others.

Digging up soil for lawn grass

This is one of the labor-intensive stages on the way to creating a beautiful green lawn and necessary procedure is digging up the soil. The depth of the dug soil should be approximately 20-25 cm, and if there is a small fertile layer, attention should be paid to adding nutritious soil.

Fertilizing lawn grass

While digging the soil under the lawn, care should also be taken to apply a complex of mineral fertilizers at the rate of 25-30 grams per square meter. Give preference better than compost, but in no case is it recommended to add fresh manure to the soil, which in the future can become the main reason for the intensive growth of weeds.

Lawn care

Lawn care includes watering, cutting the grass, edging, aerating, leveling the surface, controlling weeds, moss and grass pests. Our article on lawn care and photographs (they are enlarged) will help you achieve the desired healthy and well-groomed look of your green lawn.

- regular watering to maintain soil moisture and structure;

— fertilizing to enrich the soil with nutritional compounds, activate regrowth processes and prevent depletion of the grass stand after mowing;

- cutting lawn grass set height to give the lawn an attractive appearance;

— cleaning up falling leaves and carrion (if there are trees on the lawn).

Features of watering lawn grass

Proper watering of the lawn is one of the main important conditions its creation and preservation of grass thick, green and lush. Rains and groundwater are not able to sufficiently provide the lawn and other green spaces with water during the hot season, so it must be provided with adequate watering.

When to water? Experts recommend starting watering lawns when the soil has dried to a depth of 10 cm. However, in practice it is difficult to follow this advice - after all, you won’t really dig up the soil in the lawn every time to determine the depth of its drying! Therefore, the main reference point here is the appearance of the grass. If the grass on the lawn begins to fade, acquires a grayish tint and loses its elasticity, you need to start watering.

How much to water? Depending on the degree of drying of the soil and its mechanical composition, when watering, it is recommended to pour from 10 to 20 liters of water onto each square meter of lawn.

How often to water your lawn should be determined depending on the weather during the summer. During dry and hot summers, watering is done up to four times a week. If the season turns out to be rainy, then once is enough.

Lawn mowing

When choosing best moment When mowing the lawn, you should pay attention to the weather and time of day. On a hot, dry day, mowing should not be done, as leaf sections in the sun will quickly turn yellow and dry out, which will worsen the appearance.

The very first mowing of a young lawn is carried out when the height of the young grasses reaches 11-12 cm; only the tops are cut off - no more than 1.5-2 cm.

and the decision of how often to mow the lawn is influenced by factors such as climatic features and specific weather conditions, and functional requirements. Mowing is done every 7-10 days, sometimes once every two weeks, as soon as the grass exceeds the desired height by 2-4 cm.

During periods of drought, plants grow less actively, so cutting is done less frequently. During the active growing season (summer), under favorable conditions, you will have to cut the grass twice a week.

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Any person enjoys not only looking at the soft green lawn, but also sitting on it. Children especially love to run on green grass. A lawn that is planted and grown correctly can last a very long time. But sometimes a situation happens that, despite seemingly following all the rules and instructions, it is not possible to achieve the desired attractiveness of the lawn. Why does this happen and how to properly plant a lawn with your own hands so that it pleases the eye? Let's try to figure this out.

Selecting Lawn Grass Seeds

To create the right lawn with your own hands, you should correctly choose seed. It is imperative to consider the purpose for which the lawn will be used, because there are different grass mixtures or herbs. To grow a beautiful lawn use the following types herbs:

• meadow bluegrass;
• common bluegrass;
• common ryegrass;
• fescue;
• bentgrass;
• creeping clover;
• festulolium;

When choosing seeds, the sowing time should be taken into account. Different types herbs have different frost resistance and growth rates. For example, bluegrass grows quite slowly in the first years. Also, when choosing seeds, you need to take into account the height of the planned lawn at the dacha, the quality of the turf, etc. Different grass mixtures require different soil, they can differ in seeding rate and many other characteristics.

What is the best time to plant grass?

When should you plant grass for your lawn – in spring or autumn? You can sow grass on the site at any time, from spring to autumn frosts. The main thing is not to hold out until the snow falls. Doesn't exist consensus about when to plant a lawn. Some gardeners are sure that grass grows best if it was planted in May, others believe that it gives quick results summer sowing, according to others, lawn grass mixture should be sown in autumn months to next season already have thick green cover.

Many gardeners prefer sowing in autumn, because they believe that grass emerges from under the snow in the spring very quickly. But when to sow lawn grass in the fall? This should be done either at the beginning of September, so that the plants have time to sprout before frost and can be processed before wintering, or into already frozen ground before the snow cover sets in - in this case, the seeds will undergo stratification over the winter, will be resistant to diseases and will hatch in the spring.

Sowing in spring is also popular, but according to experienced specialists, optimal time for sowing a lawn - late summer. At this time, the soil is already well warmed up and moistened, there are much fewer weeds than in spring, and the seeds have time to germinate and take root before the onset of frost. Although sowing in spring provides a beautiful lawn, it is much more difficult to maintain because it requires regular watering and constant removal of weeds.

How to calculate the number of seeds?

To calculate the seeding of a grass mixture for a certain type of grass that is included in its composition, use a special formula, and the results are summarized. The seed sowing rate (kg/ha) must be multiplied by the percentage of the amount of this type in the mixture and divided by the actual suitability of the seeds. As practice shows, in order to sow quality lawn grass, you need to increase the seed consumption by 2–3 times.

If you need to sow only one type of grass, then you need to follow the seeding rate of the selected crop. On average, the consumption of lawn grass seeds per 1 m2 is 30 - 50 grams.

Selecting a location

Sowing lawn grass begins with choosing a location. Grass mixtures can be planted almost anywhere on your property. Suitable:

• horizontal surface;
• Sun;
• shadow;
• slopes;
• clay and sandy soils.

In each specific case, only the amount of physical and material effort required to plant and grow a beautiful and green lawn will differ. It is best to plant grass mixtures in a sunny place where rain and melt water will not stagnate.

Before you start sowing seeds, it is advisable to think over a diagram of the future lawn and even sketch it. It will be necessary to decide whether to leave trees on the site, grow individual flowers, or arrange flower beds. You need to decide in advance on the placement of elements landscape design, because it may be difficult to cut the grown lawn grass.

If you will be using a lawn mower, then when sowing grass, you can, for convenience, leave a distance of one meter between it and fences, walls or borders. In addition, you should not plant grass under a lone shrub or tree.

Site preparation

Before sowing grass, the area must be cleared of weeds and leveled. Such thorough preparation will help save you from weeding later and will make it easier to mow your grown lawn. It takes 1 to 4 weeks to prepare the site.

The area should be treated with a general herbicide. Those areas of the dacha that are heavily overgrown with weeds must be treated in several stages. When the grass withers and withers, the area must be cleared of debris, shrub roots, and dried grass, after which it is leveled. If the soil is poor and requires the addition of fertile soil, then you can finally get rid of weeds by covering the lawn area with geotextiles. Thanks to this non-woven fabric weed seeds will not be able to germinate and nothing will disturb the lawn grass.

Soil preparation

Before sowing the lawn, you need to lay favorable conditions for the friendly and rapid emergence of grass shoots and its further growth. The need to apply fertilizer depends on the type of soil. If it is acidic, then slaked lime or chalk must be added to it, and clayey areas with heavy and dense soil are loosened using humus or vermicompost.

At the same time, mineral fertilizers should be applied. If sowing is in spring, then emphasis is placed on nitrogen fertilizer, which causes rapid growth of grass, and in the fall, to facilitate the wintering of seeds, more potassium and phosphorus are added.

The soil and additives should be evenly distributed throughout the entire area, after which the soil is loosened and slightly moistened. The leveled area is rolled using a special roller. If bumps and holes are suddenly discovered, they are added or cut off, and then rolled again. Once the ground is leveled, it should rest for several days.

How to sow lawn grass with your own hands?

Before planting a lawn, it should be mentally divided into several identical sections. The seeds should be divided into the same number of parts, this is necessary so that the seeds germinate evenly.

How to sow lawn grass correctly with your own hands? Seeds should be planted in the soil to a depth of 1 - 1.5 cm. First they need to be scattered lengthwise and then across. This helps the seeds lie evenly. If there is such an opportunity, then you can use manual seeder. This is much more convenient, but you can also plant a lawn with high quality manually. To prevent the wind from carrying the seeds away, they should be sprinkled with a centimeter layer of peat and rolled. After this, the seeded lawn is watered with a watering can or hose with a fine spray. Watering should be done moderately, otherwise the soil may become waterlogged.

Lawn care

The lawn must be properly cared for, otherwise it will wither and become overgrown. Mowing and watering play a big role in this process.

Features of watering

Immediately after sowing the grass, if the soil is dry, you need to carefully water the area weak pressure, otherwise the seeds may be washed out. Watering in the future should be regular, but weather conditions must be taken into account.

It is necessary to water the lawn after mowing so that it recovers and acquires a neat appearance and rich color. Experts recommend watering your lawn in the evenings.

Haircut

Lawn mowing is required to maintain it in proper condition. Moreover, this good way control weeds and stimulate vegetative development, which leads to the formation of additional shoots and the development of the root system, contributing to the creation of dense turf.

Before mowing, the lawn should be checked for foreign objects. For the first time, the lawn begins to be mowed 1 - 1.5 months after the sprouts appear. In height the first haircut should be at least 6 - 8 cm, and all subsequent ones should be 3–5 cm. In spring and autumn, one centimeter is added to this height.

Thus to design your summer cottage plot, many gardeners plant grass for their lawn. This makes the landscape design more attractive and delights the owners with its beauty. Lawn care depends on the type of grass chosen. Sowing is best done in the fall, this will allow you to get strong, weed-free plants.

Nowadays, the lawn has become popular not only in city parks and squares. More and more summer residents are giving preference to it, taking away space from traditional garden beds and implementing comfortable recreation areas. The lawn is an integral element of landscape design, tying together flower beds, compositions of shrubs and large trees. Due to the property of lawn grasses to evaporate large amounts of moisture, even on hot days a comfortable microclimate is maintained on the green lawn. In this article we will consider not only how to plant a lawn with your own hands at the dacha, but also how to properly care for it throughout the year.

Choosing grass for the lawn

There is a wide variety of lawn grasses, each designed for specific operating conditions. To achieve the desired result, it is not enough to simply read the name of the herbal mixture on the packaging; you must carefully study its composition, having a clear understanding of the properties of each herb in its composition.

Based on functionality, lawns are usually divided into three types:

• decorative;
• sports;
• specialized.

Sports turf grass

As the name implies, such lawns are planted on sports and playgrounds.

They differ:

• resistance to mechanical damage;
• resistance to trampling;
• fast recovery.

It is for this reason that most summer residents choose these grass mixtures for their plots. But it is worth considering that they always contain ryegrass, which dies during cold winters. Therefore in northern regions It is advisable to abandon it or be prepared to re-seed every spring.

As a rule, the sports grass mixture contains the following set:

• perennial ryegrass. It germinates most quickly and has a bright green color that lasts throughout the season;
• meadow bluegrass. It can withstand both heat and cold very well. Forms a dense cover that perfectly resists trampling;
• red fescue. This is the least demanding cereal with good frost-resistant characteristics;
• meadow fescue. In most cases, there is the least amount of it in the mixture, since it does not resist trampling well, but at the same time responds well to mowing.

The sports lawn should be planted as densely as possible, at least 50 grams per 1 m2 is recommended. In areas with increased load, this norm doubles and is no less than 100 grams per m2.

The best time to plant it is early autumn.

Grass for a specialized lawn

These grass mixtures are used for landscaping roadsides, industrial facilities etc. Their direct purpose is to absorb dust and purify the air. Therefore, you should choose the least demanding herbs that can filter polluted air and be resistant to burning.

They contain:

• awnless rump. This is an undemanding cereal that easily tolerates drought and frost;
• shoot-forming bentgrass. It is optimal for those areas that cannot be mowed frequently, as it recovers slowly after mowing. It does not tolerate drought, but is extremely frost-resistant.

Grass for decorative lawn

Decorative lawn, in turn, is divided into three types:

• meadow. As the name suggests, it imitates a natural meadow landscape with a large mix of grasses, wildflowers and some weeds;
• ordinary. Consists of several herbal mixtures. In terms of the softness of the turf, it is inferior to a parterre lawn, but superior to a sports lawn. A lawn made from an ordinary grass mixture can withstand light loads, but will require regular maintenance;

• ground floor. These are elite lawns that are extremely demanding to care for. They are intended only to be admired. Parterre lawns are unstable even to minimal loads, as they consist of one type of grass, which has exclusively decorative functions. Therefore, it is often placed in front of the main facade of the house as a rich green background for flower, tree or shrub compositions.

• stands apart from everyone else Moorish lawn. It is distinguished by the widest composition of herbs: clover, cereals, wild flowers and many other herbs. It is sown only once in mid-spring (depending on the weather conditions of the region), and subsequently reproduces independently - by self-sowing. This DIY lawn does not require regular mowing.

• In addition to classic mixtures of cereal herbs, there are lawns made from chamomile, clover, thyme or yarrow.

• Recommended grass composition for certain areas:

1. for a shaded area, the following herb composition is suitable: meadow fescue 60%, white bentgrass 20%, meadow bluegrass 20%. Or red fescue 50%, perennial ryegrass 25%, meadow bluegrass 25%;
2. for an area in the open sun, you should choose a herbal mixture of bentgrass 60% and comb bent 30%;
3. shoot-forming bentgrass is intended for full shade;
4. A mixture of meadow bluegrass 60% and red fescue 40% is planted along the fence.

• It is also worth mentioning about rolled lawns. There is a misconception that this is an option for the lazy. In fact, it requires exactly the same serious soil preparation as a conventional seeded lawn. The only difference is that with the help of a rolled lawn you immediately get ready-made thick turf.

• When purchasing domestic grass mixtures, you must be prepared for the fact that fodder grains will certainly be added to their composition. It is also possible that there are some weeds present.

Layout of the lawn on the site and preparation of the soil for it

Before planting a lawn, a number of preparatory work must be carried out.

The first step, even before preparing the land, is to draw a plan for the location of the lawn on the site. It is important to take into account the location of flower beds, trees, small architectural forms, etc. This is necessary so that there are no problems with mowing the lawn in the future.

Stages of preparing soil for a lawn:

• clearing the lawn area of ​​debris, which includes branches, stones and various household waste. This must be done efficiently, without burying anything in the ground;
• remove all unnecessary trees and shrubs;
• clear of weeds. There are several ways to do this:

1. the first is regular weeding by hand. To do this, in the spring the earth is watered abundantly to speed up the growth of weeds, after which they are weeded and the soil is thoroughly watered again. This will need to be done several times;
2. in the second case, any aggressive green manure, for example, rye, is planted in the fall. In the spring it will come out first and “strangle” most of the weeds. It must be dug up at the stage of young shoots and embedded in the ground. It will not only help you cope with mostly weeds, but will also additionally loosen and enrich the soil;
3. the third way is to remove weeds using herbicides. The most popular of them is Roundup. But it negatively affects any vegetation, so today chemicals have appeared that remove only weeds without harming lawn grass;

• the prepared soil is dug up. If necessary, new fertile soil is brought in; for the development of good turf, a layer of 10 cm thick is sufficient. At the same stage, mineral complex fertilizers are applied;

• Now it's time for leveling. Using a rake, all lumps and depressions are broken and leveled;
• The soil leveled under the lawn is compacted tightly with a roller. If cultivated large area, then it is most rational to rent a special skating rink from any landscaping company. When arranging a small area, you can get by on our own, for example, using a barrel of water or making a skating rink out of a log;

• Before sowing the seeds, the surface of the soil must again be lightly loosened with a rake and covered with film for a couple of months. Thanks to this, some of the remaining weeds will rot and die.

How to sow a lawn with your own hands

It is best to sow grass mixtures in late spring in calm and dry weather, which will ensure even distribution of seeds over the soil surface.

Today, for uniform sowing of lawn grasses, special devices are sold - seeders.

Their absence is not a problem; all the work can be done manually.

Stages of work:

• for ease of work, the lawn is visually divided into longitudinal strips. First, the grass is sown moving along them, not missing even a small area. And then they walk across. In this way, a uniform and dense distribution of seeds is obtained;

• Now the seeds must be protected from birds and possible erosion by rain. To do this, they are slightly buried into the ground with a rake. Here it is very important to do all the work carefully so as not to disturb the density of the sowing;

• To speed up the germination of a lawn, it is not enough to simply rely on weather conditions. Be sure to water it immediately. First, you need to spill it at least 5 cm, but at the same time make sure that no puddles form. In the future, it will also be necessary to provide regular watering, the frequency of which depends on the time of year.

Mistakes when creating and caring for a lawn

Wrong choice of grass mixture

• Before purchasing, you need to have a clear idea of ​​the conditions under which the lawn will be used. And also the characteristics of the herbs in its composition.
• Avoid choosing a lawn designed for full sun and plant it in the shade.
• Not all grasses that come in finished lawns can overwinter even in middle lane Russia. It is important to consider that they will not sprout in the spring.

Wrong time for sowing

• Sowing in autumn before winter is possible only in southern regions Russia. Otherwise, the lawn seeds will freeze out before they have time to gain strength before winter. Or early spring frosts young shoots will be destroyed.
• Spring is also not the best time. Because weeds will begin to sprout in large numbers along with the young lawn.

Tip: The best time to sow lawn grass seeds is late summer.

Maintenance mistakes that lead to moss formation

Due to the fact that it disrupts air circulation, the lawn begins to turn yellow and die in this area.

Reasons why moss may appear:

• very short regular lawn mowing;
• swampy area;
• acidic soil;
• high soil density;
• 24-hour shade;
• insufficient amount of nutrients.

But all these troubles can be corrected by determining by the type of moss what the lawn lacks:

• low-growing or creeping moss - lack of sunlight and high soil moisture;
• tall moss indicates too acidic soil;
• dense, small size and low islands of moss are a sign of a haircut that is too short.

To prevent this, the lawn requires constant maintenance, consisting of combing, fertilizing and piercing to improve aeration.

Late application of nitrogen fertilizers

Nitrogen helps stimulate the growth of the above-ground, green part of the lawn, it is useful as spring feeding. But it would be a mistake to apply it in the fall, thereby reducing the winter hardiness of the turf.

Advice: at the end of autumn, you need to apply a complex of phosphorus and potassium fertilizers that help strengthen the roots.

Improper mowing of the lawn

• Too short and it will weaken the lawn, making it more vulnerable to diseases and weeds;
• It is not recommended to cut off more than one third of the plant’s height at a time. In severely advanced cases, haircuts are performed in several stages at intervals of a couple of days. Otherwise, it will be difficult for the lawn to recover;
• You should not cut the lawn after it rains, as it is more susceptible to damage when wet.

Mistakes when preparing your lawn for winter

There is an opinion that leaving mowed grass and foliage on the lawn over the winter will protect its roots from frost. But this will harm him more than help. Dense turf does not need this kind of protection, but fungi can develop on the greenery left behind, which will cause plant disease. In addition, such a covering layer prevents air from penetrating into the soil.

Advice: before winter, the lawn should not only be fertilized, but also trimmed and combed.

Winter lawn care

• Until enough snow falls (and this is at least 15 cm), you cannot walk on the lawn.
• When crust or ice forms, they need to be loosened, as they block the access of air.
• You cannot set up a skating rink on the lawn, as in the spring, due to the slower melting of ice, it will lead to a number of problems.

Creating a real lawn with your own hands is a painstaking and labor-intensive task. It will require constant attention, especially on difficult soils. Of course, you can make the task somewhat easier by purchasing special equipment for caring for it and installing watering system, but all this will require serious financial investments. Therefore, summer residents often limit themselves to regular mowing of the lawn, which consists of weeds.