Using Grass Seed
Creating a lawn from scratch is a rewarding but time consuming task that needs a few steps to get the best results. Following these few hints will ensure you get the lush green lawn you were hoping for.
Prepare the soil. No matter what type of soil you have, or whether it’s bare soil or an old lawn, you need to aerate it properly before even thinking about applying any seed. Ensure the area is properly aerated and add a thin layer of compost afterwards. This will help break up the soil, give the roots some space to grow and add nutrients to the area they will be growing in.
Use the right seed. Not all grass is the same. If you are planting from seed you need to select a variety that can cope with the Naples climate. It will need to be able to cope with constant sunlight, heat and the sandy soil we have down here. The previously suggested centipede grass is an option, but there are many others to choose from.
Time is of the essence. Once you have chosen your seed variety you will need to plant it at the appropriate time. Some types can be planted in warm seasons, and others will grow best if planted in a cool season. Warm season is generally April and May for planting, whereas cool is best in the fall.
Spread ‘em. Spread the seed evenly throughout the planting area, preferably with a rotary spreader to get an even coverage.
Water. Once the seeds are down you need to expose them to moisture to wake them up. This will need to be fairly constant throughout the germination period. A useful tip would be to water lightly three times a day before sundown to prevent any moss of fungal growth. A top dressing of straw can also help stop the moisture evaporating during the Naples sun, aiding growth significantly.
Stay off the grass. The new lawn area should be a no go to everyone while it is trying to become established. If you used a warm season grass seed then you will need to stay away for up to three months, whereas a cool season grass if fairly stable after six weeks.
Following these simple steps will increase your chances of success with a grass seed lawn by orders or magnitude.
Repairing a Compacted Lawn.
Most family lawns have to cope with a lot. They get walked on, played on, rolled on as well as pecked and tunnelled through, especially with the weather we have here in Naples. Soil compaction is a big problem for your lawn, and although it happens through use, it can be addressed fairly simply in an overall lawn care plan.
Compaction is where the soil within 4 inches of the surface gets compressed and squashed. This blocks the flow of air, nutrients and moisture through the soil, which in turn leads of poor quality grass. Unfortunately, even though grass can’t grow very well in these conditions, weeds and moss can. Therefore another problem with compaction is the following explosion of weed and moss growth.
There is one simple technique that can alleviate this problem within days: aerating. Aerating is where you punch holes into the ground to add ventilation and space to move. The easiest way to do it is with a garden fork. Poke the fork into the ground at least 4 inches deep and repeat all along your lawn spacing them out. You should do this at least a couple of times a year anyway, but certainly is your grass is beginning to suffer.
The effect of aerating is the loosening of the soil and provides space for water and nutrients to reach root level. It also adds oxygen to the soil which will stimulate growth and allow the helpful bacteria to grow. As a side effect it also increases drainage which should be the end of any moss that grows on the lawn.
How to keep your lawn weed free.
There is nothing like looking at a lovely weed-free lawn to put a smile on any gardeners face. The problem is that good growing conditions for grass is also good growing conditions for weeds.
There are some weeds that are so adept at survival that they can even make it through a good mowing by keeping their leaves below the level of the blade. I have no idea how they do it, just that it’s very annoying having to go back over the lawn and remove them afterwards.
Your lawn is a battleground between your grass and the weeds. They are both in competition for the moisture and nutrients of the ground as well as the space to grow. Many times though it seems the weeds have the edge when it comes to adapting to survive.
Fortunately you can tip the odds in your favour with a little knowledge and application. Not everyone is in favour of using weed killers. I tend to avoid using chemicals wherever possible, but I make an exception for my lawn.
There are two kinds of weed killer, the contact or systemic types. The contact type is generally in the form of a lawn sand and contains iron sulphate, nitrate sulphate and sand. This word by burning the weeds. Grass is tall and thin so the weed killer doesn’t stick to it, weeds are generally broadleaved and can support the sand.
Systemic weed killers concentrate on the differences between weeds and grass. Grass is a monocote and has a completely different growth clock to a weed, which is a dicote. A systemic weed killer concentrates its anger on dicotes and forces the weed to outgrow itself so much that it can’t support the growth and dies. To be most effective the grass has to be at least a few days without being mown, and the weeds should have enough leaf growth to suck all the energy out of the roots.
Soil Ph control can also help with weed prevention. Most lawn weeds like their earth around 6.5Ph but grass prefers a slightly lower 6Ph. This is how lawn feeds work, they lower the Ph of the ground thus feeding the grass and removing the weeds. If you feed your lawn, a little and often approach works here as it can regulate the soil and provide nutrients to recently mown grass.
If you want to remain completely chemical free then a watering program may help. Giving your lawn a good, thorough soaking once a week instead of having the sprinkler on a couple of hours a day will encourage the grass to push its roots deeper into the ground to acquire moisture. This leaves much less water for shallow rooted weeds and they simply can’t survive. This is also an effective method of keeping a healthy lawn in our lovely Naples sunshine.
These are just some of the ways you can prevent weeds from taking over your lawn. Some use chemicals and other don’t. Whichever method you use, if you follow the guide, you should be enjoying a weed free lawn in no time!
Lawn Strategy
Would you believe there is such a thing as a Lawn Strategy? Well there is when you run a lawn service.
It’s based on the planning ahead of your lawn care to ensure it is ready for heavier use in good weather.
For instance, all plants balance their root mass with their shoot mass. Meaning if you cut your grass too short then the roots will only grow to the same length. This will decrease the plants ability to reach water underground.
Ideally for the hotter weather like here on Space Coast you need between 1″ and 3″ to maintain a healthy plant or lawn. If you want your lawn to be short enough to practice your golf on then you will need to water it regularly. The best time to do this is at dusk. Then the water doesn’t get evaporated and has the opportunity to sink into the ground before the next day.
You also need to consider your fertilizer. An iron rich one will give you a nice deep green, while being rich in nitrogen will allow you to avoid a too lush top growth. Magnesium forms part of the chlorophyll which allows the plant to turn sunlight into energy. There are also organic fertilizers which will achieve the same aim.
Fertilizing your lawn little and often will make my job of cutting much easier and give you a much better end result. Once the fertilizer runs out then the plant dies back a little. Doing it little and often will minimize this effect, giving you a much better result.