GREEN MATTERS
Let this grass grow under your feet
|
The carpet of grass enhances the beauty of your garden, writes Swathi.V
|
Velvet touch: A sprawling lawn needs meticulous care to give that green carpet welcome to one and all.
Trees, plants, flowers, hedges, or climbers, though form the most important points of focus in a garden, do not give the landscape the sprawling green look that it needs. Instead, a well-grown and well-groomed lawn, apart from providing relief to the eye, also renders a backdrop to the scenic splendour. However, many gardeners tend to spoil the precious grass thanks to their ignorance about lawn maintenance.
Lawn grass can be categorised according to form of availability, requirement of sunlight, and also according to the leaf size.
“Grass in this part of the world cannot be grown from seed. You need to either plant the cuttings or use the turf forms. Jade Velvet Grass (Zoysia japonica), Korean Grass (Zoysia matarella), and Mexican Grass (Zoysia teunifolia) varieties are available in turf form whereas the rest should be sown through dibbling (sowing like paddy),” says M. Hussain from Plants Land Nursery.
Turf grass is available in patches of 1’X2’ and multiples of them may be acquired depending on the required size of the lawn. However, a size of 2’X2’ should be preferred as it vouches against the existence of bad patches. Such sizes may be acquired from Bangalore if the city does not have them. Turf grass is mostly passed off as carpet grass as the conditions here are not conducive to the commercial growth of the latter, says Mr. Hussain.
Most of the lawn grass varieties require good amounts of sunlight. However, there are a few varieties such as Paspylum, Kentucky blue, St. Augustine and St. Augustine Variegated that may be grown in partial shade too. On the other hand, Bermuda Grass, Calcutta Doob Grass, Fescue Grass, Jade Velvet Grass, Korean Grass, and Mexican Grass do require sunlight for fulsome growth.
Varieties such as Buffalo Grass (Paspylum notatum) and St.Augustine have broad leaves while all others have narrower leaves. However, the appearance of a lawn is not as much affected by the leaf size as it is by the maintenance. Buffalo Grass and St.Augustine may also be used where the soil has excessive salinity. St.Augustine Variegated does not look good when used in large expanses, but may be used where patterns are required.
Land should be prepared well in advance for spreading the lawn. Weeds should be culled along with roots and the ground should be levelled properly by removing pebbles, and stones if any. Good red soil without manure should be used as top layer as manure may carry weeds with it. Instead, a topping of vermicompost or cocopeat or treated organic manure and oil cake may be used. After preparing, the bed should be heavily watered for about 20 to 25 days before planting the grass. This will give enough time for the weeds, if any, to grow and get removed. However, one should continue with weeding for a month or two or till the first mowing to enhance the quality of the lawn.
“All lawn grasses require regular mowing for the perfect look. Varieties such as Bermuda, Calcutta Doob, Fescue, Kentucky Blue, Paspylum and St.Augustine may be done with a manual or 1 HP lawn mower. Grasses such as Jade Velvet, Korean and Mexican, due to their heavy growth, require a heavy duty lawn mower,” says Mr.Hussain.
Even those looking for thick carpet of grass cannot escape regular mowing, as the contrary will keep the lower segments of the grass away from sunlight which will in turn result in de-colouring. Trimming the edges, along with mowing, should be done regularly once in every eighth or tenth day. Those hating patches within the lawn should do so once in every four or five days.
“Varieties such as Korean, Mexican and Jade Velvet need regular stamping too to suppress overgrowth. If the lawn cannot be walked on, at least rollers should be used. Or else, mowing frequency should be increased,” says Mr. Hussain.
Good amount of watering ranging from 0.5 to one litre for every square foot is a must for healthy growth of the lawn. Use of sprinklers is recommended for even distribution of water.
Use of hose pipes will result in water logging at low-lying areas and yellowing of grass in the higher planes. Use of rose cans is advisable if the lawn is small. By watering well, the lawn can be rid of its regular pests such as red ants and termites.
Raking once a year during monsoons will remove the excess mat formation in the roots. Grass should be mowed heavily and holes should be made in the lawn with forks for aeration of roots. Use of rich compost spread evenly with horizontal metal or wooden bar will hasten the re-growth of the lawn. Instead, oil neem cake solution made from one kilogram of neem cake mixed in 15 to 20 litres of water may be sprayed once in 15 days. This will enhance the moisture holding capacity of the soil and fosters better growth of lawn.
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Property Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Hyderabad
Kochi
Malabar
Thiruvananthapuram
