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Make the grass greener on your side
Understand nature and provide the right kind of soil, water and manure to your lawn

PICTURE A healthy green lawn: perfect for lounging, great for parties and games, a real asset to your home. Nothing's quite as charming as having your own tiny handkerchief of a lawn, and it's not really that hard to get. What more, grass is also highly efficient at converting carbon dioxide to oxygen, a process that helps clean the air.

Good soil is the foundation of a healthy lawn. Start by checking the texture of your soil to see whether it's heavy with clay, light and sandy, or somewhere in between. Lawns grow best in intermediate or loamy soils that have a mix of clay, silt and sand.


Healthy lawn
Proper preparation of the soil is the first step in attaining a healthy lawn. The soil should be tilled thoroughly, either by a mechanical tiller or digging a spade's depth over the entire area. To loosen compacted soil, some lawns may need to be aerated several times a year. Most lawns need to be fertilized every year, because they need more nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium than soils usually contain. These three elements are the primary ingredients found in most lawn fertilizers. It's important not to over-fertilize...you could do more harm to your lawn than good.

Types of grass
The right type of grass — one that suits your needs and likes the local weather — will always give better results. Grasses vary in the type of climate they prefer, the amount of water and nutrients they need, their resistance to pests, their tolerance for shade, and the degree of wear they can withstand, says S.M. Krishnappa, proud owner of one of the best nurseries in Bangalore, Krishnendra Nursery.

"In Bangalore, there are generally four types of grass being grown on lawns: Mexican grass (commonly known as the Korean grass), Bermuda Grass, Kentucky Blue Grass and Buffalo Grass. All these are available in the seed form, except Mexican grass, which is available generally as mats or rolls (sod form). Kentucky bluegrass grows well in full sun to part shade but does not do well in hot exposures. Bermuda grass is ideal to plant in summer.

"The most common method for planting a new lawn is by seeding or by sod. The most cost-effective method is by seeding, but this is a slow process. If you are looking for an instant lawn, sod is your answer".


Sowing seeds
"Lawns love sun. The best time to sow the seed for lawns is from late summer until early fall while the soil is still warm. It is during this time that the soil has good water retentivity; there are fewer weeds and enough sunlight for the grass lawn to flourish," says Srinivas, a gardener adept at growing grass lawns.

Moist until germination
Rake the seed into the surface of the soil lightly; barely brush the seed under the soil. Roll the entire lawn surface with an empty lawn roller to set the seed in contact with the soil. Water seeps in thoroughly with a fine mist. Once the seed is planted, make sure that the soil is kept evenly moist until germination.

After the seeds germinate, you may water the lawn more heavily but less frequently.

Water will continue to be a prime concern for your new lawn. About one inch of water per week will be required until your lawn is well established.


Planting a sod
Mexican Grass is generally in sod form and it can be planted easily and has the advantage of giving you an instant lawn. "Be certain that the sod you buy is fresh and viable. It should be slightly moist, green, and three-quarters to an inch thick. Lift up a piece by the end. If the sod is good, it will hold together tightly," adds Krishnappa. He advises you to prepare the lawn bed as you would for seeding. Scatter a recommended pre-plant fertilizer over the entire area to be sodded. Lay the sod out so that the end seam from one row doesn't line up with the seams in the previous and following rows.

Avoid gaps; press the pieces together tightly, to help them knit together. Roll the sod with a water roller to make sure the sod has good root contact with the soil, and to eliminate air pockets.

During this critical period, the sod must be kept constantly moist. During the first two weeks, heavy traffic should be avoided.

After that time, the new sod should have established roots and regular mowing may begin. A lawn's ideal length will vary with the type of grass.

The rule of thumb is to mow often enough that you never cut more than one-third of the height of the grass blades.

It's best to water in the early morning, especially during hot summer months, to reduce evaporation. Watering properly will help your lawn grow deep roots that make it stronger. It's best to water only when the lawn really needs it, and then to water slowly and deeply. This trains the grass roots down.

Frequent shallow watering trains the roots to stay near the surface, making the lawn less able to find moisture during dry periods. Every lawn's watering needs are unique: they depend on local rainfall, the grass and soil type. Growing a lawn is not too expensive. It costs roughly about Rs. 10 to Rs. 15 a square feet and you can grow a 10' x 10' lawn for Rs. 1000.

You don't have to be an expert to grow a healthy lawn. The secret is to work with nature.

Just make sure you have the right type of grass in the right type of soil, with the right quantity of water, the right mix of manure and pesticide without the interference of weeds and you will have your picture-perfect grass lawn smiling at you.


The Hindu - Property Plus - Sunday, March 26, 2006
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