Almost every garden has a lawn – whether it’s an ornamental lawn, a commercial lawn or a wildflower meadow. The classic all-round lawn for the home garden is the play and utility lawn that needs regular care in order to grow healthy and thick.
Trim the lawn before winter comes
Table of Contents
A beautiful, thick lawn can only grow with regular mowing. Ideally, the lawn should be mowed once a week or more often so that the grass blades are shortened to around four centimeters long. This stimulates the growth of side shoots and keeps the turf dense.
The last lawn cut should be done in the fall to prepare the lawn for winter. Even if growth slows down, it is important to trim the lawn to around four cm. The mower should have sharp blades, as dull blades are more likely to tear the stalks. However, frayed stalks turn brown and are significantly more susceptible to disease. Fungal infestation can occur, especially in the cold season.
Mowing the lawn for the last time: stay flexible
That’s why it’s important that you mow in dry weather. When the lawn is wet, the blades become dull more quickly.
Even if it is generally said that the last lawn cut is due in autumn: it is better to follow the temperatures and not the month. Because if there is no frost, you can mow well into the winter.
Fertilize again? How it works properly
In addition to mowing, proper fertilization is crucial for a healthy lawn. Lawns have high nutrient requirements, which should be covered by regular fertilization – ideally three to four times a year. Nitrogen and iron sulfate in particular promote growth and prevent moss formation. A strong lawn displaces moss and weeds that can otherwise easily spread in commercial lawns.
When it comes to fertilizing, the following applies: A lot doesn’t help much, it can actually harm the lawn and the environment. There are different types of lawn fertilizers – for example organic and mineral fertilizers. It is not possible to standardize which type is the right one because the nutrient concentrations vary from soil to soil. A soil analysis helps to precisely determine nutrient requirements and avoid over-fertilization.
Keep the lawn free of leaves
If leaves keep falling from the trees, it is necessary to clear the lawn of leaves every week. If left to sit, the grass underneath will yellow and become susceptible to fungal diseases. A good side effect: When you rake you can also remove the old thatch. This gives the roots more air again.
Opinions differ when it comes to scarifying and it also depends on what type of lawn you have in your garden and what the conditions are. Basically, every lawn is good if the turf is scratched to remove the thatch. This means more light reaches the deep growth zones of the blades of grass and air reaches the roots. If you have a well-maintained lawn without moss, scarifying is not absolutely necessary. But if hardly a blade of grass penetrates the moss carpet – as is often the case with shaded lawns – then it’s time to use the scarifier or scarifier rake.
Special case of shaded lawns
As a rule, a lawn only thrives if it gets a few hours of sun. For darker, shaded areas in the garden, retailers also offer extra shade lawns. Very careful lawn care is also essential here so that the grass still grows under less than optimal conditions.
Frequent scarification, aeration, proper fertilization and sufficient watering are required to promote growth.
