Lawn matters

How to maintain a green top

Winter is over and it is time to start repairing the lawns and preparing for plantation. Here’s how to go about it.

Grass
Selecting the right variety of grass is essential for a proper lawn. Lawn grasses are of two types — Bunch Grass and Creeping Grass. The most popular Bunch Grasses are Kentucky Blue Grass and Bermuda Grass. These grasses spread by sending out rhizomes and stolons — the creeping stems take root and give rise to daughter plants. Summer grasses are mostly Creeping Grasses. Their spreading root system helps to withstand heat and drought.

Zoysia Grass, an excellent variety of Creeping Grass, is slowly getting popular in India. It is able to withstand heat and also some degree of shade and cool temperature. However its blades are more pointed and it gives a thicker turf. In areas situated near the sea shores, Bahia Grass is also preferred. It spreads slowly but once it is established it forms a low maintenance lawn. However many do not like its coarse blades.

 

Shaded areas require grasses which have more blade surface available for photosynthesis. Also the grass should be drought resistant because the tree causing the shade is also responsible for withdrawing soil moisture. St. Augustine grass and Bahia Grass are the ideal grasses for shade.

Soil
Sandy loam is the preferred soil for lawns since the roots of the grass do not go down very deep and need to spread easily. In case the soil has a high clay content, fine sand can be added. To take care of the humus content of the soil, well rotted FYM (Farm Yard Manure) may be added in a two inch thick layer on top of the soil. In case FYM is not available, organic manure may be used. But never use untreated sewage waste — it is a source of serious infections.

Drainage
Proper drainage is essential for a good lawn. The soil should be sloped towards the water outlet.

Mowing Watering
Most lawns in India require around five-seven litres of water per square metre during peak summer. Where water is expensive, the height of the turf can be increased by an inch. Water early in the morning to prevent loss owing to evaporation.

Fertilisers
As for fertilisers, add one kilogramme of Ammonium Sulphate per 50 square metre of lawn area on the first of every month from November to March. After the monsoon, a mixture of NPK (Nitrogen-Phosphorus-Potassium) may be added in ratio of 1:1:1 to promote growth, increase resistance to disease and give a dark green colour to the lawn. Micronutrients can also be added but only after a proper testing of the soil.

In addition, organic manure — cow dung, treated municipal waste or sea weeds— are essential, to help improve the structure of the soil and to provide nutrients.

Weeding
The soil must be free of weeds. You could use a weed-killer, but that’s not environmental friendly. A better way is to turn the soil, remove the weeds manually and expose the soil to the sun. The soil may have to be turned two to three times.

[The writer is an Ahmedabad-based landscape designer]