LAWN CARE



Improving accessibility
Management
Lawn reinforcement
Scarifying and sweeping
Aerating (or spiking)
Weed control
Feeding
Watering
Edging
Mowing
Alternatives to lawns




The subject of lawns is one that invariably evokes strong feelings in one direction or another. For some, the neat square of green velvet with hardly a daisy in sight becomes the epitome of gardening excellence, a veritable goal to strive towards.



A well-kept lawn acts as a foil against which to set off seasonal displays of flowers and foliage and is an attractive feature in its own right. It is also a practical asset, providing the opportunity for all sorts of varied outdoor activities. However, there is another side to this story. Many older or disabled gardeners find the maintenance demands of their lawns to be a major source of worry, particularly at the height of the growing season, when grass grows fast and there are neighbourhood standards to keep up. Another common concern is that of access, some lawn surfaces being difficult or unsafe to walk on or to cross in a wheelchair.



Here are a number of suggestions to help solve some commonly experienced lawn difficulties. Full technical details can be checked out easily in some of the excellent books on the subject (see suggestions listed at the end). A simple lawn care calendar is also included here, since much time and effort can be saved if maintenance operations are carried out at the right time of year.



We pass on some ideas and hints to make various the practical lawn care tasks easier to carry out - particularly for those who have limited mobility or less strength than in days gone by. Lastly, for those who are still not convinced that a lawn is for them, we suggest a few alternatives to the ubiquitous patch of greenery.

Note: The calendar is intended as a general guide only since local soil conditions, lawn type and seasons vary widely, thus affecting the exact timing of the operations suggested.



The Gardening Paradise Lawn Calender









Improving accessibility



A lawn with a spongy, uneven surface can only be of limited use to its owners. Indeed, anyone who has difficulty walking or who uses a wheelchair will do their utmost to avoid it. In the interests of both healthy grass growth and the safety and confidence of users, a level, firm lawn surface is essential.

Access across the lawn can be improved in one of two ways:



By managing the lawn correctly.



By reinforcing its surface artificially to form stable areas or 'pathways'.





1. Management



Ideally, a lawn intended for use should be laid or sown on a firm, level surface. But what if you have inherited a lawn that started out like this, and has since deteriorated through the action of wear and tear, successive years of extreme weather conditions and the accumulation of wormcasts and molehills? Do not despair!



The careful use of a light roller will usually even out minor irregularities and firm grass roots to provide a healthier, safe surface to walk or ride across. However, overcompaction of the soil and the waterlogging that accompanies this is a common cause of poor grass growth and subsequent moss invasion, particularly on heavy soils. Only if weather and soil conditions permit should you consider rolling your lawn. For similar reasons too, you should avoid unnecessary walking on the lawn in winter months wherever possible. A top-dressing of lawn sand, peat or loam, brushed in and levelled, can be a useful way of eliminating minor irregularities.



To level larger bumps or hollows it may be necessary to carry out minor lawn repairs: cutting and rolling back the turf and removing or adding soil as necessary, before rolling it back down again.



If your lawn is spongy and therefore difficult to move about on with ease, then you may need to improve drainage by installing land drains if the problem is severe, or embark on a course of treatment involving aeration, scarification, moss and weed killing, and feeding (these techniques are described later.) If you doubt that all this is worth the effort, think of Wimbledon's lawn tennis courts and the ease and speed of movement that meticulous management encourages there.



2. Lawn reinforcement



If you want a tough, resilient lawn surface that you can get onto in most weathers without causing undue damage, it might be worth considering reinforcing a part of the lawn to create, for example, a grassy pathway. This can be done by laying pre-cast pavoirs or house bricks in an open pattern, and allowing grass to grow in between them, to create a hidden path. Alternatively, semi-rigid artificial netting, such as Netlon Turfguard which allows grass to grow through, can be laid to provide a firm footing, without affecting the look of the lawn. In all cases, this reinforcement allows weight to be more evenly distributed and lawn damage is minimised.





How to lay lawn reinforcement



To lay a concrete block reinforced pathway, select precast pavoirs with open centres, such as those used for screen walls. The route of the path should be marked out with pegs or string. A strip of turf the width of the path (at least 3 feet wide) is first removed. The blocks are laid flat into a firm bed of sand (or sand and mortar) so that their surface lies just below that of the lawn. (Allowing for a little settling, the mower should skim easily over the top of the block path without any damage to blades.)



Good quality compost or sieved soil is then applied, and smoothed with a brush into the open design until the soil surface, when firmed lies level with that of the pavoir blocks. A grass seed mixture containing low-growing, creeping grass species is then sown into the compost and should, in due course, grow to cover the blocks.



The success of this type of pathway depends largely on the skill with which the blocks are laid. An absolutely level surface, which will not move over time, is essential for wheelchair users.




A similar path can be created by laying house bricks in a herringbone fashion; again to be hidden by the grass. The bricks can be laid with 2 inch gaps between the rows. Sieved soil or compost is brushed firmly between the bricks; the surface levelled off and the grass mixture sown.

Neither of these types of pathway are necessarily ideal for use by someone with poor balance or using a walking stick or frame. Unless these paths are immaculately laid, they may well settle out over time to give an uneven surface that is far from easy to move over freely.



There is less risk of creating an uneven walking surface if rigid plastic-coated steel mesh or nylon mesh is used as lawn reinforcement. Lay lengths of this type of mesh over a well-levelled area before laying turf, or sowing grass seed on top. Alternatively, products such as the Netlon Turfguard can be laid over the top of previously laid turf. Better weight distribution is achieved, minimising lawn damage, and the effectiveness of this method has been well-proven recently by its successful use on race tracks, sports fields and gate entrances.





Scarifying and sweeping



Over time most lawns tend to accumulate a surface mat of dead grass and moss, old clippings and ageing leaves, collectively known as 'thatch'. As this builds up, it hinders healthy grass growth and is therefore best removed.



Vigorous raking or sweeping (scarifying) is an effective way of removing thatch, allowing water and fertilisers to reach grass roots more easily. It can also help to remove weeds and any unwanted coarse grasses, making more room for the spread of less vigorous but more desirable finer grasses. It is best carried out in autumn when the turf thickens naturally.



A traditional besom broom with a head made of twigs tied together works effectively as a scarifier. Somewhat lighter and equally useful is the springtined lawn rake designed specifically for the purpose. Light, tubular aluminium models with long handles are the easiest to use.



However, the raking process requires some effort and maybe difficult or impossible for certain people. It is worth noting that making a careful choice of lawn mower can do much to help reduce the need for scarification later on. A mower with a grass box will reduce the quantity of dead material which accumulates in a lawn, although the continual need to empty the box during mowing may create further difficulty.





Some mowers can be fitted with a scarifying tool which avoids the need for this extra operation. Many rotary mowers are very good at drawing up loose thatch through their vacuum action but they also tend to redistribute it elsewhere, so it still needs collecting and removing. An easy method of collecting grass clippings and thatch is to sweep this loose material onto a purpose-made polyethylene sheet with handles at the corners, which can be dragged or carried to the compost heap when full.


Leaf-fall in autumn may cause annual headaches, particularly if your patch of lawn accumulates leaves blown in from neighbouring trees as well as your own. Lightweight grabber-rakes or garden grabs can save you having to bend and are useful for picking all sorts of things from ground level.



If you need to increase the capacity of your wheelbarrow to take more leaves and find it hard to empty into the bargain, then consider investing in a large purpose-made garden bag that sits in the barrow and is easily lifted out by the handles.




SEE PART 2 ON LAWN CARE FOR THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE


Or visit Gardening Paradise at www.levsta.com