Lawn Care

Petrol Strimmer

Lawn Care

The reason you have bought yourself a petrol strimmer is to help with maintaining your lawn and removing unwanted weeds and overgrowths in your garden. But it is the lawn that is the central focal point of any garden and usually the pride and joy of many gardeners all around the world. The lawn is an area of recreational land that has been planted with grass and maintained at a low and even height.

Even if not used to their full available recreational use they are there for their aesthetic qualities. In fact some gardeners are so possessive over their lawns they never allow anyone to even walk or sit on them. The lawn is usually planted near homes, often as part of gardens and are also used in other ornamental landscapes and gardens.

To achieve the perfect lawn it’s imperative you familiarise yourself with the climate you live in and select the appropriate species of grass that will thrive and survive in your region. Many different species of grass can be used from vigorous, coarse grasses for lawns that will be used frequently to finer, softer grasses for ornamental lawns. You can also mix grasses to make your lawn stronger. For example you can do a 50 50 mix of grasses where one flourishes in winter whilst the other flourishes in summer. With this type of mixture you should have a strong healthy lawn all the year round.

History of the lawn

Before the invention of such lawn care machines as the lawn mower or petrol strimmer, lawns were maintained in different very basic ways. The wealthy for example had their lawns cared by workers who had to use the labour intensive methods such as scything and shearing. But in those days the lawn was really just pasture land that was taken care of by livestock and sheep which grazed the grass and hence shortened it. There were also wild animals such as rabbits and horses that also ate the grass. Any area that was frequented by any of these feeding animals became a form of low tight sward which is pretty similar to the lawn of today.

It was during the Middle Ages in Europe that lawns first became popular. They were not like the lawns we are familiar with today, but more like pasture fields. But it was the damp Western European climates that made them easy to grow and manage.

Tudor England and the Elizabethan times saw the emergence of the lawn as something to be cherished and admired. Lawns were used as paths and plat areas and consisted of plants such as camomile. The Jacobean gardening began in the early 1600’s and the first closely cut English lawn was created. The French became jealous of these lawns and began to grow their own as the lawn had become a status symbol amongst the landed gentry. Gardening itself and garden design though really took off in the early 1700’s through the workings of Capability Brown and William Kent.

Lawns became a lot smaller during Victorian times due to the influence of the French and Italians. Borders were created around the lawns and filled with flowers and plants. Such items as statues and sculptures became very popular and encroached upon lawn space. Water features became hugely popular and diminished the sizes of lawn space even further. But the lawn still remained an integral part of any garden.

Lawn maintenance

To properly maintain a lawn the time to seed or sod is in the Spring or early Summer when the ground is warmer. If it is a new lawn that you are adding then you should add a layer of topsoil to the existing ground. This is very beneficial for nutrients etc for new seeds or sod. Gardeners are usually faced with a choice here. They can either use seed or sod. With seed it is believed you will have a better quality of lawn and also have the added bonus of raising the lawn from scratch. Of the 2 it is the least expensive choice but the lawn will take time to grow and need watering almost daily or the freshly sprouted grass will die. The second alternative is that of sodding which is more expensive but when it has been laid you have an instant lawn. The advantage to the sod is that it can be planted in most climate zones in any season.

To care for your lawn in summer when using a lawn mower you should raise the lawn mower for cool season grass and lower it for warm season lawns. For the edges of the lawn you will just use the petrol strimmer in the usual way. Because of the heat of summer and drying out of soil, the lawn will need more frequent and longer watering. The best time to do the watering is in the early mornings as this will encourage the grass to have a stronger root system. This is also the best time to apply any all purpose fertilizers if you are planning to use them. Now the thing with the hot summer months is that lawns can become victim to fungus disease. If you think that your lawn could be suffering from this, it’s a good idea to take a piece of sod down to a landscape expert to have it tested. If you do have a problem with fungus then get it treated as soon as you can. Ask for advice and carry out any instructions to put your lawn back in prime health.

In the Autumn the lawn can be mowed at a lower height and any thatch build up or protruding weeds can be removed with the petrol strimmer. You should also be adding a sandy loam and applying fertilizer to the lawn in Autumn. Preferably one that contains some type of wetting agent.

Winter time is a time where hardly any lawn care is required. You should really be just adding light feedings of organic material such as green compost and minerals just to encourage earthworms and any other beneficial microbes.

For proper maintenance of high quality lawns you should be following these procedures

You should be mowing the lawn regularly. Always make sure that your lawn mower has a sharp blade and that you always cut at an even height.
Under no circumstances should you mow the lawn when it is wet.
When mowing the lawn it is highly recommended that you do not take more that 30 - 40 percent of the plant tissue off.
If one day you cut the lawn in a vertical direction, then the next time you mow go in a horizontal direction. It is very advisable to alternate the direction of cut from the previous mowing.
Rake the lawn frequently. This removes any dead grass or other plants and prevents tufting.
It’s a good idea to level the ground once in a while. This will help and encourage the branching of grass plants. So do roll the lawn once in a while.
You must top dress the lawn as well once in a while. Here you should use sand or any other suitable material.
Soil over time compacts and this limit’s the air intake. So you need to spike the lawn to aerate it.
When the weather is hot, the soil dries out. So especially during summer months you need to do additional watering.
Always add fertilizer and organic/synthetic pesticides to protect the lawn.
Never over water your lawn. Regularly test your lawn and soil for moisture content with a garden moisture meter. The moisture meter reading will let you know if your lawn has enough moisture content or needs to be watered. It will also tell you if you lawn has too much water content. If it does then refrain from watering until required.

And finally for appearance sake, after all the love and attention you have given to your lawn, make your lawn the complete finished article by cutting the edges nicely and evenly with the petrol strimmer.

Usage

The lawn is a standard feature within private or public gardens and landscapes all over the world. No garden really looks or acts like a garden without the lawn.

You can also mix grasses to make your lawn stronger. For example you can do a 50 50 mix of grasses where one flourishes in winter whilst the other flourishes in summer. With this type of mixture you should have a strong healthy lawn all the year round.

Petrol Strimmer 2010 Contact:garnett65@hotmail.com

Lawn Care All Year Round

January

You can lay turf as long as the weather is mild

Clean up and remove any leaves, fallen twigs and branches

If the lawn is heavily frosted avoid walking on it

Check over your lawn mower. If it is petrol let it run for a few minutes.

February

If the conditions are mild use a scarifier to lightly rake the lawn and remove moss and thatch

Near the end of the month apply lawn sand. This will prevent clover and daisy growth

When the day is dry use a broom to scatter any worm casts.

March

Tidy up and repair broken lawn edges

Re-seed any worn areas

At the end of the month apply an even dressing of spring fertilizer

You can do your first cut. Remember to set your blades to their highest position though

April

Mow regularly. Lower your blades after every cut until you reach your desired level

Apply another layer of Spring fertilizer

Any over worn areas of lawn need to be over seeded

Use a garden roller to level out any bumps in the lawn

May

Mow your lawn regularly

Add summer fertilizer

Concentrate on weed removal and control

June

Now is the month to mow twice a week

Keep your lawn well watered

Check for any lawn infections and treat accordingly if any

July

Mow as normal

Keep watering

Aerate your lawn

August

Mow the lawn when necessary

Prepare any worn patches for Autumn sowing

Give your mower a service

September

Re seed any area that requires it

If you want to sow a new lawn this is the best month to do it in.

Add top dressing to the lawn

Keep mowing but continue to raise the blades after each cut

October

If you want to lay new turf this is the best month to do so

Scarify your lawn again

Remove any debris such as leaves from your lawn

October is the last month for mowing your lawn

November

Carry out your last cut

Clean and service your mower and store it correctly for winter

December

Stay off the lawn as much as possible

Keep a check on the lawn and remove any debris such as leaves.