Growing lawn is one of the best and most pleasing ways to cover a large unused area in the garden. It may be a showpiece for your property, an area for the children to play, or simply a piece of grass on which to sit. Whatever your lawn means to you, you will need to spend at least some time maintaining it, and if you want to achieve the perfection of an immaculate lawn, you will need to put in extra time and effort.
A lawn can be easy to care for, but like all living things, a lawn has needs that must be taken care of. Obviously you should start by choosing a grass that is suitable for the climate and conditions. Most grasses are sun-lovers so in very shaded areas it may be better to select another ground cover. The best grass types to grow in Bali are known as warm season grasses, and my favorite three are couch, kikuyu, and buffalo grass.
Couch is a hard wearing grass that survives with little care. Kikuyu is a fast growing, running grass that is vigorous and needs to be regularly mown to keep it as a good looking lawn. It will tolerate a small amount of shade. Both of these grasses can be established from runners, seed or turf. Buffalo grass is a running grass that forms a dense, coarse-textured lawn that is hard wearing but slow growing. It is grown from turf or runners and it will tolerate some shade. If you have a large shaded area you wish to cover, I recommend Durban Grass. It is also known as sweet smother grass. It is a broad-leafed, warm season grass that is more shade tolerant than other warm season grasses. It is used often used as a ground cover under trees in warmer climates.
Now when caring for your lawn, watering is of prime importance. Watering is one of the most misunderstood factors in regard to lawn maintenance. The main aim of watering your lawn is very simple, that is to replace the moisture that is being lost due to evaporation. Any more or any less will cause the lawn to suffer in times of stress.
When is the best time to water? The time of day makes a difference. Water your lawn when the least amount of water will be lost to evaporation. Watering early in the morning before the heat of the day will make sure your water goes down to the roots. Avoid watering during the middle of the day when the heat is highest. If you water at midday much of the water will be lost to evaporation, and your lawn won’t get the full benefit. The best method is to water in the evening when you come home from work, that way you know that the water can be absorbed all night.
How often should you water your lawn? Frequent, but shallow, watering causes the grass to send roots up to the surface looking for water, where they will suffer more during extreme weather. My advice is to give a good soaking of water, once a week, rather than frequent short watering. It is better to water heavily and less often. Heavy, infrequent watering encourages deeper rooting of the grass and this means the lawn will be better able to withstand drought. Grass that is watered heavily every week will be much stronger and healthier than grass that is given a daily sprinkle. Also be sure to water more along paths and any concrete edging. These areas dry out faster due to the heat retention in the concrete and cement.
Lawns are sometimes killed by over enthusiastic watering. Wishing for the perfect green lawn some people keep on watering and watering, but the soil will inevitably become waterlogged and the grass roots will rot. So try to remember, a good deep water every week or so, is all that is required and this has the added benefit that it will train your lawn to become more drought tolerant. The warm season grasses are much more efficient at using the water to make growth. Couch grass is more than twice as efficient at using water than perennial ryegrass, The amount of water needed to maintain warm season grasses is about half that needed for tall fescues and other cool season grasses. Couch is the most drought tolerant grass. Other grasses, such as kikuyu and buffalo are reasonably drought tolerant.
In regards to weeds in your lawn, most weed problems arise from mowing too short, or scalping the lawn. As I advised in the previous edition, never remove more than one-third of the green leaf blade at any one cutting. This can weaken the grass and cause it to dry out.
Overwatering and over fertilising with nitrogen, coupled with infrequent mowing makes the lawn spongy. Thatch is a layer of dead grass that accumulates below the green tops and can prevent water from reaching the roots, either by becoming water repellent or by forming a dense mat. Thatch can be a big problem for your grass because scalping is easier when the mower sinks into the spongy layer. Thatch can also provide a habitat for pests and diseases that will damage your grass, thatch reduces the tolerance of your grass to heat stress and it can prevent water from reaching the roots. Buffalo, kikuyu, and couch hybrids are especially prone to thatching.
You can reduce the buildup of thatch by following a few simple steps. Don’t over water, mow your lawn regularly, and don’t use fertilizer with a high nitrogen content. The aim of fertilising is to help the grass to develop a vigorous root system to at least 10 cm in to the soil. The best strategy is to supply the grass with adequate levels of all nutrients except nitrogen. Growth is then controlled by application of nitrogen in amounts just sufficient to provide an acceptable appearance. High levels of phosphorus are also unnecessary, it may cause iron deficiency and encourage the growth of weeds. Phosphorus stimulates grasses into producing seed and this is the last thing that is wanted in a lawn. So make sure you read the labels, and choose your lawn fertilizer carefully!
Other trace elements needed by lawn grasses are manganese, magnesium, and copper. Symptoms of deficiencies are reduced growth and paleness of the grass. The lawn will look sparse and weak when the nutrient deficiencies are severe. I recommend a home-made fertilizer made from seaweed kelp as this contains all of the trace elements needed for a good lawn. If you need advice on how to make this, please send me an email. Otherwise if I were to buy a fertilizer product for the lawn, I would go for a specially formulated lawn food. If you have any further queries about your lawn, or any other gardening problem please send me an email.
