The lawn is an important part of any landscape composition, an element that emphasizes and accentuates the style of a particular area of ​​the garden. Creating it with your own hands is quite a labor-intensive task, but at the same time extremely exciting. The main features and timing of planting lawn grass are important rules in organizing a thick and beautiful background on the site.

There are several main types of turf, varying in appearance, resistance to trampling and purpose. They differ in the composition of the grass mixture, in relation to shading, and mechanical loads. All types of lawns have one condition in common -.

Ground floor or English classic lawn

Bright green, silky in appearance, the most attractive, but also the most difficult to care for, requiring regular cutting, watering, combing and fertilizing. This one does not need additional details and decorations. It consists of 80% meadow bluegrass, the remaining 20% ​​red fescue. Such a lawn is not intended for active movement on its surface.

Moorish or meadow lawn

The least difficult to care for, as it does not require mowing, it forms a blooming lawn, colored with bright flowers and herbs all season long. The effect of continuous flowering is achieved by selecting the composition of the seeds, which includes almost 90% lawn cereal perennial grasses as the base. They are supplemented with seeds of wild growing flowering annuals(poppy, cornflower, eschscholzia, calendula, etc.) All these plants have different flowering periods, which allows you to get a flowering carpet throughout the season.

Universal or garden lawn

Second class after the English parterre lawn. It is resistant to drought and trampling, and is not so demanding on regular haircuts. With careful care over several seasons, it comes as close as possible to the ground grass, taking on an even, bright green color and the thick, dense grass stand characteristic of it. The grass mixture includes fescue and perennial ryegrass, so this type of lawn is not suitable for arranging sports fields and parking driveways. Most often used for arranging picnic areas, playgrounds and in urban park landscapes.

Sports turf

The most expensive grass mixture, consisting of oak grass, perennial ryegrass and red fescue in a ratio of 3:2:3 or meadow bluegrass, sheep fescue, red fescue and perennial ryegrass 3:1:1:1. This lawn is highly resistant to trampling and has a very attractive appearance. Used to create sports surfaces for football and golf fields, tennis courts.

Non-grass or ground cover lawn

Very beautiful, requiring no maintenance other than a longer period of time to obtain a carpet fit. It contains no lawn at all cereal herbs. Consists entirely of ground cover perennial plants, can be used as a separate composition or as a frame, inserts between path slabs, background planting for ornamental shrubs. The choice of plants depends solely on the purpose and location. Yasnotka, woodweed, creeping thyme, carnation grass, tenacious, duchenea - the list can be continued indefinitely, it is only important to understand what function the green carpet will perform. The main difference from all previous types is that the ground cover lawn is not sown, but grown as seedlings, which is why it takes three years to achieve maximum decorativeness.

Lawn planting dates, advantages and disadvantages

When to plant lawn grass? You can sow a lawn at almost any time of the year. The choice of sowing dates depends on certain factors that must be taken into account: the composition and condition of the soil, the possibility of providing adequate irrigation, and the climatic characteristics of the region. Hence, the question “When to sow lawn grass?” does not have a clear answer.

Spring

From the point of view of landscape designers, lawn grass sown with your own hands in the spring is considered the most successful solution. This is due to the fact that during the entire subsequent season there is the possibility of processing, fertilizing and, if necessary, reseeding grass. By the end of summer, a full-fledged lawn is already in place.

It should be noted that the spring arrangement of the lawn has its disadvantages, which must be taken into account when deciding to sow in the spring:

• It necessarily involves additional labor costs associated primarily with watering young, immature grass during the hot season.
• Weeds grow no less actively in the spring than all other plants; you will have to weed the unformed turf of the lawn quite carefully.
• Young grass requires a large number of nutrients for full development, it is necessary to regularly fertilize, ensuring the mineral balance of the soil.

Summer

Summer sowing has proven itself well in the southern regions, where a long, warm autumn gives plants the opportunity to prepare for winter, get stronger and gain the volume of the root system necessary for a successful winter. The obvious advantages of summer sowing include several factors. First of all, it is warm soil, in which seed germination is not a problem. In addition, and this is important, when preparing an area for a lawn, it is easier to remove weeds, since for the most part they have all already grown, but the seeds have not had time to ripen. Treatment with herbicides gives excellent results.

Autumn

Planting lawn grass in the fall has a number of advantages due to the ability to vary the timing. When to sow lawn grass in the fall? Sowing can be done at the very beginning of autumn, when humid, warm weather sets in, the heat subsides, morning dew will help provide additional soil moisture, and weeds will lose their aggressive activity. The lawn sown at this time has time to sprout and get stronger before the onset of persistent cold weather, and in the spring young and bright grass emerges from under the snow.

The main disadvantage of this period of lawn sowing is the possibility of early soil frosts, which are unlikely to benefit young seedlings. When sowing lawn grass in the fall, the timing must necessarily include this risk based on the climatic conditions of the region.

Possibility to avoid negative influence Planting grass before winter, in late autumn, on frozen ground, allows seedlings to germinate during autumn sowing. The site is prepared in advance, in the heat, and the sowing itself is carried out in November - December, in cold soil. In this case, the seeds do not germinate, but wait for heat directly in the soil, undergoing natural stratification, which has a beneficial effect not only on germination, but also on the health of the future lawn.

The seedlings will sprout together in the spring, will be strong and resistant to various diseases. One important rule should be remembered: sowing on slopes in late autumn is unacceptable; we sow only on horizontal surfaces. This is due to the likelihood of seeds being washed away by meltwater. Autumn sowing of a lawn will allow you to get not only an excellent lawn in the spring, which will begin to emerge almost immediately after the snow melts, but also free up time for more important things.

Lawn arrangement

First and most importantly, regardless of the timing of sowing, before planting lawn grass, the site should be carefully prepared and the following set of measures should be carried out:

• marking;
• weed removal;
• leveling the area, removing stones and debris;
• thorough digging;
• giving the soil a balanced composition;
• application of fertilizers.

When marking an area for a lawn, you must immediately take into account its intended shape, the plants that will be located on it solitary, flower beds and ridges. If a path is planned, it must be made or marked in advance.

The most convenient way to remove weeds from a lawn area is with herbicides such as Roundup. The area planned for the lawn is sprayed over the surface of the plants. It should be remembered that herbicides have the same effect on both weeds and cultivated plants. If there are any plantings nearby, be sure to cover them with polyethylene to prevent the solution from getting on them.

Leveling the area, removing stones and possible construction waste necessary for the future decorative condition of the lawn. A green meadow dotted with pits and hummocks will not look very presentable.

Leveling the area for a lawn

Digging of the site is done with a bayonet; the soil should be loose, light and fertile. In addition, deep digging helps to further clean the soil from weed roots, stones, etc. As a rule, this process is combined with the application additional elements depending on the composition of the soil (sand, humus, manure, peat), giving it a balanced composition.

After carrying out the above measures, the earth is compacted with a roller weighing up to 100 kg and left fallow for two weeks. Application mineral fertilizers made one day before sowing. In spring and summer sowing, nitrogen-containing complexes are used, in autumn - with a minimum nitrogen content.

In general, preparing an area for a lawn takes about a month.

Approaching the lawn, we sometimes see multi-colored beads scattered on it. And only up close we discover that it is...

Sowing the lawn

Before sowing lawn grass, the prepared area with applied fertilizers is raked, slightly loosening and harrowing the granules. Divide the area into conventional squares, and divide the prepared seeds into the same amount. The consumption of lawn grass seeds can be calculated using the formula, but if you take it approximately, it is 4-5 kilograms per hundred square meters. Sowing is done squarely, in two perpendicular directions. This will allow the seeds to be evenly distributed over the surface of the soil, and the lawn will be thick, even, and without bald spots. Finally, the crops are thoroughly watered, preventing soil erosion. Then all that remains is to wait for the shoots to emerge and enjoy the man-made beauty.

Lawn seeders

In addition to the manual method of planting grass, you can use special seeders. A lawn grass seeder is a device for sowing seeds into the ground and scattering fertilizer granules. With such a device you can sow evenly, accurately and, most importantly, quickly.

Lawn seeders are divided into several types:

- universal,

- special,

- combined.

A mechanical or manual seeder is a reliable agricultural tool for sowing lawn grass, which can significantly reduce sowing time and provide a good, evenly planted and beautiful lawn on the site.

In order for your lawn to delight you with its beauty all summer long, you need to choose good seeds.

Types of lawns and their properties

The lawn has differences from ordinary ground cover plants. We list its main properties:

• the grass should cover the soil with a dense layer during growth;
• it is important that in the sown area you do not have to regularly hide bald spots by sowing new grass;
• plants are required to create a dense layer of turf that will prevent the growth of weeds;
• the grass should look neat and make you want to walk on it without shoes.

Grass growing conditions

Having understood the basic properties of herbs, you should think about which lawn is best to plant in your dacha. Experts recommend taking into account the illumination of the area, as well as its purpose. Gardening stores offer many seed mixtures that include different varieties of plants. If you decide to use a ready-made composition, you should be aware that the mixtures may be different. We list the main types:

1. Seeds for quick germination. Green grass will cover the entire area in a short time.
2. Seeds that grow well only in lighted places.
3. Plants that love shade. This type of mixture is best chosen for planting in the garden near trees or on the shady side of the site.
4. Universal composition. Such mixtures feel great in any conditions and will quickly cover any prepared area with a green carpet.

Purpose of the green carpet

Before sowing a lawn, you need to decide on its purpose.

Next, you should think about what is the planned function of the area where the lawn will be grown. This could be a lawn to decorate the patio, or a play area for children. It is important to study the instructions on the package with the mixture, which indicate under what conditions it is best to plant this variety.

You can plant a sports lawn for a children's playground. This mixture contains plant seeds that are not afraid of active trampling. It is this mixture of herbs that can withstand a significant load, while not losing its neat appearance, and “bald spots” will not appear on it. The seeds contain varieties of hard and resilient plants.

It is important that the playground mixture does not contain seeds from plants with flowers (clover). This risks causing wasps and bees to flock to the lawn, which is not very good when there are children on the property. The child may step on the wasp or touch it with his hands.

The Moorish or meadow set is a picturesque forb. Such a lawn will bloom throughout the summer, and the flowers bright colors will revive monochromatic greenery. It’s easy to create a Moorish lawn with your own hands by selecting plant seeds so that the flowers replace each other all summer.

You can also buy ready mixture. It is advisable to mow such grass regularly to get rid of dried out plants and give new ones the opportunity to see the sun. At the same time, you should not walk on the grass, otherwise it will lose its appearance. Meadow grasses help in creating rustic style and make the area picturesque.

The meadow lawn contains many types of grasses and flowers that replace each other throughout the summer

Popular varieties of grass varieties

There is an opinion that the most best lawn obtained from one type of grass. Most often, in practice, grass mixtures are planted. In any case, in order to understand the properties of the future coating, it is necessary to study the characteristics of the grasses. Let's look at the most popular crops that are currently used:

• English or perennial ryegrass;
• fescue (festuca) red;
• meadow bluegrass (Poa);
• filamentous bentgrass (Agrostis capillaris).

English ryegrass

Perennial ryegrass is a very popular grass among landscape designers. Those who prefer an English lawn know that ryegrass is the basis of this mixture. This plant is sensitive to lack of moisture and should be watered regularly. Feels good on dense, severe types soil. Due to its qualities, ryegrass requires systematic care. It is important that when mowing, the length of the remaining stems is not less than 20-25cm. This plant is relevant for the lawn because it has undoubted advantages:

1. Ryegrass grows quickly and covers the entire sown surface well with a dense layer of grass. It takes root well right in the year of sowing. The grass is elastic and quite soft.
2. It does not lend itself to trampling, and after a load it quickly recovers and takes on a fresh look.
3. Does not allow weeds to occupy free space.

Perennial ryegrass has excellent characteristics and is used in lawn mixtures

However, before choosing ryegrass, you should consider its characteristics. We will list the most significant:

1. This cereal does not like temperature changes. If the winter is snowless, there is a high probability that bald spots will appear on the area with ryegrass.
2. Poor resistance to fungal infections. In particularly humid areas, ryegrass can become susceptible to mildew.
3. We have already said that this plant does not tolerate irregular watering. If the summer is sunny and rains are rare, the ryegrass may die.

Most often, ryegrass is added to mixtures for sports fields; it helps the surface to withstand significant loads. It is also used in formulations intended for the regeneration of damaged lawns.

Red fescue is unpretentious and drought-resistant

Fescue is the most versatile crop and is added to most mixtures. In this case, the plant can be of three varieties: hairy fescue with short rhizomes, fescue without rhizomes and red long-leaved fescue.

This plant is especially popular due to the following qualities. Let's list the most prominent ones:

1. Fescue is unpretentious and undemanding to care. Its regeneration abilities are average - the plant can withstand a certain load, but is inferior in durability to some other varieties.
2. Fescue grows evenly and takes root quite quickly.
3. This grass can easily withstand dry summers. Fescue will wither a little under scorching sun, but gains strength very quickly after watering.

To use the plant’s qualities to the fullest, the characteristics of each variety should be taken into account. For example, fescue species with dense roots fill gaps in the grass layer well. However, they do not produce dense turf. In this regard, such varieties are used in mixtures for parks and landscapes, most often on dry soil.

Long-leaved fescue is a rhizomatous-loose-bush grass. Its roots form dense turf, as they are able to grow densely in several directions at once. Thanks to this feature, this variety is used as a basis in the best mixtures for decorative and Moorish lawns.

Bluegrass has an excellent ability to form dense growth, which has medium elasticity. In addition, the turf is not susceptible to damage because it quickly regenerates. This property is due to underground shoots that instantly fill empty areas on the soil surface.

However, bluegrass also has its disadvantages. The main ones:

• slow germination after sowing, sometimes it takes a month;
• This plant has poor resistance to diseases, which can quickly destroy the entire crop.

Meadow bluegrass covers the soil with a dense, even layer of growth

Bluegrass is certainly used in mixtures for sports lawns. This crop compacts the top layer of the coating and at the same time increases its resistance to stress. Since bluegrass regenerates well, it quickly covers damaged areas. Its seeds are also added to the mixture for the Moorish lawn, which is easiest to create with your own hands. There are elite varieties of this grass; their feature is narrow leaves. These types of plants are used mainly in mixtures for decorative lawns.

The main property of filamentous bentgrass is its inability to withstand significant loads. To increase resistance to trampling, it is recommended to mow the bentgrass, leaving the stems 5-10 cm long. The second disadvantage is slow germination; sometimes bentgrass begins to grow only a month after sowing. In addition, the grass grows quite slowly, especially at the beginning. The bentgrass needs to be watered systematically, maintaining high level moisture. Lawns in which this plant occupies a significant proportion often form lawn felt. You can fight it by cutting through the top layer of turf.

Filamentous bentgrass has the following advantages. The main advantage is the beautiful and dense layer of greenery that forms on the surface. Another undoubted advantage is the ability of grass to grow on dry soils that have few nutrients.

Filamentous bentgrass can grow in poor soils, but is easily trampled

Bentgrass is commonly used in golf turf mixtures. The best decorative mixtures almost always contain bentgrass and red fescue.

Minor Types of Lawn Grasses

We talked about the most popular grasses that are used for lawns. However, other plants are also used and are often added to lawn mixtures. If the composition of the mixture is selected independently, it is worth buying seeds of plants that have good frost resistance and do not require too complicated care. However, most of the lawn grasses listed below have their own characteristics that you should be aware of.

This plant is suitable for those who do not want to cut the grass often. The grass produces shoots that spread along the ground, after which they take root. The result is a brightly colored grass carpet that quickly fills all the free areas. The disadvantage of such a lawn is that the shoots are lighter than the main lawn, which makes the color of the area uneven and too variegated.

Bentgrass forms a smooth grass carpet that does not need to be cut frequently

Different types of bluegrass

Bluegrass happens different varieties: narrow-leaved, oak forest, marsh. All of them are often used in lawn mixtures, but each variety has its own characteristics:

1. Swamp loves moist soils, so it can be sown in areas without drainage. This plant forms a dense cover, with a dense root system, and can be mowed regularly. Swamp bluegrass lives only 4-5 years, after which it needs to be reseeded.
2. Dubravny (also called borovaya) loves shade, so it is sown near trees with a branched crown, in the shade of a house, near a fence. Unlike swamp bluegrass, oak grove bluegrass has a weaker root system. In this regard, it will not withstand frequent mowing, and also weakens from significant load.
3. Narrow-leaved or flattened bluegrass grows quickly and fills any area well. The disadvantage is its short lifespan - such grass will please the owner for no more than 5-6 years. Also, its special property is considered to be uneven coloring; therefore, professional designers do not use Poa angustifolia. Flattened bluegrass produces shoots of increased rigidity, which does not allow you to enjoy a soft rug. This type of lawn is good only for decorative purposes.

A noticeable advantage of this type of grass is its rapid germination - two months after sowing, the lawn is completely ready. Meadow fescue can be used as temporary cover because it only lives for 4-5 years.

It is often used as an addition to the main type of lawn - due to its rapid growth, fescue fills any area of ​​the ground. The disadvantage of grass is its weak root system - fescue is afraid of stress, so it is not often used as the main one.

Meadow fescue will delight you with good germination

Dog bentgrass

Dog bentgrass is a grass that has excellent decorative qualities. It has a bright emerald color, and its leaves have a velvet surface. The weak root system, as well as the short lifespan, do not allow the use of dog fescue as a covering for sports or children's playgrounds. Moreover, this grass is often grown to create Moorish and parterre, that is, decorative lawns.

This grass is not often used as a lawn. Clover loves sunny areas, but usually does not take root in the shade. Resistant to trampling, it improves the quality of the soil. The disadvantage is uneven coloring. In addition, clover is a famous honey plant. Its flowers produce a lot of sweet nectar, attracting bees. In this regard, clover is not planted where there are children.

White clover will quickly fill the lawn, but it is not recommended for use on the playground

DIY clover lawn

Despite its disadvantages, white clover can be a good surface for any site. In order for this grass to perform the functions of a lawn, it must be planted according to the rules. Proper preparation plot, the choice of seeds and timely care will allow you to get a spectacular and presentable green lawn near your home. This plant has obvious advantages:

• a strong root system will displace any weed from its surroundings;
• excellent decorative effect;
• a dense carpet of green leaves will completely cover any area;
• clover stems do not grow tall, which means cutting is not required;
• grows well without special care– plants do not need to be watered or fed frequently;
• clover is not so easy to trample - it is very resistant to stress;
• good growth rate;
• the plant saturates the soil with nitrogen, which makes it more fertile;
• Clover can be planted on any land with a wide variety of terrain.

It is important to know that clover coating also has disadvantages. The following nuances should be taken into account:

• if you plant other flowers nearby, clover will block their living space;
• sometimes the speed of grass growth is too high - clover quickly absorbs the new area;
• the plant retains moisture, which can make the surface of the site quite slippery.

It is necessary to grow clover in a well-lit place.

Instructions for planting clover

Next, we will tell you how to plant clover at your dacha with your own hands. This plant is quite unpretentious; it does not require systematic watering or fertilizing. However, to obtain an even coating, several conditions must be followed. First, you need to choose the right place. This can be a sunny area or partial shade. Secondly, clover should be sown in late spring. Next you need to do this.

A beautiful, well-groomed lawn can become a real highlight of a suburban area. Breaking it yourself is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance. Of course, the final result will depend primarily on the right choice varieties of grass, as well as compliance with all necessary technologies her landing. Among other things, the lawn will subsequently require some care.

Varieties

The decision about what kind of lawn grass to plant is made taking into account the type of lawn. On a suburban area you can lay out a sports or decorative lawn. In addition, special lawns are installed along roadsides, at airfields, railways, quarries, etc.

Basic distinctive feature sports options are very high resistance to stress - various kinds ruptures and mechanical damage. The decorative lawn is divided into three main varieties - parterre, family lawn and "Moorish" lawn. The first type is sown with the most beautiful herbs that require complex care. You can't walk on it. Less demanding vegetation that can withstand fairly heavy loads is planted on the family lawn. It is quite possible to spend Sunday family picnics here. The “Moorish” lawn is not a grass lawn, but a flower lawn. Seeds of wildflowers mixed with cereals are planted on it.

Nowadays, you can also purchase a ready-made roll version. Of course, in this case the question of how to plant lawn grass on the site will not arise at all. The rolled green “carpet” will simply need to be rolled out in the place chosen for it. However, such a lawn is very expensive, and not everyone can afford it. Therefore, most owners of suburban areas still prefer to plant grass themselves.

How to choose the shape of the lawn and its location

We will find out how to plant lawn grass a little later. First, let's figure out where it is best to place the lawn and what shape it should be. Take a piece of paper and draw a diagram of the area on it. This will make it much easier to determine the location of the lawn. It is best to arrange a lawn where it will not be shaded by buildings, trees or shrubs. Although for a fairly unpretentious grass this is not a fundamental question. It will not grow particularly well only if you lay out a lawn right next to the wall of the house on the north side.

Grass lawns can have different shapes. The simplest ones are square, rectangle, circle and oval. However, lawns with a complex, curved configuration look most impressive. You can, of course, choose this option. However, you should avoid too sharp bends and broken lines. Otherwise it will be very difficult to mow.

How to choose lawn grass

Before we start figuring out how to plant lawn grass, let's discuss how to choose the right grass. There are several different varieties of such vegetation. Each of them has its own merits. All varieties of lawn grasses (of which there are about 15) are usually evaluated using a 100-point system. This makes it possible to immediately determine the economic and decorative qualities of a particular type. So, when using grass with 80-100 points, you can get an unusually beautiful lawn of your own. High Quality. This category includes varieties such as meadow bluegrass, some types of fescue, perennial ryegrass, and thin bentgrass. These grasses are used to create prestigious parterre lawns, as well as sports fields. At 70-80 points, the grass stand can be considered satisfactory. Those grasses that are rated below 70 points are used extremely rarely for lawns. If they are unpretentious, they are planted in the far corners of the garden in order to occupy areas free from flower beds and shrubs with small green pieces.

Most often, in suburban areas, lawns are laid out with grasses such as clover or meadow bluegrass. The last option is an excellent answer to the question of what kind of lawn grass to plant for a parterre lawn. For a family lawn, you can choose coarser fescue, bentgrass, or a mixture of both. Ryegrass is recommended for use in sports turf.

Site preparation

So, how to plant lawn grass correctly? Of course, you need to start by preparing the soil in the selected area. Dig up the soil with a shovel or plowman. Loosen it thoroughly. Remove the roots of all weeds. Last step extremely important. Weeds in the spring will germinate much faster than weak young grass. It will be impossible to remove them later without damaging the “carpet.” As a result, the lawn will turn out sloppy and ugly. So try to remove every last root. Can be used special drugs to remove weeds. For example, Reglon or Roundup products are suitable. The soil should be treated with them two weeks before planting the grass.

Be sure to fertilize the selected area with humus or manure and level it thoroughly. To get the perfect lawn, you can even use a water level or level. Sometimes a drainage layer of broken crushed stone is installed under the lawn. However, this step is not mandatory. At the last stage, the earth is rolled with a hand roller. If you leave the soil loose, small but detrimental bumps and holes may subsequently form on the surface of the lawn. The compacted soil should be lightly loosened on top with a rake.

Where can I get the seeds?

After you decide which lawn grass is best to plant, and also prepare the area, proceed to the actual sowing. You can buy seeds either in a specialized store or in the market, by weight. In the latter case, they will cost less, but there is no guarantee that weeds will not sprout on the lawn at the same time as the grass.

How to plant grass

Let's see how to plant lawn grass correctly. This procedure can be performed in two ways - manually and using a seeder. The second option is used if the lawn area exceeds 10 m2. Small lawns are seeded by hand. In this case, the seeds are carefully scattered in four directions (away from you/toward you and to the right/left). Planting material lightly sprinkle with earth. Its layer should not be too thick (about 0.7 cm). You can also simply work the seeds into the soil with a rake. Next, the lawn is rolled again with a roller.

Seed consumption is about 40 g per 1 m2. It is best to start sowing in the spring, after the soil has dried and warmed up a little. However, you can plant grass throughout the summer, right up to the autumn frosts.

Care in the first days

Now you know how to plant lawn grass. To obtain the desired result, in the first days after sowing, the lawn must be given maximum attention. After the seeds are sprinkled with soil, the entire surface of the lawn should be covered with burlap. Next, the lawn is thoroughly watered. The pressure from the hose should not be very strong, otherwise the seeds can simply be washed out. During the week, you should ensure that the burlap does not dry out. After seven days it is removed. The grass of most varieties should have hatched by this time. If this does not happen in some places, reseeding is carried out. Some varieties take a very long time to germinate - up to 20 days. The germination period is usually indicated on the packaging. If you buy seeds at the market, ask the seller when the grass will sprout. You need to water the lawn daily until the vegetation covers the area with a continuous carpet.

Caring for grown grass

According to the rules, the grass on the ground lawn should be mowed approximately once every five days. However, most owners of suburban areas do this once a week. The family lawn is mowed every 1-2 weeks. In most cases this is quite enough. The frequency of watering depends on the type of grass. For example, tender bluegrass is best watered daily in the morning. Of course, any weeds that sprout should be removed immediately. This is especially true for dandelions, which give lawn owners the most trouble.

How to plant lawn grass at home

Lawn grass, which does not require special care, can decorate not only a suburban area, but also a city apartment. If desired, it can be planted in a pot. Place some fine gravel on the bottom. Place a piece of moisture-permeable Dornit on top. Cover everything with garden soil mixed with a small amount of humus. Compact the soil. Sprinkle the seeds. Cover them with a layer of loose soil. Lightly compact it. Water everything carefully. You can cover the soil with a wet cloth. Water the grass daily until it is fully established.

As you can see, the question of how to plant lawn grass in a pot is not at all complicated. The procedure will take no more than half an hour. At home you can plant bluegrass, bent grass, and oats. Just remember that cats love to chew on green grass. So protect your “lawn” from your pet. Of course, if you did not plant the grass specifically for it. If desired, the home “lawn” can be trimmed with sharp scissors. Try to do this carefully so that the mat is even.

Technologically, planting a grass lawn is very simple. Any gardener can cope with this task. Take a little time to arrange a lawn or home “lawn”, and you will get a wonderful decoration for your site or apartment.

There is hardly anything that can highlight the beauty of the garden and the area near the house better than a green lawn.

According to some landscape designers, the lawn is the mirror of the garden. Indeed, a smooth and green background is perfect surface for all landscape compositions and an idea for garden decoration.

But it’s worth preparing for difficulties, because lawn grass requires quite serious care. And yet, the main thing is to create a lawn correctly, that is, prepare the area and sow the seeds with your own hands or using a special seeder.

Exist different kinds lawns that can satisfy any of your needs: from a small lawn to a sports field.

A lawn mixture is a certain composition (proportion) of herbs and cereals, which is intended to create a green lawn.

The most popular types of lawns for planting in summer cottages:

By the way! There are also shade-tolerant lawns with a high content of fescue (sheep fescue, reed, red). However, it is necessary to clarify that this can only be partial shade; no lawn grass can withstand deep shade. And remember that the lawn will never be very thick in such conditions.

Each component in the herbal mixture performs its own function.

• Fescue - creates cruelty, in other words, general cover.
• Bentgrass is a very soft grass, an undercoat, so to speak, that forms a good basal turf.
• Ryegrass grows quickly and is responsible for the density of the cover.
• Bluegrass - creates silky and emerald green grass.
• White clover - to make the grass decorative.
• Meadow timothy - not afraid of trampling, excellent for filling bald spots, but does not tolerate low haircuts.

When to sow a lawn: optimal timing

Optimal timing Lawn planting varies depending on where you live and, as a result, the climatic conditions of the region, as well as the current weather.

As a rule, lawn grass can be sown throughout the warm period, that is, from April to September.

The most favorable time of year for sowing a lawn is spring, because... The grass shoots will have time to become sufficiently strong by winter, but there is still a possibility that the seeds will sprout unevenly.

How to prepare a site for sowing a lawn

Before sowing your lawn summer cottage, you need to prepare correctly and thoroughly, which means you will have to go through several stages, each of which is very important.

Video: how to sow a lawn on your site

Required Tools

When preparing a site for planting a lawn, you will definitely need the following tools:

• shovel or walk-behind tractor (motor-cultivator);
• rakes, construction forks;
• flat block;
• special roller for compacting soil;
• special seeder;
• watering hose;
• protective gloves.

Clearing the area of ​​debris, weeds and other plants

After you decide on the place where you decide to sow the lawn, the first thing you need to do is to completely clear it of all debris (construction, household), and also get rid of old plants, such as tree stumps and dried shrubs.

Important! If you don't clean the area well and leave woody debris in the soil, don't be surprised if you notice toadstool mushrooms later. Cleaning the area under the lawn must be done very thoroughly.

You should also get rid of the turf layer (if you have one), for this you will need a shovel or special device to remove the turf layer.

Next, to create or remake an old lawn from soil, you should remove all weeds, i.e. the land needs good dig up. To do this, you will need a motorized cultivator (faster and lighter, but more expensive) or a shovel (longer, more labor-intensive, but more economical).

Advice! After digging, be sure to collect all the weeds with a rake, and then dig again and again collect all the remaining weeds and their roots.

There is one more way to control weeds is the use herbicides. But remember, there is no need to rush, the drugs last quite a long time, about 2 weeks.

By the way! Under vegetable crops In this way, in no case should you prepare the soil, but for a lawn it’s okay.

Creation of drainage and embankment of fertile soil

If the area where you decide to sow a lawn can be flooded by rain, and water often stagnates on it, then you should make a double drainage layer: the bottom layer of coarse gravel or broken brick (15-20 centimeters), and the top layer of small stones or sand (10-15 centimeters).

If your land is infertile, then you should bring nutritious loose soil to the site to lay it in an 8-10 centimeter layer. And if you have heavy, loamy soil, then the fertile layer should be doubled to 16-20 centimeters. Typical soil is ideal for such soil. peat—sandy mixture (65% peat, 35% sand) with the addition of turf soil.

By the way! If you lay this one down fertile layer under the lawn, then in the first season you will not even need to fertilize it.

Leveling the surface

On next stage To prepare the soil for sowing a lawn, you need to level the surface of the ground. To do this, you should use a rake and construction forks.

To compact the soil and level it as much as possible, use a roller. It is rolling the soil that will allow you to achieve a flat surface.

As a result, you should get an absolutely smooth, so to speak, ideal surface.

Advice! Make a very slight slope towards the fence to ensure rainwater drainage.

Video: preparing and leveling the area for a lawn

How to properly sow a lawn

Once you have rolled the soil perfectly evenly, you can immediately sow lawn grass seeds.

How much lawn will you need?

Naturally, there are standards for sowing lawns. On average, from 3 to 5 kg of lawn grass seeds per 1 sq.m., depending on the composition of the grass mixture itself and the desired density.

Rules and methods of sowing

There are not many rules for sowing lawn grass, here are the basic ones:

• The weather must be clear, dry and windless.
• You need to sow as evenly as possible.

The easiest way to sow a lawn is manual method , when seeds are scattered on the go with your own hands, passing along and across the site.

If you need to sow large area, then you can sow the lawn more effectively using special seeder. Just walk it over the entire surface of the plot, it will scatter the seeds fairly evenly.

Next, the seeds should close up with a rake, or same use mulching method, in other words, mulch the scattered seeds on top with a small layer of fertile soil just to lightly cover the seeds. The second method of sealing is more preferable due to the fact that in this case, moisture after watering will be better preserved, and the seeds will swell faster and, accordingly, germinate much more actively.

Final stage sowing lawn seeds - abundant watering from a hose with a sprayer or a special sprinkler.

Advice! After sowing, it is advisable (but not necessary) to cover the lawn to create a greenhouse effect. However, if the area is very large, then doing this, of course, is quite labor-intensive. And therefore, if the nights are warm, then this can be avoided.

Video: planting lawn grass according to all the rules

Lawn care after planting

During the first few days after planting lawn grass, you should regularly but moderately water the sown area for better germination.

When young grass seedlings sprout and reach a height of 2-3 centimeters, it is necessary to roll the soil again using a roller to consolidate their roots, because, as you know, the root system of a lawn is superficial.

Note! If after a week you notice that the lawn does not look very good (sparse and grass different heights), then there is nothing wrong with that. Lawn grass seeds actually vary and some can last anywhere from 1 to 3 weeks in the ground, so you may just want to wait a little longer.

Next, when the grass grows to 6-8 centimeters (usually this takes about 3-4 weeks), you should cut it for the first time, although some gardeners recommend mowing the lawn for the first time when the grass stand is about 12-15 centimeters high. In the end, you need to leave about 4-6 centimeters.

Advice! If after mowing you find bald spots on the lawn, you should simply replant them with new grass.

The next grass mowing should be done when the lawn reaches 12-15 centimeters again. It is extremely important to do this before he goes to bed.

If before this all cutting had to be done strictly with the help of a lawn mower, then after the main mowing you can start using a manual trimmer to mow hard-to-reach pieces and areas, for example, a side, a corner of a house or the edge of a flower bed.

Recommendation! If you want your lawn to live happily ever after, don't throw away your grass clippings. compost heap, and leave it on the lawn (mulch, so to speak). She will be his better nutrition. To do this, simply remove the grass basket from the mower and insert a stick or other object into it so that the grass can fly out. This way you will not need any fertilizing, although you can additionally water with an infusion of organic matter.

Thus, in order for the lawn at your dacha to “sparkle” with some especially fresh emerald colors, you need to correctly decide on its type, the choice of lawn grass, the timing of its planting, do not forget about preparing the site, tools, and also not lose sight of the extremely important subtleties of sowing and proper lawn care.

Video: when to plant a lawn at the dacha and how to do it correctly

So! You have decided to get a lawn on your property. A reasonable question arises - when and how to plant lawn grass correctly?
Let's start in order.

How to choose lawn grass

The decisive issue for choosing a lawn grass mixture is its intended purpose.

Usually the name of the lawn grass that you see on the packaging speaks for itself. For example:

Sports turf– lawn for areas subject to high traffic. These can be sports and children's playgrounds, areas for active play of dogs. This lawn is resistant to trampling, but grows quickly, which requires frequent mowing.

Parterre lawn– a lawn that has a decorative function serves as a backdrop for solitary plants and flower beds. He has bright color and beautiful shine. Requires regular watering and space open to sunlight.

Dwarf lawn– a lawn that contains low-growing and slow-growing grass species, which makes it easier to care for and minimizes the need for mowing. It is often used as decorative because it is susceptible to trampling.

Lawn for slopes– in this lawn, the grasses are selected in such a way as to form a strong root layer (turf), which is able to hold the soil on the slope and prevent erosion.

When to sow lawn grass

In central Russia, lawn grass seeds can be planted immediately after the snow melts (late April - early May) and until the very end of the confidently warm season (usually October). In a later period, it is not recommended to sow the lawn, since the plants will not have time to fully grow stronger before wintering and, as a result, in the spring you will have to reseed, or even replant the lawn.

The most favorable period for sowing lawn grass is the end of April - May and September - early October

If you brought fresh fertile soil, you should wait 1-2 weeks before sowing. After spilling the soil, wait 3-4 hours, then sow the lawn.

If sowing lawn grass is carried out in summer period, it’s worth waiting for rainy, cloudy days.

Don't overdo it with watering. Before emergence, water every day, then no more than once a week.

First mowing of the lawn when the grass height is 15 cm.

Before planting a lawn, you need to create a drainage system, if provided, an electrical supply system, underground system irrigation.
In order for the lawn to look perfect, it is necessary to level the soil. The slope can be 1-3% to facilitate drainage surface waters. A larger lawn area can be given a greater slope, but not more than 30%.

Preparing the soil for lawn grass

Weed removal

Removing weeds will ensure friendly shoots, appearance lawn and make it easier further care behind him.

Weed control methods:

Freezing- this is the death of the underground parts of weeds in winter period, for this in the fall it is necessary to carry out deep digging of the soil.

Strangulation- a long-term method based on repeated cutting of weeds at shallow depths (harrowing for 2-3 years), the effect is achieved by depleting the rhizome.

Provocation- a couple of weeks before sowing, it is necessary to prepare the soil, and when many weed sprouts appear, surface loosening is carried out, thereby destroying them.

Mulching- covering the soil, depriving weeds of light. Ripened compost is well suited for this purpose, and shredded bark under trees and shrubs.

New soil- the most effective, but labor-intensive and more expensive method. Removing old soil and laying out new soil with a drainage system - the soil is removed to a depth of 30 cm and laid out in layers: crushed stone, sand and black soil, and laid on top rolled lawn or lawn grass mixture seeds are sown.

Herbicides- Treatment of weeds should be carried out during the period of their active growth, but they should not be mechanically damaged. Within 5-10 days, the herbicide spreads over the entire area of ​​the plant and after 20-30 days the entire plant dies. Approximately 15 days after the effect of the drug, the land can be cultivated. It is better to use herbicides in the fall if you plan to sow lawn grass in the spring.

It would be good to protect areas where weeds have already been removed from areas that have not yet been treated.

The surface of the soil under the lawn must be leveled - there should be no bumps or holes. Water will subsequently accumulate in the holes, which will lead to the grass getting wet, and the tubercles will make it difficult for the lawn mower to operate.

Soil fertility

The thickness of the fertile layer for proper development lawn grass should be at least 10 - 15 cm.
The soil should be improved depending on its characteristics.

The soil mixture and all its components should be mixed well and thoroughly embedded in the soil, loosened to a depth of approximately 40 cm, so that the lower layers do not subsequently move upward. When carrying out this work, it is necessary to remove from the ground all parts of plants that were previously treated with chemicals, especially carefully removing their roots.

To make it convenient to care for the edges of the lawn, it is better to secure them. To decorate the borders, materials such as gravel, crushed stone are usually used, you can also use a stone border or lay tiles - this will look advantageous in decorative terms and will provide you with access to trim the edges of the lawn, which will make mowing much easier.

How to sow lawn grass with your own hands

• Level the soil with a fan rake. There should be no bumps or depressions left.
• The seeding rate for lawn grass is usually indicated by the manufacturer on the packaging. Sowing is done by hand or with a special hand seeder; the plot should be walked several times: in different directions (from left to right, from right to left and diagonally). This is done to evenly distribute the seeds over the entire area.
  For convenience, the seeds can be mixed with sand before sowing. Then the seeds will not stick together and sowing will be convenient and even.
• Then you should roll the seeds with a special roller or seal them with a rake.
• Be sure to water the soil well with an attachment that finely sprays a stream of water.

How to care for lawn grass

During the growth period of a young lawn, it needs to be provided with:

• sufficient watering
• removing weeds that will attack a fragile lawn
• mowing the lawn to a height of 5-10 cm

A lawn is considered formed and mature 2-3 seasons after sowing.