It is very pleasant to walk barefoot on the cool green grass! A rare person refuses to walk like this, taking off his shoes. Most will rather throw off their slippers, and with bliss on their faces will walk on a soft, like a Persian carpet, lawn! But in the city, walking on lawns is fraught with dangers - Russia, although geographically and a European country, has very strange customs. What is not on the city lawns - from paper and plastic to fragments of beer bottles and rusty nails. But that doesn't mean we can't walk on lawns. We can - in our country house! How to make a lawn in the country 45 photos.
The garden lawn is…
Most often, the dacha does not have a lawn, but just a clearing where short or long green grass grows - this is if you bought a dacha in a dacha village or a dacha means an old house in the village, left over from your grandmother. If your cottage is completely new, and nothing grows there at all, even grass, then you can plant the best lawn for a summer residence.
Lawn in the country house video:
The easiest way to get a lawn in the country is to buy a rolled lawn from gardening or landscape designers. What is it like? This is turf on a roll. What is good about it - you can simply roll it out where you like it, like a track, and soon it will take root. Fast and easy! If you are thinking about such a lawn, then here is another plus for you: landscape designers will grow for you (or select from existing ones) a lawn for its intended purpose: for your kids to play, just for beauty or universal!
You can just sow the lawn in the country - for example, very fashionable at one time Canadian grass. It is green all year round, grows quickly and recovers well. But it has a minus - it is almost impossible to sow the lawn evenly. However, if you are willing to spend several years creating a lawn, then this is ideal! It is cheaper in terms of money than rolled lawn, but takes more time.
If you already have grass growing in the country, then you can either leave cute clearings where you will play or have a barbecue, or lay paths around the garden so as not to trample on the beautiful emerald greenery - at your discretion. Lawns in the country photo examples:
Do you need to take care of your lawn?
But how! Grass is also a plant, and it also needs care. Although with roses and tomatoes, of course, more fuss. Basic lawn care is mowing, fertilizing and watering. Everything, like other plants. You can mow lawns with a lawn mower, a trimmer, or, if the grass is tall, it can be mowed with the most ordinary hand scythe. Lawn mowers and trimmers are very good for lawns - this makes the grass thicker and softer! Or buy an artificial turf for a summer residence.
You need to mow the lawn in dry weather, and it is better not to run it. If you want to have a really beautiful lawn, mow it regularly. It is better to cut the grass 3-5 cm at a time, then your lawn will look neat and beautiful. Mow the lawn every time the grass grows back. How often? It depends on how fast the grass grows. The lawn should be mowed from mid-spring to mid-autumn. In mid-October, you can no longer take care of your lawn - now it will take care of itself. Lawns in the country, see photos below:
Lawn grass needs fertilizing just like any other plant. Top dressing is best done after mowing the lawn. There are special fertilizers for lawns, but universal fertilizers can also be used. Fertilize your lawn as often as you fertilize your garden plants and flowers, but don't forget that too few nutrients are better than too many! It may sound strange, but an excess of fertilizer will kill the plants rather than a lack of it.
How to properly make a lawn in the country - in early spring and late autumn, when the weather is unstable, grasses need phosphorus and potassium, which help them withstand the vagaries of nature, and from May to September, the lawn can be “treated” with nitrogen fertilizers that promote growth and reproduction.
Watering herbs is not the same as cabbage, but you should not forget about it either. Your estate will not decorate a lawn scorched by the sun! When watering the lawn, we take into account all the rules for watering plants: water in the morning or in the evening, taking into account soil moisture, water in moderation! Here, too, you need to take into account the nuance - it is better to under-water the lawn than to turn it into a swamp! It is still possible to restore drooping grass, but if its roots have rotted, nothing will help you. Lawns in the country photo:
How to repair a damaged lawn?
How to arrange a lawn in the country? Everyone knows that a country house is a constant concern. The lawn can suffer from construction work (fixing fences, roofs, outbuildings), communications, from naughty neighbor goats who climbed onto your site and trampled it while you were in the city. It's sad, but you will be quite capable of restoring the lawn!
If the lawn is trampled down, loosen the bald spots and plant new grass. The planting site can be fertilized with liquid fertilizer, or you can throw granules along with seeds. Level the "bald spot" with a fan rake and lightly tamp so that the seeds are not blown away by the wind and washed out by rain.
If for some reason yellowed areas appeared on your lawn, then you can do the same, only you first need to mow all the yellow grass under the root, capturing the green areas adjacent to it, approximately at a distance of 10-15 cm from the yellowed spots. After that, sow new grass, loosening the lawn.
How to arrange a lawn in the country, yes, in order to have a beautiful, soft lawn, which is pleasant to step on with a bare foot, you have to tinker a little! But believe me - these works are not in vain! Walking barefoot on the grass is not only pleasant, but also very useful - any doctor will confirm this to you! Therefore, take care of your lawn to your health! Lawns in the country photo ideas for you:
Among summer residents, there are fewer and fewer who would not use the lawn on their plots. Everyone approaches the issue in different ways: some break up a green lawn near the gazebo, others adapt the lawn for children's games, others consider it beautiful to adjoin the flower bed. Let's figure out how to do the landscaping work on the site with your own hands.
Peculiarities
Sowing and roll - these are the main varieties of lawns. The first is usually more beautiful, hardy, lush, but it also requires a lot of money. The second is more modest, but simple to create - it must be ready to buy and properly laid. You save yourself from waiting for grass sprouts, care, watering, although at the same time you lose the joy of the process of its creation. Your lawn after laying is ready immediately, however, it will cost you quite a lot.
Before making a decision, you need to decide on the type of lawn. The options are as follows: parterre, sports, park, Mauritanian, universal.
- Parterre lawn- exquisite, silky herbs, bright emerald color. The front cover, as a rule, the owners do not allow walking on it, since the plants are very delicate and susceptible to damage. Such a lawn is located in a country house near a house, a flower bed or an alpine hill for decorative purposes.
- Sports- on the contrary, quite a practical option. Planted with vegetation, which tends to recover quickly. Serves for games of children, is located near arbors, benches, country fountains. The load on the grass is not afraid.
- park lawn not as persistent as sports, but not as capricious as ground floor. The grass mixture that makes up the lawn is selected in such a way that you can, if not run and wallow, walk barefoot on it. In this case, the grass will not suffer much.
- moorish lawn- This is a beautiful meadow. Herbs here are selected flowering. So you get a fragrant, lush carpet: cornflowers, California poppy, lavatera, chamomile, tenacity. It is good to sunbathe on the Moorish splendor.
- Universal- a lawn of wide application. It does not wear off, the grass does not wrinkle, at the same time it is also a beautiful area with special vegetation. Can be used in both shade and sun.
Types of design
To design a smooth lawn, you need to look at ordinary green grass creatively and with imagination. The belief of the lazy that the lawn is vegetation that only needs to be mowed occasionally will immediately cross out the whole thing. Tune in to serious care of the green lawn, which will become beautiful only as a result of careful care for it.
The lawn in front of the house looks luxurious if you arrange a flower garden in the middle of a green lawn. The green grassy background will be a great frame for the flower bed and set off its elegant palette. In this case, the flower bed should be bordered by a strip of bare earth or a decorative border so that the lawn does not grow into the flower bed.
In general, gardeners need to work very responsibly with the edge of the lawn. It is cut with a shovel, and it is better if according to the template. A 3 cm groove is created at the undercut point, which is filled with mulch. The lawn must have its clear configuration. A well-groomed edge makes the lawn more decorative, solemn.
Masters of landscape design offer to dilute the “green lake” with bright accents to taste. For example, to form spots from daffodils, hyacinths, forsythia. Many owners of acres like single specimens of ornamental trees or shrubs on the lawn. It can be thuja, juniper, mini-cypress, spirea, hydrangea. Here you need to choose instances that would be combined with each other.
On the lawn it is good to start up an elegant path along the edge or center. The path will emphasize the aesthetic individuality of the lawn. Cutting out various shapes on the lawn has become a fashion trend - circles, squares or complex patterns. Fans of unique figures mow paws, leaves with beds, stars and more subtle designs on lawns.
What grass to plant?
In order to achieve a healthy, refined lawn, several generations of breeders have filtered different varieties of vegetation to create the perfect lawn.
Lawn grass requirements are as follows:
- they must grow in one place for many years;
- be resistant to cold;
- have a dynamic, measured rate of growth of young leaves;
- do not suffer from constant haircuts;
- have a low, near the ground, tillering center;
- do not give out hard long shoots.
It is these properties that thin bent grass and red fescue have - the perfect combination for an emerald, delicate parterre lawn.
For a sports lawn, cereals are harvested that are used to developing without moisture, as well as fescue and bluegrass.
To get a park lawn, they sow sheep fescue, reed fescue, shoot bent grass, ryegrass, timothy grass. These are all shade-loving, slow-growing herbs that do not require frequent cutting. In a universal lawn, a mixture of different varieties of red fescue and bluegrass has proven itself well.
Accommodation options
When choosing a place for a lawn in the country, it is important to think not only about yourself, but also about your green lawn. After all, she has to grow, so you should take into account the structure of the soil and the "requests" of herbs. For example, it is logical to break an English lawn in front of the house, it needs a well-lit area, a shaded one will not work. In general, any grass will need the sun, albeit periodically, otherwise the crops will not give a rich green color.
It is quite acceptable to sow a lawn near a private house, just do not bring crops close to fruit trees. Large plantings suck out all the nutrients from the soil. The grass will not have enough of the required set of elements.
If your yard is lowland with high humidity, it will also be a problem choice for the lawn. Will have to arrange drainage. Grass mixtures do not tolerate wet soils, their roots begin to rot.
Terraces and other elevation differences in the summer cottage are not very suitable for the lawn. They have to be reinforced, smoothed. And, of course, you should not form a lawn at the parking lot of the car or between the gate and the house, where there is a constant movement of people. He will simply die, because even the most hardy grass does not imply a load in which it is trampled endlessly. As a way out, you can consider the option of paving a path with tiles along the route of movement through such a lawn.
A fountain in the middle of a green meadow will look charming. The lawn-fountain will amaze your guests with an emerald perspective and beating jets of water. Sparkling drops falling on the young green of the lawn are a delightful accent to decorate and refresh the site.
The originals adapted to sow lawns even on the roof of garden houses. For this, a special stand is constructed and undersized grasses are selected. Ecologists believe that green roofs are an additional source of oxygen and have a beneficial effect on a person's well-being.
Rooftop lawns are practical at latitudes where rainfall is not uncommon. Nearly 70 percent of the moisture is taken up by the roots of the plants you plant above your head.
How to grow your own hands: step by step instructions
The technology of growing a lawn by hand is quite simple, but it is very important to fully comply with all the rules. The bookmark is carried out by carefully digging up the soil on level ground. In the process of digging, the soil under the lawn will have to be perfectly leveled, cleaned of stones and roots, as well as weeds. It will be much more difficult to fight with the roots on the ascended grass. All unnecessary shrubs are uprooted. If you want to leave a tree, carefully dig around it.
Digging is carried out to a depth of 15 cm. If the soil is completely sandy, dilute it with loam. If clay - on the contrary, add sand. It is good to “mix” compost under the lawn sowing. The next step is to further fertilize the soil. Apply as much of the special compound as indicated on the All-Purpose Lawn Fertilizer bag. Calculate the concentration depending on the area that you have planned to equip. Then take a roller and tamp the dug up area well. Do not apply extra effort - just go over the surface with it.
A very important stage is the sowing of grass. If you still grow a lawn, and do not spread a finished roll on the prepared soil. It is better to sow seeds in calm weather so that they lie evenly in the ground, and do not fly to neighboring beds or flower beds.
The best time to bookmark the site is April. It is important to do this before the ground dries out. From laying to sowing should take at least five weeks (taking into account the fact that herbicides were applied), so the planting deadline is the first two weeks of May.
The surface after preparation is loosened with a rake. For the optimal arrangement of the lawn, special seeders are used. If such a necessary device is not stocked, then you can come up with the most tin can with holes. Seeds should lie in a dense, dense layer.
On top of the seeds, the soil must be carefully sprinkled, leveled, tamped again and poured with a “fine rain” with a weak pressure of water. The first shoots usually appear in a week. When the grass rises to 5 cm, it will be necessary to carry out the first haircut. Then you have to mow the lawn regularly, during the rainy season - more often, otherwise the greenery will lose its charm.
Feed the lawn in summer and autumn. This can be done by spraying fertilizers. To supply air to densely growing grass, it is pierced, producing aeration.
Try also to break a vegetable garden next to the lawn with beautiful green components - lacy lettuce, terry basil, purple-lilac ornamental cabbage.
Reviews
Lawn reviews contain a variety of opinions. Romantics like that there is where to rest the eye. Practitioners praise lawn grass, which clogs weeds well. Most agree that the lawn is not for the lazy, it always requires some kind of work to maintain a modest lawn in an aesthetically pleasing state.
It is believed that it is still better to choose the usual green grass mixture, since flower lawns do not carry the same peace as a uniform emerald playground. However, in this case, you need to somehow arrange the lawn.
Experienced landscape designers offer to make a border of loose material along the edges of the glade. Granite crushed stone, pebbles, special chips are suitable. In this form, the lawn will have a finished and emphasized cultural look.
For those owners of the site, whose soul asks for bright inclusions in the overall picture, we recommend small flower beds with elegant plants. Well illustrate the theme of cineraria, marigolds, saxifrage, ageratum. In the trend, small ponds near the lawn - water and grass give rise to a unique feeling of peace.
In fairness, it should be said that negative reviews about the “character” of the lawn also take place on the forums. For example, with insufficient compaction of the soil, the lawn often sags. And with too aggressive watering, part of the clearing "leaks", after which bumps form. Then the lawn needs to be reseeded, starting to do almost everything anew.
A certain category of summer residents complains about domestic mowers that do not capture grass well. But the perfect lawn mowing is the main process for its maintenance. Forum participants come to the conclusion that imported lawn care equipment is better in use. And certainly with the function of collecting grass, so that the cut tops are not later collected all over the lawn with a rake.
The commenters specify that constant mowing of the lawn and walking on it, even in the most hardy grass mixtures, gives rise to fatigue, the grass begins to take root worse, the root mass “shrinks”. Therefore, the authors of the reviews emphasize that any lawn is sometimes supposed to rest. For this purpose, it is quite possible to allow the ground part of the grass to grow to 12 or even 15 centimeters. After all, mowing is always a huge stress for plants.
A glade, which is distinguished by velvet grass, is able to create a certain atmosphere throughout the site. Emerald hues can define a design by bringing together colors, paths and alpine slides. How to make a lawn in the country with your own hands? This is for everyone. To form a lawn on your own, you need to understand how and prepare the site on which the meadow will be located. At the same time, it is important to avoid standard errors during sowing and care.
What should be done first?
Start preparing your lawn area a few months before planting. Especially if there are a large number of perennial plants on the site. How to make a lawn in the country with your own hands? Sunny and slightly shaded places are equally well suited for it. If the shade from the trees is too large, then you will need to carefully select the herbs to create a lawn. You can buy special herbal mixtures.
If you are thinking about forming a lawn on your site, then the place should be sandy or loose. If there is high humidity, equip the site with a drainage system. The lack of moisture will negatively affect crops. To prevent this problem, remove the top layer of soil and make a cushion using clay. The layer thickness should be 10 cm. How to make a lawn in the country with your own hands? Make sure you have a good irrigation system.
Equipping the site with your own hands, dig up the top layer of soil. You will need to remove all debris. The thickness of the fertile layer should not be less than 30 cm. Have you decided to use the brought vegetable soil? Tamp it down thoroughly so that the soil is compacted.
Need to get rid of weeds
Remove weeds from the site of the future lawn. Normal weeding will not help with this. Therefore, you will need to use herbicides. For the application of drugs, he will use special devices that will spray funds on the surface of the weeds. The result of such actions will be that all unnecessary plants will die in a week. Several procedures may be required. For re-treatment, you must wait for the emergence of new shoots. How to make a lawn in the country with your own hands? This should be returned only 3 weeks after the last tillage.
If the quality of the soil is not good enough, you can use fertilizers or special tools.
What kind of lawn can be created on your site?
Before you make a beautiful lawn in the country with your own hands, you need to decide what size and shape you need. You should also imagine what kind of design the site will have. What can be used in summer cottages?
- Parterre. The most prestigious and beautiful lawn. Know that it is recommended to plant grass on a flat area. Seeds must be selected carefully. A thorough care is necessary for the lawn, without which it will not last long.
- Ordinary. The most common type of glade, which is included in this type of lawn, is unpretentious either in creation or in care. In addition, it is characterized by high resistance to trampling. An ordinary lawn is the best option for a family holiday.
- Mauritanian. This lawn is also known as herbaceous-floral. This type should be chosen only if the site is large enough in area. It includes several dozen different varieties of herbs and flowers. In addition, the appearance of the lawn will change throughout the summer.
- You can use a rolled lawn. It is quite easy to create such a clearing with your own hands in the country. And high-quality grass cover will be obtained in the shortest possible time with minimal effort.
Lawn shape may vary. The glade can be flat and solid, representing narrow strips located between different flower beds and buildings. The shape can be unusual, curved or curly. Such a lawn is able to fit perfectly into the design of the site. Each owner of a summer house or his own house has to make a choice, guided by preferences.
Necessary tools for work
As soon as absolutely all the nuances are taken into account, you can start creating a lawn in the country with your own hands. Step-by-step instructions do not imply any complicated actions. First of all, you need to collect some tools. You will need:
- Shovel.
- Rake.
- Boards. They must be long. Instead, you can use a light roller to compact the soil.
- Seeds of those grasses of which the lawn should consist.
- seeder.
- Irrigation hose.
Are all tools collected? We begin to create a lawn in the country with our own hands. Step by step instructions will be described later.
Surface must be level
The first steps have already been described above. You will need to select a suitable site, collect garbage, remove weeds and fertilize it. If there is a need for this, then you will need to make a drainage and irrigation system. After that, proceed to leveling the place. The site should not have holes or hills. If all this is available, then dig the soil several times. To level it, you should use a rake. Before seeding, compact the soil using boards or a roller. It is not difficult to make it, using a pipe cut for these purposes.
The choice of herbs must be approached thoroughly
Under landing, using a rake with small teeth. It is necessary to sow perpendicularly, first along, and then across the site. Divide all seeds in two. Mix each of them with sand. Then start sowing. If the area is huge, use special seeders. Sowing depth should not be large - no more than a centimeter. Due to this, it is possible to increase the germination of seeds. There are a huge number of different varieties of grass. They differ in color, appearance and demanding care. It is recommended to carefully approach the choice of mixtures, guided by the site. You can use the help of consultants of specialized stores.
Watering and lawn care
Using a rake, mix the seeds with the topsoil. After sowing, the soil should be compacted using a roller. This will improve the conditions for grass germination. In addition, the seeds can be protected from attacks from birds and wind. After sowing, the area should be watered. It is recommended to do this carefully and carefully. As soon as the first entrances appear, the site should be watered regularly.
Be sure to mow your lawn. This is the main condition for caring for him. It is recommended to cut regularly, starting from the moment when the grass reaches 8 cm in height.
Easy option for the lazy
Tormented by the question of how to make a lawn in the country with your own hands? For the lazy, there is an option that is distinguished by minimal effort. You just need to use the roll cover. This is a special mesh with turf 5 cm thick. It is rolled up. In this form, it must be transferred to the installation site. The site must first be prepared using the methods described above. It is necessary to get rid of weeds, fertilize the soil, level the place. These operations will help prevent air from forming between the ground and the pavement. Spread the lawn over the area, roll it with a roller and water thoroughly. After all the actions done, you will get a smooth, stable coating with a rich green color. Such lawns are distinguished by the fact that the grass on them grows much faster than the sowing. You can use this method of forming a clearing if you want to get coverage in the shortest possible time.
The lawn needs to be beautified. What do the reviews say?
The lawn occupies a fairly important position in the area. For this reason, it is necessary to ensure that it harmoniously fits into the design. Consider this moment if you want to answer the question of how to make a lawn in the country with your own hands. Feedback from people who have already created clearings in their areas showed that additional design is needed. And it is best to use bulk materials for these purposes. The most popular are colored pebbles, granite crushed stone of a fine fraction and which can differ in different shades.
Do you need to make a lawn in the country with your own hands? In the spring, you can plant coniferous shrubs and a variety of flowers. As the reviews have shown, by the middle of summer you will already have a very beautiful meadow. You can also display greenhouse plants in pots. Against the background of green grass, they will look decent. Benches, various figures of gnomes or other heroes from fairy tales will be a great addition. Why not decorate the lawn with flower beds? This is also a good idea. European design can be obtained with the help of rural paraphernalia. For example, you can use wooden benches, wheelbarrows with flowers, various garden sculptures. Remember that only a neat and well-kept lawn can demonstrate the good taste of the owner of the site.
The fun process of creating a lawn
In this review, an answer was provided to the question of how to make a lawn in the country with your own hands. You saw a photo of how this process looks like and what result can be obtained in the course of reading the review. They are better than any words to demonstrate the beauty that the site will receive. But there are no difficulties in the process of creating a lawn as such. Everything will depend on how much you want to decorate your site. It is worth wishing you good luck in this creative and exciting process.
It would seem that nothing special - the grass near the house. But a well-groomed healthy lawn is an exquisite backdrop for the implementation of landscape ideas, a place for children and pets to play cheerfully, and an object of pride for the owners. Let's discover the secrets of growing a real lawn and caring for it with your own hands.
More than one generation of breeders and professional gardeners, through observation and selection, formed modern ideas about cereal crops suitable for growing a lawn. The herbs that make up the lawn mixture must meet certain requirements:
- the ability to grow in one place for many years;
- winter hardiness;
- the correct rate of leaf growth;
- resistance to regular haircuts;
- low location of the tillering node;
- lack of long hard shoot-bearing stems.
Which lawn suits you. Lawn types
It is obvious that the cereal, ideally corresponding to all wishes without exception, has not yet been found. Therefore, so-called lawn mixtures are made up for sowing. They are sets of grass seeds suitable for certain growing conditions: climate, light, aridity, mechanical load on the site.
Deciding on the choice of lawn mixture will help a clear idea of what kind of lawn you need:
1. The parterre lawn is a delicate but dense carpet of emerald silky grass. It has an exclusively decorative function. Not designed for walking. It serves as a kind of backdrop for the house and landscape design of the site. The composition is dominated by cereals with graceful leaves that tolerate shearing well - varieties of thin bent grass, red fescue.
2. Sports lawn - includes plants that are resistant to trampling, mechanical damage. Along with red fescue, bluegrass is included in its composition, and in the southern regions, perennial ryegrass is also included.
3. The park turf contains slow growing varieties of grasses that are tolerant of limited moisture. It is used for turfing large areas intended for walking, used in public places, on roadsides. The grasses that make up the park lawn mixture do not require frequent mowing, they can be content with atmospheric moisture. In addition to red fescue, it includes sheep and reed fescue, shoot bent grass.
4. Universal lawn - under this name they sell mixtures of seeds that are most suitable for creating a green lawn in a summer cottage or garden plot. A beautiful and durable turf cover serves not only as a garden decoration, but also as a place for recreation, children's games, and picnics. The universal mixture is usually made up of several varieties of red fescue and bluegrass.
Thinking about a quality lawn, you need to really evaluate your own strengths - a lot of work will be required. Far from a real estimate of the effort required, the popular idea is to quit humpbacking in the beds and sow everything with grass. A well-groomed emerald lawn near the house is the result of long-term painstaking work.
There are two ways to create a lawn:
- Sow seeds and grow a green carpet from seedlings to full formation of turf.
- Lay a rolled lawn - ready-made turf grown in a specialized farm.
Regardless of the method chosen, the first step in creating a lawn with your own hands is the same - you need to carefully prepare the selected area.
Lawn site preparation
The area allotted for the lawn must be leveled, cleared of construction debris, stones, shrubs and trees. To determine the quality of the soil, mini-pits are dug to a depth of 30 cm. If the soil sample is fertile garden soil, the owner is very lucky. It is enough to carefully dig the site, add complex mineral fertilizers at the rate of 50-70 g per m 2 and a deoxidizer (ash, lime).
In the case when the top layer is formed from imported infertile soil (loam, sandy loam), its serious improvement will be required. Sand is added to the loam for better permeability. For the full growth of grass, substrates rich in organic matter are introduced. Best of all - black soil, rotted manure, compost. Improves the structure and enriches the soil of the future lawn by adding leaf litter in the previous autumn at the rate of 2-3 bags per 1 m 2. If there is no other organic matter, peat can be used, while not forgetting to reduce the acidity of the soil.
All organic additives are applied to the site after its initial digging. By adding and mixing the soil, it is simultaneously leveled. At the same time, a cultivator, a rake, leveling the rails are used. The surface of the lawn is formed using a level or level, pulling the laces between pegs with horizon marks. It is advisable to make a slight slope from the center to the edges to drain water.
The next procedure is tamping. Before sowing seeds or laying sod rolls, the soil must be compacted, all lenses and tubercles must be eliminated. It is convenient to do this with a garden roller (preferably heavier than 70 kg). In its absence, they use heavy trimming of a log or cast-iron pipe. On a small lawn, the soil can be compacted by moving a piece of thick plywood over the surface and vigorously jumping on it.
Before planting, it is necessary to thoroughly moisten the soil and again eliminate surface defects. Ideal alignment should not be neglected - all other flaws are eliminated on the finished lawn much easier than puddles and damping of the turf in bumps.
Roll lawn device
Growing turf for sale began in many regions of the country. Its advantage over sowing is undeniable - getting an instant tangible result - a luxurious grassy carpet.
Immediately after delivery to the place, the rolls are unrolled so that the grass does not start to “burn”. They try to guess the delivery in such a way as to start laying the lawn as soon as possible. Lay the lawn on a moist base in dry weather. Sod rectangles are laid tightly to each other, leaving no gaps. At the joints with the tracks, the edges are cut to the desired shape with a sharp knife. The surface is rolled with a light garden roller and moistened again. In the first month after laying, watering is done every 2-3 days, achieving accelerated root formation and fixing the turf in a new place.
seed lawn
Seed selection
With all the advantages of a rolled lawn, it does not leave the gardener the opportunity to choose a lawn mixture - the manufacturer offers only 2-3 varieties. But what if you need to pick up grass:
- for shade or bright sun;
- for clay, sandy or peat soil;
- for poor dry or waterlogged oily soil, acidic or alkaline, and so on.
For different growing conditions, ready-made seed mixtures are available. You can, armed with reference books, make “recipes” for lawns with your own hands. For a universal country lawn, we recommend the following composition:
- red fescue (3-5 varieties equally) - 60%;
- bluegrass meadow (grades 1-2) - 30%;
- bent grass thin - 10%.
Sowing
Before sowing, the prepared surface is moistened and slightly loosened (by 1-1.5 cm). The seeds are mixed and a volume of 50 g is measured on household scales. This is the seeding rate per 1 m 2. Seeds are evenly scattered over the surface, while pouring half the norm along, half across. It is better to sow on a strip 0.5-0.7 m wide, and after finishing it, move on to the next one. Seeds are covered with a thin layer (0.5-1 cm) of sifted dry peat and rolled with a light garden roller. The first sprouts appear after 4-5 days and, depending on the variety, continue to sprout up to 2 weeks.
Young lawn care
In the first month, the lawn requires frequent watering - every 3-4 days. As soon as the herbage reaches 15 cm, the first cut is made to a height of 8-10 cm. The mower blades must be sharp so as not to pull out young, poorly fixed plants in the ground.
You will have to be patient and come to terms with the appearance of weeds. They start weeding when it becomes possible to step on the lawn - not earlier than in 3-4 weeks.
Lawn care basics
If the grass varieties are selected correctly, agricultural technology is observed, the lawn develops rapidly, displacing most of the weeds. Unfortunately, this will not get rid of weeds - many rhizomatous weeds will constantly compete with cereals: dandelion, horse sorrel, creeping clover, ranunculus, plantain. Regular shearing not only weakens these plants, but also makes their small surviving specimens less noticeable. In cases of severe infection of the lawn with weeds, herbicides of directed action against dicotyledons (lintur, lontrel) are used.
Proper autumn preparation helps the lawn survive the winter without significant losses. The last mowing is carried out no later than 1 month before stable cold weather. They comb the lawn, try not to step on it after the long autumn rains. The snow cover helps to winter the grass, protecting it from freezing. It is undesirable to trample down the snow during the winter games, and filling the rink in place of the lawn will lead to its complete death.
Damage found in the spring on the surface of the lawn - bald spots, molehills, etc., begin to be repaired, waiting for the soil to dry. For intensive growth of fresh greenery, scarification is carried out - combing out dead stems and leaves. A small country lawn can be combed out with a rake with frequent teeth.
A lawn growing on dense soils requires systematic aeration. This operation increases air exchange in the soil, is useful for the development of microorganisms, respiration of the roots. The easiest way, suitable for a small lawn, is to stick a garden fork vertically into the turf.
Punctures should reach a depth of 15-20 cm. Garden centers offer special nozzles for shoes with long spikes. In the difficult task of walking on the lawn in such shoes, guests can be involved. On large areas, specialized equipment is used to aerate and scarify lawns.
The ironic saying that a good lawn is obtained only after 200 years of regular mowing is not without some truth. But, if an unconditional decision is made: to get a lawn, diligence and using the advice of experienced people will certainly lead to success much earlier.
Lawns attract not only aesthetics. 50 acres sown with grass absorb 40 tons of dust per year. This means that you are guaranteed clean and fresh air in your summer cottage. Green grass increases humidity, so in country houses with lawns, the exhausting summer heat is easier to tolerate.
To make a lawn with your own hands is within the power of every summer resident. But first you need to decide on its appearance.
What lawn do you need? Types of modern lawns
There are two ways to equip a green lawn on a personal plot: sowing and rolled.
seed lawn
Sowing seeds is cheaper for summer residents than rolled lawns. Grades of herbs do not need to be selected - ready-made mixtures are sold in specialized stores. True, the arrangement of sowing lawns requires more time and regular maintenance.
Rolled lawn
This is a ready-made green carpet, which is laid on specially prepared soil. You get a ready-made lawn without waiting for crops to sprout.
Rolled lawns are unpretentious, they do not need special care - provided that you have purchased high-quality material. This scheme will help you determine the quality of rolled grass.
Rolled lawns have a significant drawback - they cost several times more than seed lawns.
Sowing lawns come in several types. Each of them has its own characteristics and disadvantages.
Parterre or English lawn- decoration of landscape design. Its advantage is sophistication and luxurious appearance. But walking on it is not recommended, so as not to spoil the delicate grass.
Parterre lawns differ from other types in their ideally uniform velvety surface - the grass in them is dense, dense, undersized. Such lawns are placed in front of the house or in the central part of the site, supplemented with shrubs, flower beds, alpine slides, statues and fountains.
English lawns are the most expensive and capricious landscape element. They need to be planted on the sunny side, watered regularly, but do not overmoisten the soil.
Ordinary or park and garden lawn- universal type. It is inferior in decorative properties to English, but it is unpretentious, grows in the shade and in the sun, does not wear out.
You can walk on the park lawns - crushed grass rises after watering. Such lawns are combined with any landscape, costing summer residents inexpensively. Universal landscaping lawns include one or more types of plants.
moorish lawn This is a real flower meadow. You can see its beauty in the photos below. The flowering Moorish meadow has several advantages: it requires a minimum of care, develops normally in poor soil, and is unpretentious to climatic conditions.
The Mauritanian meadow pleases the owners from the beginning of spring to the end of autumn - the flowering of some plants is replaced by the flowering of others.
sports turf- the most durable of all listed above. It is equipped in places with a constant high load - next to gazebos, on playgrounds for children's games and mini-stadiums.
Sports turf grasses contain several grasses that are resistant to abrasion and trampling. In terms of decorative properties, they lose to English, garden and Moorish, but at a cost more expensive than the last two types.
DIY lawn: step by step instructions with photos
Landscaping begins with preparatory work. First you need to clear the site of debris, weeds and roots, dig up the soil.
When the site is ready, cover it with roofing felt (or similar material) and leave until spring. It is desirable to sow seed lawns in the spring.
Remove the roofing material from the ground, loosen and level the soil with a rake. After that, you can sow the seeds in the soil.
To make the lawn homogeneous, scatter the seeds evenly over its entire area.
This can be done manually or with the help of seeders.
The next step is to plant the seeds in the soil. This is done with a rake or flat cutters, but here it is not the tool that is more important, but the depth. For meadow bluegrass, it is 0.5 cm, and for other types of meadow grasses - 1-2 cm, but not more than 3 cm. Seedlings germinate well from such a depth.
To prevent the seeds from being blown away by the wind or washed away by rain, roll them with a roller or similar device, and then water using the sprinkler technique.
To arrange a rolled lawn in a summer cottage, you need to correctly calculate their area. We recommend buying grass with a margin of 10% more than necessary. So you insure yourself in case of marriage and be able to cut it as accurately as possible.
The figure below schematically shows the process of laying turf. As you can see, all segments must be of the same size and thickness, so that the result of the work is a solid green carpet.
Rolled lawn needs drainage. You can make it in different ways. The simplest way is to fill a layer of rubble and a layer of sand into a previously prepared trench.
Each layer must be carefully compacted with a roller. The second option for arranging drainage is the use of geotextiles in addition to crushed stone and sand or instead of a sand cushion.
After the drainage is ready, fill in a 15-centimeter layer of soil and level it around the entire perimeter. Then carefully compact the future lawn.
You can start laying rolls. It is important to lay the first strip of lawn evenly, because the whole further process depends on it. Lay the second strip back to back with the first.
Do not overlap the rolled lawns and do not leave gaps between the strips of more than 1 centimeter. If otherwise it is impossible to get out of the situation, cut the edge of the roll. Do not forget to carefully roll each new strip.
When the lawn is laid, water it. Ready-made lawns will have to be watered daily for 10-14 days - so much time is needed for the grass to take root.
Like any living corner, a decorative lawn requires care. It consists of watering, cutting and fertilizing the grass.
Watering keeps the grass fresh. With a lack of moisture, it loses its elasticity, fades, yellow patches and clearings appear on the lawn.
Mowing is as important as watering. The first time the lawn needs to be mowed, when the young greens will rise in a dense carpet. If you do not do this, then the grass will fall in the rain and not all will rise. In addition, with the help of a haircut, you will achieve the maximum density of the lawn.
It is imperative to feed the grass in the spring. For these purposes, humus or complex fertilizers are suitable. The second type of top dressing is more effective, since its composition is balanced, it contains everything that green spaces need.
How to make a lawn on the site: the main nuances in the video
When arranging a lawn, there are many nuances that gardeners do not take into account. What to pay attention to? How to avoid mistakes? Where and when to make a lawn? You will find out the answers to these and other questions by watching this video.
And in conclusion - a few photos of lawns made by hand, for inspiration.
