10 things to keep in mind for a perfect lawn
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A beautiful lawn is an excellent space to unwind after a tiring day. Creating one requires knowledge, time and patience. Landscape architect Juilee Deoskar gives simple tips to create a perfect lawn.
1. Planting: First decide the location for your lawn. If the lawn is to be planted on a slab or terrace, the cut section should have 30 mm drain cells, minimum 100 mm gravel and 150 mm good porous soil and seeds. If the lawn is to be planted on the ground, the initial digging should be of 600-800 mm soil and the land should be kept free of weeds and foreign bodies. On the other hand, if you are in a hurry to create your new lawn, then turf is the best option. You can grow this at any time of the year. However, the best time is spring or before spring when the grass can easily grow. Rains will also help it grow faster. Another option is Cynodon grass. Commonly called durva, it is very sturdy. This grass prefers a very sunny location and is drought resistant, but difficult to maintain.
2. Seed: For seeds to be sown, first measure the proposed lawn area. By default, the sowing application is mostly 35 grams of seed per square metre. However, it is advisable to check the packaging for details.
3. Composition: 30% good soil, 30% cow dung or any organic manure or compost and 30% coco peat or coconut fibre blocks is the best composition of soil.
4. Time: Monsoon is the best season to grow your lawn. Greater humidity and temperature facilitates better growth. For ready visual effects, carpet lawn is preferred. If time and season permits, plantation with seeds or dibbling is the best option. For the summer season, it is better to plant seeds early morning or evening and during winters, early morning is the best time.
5. Drainage: Ensure that does not 'pool' on your intended lawn. The grass tends to fade and eventually die in spots with stagnant water.
6. Cleaning: In the case of carpet lawn, seeds should be in a continuous stretch. There should be no gaps between two carpets. It should be kept clean of wild grass. It is essential to mow the lawn after the roots settle (after a month from plantation). Also, keep the lawn free of organic debris such as fallen leaves to provide for uninterrupted sunlight.
7. Watering: Growth is dependent on the water content in the atmosphere. Lawns require a lot of water, supplied preferably via sprinklers rather than pipes. The best time to water your lawn is early morning because the sun will help dry the grass. The moisture in the soil has to settle several inches down. So make sure that there is no clogging of soil.
8. Plants: For Indian climate, Korean lawn and Elephant grass are the best options.
9. Mowing: Blade number 10 is best suitable for mowing purposes. Do not use blunt blades as it leads to jagged ends that turn brown. The ideal height for an average lawn is 2.5 cm. In case of vehicular movement, you can plant the lawn in grass cells.
10. Maintenance: The best height to achieve and maintain the grass is around 1 inch. This will prevent weeds and moss from spreading around. If your lawn is a little thin in certain areas, you can put seeds to cover the bald patches. For a top-quality finish on a lawn, choose a premium lawn mix of grass and seed.
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Juilee Deoskar
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