Thursday, December 2, 2010

Tips for Laying Lawn Turf

An attractive lawn is positive boost for environment, the focal point of any garden and a safe place for children to play. There are a number of things to take into consideration before you lay a lawn or replace an old lawn with fresh turf. It’s important to choose right turf and then preparing to lay the turf.

First of all decide the type of turf which is best suited to your needs which depend upon condition of your garden and intended use of grass area. Families which like to make most of their garden should select the turf which can withstand heavy flow of traffic. Secondly you need to know how much turf you need. Your Turf supplier can help you in this. Turf is available to buy from online turf suppliers, garden centers and specialist turf growers at all times of year. Turf should be laid down in forty-eight hours of its delivery. It will be extremely hard to lay turf in middle of winter, so it should be avoided at all costs. The ground is usually too hard for the turf to take root and too much chilled to grow the turf. Early spring to middle summer is the optimum time, however, late summer and early autumn is still considered possible, but the extra heat will require.

A fully germinated turf will give you an instant grass cover for your garden or lawn but If you have decided to lay the turf with turf grass seed then you will have to wait for some time.Laying the turf with turf grass seed needs to prepare the soil in advance. So ask the manufacture in advance that how long in advance you need to prepare the soil.Choosing right type of soil is also an important decision to make. The more the soil matches that of your garden, the faster it will acclimate.

Water the soil two days before if you are purchasing germinated turf. It will supply water to roots of turf and help the soil to settle. You can also consult a pre-turf fertilizer specialist before you lay the turf.

After your lawn is fully prepared, do not let the grass become too long, mow the lawn as soon as it is necessary. Do not use a sit on mower in starting. Feed your lawn in order to keep it healthy and give it a best chance of survival with appropriate food. Take care of these things and enjoy an attractive, lush green and hard wearing lawn for many years to come!

Friday, November 26, 2010

Turf Management

Turf management is a consolidation of various processes aimed at providing needed maintenance to your lawn. By managing your turf well, you’re able to keep your lawn healthy, lush green and free from various factors that may potentially harm it or deter it to grow the way it should.
One important process in Turf Management is mowing. Mowing turf areas is not only important for aesthetic purpose, but it is also vital in keeping your lawn healthy. More turf varieties need to be on a certain length for them to grow well. Depending on the type of turf you have, frequency of mowing varies. Generally, lawns need to be mowed every two weeks. Excessive mowing significantly weakens root structure. As a result, plant growth is affected.
Another process in Turf Management is fertilization. Different varieties of turf and types of soil require different fertilization recommendation. In general, fertilizing turf should be avoided during early spring. This is because early fertilization can lead to insufficient root structure, which can consequently harm your turf.  Also, it is not advised to fertilize frozen soil. Not only will you be wasting fertilizer, but you will also be polluting the environment.
Herbicide application is another important key in Turf Management. Herbicides are important to remove weeds that serve as a competitor to your lawn when it comes to deriving nutrients from the soil. There are, what is commonly referred to as selective herbicides. They are target specific and are effective in killing unwanted plants without harming the desired crop—which in this case is your turf.
It takes a lot of work and information gathering before you can successfully manage your turf. It may also be an option to hire a Turf Management professional to do the work for you.

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Tips on Using a Lawn Mower

It is a part of every lawn owner’s life to religiously use a lawn mower to care for his lawn. Mowing is part of turf management and is important, not just in making the lawn look attractive, but it is also a way to grow healthy turf grasses. There are various types of turf grasses. Each type requires different recommended maintenance. While some needs to be mowed often, the others do not require as much. In fact, mowing more that what is recommended for some types of grasses may prove to do more harm than good. The frequency of mowing is not only dependent on the grass type; it is also dependent on the season. Mowing grass every 5 days is recommended around spring time. Lawn mower blades require constant sharpening. Blunt blades may harm your grass and affect its growth process.
When using a lawn mower, it is important to keep safety in mind all the time. The blades in lawn mowers are more than enough to cause serious harm. With that said, it is always a good practice to perform daily maintenance on your mower to make sure that it is at good running condition. It is also important to be suitably dressed when performing mowing tasks. Wear sturdy shoes for protection and comfortable pants and tops for ease of movement.