Lawns

Question 1

State benefits and limitations of growing lawn from seed

Answer 1

Benefits

• Range of species and cultivars to choose from
• Grass seeds can be chosen to suit range of circumstances e.g. wear and tear, shade
• Inexpensive approx 50p per m2
• Can store seed until sowing conditions are ideal
• Excellent for sowing around odd shapes

Limitations

• Slower to establish new lawn, may be patchy depending on germination rate
• Timing is more critical than turves - seed germinates most rapidly in early autumns and mid-spring which soil is warm and plenty of moisture (autumn preferred as roots establish through winter)
• does not give instant effect. May take 6-9 months before lawn can be used
• Soil preparation takes longer

Question 2

Describe general lawn site preparation (for both seed and turf)

Answer 2

1. Eliminate perennial weeds, using weedkiller or hand weed. Do not use residual weed killer as will remain in soil and prevent grass from germinating/establishing
2. Dig or rotovate to depth 20-25cm
3. Dig in well rotted manure/organic matter to retain moisture
4. Leave for several days to settle, then longer the better (5-6 weeks)
5. Remove any weeds that have germinated, preferably hand weed
6. To level area tread the area several times in different directions and then rake in several directions
7. Apply and rake in 70g/m2 of general purpose fertiliser

Question 3

Describe procedure for growing lawn from seed

Answer 3

1. Calculate amount of seed required based on area to be sown (ornamental lawn 20-25g/m2, utility lawn 15-20g/m2)
2. Divide large areas into smaller ones.
3. Divide seed in ½. Show ½ seed over whole areas, working in parallel rows. Repeat process with remaining seed at right-angles.
4. Lightly rake over the while area to cover majority of seeds with soil
5. If weather remains dry water gently with a light sprinkler
6. Cover with horticultural fleece/netting/use bird tape to keep away birds
7. When seedlings are 5-7.5cm re-firm soil with garden roller. 2-3 days later cut grass by ⅓ length
8. Remove any perennial weeds that appear by hand

Question 4

State benefits and limitations of establishing lawn from turf

Answer 4

Benefits

• Instantaneous effect
• Evenness of initial growth
• Can be used within short timeframe (3-6 weeks)
• Site preparation less rigorous than for seed
• Can be laid year round except when ground is frozen (autumn is best time)

Limitations

• Limited range of grass species and varieties available
• Expensive £4-6 per m2
• Lawn weeds may be imported to site
• Turf must be laid quickly to avoid drying out
• Difficult to shade around odd shapes

Question 5

Describe procedure for establishing lawn from turf

Answer 5

1. Begin at one corner or side of site, facing bare soil
2. Avoid foot indentations by working from boards
3. Lay sods with staggered joints and closely butted together avoiding gaps
4. Ensure that turfs are level by adding/removing soil
5. Once all turf laid firm gently with a roller
6. Spread mixture of sand and soil/compost lightly and work into joints using brush/rake (top dressing)
7. Leave undisturbed for few days
8. Water every 5-10 days in mid to late-summer, every 14 at other times (overwatering may lead to shallow roots)
9. Mow, with blades set to high when grass gets to 5cm

Question 6

Describe annual maintenance programme lawns

Answer 6

Autumn

• Aeration
• Scarifying
• Top dressing (2-3kg/m2)
• Re-turfing / re-sowing / over-sowing (20g/m2)
• Pest and disease control

Winter

• Clearing leaves
• Quality ornamental lawn: mow if grass longer than 40mm

Spring

• Feeding 50-60g/m2 fish meal bulked up with sand. Repeat 4-6 weeks later
• Rolling
• Mowing
• Scarifying
• Edging

Summer

• watering
• mowing
• Weed control

Question 7

Describe mowing programme lawns

Answer 7

Cut grass when 12.5mm longer than recommended height

Utility lawn

• 25mm in summer, twice weekly
• 30mm in spring/autumn/drought, once per week
• Not necessary to collect clippings

Quality ornamental lawn

• 12.5mm in summer, twice weekly
• 20mm in spring/autumn/drought, once per week
• Use cylinder mower which collects clippings
  *

Question 8

Describe range of lawn mowers

Answer 8

Cylinder mower: uses scissor action. Good control of height of cut. Use for ornamental lawn

Rotating blade/disc mower: uses horizontal impact cutting. Use for utility lawn. Useful for banks and slopes. Continual use may produce a thatch. If not properly maintained can cause unsightly tearing of the grass.

Reciprocating mower: impact cutting. Use for rough grass

Flail mower: impact cutting. Use for tall grass/vegetation taller than 1m.

Question 9

Describe non-mower equipment for lawn maintenance

Answer 9

Scarifiers: springbok lawn rake for home use. Machine uses wire prongs to work between lawn plants and pull up dead grass and rhizomes.

Aerators/spikers: aeration fork (hollow or solid tine), spiked roller, machines with solid, hollow or slit tines.

Lawn feed distributors: apply fertiliser at appropriate rate, evenly and accurately. Drop style: drops fertiliser through slot and bottom of bucket, width of slot can be controlled. Spreader type: casts fertiliser over larger area. Fertiliser drops through hole at bottom of bucket and hits a spinning disc which propels it over distance

Question 10

Describe the maintenance tasks to be carried out on an ornamental lawn

Answer 10

Mowing: removal of excess grass growth to height of 1cm in summer, 2cm in winter. Usually carried out with cylinder mower which will also collect grass clippings. Edges should be trimmed with long handled edging sheers.

Scarification: carried out to removed the debris (thatch) e.g. weed and moss in the lawn. Scarification also encourages the production of side shoots (tillers) at the base of the grass. It can be carried out using a spring tine rake or with a pedestrian operation mechanised scarifier. It is usually carried out in two directions.

Aeration: removal of core of soil of making holes in a lawn to improve drainage and air movement in the soil. This is achieved by using a garden form and inserting the times to 7.5cm in the soil at 0.5m distances. Alternatively a hand held aerator with hollow tines can be used for small areas and a mechanised one for large areas.

Top dressing: carried out after aeration to encourage the grass to produce tillers. It consists of 70:30 sand:loam for a light soil and 80:20 for a heavy soil. It is distributed over the turf with a shovel at a rate of 2-4kg/m2 and then worked in using a tru-lute or besom rake

Also weeding, feeding, irrigation, pest and disease control

Question 11

Describe how to remove weeds in a high quality lawn

Answer 11

Hand weeding: using daisy grubber, spade or fork to remove all the roots. This is mainly carried out during the spring or autumn but can be done whenever the weeds are seen. Hand weeding can be carried out in conjunction with feed, aerating, and scarifying the lawn.

Weedkiller: use of selective herbicide e.g. 2,4-Dor mecoprop can be used to control weeds in lawns by applying it with a spray to the whole lawn or as a spot treatment. It is often incorporated in a lawn feed which is applied during spring and autumn.