The lawn has many advantages: it cools in summer, deadens noise and dusts the air. Yours no longer looks like anything but it's not the right season to change it. For this, it will be necessary to wait for a window between the end of August and the beginning of October. But nothing prevents you from thinking about it right now. And there is no question of skimping on the quality of the seeds even if the price is slightly higher. The Red label guarantees you the best mixtures of grasses for a lawn that will retain its qualities for many years. While better resisting attacks and other diseases. You want a green lawn to enjoy the garden with the family, so opt for a "Relaxation and pleasure" mix. It is perfectly adapted to moderate trampling. For your sporty children, bet on a resistant "Sport and games" lawn, of which there is a version designed for dry grounds. Even after intensive use, it always ends up greening again. Finally, for a garden dressed to the nines, there are “Fine ornament” and even “Very fine” mixtures which obviously require more care. Don't despair if grass refuses to grow in the shade of trees or scorches quickly in the summer sun. All you have to do is sow sober mixtures studied for these difficult cases. With the new varieties of slow-growing perennial ryegrass, you can save one in four mowings. And one out of three, with the recent tall fescues.
2/ I always mow with pleasure
The lawn is the setting for the garden. Besides, once mowed it's crazy how the whole garden immediately becomes more beautiful. But to prevent mowing from becoming a weekend chore, you need to simplify the task. The fewer trees to navigate and the fewer corners, the easier it is. Lay out the grassed circuit to avoid reversing, which is always dangerous, with the mower. Similarly, calculate the width of grassed paths based on the cutting width of the mower. Late morning when the grass has dried out is the best time to mow thick grass without clogging the blades. Adjust the cutting height of the machine to cut only one third of the grass. The more you cut, the more the lawn is weakened, the more weeds there are and the more it will be sensitive to drought. You will have a longer lasting lawn if you use a mower that collects grass. Unlike mowing-mulching which leads to an accumulation of waste which chokes the grass and promotes the arrival of moss. It's felting! If you have a small area, you won't take longer to mow with a manual machine. It's eco-friendly, allowed on Sundays and it's above all a good physical exercise that is practiced almost in silence. To thicken the lawn, get into the habit of mowing once in one direction and then perpendicularly. By laying the grass down, the roller at the back of the mower will produce a checkerboard effect like on a football pitch. Finish the session by passing a manual or electric edger which will give a perfect finish while enhancing your flower beds.
3/ I take great care of her
A whole range of products and tools are entirely devoted to lawn care. With a strong push of repair kits to patch the lawn without having to completely redo it. In the summer, don't let your green rug turn into a doormat. Water for 10 to 15 minutes after dark to reduce evaporation losses. Count all the same between 5 and 10 liters of water per m2. Space out the sessions as much as possible to force the roots to fetch water deep down. The lawn will thus be better equipped to survive periods of drought. Like all plants, lawn grasses need food. So don't forget to give them gradual release fertilizer in the spring and then in September. That will be enough. Don't let weeds gain ground by treating them at the same times. Greener: the manual weeding of the dandelions without relentlessly on the daisies and the addition of natural compost on the surface. It is also worth renting, in February or March, a scarifier to mechanically remove moss and thatch while loosening the soil. Finally, to keep a flat lawn while promoting the density of the grass, pass a roller over the entire surface. It only takes a few minutes for a flawless finish. Find all the maintenance advice on the lawn.net website
Do animals and lawns go well together?
This is rarely the case. The dog makes holes and burns the lawn while urinating. The hen scratches, makes potholes and ends up ruining the lawn. The dwarf rabbit and the guinea pig are always tempted to dig. Fortunately, repair kits are there to put everything back in place.
Is it worth investing in a robot?
Solar or battery-powered, it mows for you, silently, day and night. If he avoids obstacles, he prefers very flat land. The new generation ones stop automatically if it rains and can even be controlled from your smartphone. But innovation has a price that curbs our desires.
A drought announced, what do I do?
I immediately stop mowing. No need to exhaust the grass by forcing it to grow back without a drop of water. Similarly, I suspend the addition of fertilizers and treatments that would quickly lead the lawn to burn out. Don't worry, the lawn is resting while waiting for the next rain shower.
A dossier produced and written by Pierre-Yves Nédélec.
