Lawn regular maintenance

More and more people turn to ecological maintenance practices. By respecting a few principles, you can obtain a beautiful lawn without using chemical fertilizers or pesticides. Here is a maintenance program respectful of the environment that will provide you with a green dense lawn, more resistant to stresses such as drought and pests and less invaded by weeds.

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Mowing
Watering
Fertilizing

Mowing

Good mowing practices allow having a healthy and vigorous lawn with deep rooting. By respecting the mowing height, the lawn will be more resistant to drought, heat and the invasion by weeds.

The main rules for mowing your lawn are :
  • Mow regularly but never remove more than one third of the grass blade each time;
  • Adjust mowing height according to the period;
  • Sharpen the blades regularly. A clean cut promotes recovery and reduces the risk of diseases;
  • Practice «grasscycling»: leave grass clippings on the lawn to feed it. Grass clippings are a significant source of nutrients to beneficial organisms in the soil. If you mow the lawn by respecting the good height, grass clippings will decay quickly and will not affect the beauty of your lawn. From now on, consider grass clippings like a 100% natural fertilizer for your lawn! Thanks to this technique, you will save up to 25% of fertilizers yearly. To accelerate the decomposition of clippings by microorganisms in the soil, give preference to a mulching mower which grinds clippings on site;
  • Rake grass clippings that are too long and compost or spread them evenly over the lawn;
  • Avoid mowing when grass blades are to wet or humid;
  • Avoid mowing when the soil is too humid to not compact the soil.
Mowing height throughout the season :
    Spring and fall: in spring, mow the first time at 5 cm high to facilitate cleaning of the lawn. After, mow at a height of 8 cm. In fall, the last mowing is at 5 cm high to reduce the development of diseases.

    In summer : maintain mowing height at 8 cm to allow the lawn to be more resistant to drought and to reduce watering. Do not mow during drought periods.

Watering

For many, water supplies seem inexhaustible. Yet, drought occurrences follow one another to the point that municipalities have regulated the watering of lawns in summer and even required the installation of a water meter.

To preserve the most of our drinking water, several good practices can be applied:
  • Promote the development of grass roots by mowing at a height of 8 cm. This increases the tolerance of the lawn to drought as it helps the soil to retain its moisture;
  • Water early in the morning or evening, when temperatures are cooler and there is less wind. This time of the day allows reducing water loss by evaporation;
  • Let the water penetrate to a depth of 10 to 15 cm. Check after one hour or two. Avoid light and frequent waterings as they will encourage the development of surface roots making your lawn more vulnerable to drought;
  • Use an electronic timer to avoid water loss and to turn on or off your sprinklers automatically.


In heat periods and when the soil is dry in summer, the lawn will stop growing and turn yellow. Don’t worry it is not dying! It will turn green once it rains again.

When choosing your accessories, make your life a lot easier by getting accessories that are made of tough, shock-resistant materials, require no maintenance, are leak-proof and won't corrode.

Here are a few accessories that can make watering easier:
  • A spike sprinkler is ideal for even irrigation and wider coverage;
  • A wide varieties of hoses are available for the needs of all, from an all-weather hose for weekend gardening to an ultra-flexible hose for the frequent gardener;
  • A hose reel keeps your hose in better shape longer! They are available either on a cart or a wall mount. To securely fasten your wall mount hose reel, use a carbon drill bit to drill the fastening screw holes into the foundation. Use a 5/32'' drill bit with a 3/16'' Tapcon screw or a 3/16'' drill bit with a 1/4'' Tapcon screw. Be sure you drill the hole to the same depth as the screw;
  • An automatic watering system;
  • An electronic water timer to avoid water waste.

Fertilizing

Turf grasses, like any other plants, need some minerals for their growth. A healthy and vigorous lawn is less vulnerable to weeds.

Before selecting a fertilization program, you must know your cultural practices. Do not forget that topdressing and «grasscycling» can provide up to 25% of nitrogen to your lawn. So, this is an economic way to reduce inputs of fertilizers yearly.

For an eco-responsible lawn, give preference to natural fertilizers instead of chemical fertilizers. They are of mineral and organic origin: bone meal, blood meal, feather meal, seaweed, manure, etc. In recent years, a natural fertilizer made from corn gluten is available on the market. In addition to providing nitrogen (the first number), it reduces the establishment of weeds such as dandelion and broad-leaved plantain on the lawn. Corn gluten works by preventing the formation of roots during the germination of weed seeds. Attention! If you have over-seeded your lawn, avoid using corn gluten as it will also prevent your grass seeds to grow.

How do they work?

Most natural fertilizers release their nutrients throughout the season thanks to the activity of beneficial soil organisms. In addition to feeding the lawn, these fertilizers stimulate biological life in the soil and there is no risk of burns. For the lawn in spring, use a fertilizer with first number is higher than the other two as 12-0-4 or 9-3-4. While in late-summer and fall, the fertilizer used contains more potassium as 4-0-12 to prepare the lawn to the rigors of winter. Always respect the dose and instructions on the manufacturer’s label.

How many times a year should the lawn be fertilized?

Using a natural granular fertilizer generally requires one or two applications per year. The first application is in spring when grass starts to grow and at its prime during that period. If required by the label, the second application is in late summer and the beginning of fall.

How to apply a natural granular fertilizer?

Granular fertilizers are applied with a fertilizer spreader (broadcast spreader) on a dry and freshly mowed lawn. This equipment allows an easy and uniform distribution on the entire surface of the lawn. It can also be used for liming as well as seeding. Choose a model equipped with a safety stop to avoid spillage and a flow control regulator to adjust quantities. The size of the tray varies from one model to another. Be sure that it is suitable for the type of fertilizer you plan to use and for the size of your yard. Whatever the fertilizer, follow the indications on the label and respect the quantities to apply per m2. To ensure a uniform distribution over the surface, spread half the recommended dose in one direction and the other half in the other direction. An adviser in store will guide in the best choices to make.
Before using an amendment, a pesticide or a fertilizer always read and comply with the product label. Pay special attention to instructions, precautions to be taken before, during and after using the product and storage conditions.
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