How to make a good lawn

[mcrover]

Following on from the Mowing thread:

It doesnt have to be a huge waste of water or overly time consuming if you use :

a. The right variety,
b. The right Irrigation,
c. Correct weed control with selective herbasides,
d. The use wetting agents,
e. Aerating the soil and relieving compaction.
f. Cut a little a lot

If you use Couch or Buffallo varieties or even Kikuyu or Seaside paspalam (a new modified variety) you wont need to use much water in comparison to the winter grass varieties that they sell in the boxes of seed in Bunnings that germinate quickly but take a lot of water to survive.

Common couch and Kikuyu can take a bit to keep it out of your gardens but with a bit of round up, a whipper snipper and the occasional weeding it's not that bad.

Subsurface Irrigation only costs to set up and once its going relies on gravity feed and only uses water when the turf needs it and is mostly used in parklands and ovals.

Keeping weeds out will stop the turf from having to compete with the weeds for nutriants.

Wetting agents break the surface tension of the soil and allow better penetration to get deeper into the roots and slows down evaporation.

Aeration (use a fine tined pitch fork) allows air to get into the roots allowing roots to grow easilly and relieving compaction allows them somewere to go.

Cutting no more than 1/3 of the leaf length stops disese (sp?) getting into the plant so you cut a little bit of the top regularly.

Also make sure you catch your clip as it doesnt rot down quick enough not to build up a thatch layer.

[p38arover]

Sounds like a lot of work compared to not mowing at all and letting the neighbour do it! :D

How do you do subsurface irrigation? I have removed a swimming pool and I need another foot of topsoil to fill the hole completely so now is the time to do that.

[mcrover]

Sounds like a lot of work compared to not mowing at all and letting the neighbour do it! :D

How do you do subsurface irrigation? I have removed a swimming pool and I need another foot of topsoil to fill the hole completely so now is the time to do that.

You can buy the right stuff (like the KISSS system) which is expensive which takes a bit of testing and stuff to set up but if buy the verigated hose (black leaky hose from bunnings) and burry it around 5" to 6" below the surface then that is normally good enough for a lawn.

When you fill the hole in put about 2" or 3" of compacted clay to provide a good base and then top up with a loamy soil burrying it about 5" down.

[Tombie]

Or better still.....

Acknowledge that we live in Australia....

Where a more native garden would be far more appropriate :D

(Spot the guy who lives on the edge of a desert)

[numpty]

Or better still.....

Acknowledge that we live in Australia....

Where a more native garden would be far more appropriate :D

(Spot the guy who lives on the edge of a desert)


Well said.;)

[Mick-Kelly]

last time i had a 'native' garden in Aus was when it was just dirt :p

[Xavie]

well, I'm not sure I agree on catching the cuttings as I have found since it has been mulched into the ground as it is cut with a mulch mower the grass grows nicer and needs less water and nutrient. I never find it does any damage.

Xav

[sclarke]

I have a native garden/desert and lawn..... and both are stuffed.....

So the cure.... More LR's to cover the lawn....

[mcrover]

Or better still.....

Acknowledge that we live in Australia....

Where a more native garden would be far more appropriate :D

(Spot the guy who lives on the edge of a desert)


What do you thing Common Couch and Kikuyu is, both are common to all parts of Australia, Kikuyu is a coastal grass and Couch grows naturally in Alice springs.

The reason I recomend sub surface watering is to eliminate evaporation and so the plant gets the water and nutrients where it's needed....at it's roots.

[mcrover]

well, I'm not sure I agree on catching the cuttings as I have found since it has been mulched into the ground as it is cut with a mulch mower the grass grows nicer and needs less water and nutrient. I never find it does any damage.

Xav

Im talking about pure lawns, not blended lawns with stuff like pasture grasses (Rye/Fescue) which generally take more water to survive than the stolonated varieties like the ones mentioned previous and with that and with high cutting hights clip is more likley to not make much difference except that over a long period of time it will creat a black layer in the soil which will stop water from penatrating into the soil so that rain will just run off instead of sinking in.

Im also talking from 12 years experience in golf course maintenance, more on the machinery side but I have to know how to grow grass to make it look good.

There is more to a good looking lawn than just what you see, it may look good for a year but if you dont look after it properly thats all you will get out of it.

If you look after it (and it doesnt take that much more effort) in the correct way then it will last a lifetime and use much less water and chemicals than one that is not.

[mcrover]

I have a native garden/desert and lawn..... and both are stuffed.....

So the cure.... More LR's to cover the lawn....


I like your solution to the problem Steve.....very creative.

Best front yard around here doesnt have a stich of grass (to cut at least).

It is all gravel and rock as well as some native grasses and other native plants that dont take ony looking after at all.

[hiline]

really when it comes down to it ..............

its only grass ;)
when it gets long your cut it :D:D
and if it dies................

its dead

[dobbo]

Sounds like a lot of work compared to not mowing at all and letting the neighbour do it! :D

How do you do subsurface irrigation? I have removed a swimming pool and I need another foot of topsoil to fill the hole completely so now is the time to do that.

Ron your the only bloke I know that likes it when the neighbour cuts your grass

[inside]

I need to do an area of grass soon and have been looking at artificial turf. Although I need to research some more I think it has come a long way and while it is more expensive at the beginning the lack of maintenance after installation is a great benefit. Check here http://www.igrass.com.au/index.php

[p38arover]

Ron your the only bloke I know that likes it when the neighbour cuts your grass

Why would anyone complain about it? :eek:

I would, however, complain about your use of your instead of you're! :D

[B92 8NW]

Given the lack of water my lawn looks like crap, but my uncle seems to be able to maintain a pretty nice lawn:


https://www.aulro.com/afvb/



:D

[abaddonxi]

Just waiting for Rovercare to criticise the edging.:D:D:D

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/general-chat/50359-found-today.html#post678455

Cheer
Simon

[p38arover]

Given the lack of water my lawn looks like crap, but my uncle seems to be able to maintain a pretty nice lawn:

:D

Dunno about that, it has stripes through it. :angel:

[mcrover]

Given the lack of water my lawn looks like crap, but my uncle seems to be able to maintain a pretty nice lawn:


http://www.sportingdaily.net/images/a-big-crowd-at-the-mcg-on-boxing-day-where-would-c1.JPG



:D

Ive done some work down in the deep dark dungeons there at the MCG (I think thats where it is).

I used to do on site work before I was at the golf club.

As far as the artificial grass goes, I dont like it as it gets stuck in the mower...;)

The only real problem with it is that it can discolour where the sun hits it more than another area so you end up with lines as well as it can get stretched where you walk on it as well as it does take periodic maintenance top dressing with sand to keep it sitting properly.

It does look good but it is still a temporary ground cover and doesn need to be replaced regularly as well as it will still wear out and degrade but it does take several years.

We do actually use it from time to tome in areas to provide cover over sections we are working on.

[dobbo]

Well I have made my desicion, when the horse float comes back from Sydney, the pony's comin' here. He is the ultimate mower. Not only does he cut, aerate and fertalize at the same time, he also actractes the native fauna as you supervise his mowing of the front lawn. ;)


How many MILF'S do you get wanting to pat your ride on mower?

[Slunnie]

How many MILF'S do you get wanting to pat your ride on mower?
They'd probably like to sit on it and go for a ride while the grass is being cut.

[dobbo]

They'd probably like to sit on it and go for a ride while the grass is being cut.

And that would also happen with the pony?