Growing A Lawn In A
Shady Area Of Your Garden
By
Mike Ballard
Grass grows best in sun. No grass will grow for long in dense shade, but a reasonably nice lawn can be grown in partial shade.
To grow a lawn in shade you need an area that gets roughly 50% sunlight. To increase light, cut out branches to thin the trees . Pruning off low branches helps. You may also need to remove some of the trees.
Panel fencing reduces sunlight and may need to be replaced with trellis that will allow sunshine to filter through.
Choose grass turf that is tolerant to shade. Grass grows more slowly in shade than sun and does not need as much fertilizer or water and usually need only one heavy soaking a week during summer .As weather cools in late August and September, a soaking every 14 days should be adequate. Ample rainfall or a slow drying area makes even that unnecessary. Over watering and feeding dosn't help and will encourage the roots to stay near the surface, why should they search for nutrients when you are providing "convenience food" Bit like lazy kids.
Shady grass needs more leaf surface for photosynthesis so keep your shady lawn grass a bit longer, just above 3". Cut the grass before it gets to 5" high because fine shade grasses are thinner and wispy, they tend to lie down in front of the mower, so keep your mower blades sharp.
Shady lawns are easily smothered by heavy leaf fall. Remove the leaves several times in autumn and again in the early spring to allow as much light as possible to reach the grass.
Shady lawns may thin over the years and can be over seeded from late August to mid September or in early spring before trees get leafy but weed seeds may be activated competing with seedling grass although Many annual weeds pose much less problem in shady lawns (even weeds prefer sun). the be option. Its healthy, heavy root mat will withstand water runoff even before the lawn is fully established."
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I am a landscaper interested in wildlife friendly garden design and build. More on my website http://www.flowerpotman.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Ballard |
Cutting your lawn properly can lead to a healthy growing lawn. Although it seems like a chore, lawn mowing can give you a great workout and be relaxing. The smell of fresh-cut grass gives you a wonderful sense of accomplishment. Before you mow, here are a few things about mowing that you should take note first.
1. Never mow a wet lawn
You should avoid mowing when the lawn is wet. The grasses will settle in big globs and cause clumping of the lawn. It will help to spread lawn fungus quickly too. Schedule your mowing task to the evening as the weather is cooler and your lawn has ample time to dry from the morning watering.
2. Adapt your mowing schedule to the grass growth
Different type of grass flourish in different seasons. Warm-season grasses will grow quickly in summer and thus you may need to mow once every three to four days during the summer period. You can reduce the mowing to once a month during a drought period. Observe how your lawn grass is growing and adapt your mowing schedule accordingly.
3. Check your mowing height
A good practice is to cut off top one third of the grasses at any one time. If your lawn grasses have grown to six inches and you like to bring it back to two inches, do not cut off four inches in one mowing session. Cut off the first two inches and let the lawn rest for a couple of days. This will allow your lawn to recover and adapt to the new height before mowing the next two inches.
4. Change Your Mowing Patterns
If you often mow your lawn in the same pattern and direction, streaks or stripped lines can develop and make your lawn look horrible. Try to alternate the mowing direction each time you mow. Mow side to mow during the first pass and then top to bottom for the next pass. This ensures your lawn will not be matted or trampled in the same place each time you mow.
5. Mulch your lawn
You should try to get a mulching mower that can cut and re-cut the grasses to drop back into your lawn. Clippings are actually a form of natural, slow-release fertilizer and they can help you reduce your fertilizer requirement by half. You have to keep the mower blades sharp so that the mowing action will cut the grass blades and not tear them. Tearing the grass blades can lead to development of thatches, which are harmful to your lawn.
Mulching your lawn is good practice during a drought season and after fertilization. It can provide cover to help the soil retain the water it received. In addition, the clippings contain water and small amount of nitrogen (plus a host of other nutrients in small quantities) which will provide the fertilization that your lawn need. In the long run, the cost saving from a reduction of fertilizer purchases can really add up.
Proper mowing is one of the most important practices in your keeping your lawn healthy. Keeping these five points in mind and integrating them into your mowing session will ensure your lawn stays green and healthy for many years to come.
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Jack Greenwood is the webmaster of GreenLawnCareTips.com which provide information on lawn care and lawn maintenance tips. Sign up for your free 7-part Green Lawn Care mini course at greenlawncaretips.com today. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jack_Greenwood |