Cool Green Lawn

BY EKWY P. UZOANYA
A BRILLIANT, green lawn is always a delightful sight. Homeowners with some spacious outdoors will definitely love a thick carpet of grassed ground.
Growing a healthy lawn can be achieved by taking the right decisions. The effort put out to put the lawn in now, will determine the quality of the lawn for many years to come. It will also make a major difference in the amount of upkeep and maintenance to be performed in the future.
Proper preparation of the soil is the first step in attaining a healthy lawn. The soil should be tilled thoroughly over the entire area and should be made rich for planting if it is lacking plant nutrients.
Selecting the right grass that thrives well in a given area among the different types of grasses in existence is another important step towards a creating a beautiful lawn. Shady areas do not easily allow green lawns. Shade tolerant type of grass is therefore suited for any such planting.
Lawn areas with heavy foot traffic require a tough grass. Some types are more resistant to drought than others prone to drought than others. Getting such information from the local commercial gardener will be beneficial.
But in addition to selection of grass-type, there are other factors to consider in having a green lawn. Effective lawn weed control, in addition to having the right lawn mower and using that lawn mower properly is important. But in dry season, weed growth is not likely to be much of a problem. Think about watering lawns and removing thatch.

Watering
Watering is of prime importance in the survival of newly planted lawn grasses especially during dry season. New sod must be kept moist, by watering as soon as it is layed out. So during the first few weeks of watering, concentrate on keeping the lawn surface moist. This is best accomplished by frequent light watering, especially on hot, sunny days. Areas of the lawn in full sun need to be watered more often than partially shaded areas. Note that slopes always dry out faster than level areas.
During the first two weeks, heavy traffic should be avoided. After that time, the new sod should have established roots. Mowing the lawn can begin when it grows up to four to five inches. Cut the grass only when the grass and soil are not wet. Mowing when the ground is wet can lead to damage roots and grass that may prohibit proper growth. Since most new lawns require constant water saturation for their first weeks or months, try to mow during the driest period in between watering periods.