LAWN CARE IN SUMMER
June
This month you may conclude concerning the correctness of carrying out of all spring procedures and concentrate upon the lawn mowing and irrigation in combination with other less regular procedures such as mulching, leveling of edges, etc. when mowing, give preference to a lawn mower that has sharp cutting blades and a grass catcher as mowing of poor quality leads to the dying off of the upper part of plants. In the issue your lawn will have a brown hue. Use a trimmer only in lawn areas difficult of access.
If you have not the possibility to irrigate the lawn regularly, in this case it is recommended to leave the cut vegetable remainders on the lawn surface for 1-2 days or to use a lawn mower with the mulching features. This will reduce the evaporation of moisture on hot summer days. Mow the grass as it grows and cut it no lower than 4 cm, as too low cutting may damage the herbage density and provoke quick development of weeds. By significant growth of the grass, it is preferable to mow the lawn for several times with 3-5 days time span, to achieve the desirable level. Thus you should cut no more than 4 cm of the grass cover or no more than 1/3 of plants. After each mowing water the whole lawn area. Besides you should irrigate the lawn between mowing procedures when the weather is hot. To reduce the loss of moisture because of evaporation, you should water your lawn early in the morning or in the evening. Water the lawn abundantly. However pay attention, the irrigation should not form big puddles.
August
At the end of summer the owners of Mauritian lawns should be more attentive to their flowering lawn, especially at the periods when many annuals have finished blossoming and perennials have not yet began to flower. So the time has come for mowing. It is recommended to mow the Mauritian lawns at a height no lower than 8 cm. Give preference to hand gasoline and electric lawn mowers. Water your lawn as far as possible and do not forget to apply fertilizers in autumn. If the lawn mowing was done till September, apply fertilizers immediately after lawn cutting. This will stimulate the development and blooming of the lawn during autumn.
It is worth mentioning that moles, earth worms and ants give a lot of trouble to many lawn owners. Weeds and dandelions create problems for the gardeners as well. Do not worry. Most of the weeds do not endure the process of mowing. After cutting, the lawn grass grows and clusters quicker than the weeds and thus reducing their development. Therefore try to mow and irrigate the lawn regularly along with fertilizers application. The regularity of LAWN WATERING and mowing represents the easiest way to get rid of weeds. However this does not guarantee a comprehensive victory. If after the listed procedures the most viable weeds continue to develop and grow, to destroy them you may use special devices for tearing them up by the roots or chemical weed killers/selective herbicide.
July
Winds and ardent sun have a great influence upon plants. In connection with shortage of moisture the growth of grass becomes lower in this season. There a danger of burn-out of some lawn areas appears, that is, the dying of plants as a result of fading and drying up of the sprouts and leaves. The only way out of the situation and the main step concerning the lawn maintenance is considered to be irrigation. Many lawn owners consider that in dry seasons a lawn requires a daily watering. However this keeps the growth of side roots down as well as the development of the root system in the depth.
It is recommended to water your lawn once in several days or immediately after the appearance of symptoms of moisture shortage: fading and the loss of green shine. The most effective and useful decisions for lawns is the irrigation in the evening. At this time the loss of moisture because of evaporation is reduced and during night the upper layer of the soil gets completely saturated, thus giving access to moisture for the whole root system of plants.
You should water your lawn abundantly, using the DRIP IRRIGATION system. Do not allow puddles to form on your lawn area. At the present time there are a great variety of irrigation methods such as watering cans, stationary surface systems, underground IRRIGATION SYSTEMS, system with electronic control. A skilled specialist may recommend you the optimum option of irrigation system for your lawn. The choice of an optimum system depends on the relief and the sum of money you are going to spend on it. Therefore a good specialist will help you to make the right decision. No matter what type of irrigation system s/he will recommend to you, the main thing is to water your lawn by the means of the DRIP IRRIGATION (especially on slopes or young lawn areas) as the stream irrigation by the means of a garden hose will lead to the formation of gullies.
In hot summer days you may reduce the moisture evaporation from the lawn surface by mowing your lawn at a height of 5-7 cm with the help of a lawn mower without any bag. Leave the cut grass on the lawn for no more than 3-7 days.
As the need arises, apply complex lawn fertilizers. In hot weather the fertilizers are applied in the evening, directly after LAWN WATERING.
As you use your lawn, it becomes compressed. This complicates the access of oxygen to the root system and thus creating conditions for carbon dioxide accumulation in the upper layer of the soil. All these factors slow down the growth and development of plants. To maintain the optimum interchange of gases, work the lawn with a spike aerator. You may also use a garden pitchfork. Do it in spring and summer. The number of treatments in a season depends on the grade of the soil compaction. It is not necessarily to work the whole area. You can do it only in very compressed areas.