How to fix lawn with patchy growth
Category Maintenance
Many homeowners love having a beautiful garden where they can unwind during hot days. In many new housing developments, the developer supplies homes with a lawn to give the property owner something green to get him or her started.
In many new housing developments, the developer supplies homes with a lawn to give the property owner something green to get him or her started.
Glenice Ebedes from Grounded Landscaping says in many cases, the lawn may look green and healthy for a few seasons, but then gradually starts deteriorating, leaving unsightly bare patches.
Very often, no matter how much lawn dressing and fertiliser is applied, the lawn just doesn’t recover completely.
She says if there is limited traffic on the lawn, it is highly likely that the problem lies with the condition of the soil. To investigate further, you’ll need to dig to find out what is happening underneath your lawn.
“In majority of cases, we find that the lawn was laid directly on builder’s rubble or over an area where the builders did their cement mixing.”
Digging below the surface reveals the presence of rocks and concrete embedded in the ground, which is where the original builders mixed their cement
Ebedes says in many cases, the lawn may look green and healthy for a few seasons, but then gradually starts deteriorating, leaving unsightly bare patches.
Ebedes says a healthy lawn needs at least 20cm of topsoil so it can send out strong roots to support the plant in dry or extremely cold periods.
In order to correct this situation, the best option is to remove the lawn, remove the rubble and start preparing your soil to a depth of 30cm to 40cm.
Preparing the soil:
- To encourage root development, apply superphosphate at a rate of 50g per square metre.
- Dig over the area and rake to remove large stones.
- Add topsoil if necessary.
- Lightly work in some compost with a fork.
- Check the levels and ensure that runoff and drainage have been considered.
- Apply fertiliser at a rate of 30g per square metre.
To correct levels:
- Trample or lightly roll the area to settle any air pockets and to prevent uneven surfaces.
- Finally, rake soil lightly to get a fine finish.
Source: Property24
Author: Property24
