Status: 04/26/2023 09:18 a.m
Matted lawns require special care. What helps against moss and weeds? How do you sanitize the floor? And what is there to consider when sowing the lawn?
Moss and weeds will spread in the lawn if the grass is not resilient. For example, frequent mowing can remove important nutrients from the soil – these often end up as grass clippings in the organic waste bin or on the compost. In order to permanently remove moss and weeds, hobby gardeners should first thoroughly sanitize the lawn.
Weeds in the lawn: This is how the green area recovers
The following measures will help the lawn to recover:
- Lawn scarifyto eliminate tangles from grass roots, weeds and moss
- soil pH neutralize with limeto lay a foundation for good growth
- Lawn fertilizeto eliminate nutrient deficiencies
- Apply compost or soil activator as a basis for the lawn seed
- The race seed sowinguse certified seeds
Scarify lawn against moss, grass roots and weeds
Moss, grass roots and weeds can form a thatch that hinders the growth of the grass. Scarifying is then advisable. A scarifier is a kind of rake with sharp blades that cut up the lawn and thus ensure permeability. As a side effect, the scarifier pulls moss out of the lawn. Scarifying by hand is extremely tiring. If you have large areas, you should rent an electric scarifier from a hardware store for a fee (around 30 euros per day).
Combat moss in the lawn: It is better to avoid iron fertilizers
To combat moss in the lawn, hardware stores and specialist retailers have been recommending iron fertilizers and other products with iron(II) sulfate for years. But when using the drug, skepticism is appropriate. Iron fertilizer can be harmful to human and animal health, is highly corrosive and is less useful for moss control in the long term than other tillage methods. The moss dies after the treatment, but the soil becomes more and more acidic due to the caustic effect of the iron(II) sulfate. This worsens the growth conditions for the grass, and the moss spreads more in the next year.
In order to get rid of moss in the long term, the causes of growth must be eliminated. These include:
- The shade: Grass needs sun. Moss also grows in the shade. If a lawn is shaded too much, even the best treatment will not help. Partial shade can still be compensated for with lawn seed for the shade. However, if the lack of light is too great, you should give up the lawn in this area.
- wetness: Weed needs moisture, but at a reasonable level. If it is always too wet, the grass roots will rot. This could be due to compacted soil. Therefore, it helps to dig it up and mix in construction sand so that the water does not stand still. If a high groundwater level is the cause, it would be better to use the area differently.
Neutralize the pH of the soil with lime
Grass does not grow well in acidic soil. If the pH of a soil is below 5.5 (neutral is 7), the lawn is no longer getting enough nutrients. You can measure the pH value in five minutes with a quick test from the hardware store (from five euros). If the pH value is too low, the acid can be neutralized by adding lawn lime. A spreader (rent: from 10 euros, purchase price: from 30 euros) helps with the dosage. Be sure to note the quantities on the packaging. A sack with 20 kilograms of lawn lime costs around 10 euros.
Fertilize lawns to eliminate nutrient deficiencies
Lawns draw nutrients from the soil. Anyone who does not leave the lawn clippings on the surface (mulch), throws away important nutrients with every lawn clipping. These can be replaced with fertilizer. Organic fertilizers are the method of choice here. Your heavy metal load is significantly lower than with mineral fertilizers. Promote at the same time organic fertilizers soil life. They can be applied directly with the seed, mineral ones cannot. Another advantage: You can step on the lawn again immediately after fertilization.
Spread compost or soil activator on the lawn
Once the lawn has been scarified, the pH value has been checked and the lawn has been limed if necessary, compost or soil activator is applied before the lawn seeds are sown:
- Compound is organic material that is broken down under the influence of atmospheric oxygen and by bacteria and fungi, primarily into carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O). This creates humus. Therefore, compost is primarily a soil conditioner, which is considered an ideal breeding ground for microorganisms, makes nutrients in the humus layer available to plants and thus acts as an organic fertilizer.
- There are also substrates available from specialist retailers that are soil activator be designated. The granules contain concentrated minerals and microorganisms.
Sowing lawn seeds: Use certified seeds
Certified lawn seed, for example RSM 2.3, is ideal. For 250 square meters of lawn you need seeds for about 50 euros. Mix the seed vigorously and do not sow too early in the year. The best way to do this is with a spreader. The higher the soil temperature, the better the seed will germinate. Experts recommend waiting until mid-May before sowing, it can be done well into September.
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