Grass has a number of advantages for the environment as it:

• is a lot cooler than any other surface
• absorbs water in large quantities
• helps reduces stormwater runoff
• aids in preventing erosion
• improves the ground water quality by filtering rainwater
• cools the atmosphere
• provides oxygen
• reduces noise
• encourages micro-organisms that are beneficial to humanity
• traps dirt and dust, significantly bringing down air pollution and contamination

The following lawn care advice will help you achieve a great looking garden. Start with the basics and first contact a local turf farm or nursery who will give you good lawn care advice and educate you on which turf is suitable for your area. About a month before laying the turf mark the area out to the shape you want, avoiding shady spots as most grasses don’t like the shade. Another piece of lawn care advice is to avoid areas that are too small for the lawn mower to reach, you can use mulch or groundcovers there. Also ensure that the site drains well to avoid problems later.

Follow good lawn care advice and make sure you dig the soil to at least a spade depth; if it’s a large area or heavy soil you might consider using a Mantis 2 Stroke Garden Tiller

Aim for the soil to be loamy, with a proper mix of clay, sand, and silt. Organic matter like grass clippings or compost will improve the site if it is clay, on the other hand the same process would also build humus where the soil is sandy, increasing the nutrients and augmenting the water retaining capacity. Follow good lawn care advice and buy yourself a simple pH test kit from your garden centre or hardware store; use the kit to improve your soil by achieving and then maintaining a pH between 6.5 and 7.0, which is a little bit acidic and the ideal level for turf.

If the acidity of the soil is higher, sprinkling garden lime would rectify the problem, while sulfur could be added to the soil if it is more alkaline.

It makes sense to pay attention to lawn care advice which tells us that to keep the grass looking good, it needs regular maintenance, feeding, and watering. The grass should not be mown too short, with the ideal height being 2.5” to 3.5”. In the growing season it should be cut on a weekly basis. Watering the grass should be deep but at proper intervals. Watering is best done in the morning.

Look for fertilizer that contains NPK this means it has Nitrogen(N) which keeps the grass nice and green, Phosphorous(P) to promote healthy roots for better drought tolerance and Potassium(K) which increases strong foliage and helps prevent disease.

Another fertilizer to use is certified organic chicken manure; it works wonders and should be applied four times a year. One of the best fertilizers science has to offer is Turf Trust.

Find more information on growing grass from seed or turf.

Following our lawn care advice, and using proper tools and supplies will help you achieve a great result.