A grass lawn takes effort to establish, but keeping it in top condition is where the real work lies. If you want a lawn, but don’t have time for a lot of fiddly maintenance in spring and summer, following these simple steps will reduce the workload of lawn care.
Two or more small lawns take a lot more maintenance than a single larger lawn. Not only do you have more edges to trim, but corners on smaller lawns will be tighter, which makes for awkward maneuvering with the lawnmower. If you have a large lawn in the back yard and a small one in the front, you could ease the burden by replacing the front lawn with a surface such as gravel or paving.
The shape of a lawn influences the amount of time needed each week to keep it looking tidy. The most efficient lawn shape for mowing is a circle. You can start at the outside and keep mowing in ever-decreasing circles until you reach the centre, without having to stop and turn sharply at all. A large, kidney-shaped lawn has sweeping curves that can also be mowed without the need to stop and turn, but avoid complicated curves, which are fiddly to trim. A square lawn is less time efficient, but is the best choice for a formal garden.
The more obstacles in a lawn, such as beds and trees, the longer it will take to mow. Having to duck under an overhanging tree or mow around a shrub will slow you down. Do not use a line trimmer around a young tree, because the line may cut into the bark and injure the trunk. If plants cascade over the edge of the lawn, put down a 'mowing strip' of bricks, reducing the need to tidy the lawn edges.
If you have several trees in the lawn, incorporate them into a single island bed to reduce the amount of edging. Discourage weeds by underplanting with ground-cover plants and mulch any bare soil. If you want a specimen tree, you can also lay a bed of gravel around it or leave a drift of long grass to grow underneath.
Two or more small lawns take a lot more maintenance than a single larger lawn. Not only do you have more edges to trim, but corners on smaller lawns will be tighter, which makes for awkward maneuvering with the lawnmower. If you have a large lawn in the back yard and a small one in the front, you could ease the burden by replacing the front lawn with a surface such as gravel or paving.
The shape of a lawn influences the amount of time needed each week to keep it looking tidy. The most efficient lawn shape for mowing is a circle. You can start at the outside and keep mowing in ever-decreasing circles until you reach the centre, without having to stop and turn sharply at all. A large, kidney-shaped lawn has sweeping curves that can also be mowed without the need to stop and turn, but avoid complicated curves, which are fiddly to trim. A square lawn is less time efficient, but is the best choice for a formal garden.
The more obstacles in a lawn, such as beds and trees, the longer it will take to mow. Having to duck under an overhanging tree or mow around a shrub will slow you down. Do not use a line trimmer around a young tree, because the line may cut into the bark and injure the trunk. If plants cascade over the edge of the lawn, put down a 'mowing strip' of bricks, reducing the need to tidy the lawn edges.
If you have several trees in the lawn, incorporate them into a single island bed to reduce the amount of edging. Discourage weeds by underplanting with ground-cover plants and mulch any bare soil. If you want a specimen tree, you can also lay a bed of gravel around it or leave a drift of long grass to grow underneath.
1 comment:
Mow grass whenever it is growing, provided the ground isn't too wet or icy to walk on. In spring, mow once a week with the blades at their highest setting, and gradually lower them as growth accelerates.
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