By Hosea Omole
Maintaining a healthy, growing lawn is the best way to prevent lawn diseases and pests.
Each blade of grass on your lawn requires optimum amounts of water and fertiliser, the right mowing regime, and an aerated, well-drained soil. Most lawn problems are preventable simply by optimising these practices and therefore, reducing stresses to the growth of the grass.
Here are some tips on how to prevent lawn problems.
Choose the right Lawn
All types of lawn grasses have positive and negative qualities. There is no one perfect lawn grass that is suitable for all applications. The type of grass you choose for your lawn should be compatible with your climate, anticipated use, maintenance level and aesthetic preferences. It should also offer a good level of resistance to local pests and diseases. Generally, native grasses often score highest on this front.
New and improved cultivars of lawn grasses offering greater disease resistance, better colour, texture, density, and uniformity have also been developed over the past several years. Consult a local landscape professional or a reputable nursery for specific recommendations
Early Detection
The primary cause of lawn damage is often difficult to identify, especially if a long period of time has elapsed between when the damage actually occurred and when the problem was detected. It is, therefore, important to inspect your lawn regularly so as to pick any symptoms of problems as soon as they appear.
Irrigation problems are the most common cause of discoloured lawns hence to be sure; ascertain that the discoloured area has been getting enough water and that yours is not a water issue. Look out for typical signs and symptoms such as leaf spots, white powdery growth, thin grass, and small to large areas of discoloured or dying lawn.
Maintenance
Employing the right maintenance procedures that promote a dense, vigorous, actively growing grass with good recuperative ability can go a long way in eliminating most lawn problems. Proper and regular irrigation, fertilisation, mowing, soil cultivation, and thatch removal are really the bottom line for a healthy lawn.
It is important to follow sound watering practices (whether hand-watering or an automated system) to create an environment that is favourable for lawn growth but does not promote pests and diseases. Over-watering or under watering are the main culprits. Know how much water your lawn requires and give just that.
Also regulate the watering frequency with your soil type. The number of times to water each week depends on how long the irrigation system can run before water just starts to puddle or run off the soil surface. For example, if a grass needs 40 minutes of irrigation each week, but runoff begins after 20 minutes, then water twice a week for 20 minutes. In cases where soil takes up water so slowly that runoff occurs before ten minutes, water cycling is necessary.
To cycle, irrigate until runoff just begins, turn the system off, and repeat the process in 30 minutes before the soil surface dries out. Several cycles per day may be necessary to apply the desired amount of water.
— The Author is a Landscape Architect.
hosea@lancad.co.ke
