If we compare a modern dacha and the one that was 30 years ago, then these are two significant differences. On that Soviet one, there was a sea of beds, because it was simply impossible to provide family with vitamins in any other way. Today, there is an abundance of shops, which means that you can equip a paradise for relaxation in the country. And an indispensable attribute of the design has become a juicy, dense, soft lawn, on which you can lie down like on a carpet and enjoy the floating clouds. But in order for the sown grass to please with a beautiful view, at least a year must pass, and I don’t want to wait for that. However, there is a simple solution – to buy the grown herb in the store. It is quite simple to lay the rolled lawn, it does not require special skills, but after a month you can have picnics on it.
Specialized nursery firms are engaged in the cultivation of rolled lawn. The period from sowing seeds to getting the finished lawn on sale is three years. Most often, the seeds of the most resistant and unpretentious herbs are used: meadow bluegrass and red fescue. In order for the grass to acquire density and density, it is grown for two years. During this time, the lawn manages to build up a strong root system, which will allow it to quickly take root during transplantation. Only for 3 years the ready-made herbal “carpet”, together with the roots, is cut into layers using special machines and mechanisms. The strips are immediately rolled up so that the root system does not dry out, and transported in coils to the points of sale.
All grass bays offered in stores look the same. They are cut into strips, two meters long and 40 cm wide. Usually, the length of the stems reaches 6-7 cm, and the layer of the root system is more than 2 cm. One bay has a very tangible weight – within 25 kg.
A quality lawn has the same turf and grass thickness throughout the length of the roll. This is checked by the side cut.
But these parameters are not enough to determine the quality of the lawn. To check whether the cultivation technology has been violated, it is necessary to roll out the bay with a rolled lawn and look through the cut layer from both sides.
Pay attention to the following:
- Are there weeds among the blades of grass?
- How even the grass is, whether there are bald spots (spots where the grass has not grown).
- Look at the rolled coil from the side: the cut layer should have the same thickness.
- Grasp the edge of the roll with both hands and pull it slightly towards you. If the grass gives in and begins to lag behind the main layer, then this grass has poorly developed roots. Such material does not take root well, so it is better to bypass it.
- Pick up a piece of the roll and take a look at the quality of the roots. They should intertwine as tightly as possible. The fewer gaps between them, the better.
Don’t buy your lawn offhand. If it is not enough, then you will have to buy it. The calculation technology is as follows: you measure the parameters of the future site and multiply them. For example, length 6 m, width 5 m. Multiply 6×5. We get 30 sq.m. This is the area of your future lawn. If the site is flat, without bends and flower beds, then 5% of the area is added to accurately count the rolls. Those. to 30 + 1,5 m = 31,5 sq.m. If the future lawn is conceived with bends, paths and other curvature of geometry, then 10% is thrown over the area, because the amount of waste will increase. Those. 30 + 3 = 33 sq.m.
Knowing the squaring, we calculate how many bays of grass will have to be bought. The area of one roll: 0,4×2 = 0,8 sq. This means that 1,25 bays will go per meter square of your site. Accordingly: 2 squares = 2,5 bays. 10 squares will have 12,5 bays, etc.
If you plan to lay a rolled lawn on an area with bends, paths or ridges, then 10% is added to the area of the future lawn for waste
Before buying grass in rolls, you must fully prepare the future site. For the technology of laying a roll lawn is such that it is laid on the same day it was bought, or within XNUMX hours. The further you delay the term, the weaker the root system will take root. In addition, you have to line the entire roll lawn with your own hands at a time. Only in this case, the grass takes root evenly, and the coating will turn out to be perfectly even.
Consider what kind of work you will have to complete in advance, before going to the store. Preparing the land is a very important stage, it will determine the quality of grass survival. The better you work the land, the faster you can use your lawn. It includes:
Clearing and digging. Preparation begins with clearing the soil from all kinds of debris. When digging, all the roots of perennial weeds must be removed. They have such a powerful survival rate that the same dandelion or wheatgrass will pierce the grass cover, and it will be very difficult to pull out an adult plant with a root.
Creation of a drainage system. The lawn does not like highly moistened soils, therefore drainage is arranged in low-lying areas and soils with a high clay content. It is done as follows:
- Fertile soil is cut to a depth of 40 cm and taken out in a wheelbarrow, pouring it somewhere nearby (it will still come in handy!).
- The finished pit is covered with a gravel-sand pillow: 10 cm of gravel, then 10 cm of sand (sand can be replaced with geotextiles).
- Everything is thoroughly rammed.
- The cut soil is brought back and scattered flush with the total height of the entire site.
- It is very convenient to navigate by the taut twine. Drive the pegs in the corners of the site and pull the rope over them exactly along the height of the ground. When adding soil, you will see in which places it is necessary to raise the soil, and in which to remove the excess.
- Lawn fertilizer is scattered over the ground and lightly raked.
- The finished platform must be tamped tightly. This can be done with a homemade roller or a wide board with a flat surface. Check the compaction by stepping on the lawn. If the ground is not crushed under your feet, then it has been compacted well.
When the soil is ready, go to the store and buy the herb with peace of mind. It is best to plant lawns in spring or autumn, when there is enough moisture in the ground and there is no particular heat.
Consider how the rolled lawn is laid:
- Begin to lay the rolls from the part of the platform where you folded them. This will avoid frequent transfers, in which the soil crumbles and the roots are destroyed.
- We put the roll exactly on the corner of the platform and untwist it in a straight line. The first roll turns out to be extreme and it is important to lay it as evenly as possible. You cannot bend, twist, wrap the grass. If a corner of a flower bed gets on the way of the roll, then roll it along it, and remove the excess grass by cutting with a knife.
- The principle of laying out adjacent rows is similar to brickwork: it is impossible for the rows to coincide with the joints. Those. try to keep the joints of the second row in the middle of the rolls of the first row. This will allow the grass to settle more evenly.
- There are no overlaps in the roll lawn device. The rows should be adjacent to each other, like vinyl wallpaper – the denser. Discrepancies of more than 1,5 cm are unacceptable.
- The weakest spots of the lawn in survival are the edges. Try not to lay them in pieces. Use trims less than a meter for the middle of the site, and lay the edges in strips of more than a meter.
- After laying out the first row, it is crushed with a board. Be sure to stroke the grass with your hand to see if there are holes or mounds underneath. If you feel unevenness, pick up a piece of grass and add earth (or remove excess). After checking, tamp again.
- When the first row is lined and rolled, a boardwalk is placed on it, and the next rows are laid while standing on it. This will further compact the grass and prevent it from being pushed through by your feet.
Laying a roll lawn resembles brickwork technology: the joints in adjacent rows should not coincide with the joints of the previous one
All rolls are rolled out only in a straight line, without bends or distortions. And if there is a path on the way, then the unnecessary part of the lawn is cut out with a knife.
Do not overlap the rolls, otherwise irregularities will form. They are laid tightly end-to-end, like wallpaper, with a gap of less than 1,5 cm
If irregularities are found, the edge of the lawn is carefully raised and a little earth is poured under it, or, conversely, the excess is removed.
When the laying of the first row is finished, the second is laid out, standing on a wooden board or board, so as not to spoil the fresh grass with your feet.
After the rolled lawn is laid, it must be grown. For this, the grass is watered for two weeks. Try not to let the soil dry out. It is best to use automatic watering with fine sprinklers. Also, do not walk on the grass for a month. As a last resort, use boards or flooring to move around, but remove it immediately. Fresh grass and soil is easily pressed under the weight of your feet, and your lawn can become dents.
Constant watering of the rolled lawn for two weeks is a prerequisite for its good survival, especially if the weather is warm
In a month you will be able to walk on a beautiful green lawn, but the work does not end there. In order for the grass to survive the winter well, you need to care for it as follows:
- Make sure that weeds do not germinate.
- Carry out the first haircut after 4 weeks, trying to cut only the tops.
- The following haircuts are carried out as needed, choosing a more comfortable height for themselves. But the entire cut must be raked up and removed.
- Before wintering, the last haircut is carried out so that the grass has time to grow about 4 cm and with them goes under the snow.
- Watering as it dries. In the absence of precipitation – every 10-12 days.
- For the winter, the lawn is completely cleared of attacking debris, leaves are raked.
If you pay enough attention to the lawn, then in the spring the grass will delight you with a uniform and succulent coverage.
