How to regrow your grass faster
Regrowing grass can be a tough task, especially when the lawn has been dead for a while. Luckily there are simple steps to reclaim a lawn. In this simple guide we will teach you everything you need to know to regrow dead grass or simply make your grass grow faster.
Lawn goes through the process called photosynthesis every day of the year, whereby light is drawn into the leaves, as energy to combine with carbon dioxide and water to produce sugars. The sugars are the plant’s food and enough sugar must be produced to keep the plant healthy and strong. In a shaded area, therefore, it is feasible to accept that you need to INCREASE THE SURFACE AREA of the leaf blade so that it can draw in the light it requires to produce the sugar it needs to survive. Unfortunately, many homeowners don’t know this and they cut their lawns too short in the shaded areas around the house, resulting in the regression of the lawn. The good thing is that the lawn can be resurrected with a little work and a lot of patience.
Watering your lawn is key
The first thing you will need to do is water the area you’re going to work. If it’s hard ground, you may need to water it for several days to soften the ground. On very hard ground, it will be better to push a garden fork into the ground as far as you can, then water the area. The water will make its’ way into the holes and soften the lower section. You will need to repeat this process until you can plunge your fork up to the hilt.
Allow air and nutrients in the soil
Once you have the fork in as far as it will go, you will then need to pull the handle of the fork back so that the soil ‘lifts’ a little. This action will ‘smash’ the sub-surface of the soil profile, creating
The hilt
fissures (cracks) in the soil which, in turn, will allow air, water and nutrients into the soil.
The holes made will allow air, moisture and nutrients to penetrate deeply into the soil, giving the lawns’ roots months of food
At this point it may be necessary to add gypsum to your soil if it contains a lot of clay.
Scratch the surface
Once you’ve completed the plunge coring, you will need to scratch the surface area of the soil to a depth of 20- 25mm. This should be easily done as the ‘shattered’ soil is now more friable. The easiest way to scratch the soil is with a nail-tooth rake.
Next- get a spade and make small crevices as shown in the picture to the right. They will need to be about 25mm deep and the opening at the top will need to be about the same.
Transplant runner from various parts of your existing lawn or rolls can be purchased from your local nursery. A one square metre roll will cover 100 metres² of soil area. Once planted, step directly on the crevice to close it up.
Plant the runners
Now, you’re ready for the real work- planting the runners. The best place to resource runners is from your own lawn. This way, you know you have the same variety. Lift the runners carefully, making sure that you have the roots in tact after they’ve been lifted out of the ground. Alternatively, you can purchase a roll of turf from your local landscape supplier and tear the runners from the roll.
Different grasses and their growth process
If you decide to go with buffalo, Sir Walter will be the fastest growing and will cover your area in very short time. Remember, though that it will keep growing and, under good conditions, will thatch up over a couple of years and become very spongey.
Kikuyu grass will cover very quickly but a nice, healthy Kikuyu lawn may require cutting, at least, once a week.
Queensland Blue Couch grass will also run very quickly but remember one thing- it hates shade! Work out your tree and shrub plantings first and the heights that they’ll ultimately grow.
Couch will run pretty quickly but most people like to have a ‘green’ lawn and couch requires a lot of ‘TLC’ to keep it looking good.
Zoysia grass forget it. You’ll die of old age waiting for that to cover. It will cover but grows a lot slower than the others. It requires full sun with a north facing aspect. Any shade- it’s history.
Interested in restoring your lawn? Our Lawn Restoration Program is targeted at restoring your lawn and making sure the grass regrows faster. Contact us for a free quote today!