Designing and buidling your dream garden in the South of France is something that Celtic Golf excel at. Their team of experienced garden designers will work with you to ensure your garden is a beautiful extension of your luxury property in the South of France. And, when the garden is finished, Celtic Golf will maintain your garden using their professional garden maintenance team in the French Riviera.
As part of your garden design on the French Riviera then maintaining your lawn is paramount to keeping your garden looking great. Celtic Golf recommend that you follow these simple recommendations.
Your Guide to Maintaining a Great Lawn in the South of France
1 – Introduction
Maintaining a healthy lawn involves using good maintenance practices throughout the growing season. These include proper mowing, fertility, irrigation, thatch control, integrated pest management, weed management and insect management. These techniques can provide a dense, healthy, high quality lawn.
2 – Mowing
The importance of good mowing practices is often overlooked but has a major influence on turf density, uniformity and aesthetic quality of a home lawn. It is the most repetitive and time-consuming maintenance practice and it is often done incorrectly.
Frequency and Height
Turf can be mowed frequently, provided no more than one-third of the grass blade is removed in a single cut. Mow as high as possible as lower mowing produces a shallow root system. Shallow grass roots cannot take up water and nutrients and make the lawn susceptible to drought stress. It is best to mow a lawn when the leaves are dry. Dry grass cuts cleanly and clippings distribute more evenly.
Mowers
The mower you decide to use must be sufficient to mow the area i.e. no power loss on hills, banks etc. Keep mower blades sharp for a good quality cut. It is recommended prior to the mowing season that the mower is serviced and the blade is sharpened. Mulching mowers are one option and return nutrients to the soil and lawn. It is possible to buy a dual mower both for removing and mulching clippings.
3 – Fertility
Understanding and implementing a well-balanced fertilizer program is one of the most important factors in maintaining an attractive healthy lawn. The three main nutrients required by lawns are:
- Nitrogen (N)
- Phosphorus (P)
- Potassium (K)
Nitrogen promotes dark green colour, leaf and blade development, and density of the turf. Phosphorus is important for good root and rhizome development and promoting plant maturity. Potassium contributes to the general vigour of the plant, promotes wear and drought tolerance and hardiness against winter injury.
Amount of Nutrients
Fertilisers have to be applied every year during the growing periods. On newly established lawns, higher levels of phosphorus and potash may be required. Fertilisers should be applied evenly during period of growth i.e. it is recommended that approximately 4 applications should be applied. This may vary pending on individual conditions.
Fertilisers
Quality fertilisers can be found at your local co-op or garden centre. Don’t hesitate to ask for their advice on their products.
Timing
The timing of fertilizer application is determined by the total amount of fertilizer you wish to apply to your lawn. Table below has some suggested timing of fertilizer applications based on the number of yearly applications (3 to 4 applications a year)
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Table Suggested Application Timing of Lawn Fertilizer Based on Number of Yearly Applications
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Number of yearly applications*
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Early
Spring
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Early
Summer
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Late Summer/
Early Autumn
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Late Autumn
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3
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3rd application
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—
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1st application
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2nd application
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4
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3rd application
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4th application
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1st application
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2nd application
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* each application consists of 0.5 kg of nitrogen per 100m2
Late Autumnal fertilization is beneficial for home lawns. Apply when the lawn has nearly stopped growing but is still green.
- increases fall and spring root growth
- promotes a thicker lawn
- results in an early spring green up.
The lawn will green up earlier in the spring and will not give the rapid flush of shoot growth that occurs with spring-applied nitrogen.
Application
Using a correct fertiliser spreader is very important in achieving a uniform green lawn. Otherwise you could end up with striping or uneven colour.
4- Irrigation
When normal rainfall does not provide enough moisture during the growing season grass goes dormant and turns brown. To ensure a high quality lawn the lawn must be watered. Signs that a lawn needs water include:
- footprints remain while walking across the lawn
- a slight change in colour to dark blue-green and grass blades folding inwards.
Frequency and Timing
Water during the night when there is little or no wind, as this allows even water distribution. Cooling of the grass plant can be done during the day when the evaporation rate is highest. The automatic system or hand hose are best used to achieve this. Localised areas of dryness should be hand watered using a hose and if conditions are serious forking with a garden fork will allow water to penetrate into the soil more easily.
Water Usage
Too much watering can cause numerous problem i.e. thatch, fertiliser leaching (removal), increased disease. Too little water can cause shallow root growth in the turf, which makes the lawn susceptible to disease, drought stress or winter injury. Infrequent and heavy watering is best to encourage better root growth. During summer periods this can be harder to achieve, and needs more attention. Areas of the lawn needing more water include slopes, areas near buildings, curbs, pathways and light soils. Low lying areas, shaded areas and heavy soils may not need as much irrigation. It is recommended that your soil profile to a depth of approx 15cm be moist not wet to maintain a health lawn.
Note: Too much water can be as bad as applying to little, as you can create a weaker grass plant. The best solution is daily monitoring during periods of hot weather
5 – Thatch
Thatch is a layer of organic matter made up of decaying grass leaves, stems and roots that build up in between the lawn and soil surface. It is a common problem on home lawns that have been established for several years, not on new lawns.
Identification
A thatchy lawn feels very spongy when walked on. Cut a triangular patch of lawn with a sharp knife and lift it back to measure the thickness of the thatch layer. More than 2.5 cm of thatch is too much.
Minimizing Thatch
Practices that minimize thatch development are:
- frequent mowing
- proper watering
- proper fertilisation
Excess thatch can be removed by vertical mowing or core aerating. Core aerating involves the removal of soil cores using a mechanical machine increasing pore space for air. Scarifying will also reduce thatch build up accumulated during the year.
Timing
De-thatching or aerating in spring and autumn should be done during periods of good growth, allowing for quick lawn recovery.
Over seeding
Over seeding is a method of thickening up a lawn that has become thin due to wear, disease or other types of damage. The best time to overseed a lawn is in the autumn (mid-August to mid-September). Keep the overseeded area moist by watering several times a day.
6 – Weed Management
A thick vigorous lawn is the best prevention against weed invasion. A dense stand of grass can compete successfully with weed seedlings for light and nutrients.
Weed Invasion
Problem weeds include both broad-leaved and grass weeds. They may occur where there are weaker areas of grass due to damage or traffic. Before attempting any weed control, weeds should be properly identified. The easiest way is to bring your weeds or photo to the garden centre so that they recommend the correct chemical to use.
Control
Control problem weeds by:
- hand pulling
- hand raking
- spot application of selective herbicides
Control a few weeds in a lawn by hand weeding or spot treating with a broad-leaved herbicide. If the weed infestation is too big to be handled with these methods, a broadcast herbicide may be required. Most broadleaf herbicides available to home owners contain a combination of 2,4-D, mecoprop and dicamba. Weeds are easiest to control with herbicides when they are growing rapidly.
Herbicide Use
Spot treat whenever possible. Early spring or fall treatments are usually best. Younger weeds are more susceptible than mature weeds. Use the following precautions when applying herbicides:
- Do not apply during hot days because they may injure the lawn.
- Do not apply during the rain. Broad-leaved herbicides require 24 hours of dry weather to ensure good uptake by the plant.
- Delay mowing or irrigation for a couple of days after application.
- Do not spray under windy conditions.
- Do not use 2,4-D or dicamba products on newly seeded lawns.
Pre-emergence herbicides are used to control weeds like crabgrass. To be effective, apply the herbicide before germination of weed seedlings. Only apply pre-emergence herbicides to areas with a history of a crabgrass problem. Read manufacturer’s label for specific instructions on application and the required waiting period before re-seeding.
7 – Insect Management
- Insects that infest home lawns are generally difficult to notice and their presence goes undetected until significant damage has been done. Insect damage can often be mistaken for drought damage. If the lawn remains brown or shows signs of thinning out despite watering, then closer examination for insects should be done.
8 – Other Pests
Moss
Mosses are primitive forms of green plants that form tangled clumps that grow in amongst a lawn. Moss plants have a tremendous capacity to spread. Mosses are poor competitors with a healthy lawn and are only a problem when the lawn is weakened by poor growing conditions. The following conditions that weaken a lawn and promote moss invasion:
- poor aeration
- poor drainage
- low fertility
- heavy shade
Cultural methods can be effective in controlling moss. They are:
- Adequate fertility, especially nitrogen (2.0 kg per 100 m2 of actual N/year).
- Control thatch by vigorous raking, aeration or vertical mowing.
- Reduce shade by pruning trees.
- Improve surface drainage.
- Reduce compaction and increase aeration by spiking slicing or aerifying with a mechanical aeifier.
- Do not overwater.
- Do not remove more that 1/3 of the top growth at one time when mowing and mow at a height appropriate for the grass species.
9 – Disease Management
The most common of turf grass diseases are:
- Red Thread
- Fusarium
- Rust
- Powdery Mildew
- Fairy Ring
All Diseases will need to be identified correctly as to determine the correct action to apply. This can be checked on many websites. There are many chemicals available over the counter for the control/eradication of these diseases. The chance of these diseases will be greatly reduced if correct practises are followed i.e. mowing, watering, fertilisers, aeration etc.
Celtic Golf are part of Ellisium Luxury Property Partners who offer every service for your luxury property on the French Riviera.
