Article brought to you by Lawn Care Grass Information

If you live in an area that has very little rain and long summers you might want to think about seeding your lawn with drought resistant grass seed. There are range of different grass seeds available that can thrive in dry conditions and even remain green through the whole year. looked at a few of them for you to find the right drought resistant grass seed for your lawn.

Bermuda Grass Seed

Bermuda grass is one of the best drought resistance grass seeds that you can buy. It will thrive in areas that are hot and dry through the year although it also does well in hot areas with heavy rainfall. It is a very good all round grass seed to use for your lawn. Bermuda grass does well in full sunlight but does need a well drained soil. It can survive times of very severe drought as it has very deep roots. It is best cut to about 1 inch for drought resistance and tolerance to traffic.

Zoysia Grass Seed

Zoysia grass has a lovely medium green color although in drought conditions it will look yellow. it is a very good drought resistant grass as its deep roots allow it to find water at great depths. In colder months it becomes dormant and brown. It is a fairly slow growing grass that is fairly easy to maintain.

Tall Fescue Grass Seed

Although tall fescue thrives best in damp conditions it is extremely drought resistant and grows well in many different types of soils including clay soils that are badly drained. Ideally, tall fescue grass seed is best for hot and humid summers and cold winters but if you keep it cut to about 3 inches during the summer it will lend you a drought conditions well. It is a good idea to overseed tall fescue in the fall to ensure even coverage of your lawn.

Maintaining Drought Resistant Grass Lawns

Of course, the biggest advantage of using drought resistant grass seed is that you will need to do much less watering. You should mow less than you would with other types of lawns as you do not want encourage shallow roots by keeping the grass too short. Overall then drought resistant grasses are ideal for anyone who does not want to do too much maintenance but still wants a lovely green lawn!

Article brought to you by Lawn Care Grass Information

If you are starting a new lawn you will need to choose between using grass seed or laying turf. Using lawn grass seed is a lot cheaper than turf and has the advantage that you have a wider range and different types of grass seed to choose from. The best time to sow the seed is in the early Fall or Spring as you need moist and reasonably warm conditions. The summer is not a good time to seed a lawn as you will need to water very frequently and the hot conditions are not ideal for the young seedlings to grow. Types of grasses grow at different rates so the time it takes for your new lawn to be ready to walk on will depend on the species and the mixture of grass seed that you use. You will also need to look at what type of grass seed you need. There are specialized shade grass seed for areas that do not get the sun, sunny grass seed for areas that do! A very popular brand is Scotts grass seed.

Preparing the Site

Before you can seed the lawn you need to prepare the site properly. The area you have chosen must be dug thoroughly and all stones removed and large clods of earth of broken up. Rake the area and compact it lightly with your heels. The surface should then be scratched lightly to make grooves for the seeds.

Seeding the Lawn

There are two methods to seed a lawn, manually and with a machine. When using a machine, after weighing out seed mixture needed for your area put half into machine and apply by working up and down the area strips. At the end of each strip, to avoid over seeding, either cover the ground with some plastic will close off the holes in the machine. You could use canes set into the ground or garden twine to guide you. Now put the rest of the seeds into the machine and, working at right angles to the first rows, finish off seeding the lawn.

If you are hand seeding the lawn it is best to divide the area into sections of a  meter square using string and canes. Calculate how much lawn seed you need for each square meter, weight this out and add to a small container. Make a note of approximately how much this is that you don’t have to weigh out every time. Evenly seed the first square meter, sowing seeds in both directors so that they are spread evenly. Now refill the container to about the same level as before and seed the next section. Continued to all of the area is seeded.

Once the whole of the area have been seeded rake over lightly and water thoroughly. Over the next week to two weeks make sure you water regularly if there is no rain. The seedlings should begin to emerge during this time.

Mowing Your New Lawn

Once the grass seedlings are around 5 cm tall you can mow the grass for the first time using a rotary mower. Carefully collect grass clippings or use a rake to be careful not to disturb the new seedling

Lawn Mower Height

This is probably the most important thing to think about during the summer. The cutting height should be high, at least three inches or set the mower as high as possible. Leaving your grass longer will encourage the growth of a deep rooting system which will allow water to be held longer so allowing the lawn to survive drought times much better.

Watering Your Lawn

Lawns will need adequate watering in the summer. It is better to water deeply and less often that to water sparingly often. Deep watering, which means watering until it reaches six inches deep. Take care not to allow the grass to go brown and then water as this will stress the grass and use of resources. Also try to water in the early morning if possible.

Fertilising Your Lawn

Take care not to overdo fertilising, especially in the warmer weather when you can easily burn the lawn. Make use of slow release fertilisers which are less likely to cause burning and are best applied between August and September.

Keep off the Lawn

During the hottest weather when grass tends to dry out try to keep off the grass as much as possible. This includes both vehicle and foot traffic and try to keep the kids from sliding about on the grass!

Buffalo grass is native to the United States grows well in the central regions to give a drought resistant, thick lawn. Buffalo grass seed lawns grow well in the warmer months but will become dormant as the temperature cools. They are extremely low maintenance and even in the hot summer months do not need to a great deal of watering. They do however need well drained soil.

If you have infertile soil Buffalo grass seed is ideal as it will thrive, in fact a very fertile soil will only cause problems with diseases and pests. Fertilize at the rate of around 1 pound of nitrogen for each 500 square feet only once during the growing season. It does not need a lot of watering and it’s very drought tolerant. Watering every two weeks with 2 inches of water is adequate. Mowing should be done once a week in the growing season cutting the grass to around 3 inches.

Seeding a Buffalo Grass Lawn

A lawn established from seed will be stronger then one made from plugs but will take at least two growing seasons to become fully established. It is best to use treated buffalo grass seed as this germinates better.

Buffalo Grass Lawn Growing Conditions

Buffalo grass does not tolerate shade and needs full sunlight to thrive. Soil must be well drained but preferably not too fertile. Buffalo grass  prefers clay soils to sandy soils and does not tolerate heavy traffic.

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Conclusion

Buffalo grass seed is an excellent choice if you are starting a new lawn in the central regions of the United States or in a warm climate. If you avoid fertilizing to much or overwatering you will establish a healthy, green lawn.

Centipede grass seed is originally from China has been used in the United States since the early part of last century. it has become popular in the southern regions especially in the South East that is low maintenance and grows well in a warm climate. the type of soil found in the southeastern regions of the United States is acidic and sandy and ideal for using centipede grass seeds for your lawn. As it thrives best in a warm climate and is not suitable for northern regions nor is it suitable for areas close to the coast as it does not like salty environments.

Centipede grass is slow-growing and tolerates direct sunlight but it does not do well in heavily trafficked areas. As it is slow-growing it will need less mowing which cuts down on maintenance time. when you seed a new lawn, providing you care for it properly,  it will be fully mature in approximately 3 months. Unlike Bermuda grass, centipede grass is not drought resistance so needs watering frequently during the hot months. Be careful not to over fertilize as this can cause problems, use a 30% nitrogen fertilizer blend and add only at the rate of half a pound to 500 square feet.

Conclusion

For those living in a warmer climate centipede grass give you a healthy and green lawn that is long-lived and strong. See our range of centipede grass seed.

For those of us who live in a warm climate Bermuda grass seed is a good choice. It grows best at above 60 degrees as below this temperature it is dormant. It is resistant to drought, tolerant of full sun and low growing. It is a good choice of lawn grass if you live near to the coast as it is salt tolerant. If you have a lawn consisting of Bermuda grass then you will need know how best to look after it. However because it grows so quickly it may be hard to keep it under control.

Watering Bermuda Grass Seed Lawns

As Bermuda grass is so drought tolerant it does not require very much watering so over-watering can be a problem. If you do water too much you’ll encourage the growth of fungus and insects. In order to promote the growth of deep roots water once a week during the summer months to a depth of one inch. This is called ‘deep’ watering and ensures that the water is deep enough to reach the roots.

Mowing Bermuda Grass Seed Lawns

Maintenance of Bermuda grass is very easy. The grass grows fast and tends to smother any weeds that may start to grow. Mow regularly at a cutting height of between one an a half and two and a half inches. Regular mowing will help to control any weeds that do manage to survive.

Feeding a Bermuda Grass Seed Lawn

As this type of grass grows so quickly it needs regular feeding to maintain the growth. A blend of fast and slow release fertilisers with a nitrogen content of around 30% is ideal. Fertilise at the rate of around half a pound of fertiliser to a five hundred square feet.

Conclusion

For warmer, sunny climate Bermuda grass seed is ideal. It is low maintenance, thrives in hot, sunny conditions and grows fast! See our range of Bermuda grass seed.

Some Advantages of Solar Lighting

Solar garden lights do not require any wiring so there are no trailing wires that can be a danger to kids and animals or that require extensive burying underneath the ground. They are extremely easy to put in, simply fix the stake in the earth, or suspend them from a suitable tree or post. You can set them to switch on automatically at twilight, and they don’t use any electricity so they are very inexpensive to run once purchased.

Disadvantages of Solar Garden Lighting

The major shortcoming of solar garden lights are the rechargeable batteries which tend not to be able to store adequate energy to continue throughout the hours of darkness and have to be changed every few years. Furthermore they have only a very minute area of solar panels that can only gather a small amount of sunlight. The energy that can be stored gives only a small number of hours of illumination which tends to decrease as the batteries become old. On the other hand if all you really require is lighting for the evening they will most likely be adequate. The benefit, that they need no wiring or involved putting in, turns into a disadvantage, as what is effortlessly put in place can be just as simply detached. This makes them at risk of pilfering unless you fasten them in place as you would a conventional wired light.

They make use of solar energy so they require a certain amount of sunshine to recharge the batteries. They can’t consequently be used in shady places, or on walls that are in the shade for part of the daytime. They only work really efficiently when there’s plenty of daylight so can work inadequately through the winter months.

Is Solar Lighting Environmentally Friendly?

In some ways! They do not use any electricity, as a result there is no effect on the environment there. They do use rechargeable batteries which require replacing and disposed of. However we would conclude that they are definitely more environmentally friendly than electricity powered lights.

Conclusion

If you require lighting for only a small number of hours in the evening in part of the garden that is in complete sunshine throughout the daylight hours, solar garden lights would be suitable. Be ready to swap the batteries every couple of years and if you consider your garden is vulnerable enough for theft to be an issue you might need to set them in place more firmly than normal.

Administer top dressing to your lawn in the late fall. Even though this will not be utilised by the lawn during the slow growth of the cold weather it will be saved in the roots and be immediately usable by the lawn in the Spring as new growth begins. Bare or brown areas can be reseeded in the Fall. The grass seeds will sprout in the colder weather.

Clear up any rubbish from the grass before the severest weather. This may include branches, logs, equipment, pots etc. If left on the lawn when it starts to snow they could cover the grass beneath the blanket of snow and cause damage which can make the lawn susceptible to diseases. During the cold season, although the grass will grow very slowly weeds will multiply rapidly so you need to often take out weeds to keep them from harming the turf.

As well you should still water the lawn through the cold weather, although less often than you would in the warmer weather. For most grass varieties watering each week should be plenty. Some grasses, e.g. rye grass, Kentucky Bluegrass and tall Fescue grow well in the colder weather and will need watering and fertilising during this season.

Should you have a watering system drain out all the water to avoid damage in icy weather. You don’t want to get it out the following Spring to find damaged pipes.

With care your lawn will survive the winter in excellent shape and emerge healthy and green when it starts to grow again in the Spring.  Winter lawn care is not hard if you follow our guidelines. You’ll find more information on lawn mowers and lawn care at lawn mower reviews.

• In a raised bed garden you have full management of the the make up of the soil so you will be able to grow flowers or vegetables that may need specific pH’s and nutrients without difficulty
• The soil can be purchased free of weeds so you won’t need to spend time weeding.
• Plants in a raised garden are much simpler to maintain and by and large develop better. The earth does not become compressed from people walking on it, so air and nutrients can get to the roots much easier.
• Raised gardens heat up more quickly in the Spring so you can transplant a lot earlier giving you a longer growing period.
• It is much easier to nurture a raised garden than a regular garden as you can construct the garden at a convenient height. For folks with physical problems, or are in wheelchairs this is perhaps the only way they can enjoy gardening.
• Raised gardens are a great deal kinder to the knees and back! You will not damage your back or knees while cultivating your garden.
• In a well prepared raised garden, drainage is much better than in a regular garden. You will not get waterlogged soil and the plants will develop better.

Where to Place Your Raised Bed Garden

Before you come to a decision where to situate a raised garden watch your garden for at least a full day to find out which areas get more daylight or which are in the shade. Are you going to grow plants that love the sun or those which favor shade? Find  a spot where you can have room round the garden to make cultivation more convenient. It may also be a good idea to have paths around the garden to make moving near it with equipment easy. If you are installing one for someone who is in a wheelchair you must make sure that access is comfortable from all sides and it is a comfortable height.

Filling Your Raised Bed Garden

When the garden is finished load it with high-quality soil and compost. A mix of 50% compost and 50% soil is generally suggested. Top soil is usually obtainable to buy in bulk but be wary of the quality as there are no standards set down. Top soil can fluctuate a lot in it’s components. Garden shops also deliver soil in bulk and you can be certain that it is excellent quality. You might use soil from your own backyard but you will need quite a lot and it may not contain all the nutrients required. It will also inevitably have weed seeds and perhaps stones.

For cost-cutting you may want to combine garden soil with bought soil but take care you mix it completely and if at all possible have a soil test to guarantee the nutrient levels and pH are good enough. Whatever alternative you choose mix in a small amount of sand to help with drainage. You might also want to top up the earth intermittently as it becomes compacted and mix in some organic matter on a regular basis. A good tip is to grow some ground cover plants during the winter for protection which you can then dig in in the Spring to add some nutrients.

In Conclusion

Raised gardening has a lot of distinctive advantages over regular gardening for all of us but particularly for the elderly or those who are physically challenged. Whether you select to build your own raised garden bed or pick from one of the many raised garden kits obtainable you can be certain to have many years of agreeable gardening.