Handyman Sydney

Home Improvement, Home Repair And Home Renovation

Repair a Lawn and Ways to Replant Grass

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A well-kept green lawn not only adds to the appearance of your home, it prevents soil erosion, does not transmit noise as do hard surfaces, and produces oxygen.

Because a lawn is a permanent feature of your home, it should be planned and planted with thought and care.

The stages in planting a lawn are:

  • soil preparation
  • grading
  • fertilising
  • planting
home maintenance sutherland shire
Photo : gumtree.com.au

Soil preparation should be done well ahead. Remove large stones, rubble and perennial weeds. Annual weeds can be dug into the soil. Leave the newly dug soil fallow for a few weeks, allowing weeds to come up so you can hoe them down. Adding animal manure to the soil will enrich clay or sandy soils.

Before planting, check that the soil has a balance of acidity and alkalinity. (pH) Soil testing kits are sold so you can pH test the soil. If soil is too acid, add lime if too alkaline, add gypsum. Check that the soil is crumbly enough by squeezing a ball in your hand. If too sandy or muddy, add peat moss to correct either problem.

Grading.

For good drainage, the lawn should slope gradually away from the house in all directions You can grade the area yourself, judging it by eye, or have it done for you. After grading, turn the hose on the area and look for any places where too much water collects.

Fertilising.

After grading and adjusting the soils pH, till it. The best tool for this is one of the rotary tillers which have converging blades to slice and chip the soil as you push it along. Then apply a suitable mixed fertiliser. Many brands are available which can be broadcast by hand or in a fertiliser spreader. Spread the fertiliser evenly and rake it welling ready for planting.

Planting.

When you decide on the kind of grass to plant, remember they will all need attention, but some kinds of grass need more care than others. Take into account the local climate, moisture and soil conditions and choose suitable seeds. Grass can also be planted by laying runners or planting squares of turf bought from a nursery.

Spread the seed either by hand or in a seed spreader, at the rate recommended by the supplier- don’t spread it so thickly that the seedlings choke each other as they come up.

After sowing, rake the area to partly bury the seeds. Generally, only very sandy soils will need rolling to set the seeds.

Feed with a suitable fertiliser and keep the soil moist after sowing. The top layer of soil should be kept damp at all times until the seedlings come up, when they can be watered each morning only.

The grass should be cut when it is 40-5Omm high to help spread the root system and make the grass thicken.

Mow each week until the lawn is sufficiently thick then mow as normal.

Maintaining the lawn.

Established lawns should be fertilised at least once a year with complete fertiliser. To keep the acidity of the soil in balance, apply lime or dolomite every second or third year, governed by regular soil testing.

Home made weed killer.

4 cups (1 Litre) of white vinegar
1/4 cup (50 mL) of table salt
2 tsp (10 mL) of your favorite dishwashing liquid.

Materials you’ll need:

  • Soil testing kit
  • Lime or gypsum
  • Peat moss
  • Suitable mixed fertiliser
  • Grass seeds
  • Sprinkler or hose system
  • Complete fertiliser

Tools you’ll need:

  • Spade and hoe or mattock Rake
  • Roller if required
  • Mower

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A Handyman’s Guide to Prunning Plants, Trees

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Photo : readersdigest.com.au

Pruning trees is more than trimming overgrown plants. It is (or should be) an imitation of nature’s own practice of removing weak branches, thinning out limbs, which get in each others way, and removing overlong shoots. All this strengthens the tree and increases the production of foliage, flowers and fruit. All pruning equipment should be kept sharp, and should be suited to the job in hand. Too large or too small tools result in ragged cuts, which may damage the tree. There are three main types of pruning saw the hacksaw type which has interchangeable blades, the double-sided saw, and a single-sided hooked saw used for rough work. A pruning knife is handy for trimming. Heavy gloves are useful. There are also many power operated tools available which can reduce the amount of heavy work required.

Points to remember when pruning are:

  • Start pruning when the tree is still young. Keep in mind the character of the fully-grown tree when shaping a young tree.
  • Cut regularly, rather than heavily whenever you think of it. Too-heavy pruning can result in an unattrac­tive mop-head appearance caused by the rash of new growth.
  • Most pruning is done in autumn or winter. Newly transplanted trees should be pruned whatever the season, because their root system is greatly reduced by the move.
  • Cut as close to the base of the piece you are cutting as possible. To avoid tearing off part of the trunk when a branch fails away, make the first cut under the branch to about half-way through then cut from the top.
  • Large branches should be cut into pieces and lowered by rope down the tree. The failing branches are not only a danger to people underneath, they can damage the tree as they fall.
  • Trees such as the conifers produce enough sap to protect the cut surface. Other trees should have a dressing of tree paint applied to the cut edge.
  • For safety, do as much pruning as you can from the ground. If working from a ladder, ensure it is standing on solid ground. Do not try to reach too far out from the ladder. It is safer to climb down and move the ladder, pruning only the area within reach each time.

Materials you’ll need:

Tools you’ll need:

  • Sharpened pruning tools
  • Ladder

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