Here is what it takes to grow a perfect lawn

In what was seen as an attempt to spruce up the city for  US President Barrack Obama visit in July last, Nairobi governor, Dr Evans Kidero, launched an ambitious grass-planting project along the Uhuru Highway.

However,  the grass wilted under the scorching Nairobi sun.

Fast forward to November 2016 and the grass, despite having grown and won the Best Landscaping Project Award at this year’s Architectural Association of Kenya excellence awards, is struggling to grow yet again.

Growing grass is not easy, and many people will tell you. Though there are no hard and fast rules, there are certain factors to consider and tips that can save you the headache of have  a lawn.

Contrary to what most people do — take grass from one piece of land to another — grass should be grown from seeds, says Mr Martin Mambo, a sales representative with seed-manufacturer Starke Ayres Kenya Ltd.

Speaking to DN2 during the recently concluded Kenya Homes Expo, Mr Mambo said: “Imported grass might have  diseases, oryou might transfer  old grass that will not survive more than a year on your lawn.”

However, landscape architect Andrew Mutia, disagrees, saying that unlike seeds that might never germinate with grass cuttings, you are  assured of germination.

SUITABLE VARIETY

But perhaps the most important thing to note is that different grass types are suitable for different climatic conditions and soil types. For instance, a place with black cotton soil calls for a grass variety whose roots go deep into the soil. This is because  black cotton soil cracks when dry, and will, therefore, expose the roots of a shallow-rooted grass variety.

In addition some grass varieties do well in rainy areas while drought-resistant varieties such as mad river grass do well in areas that receive little  rainfall.

Mr Mutia says that the county government erred in choosingArabic grass, for the Uhuru Highway project.

“Arabic grass requires water throughout. It also requires top-dressing with fertilizer once in a while , which adds to its maintenance costs. Though mad river would have taken longer to grow, it would have been a better choice.,” he adds.  

Does that mean anyone around Nairobi should not attempt to plant Arabic grass in their lawns?

“No, if you have a small compound with adequate water, you can plant Arabic grass,” says Mr Mutia. 

He notes that  Kikuyu grass is ideal for open grounds since it requires considerable exposure to sunlight. In contrast, Zimbabwe and paspalum grasses do well in compounds with lots of trees and open compounds respectively.

Also worth considering is the size of the field. To achieve perfect ground cover, Mr Mambo advises that you use  seeds as recommended by the seeds’ manufacturer.  

For example, Bermuda grass seeds are tiny and a kilogramme covers a smaller area compared with other varieties. “If you chose Bermuda  grass for an environment where other varieties of grass would do well, you end up spending a lot of money and not get the desired grass cover,” says Mr Mambo. 

If you are  importing  soil, bear in mind that grass does not have long roots and  requires only a maximum depth of 150mm of fine soil to flourish. If possible get forest top soil because of its excellent drainage properties, aeration and fertility. IHowever,if you can’t, red soil will do.

“In some instances it is important to fumigate the soil in order to kill weed seeds in it. This is particulalry necessary in situations where the land was previously used for  farming,”  says Mr Mutia.

An important thing to note here is that goat and chicken manure are the most suitable organic fertilisers to use.

Mr Mutia says  a goat’s digestive system is more thorough than that of a cow, which means the animal’s waste matter, which does not contain food remains, is “better processed” and contains more nutrients.

“Chicken manure,  which contains even more nutrients, is the best,” says Mr Mutia.

After thoroughly mixing the soil and manure, level and rake  the ground before transferring the grass cuttings or broadcasting the seeds. 

SOIL MOISTURE

Mr Mambo says grass seeds take a maximum of two weeks to sprout, so if you do everything right from the start, you should have a lawn and within two months.

Meanwhile, Mr Mutia cautions that splash erosion (when  water hita bare soil) might occur during irrigation and cover the seedlings with soil. If that happens,  keep digging up and around the seedlings in order to maintain the grass level.

After six months, run a handheld roller over the grass to compact the lawn and take care of depressions. However, the roller should weigh less than one tonne to avoid destroying the  grass.

As regards watering, Mr Mutia says it is dependent on the climatic conditions and the soil’s drainage capacity.

 “Grass grown on sandy soil will need regular watering since sandy soil tends to drain a little too fast. The reverse is true for loam soil,” he says, adding that  during the hot season, a sprinkler can be turned on once or twice a day. Conversely, daily watering is not necessary during the rainy season.

However, it is important that you determine the soil moisture content before watering since too much water can kill the grass.

Mowing is determined by the amount of traffic on the grass, personal taste and assessment. For instance, Arabic grass does not grow tall but rather, spreads out. This makes it feel like a carpet under the feet. However, it does not absorb pressure and too much pressure makes it dry up. “Kikuyu grass grows tall and, therefore, needs regular mowing. However, it is almost resistant to pressure, which makes it suitable for high- traffic areas,” says Mr Mutia.

For a perfect grass lawn, Mr Mutia advises that you contract a professional landscaper but more importantly, that  you get involved in the process so that you can learn from the landscaper to maintain the grass.

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Advice

Before you settle on any grass type for your lawn, let the vendor know the factors that might affect its germination and subsequent growth.

For instance, the variety known as shady mix requires 60 per cent shade so if you have many trees in your compound, it would be the ideal choice as it is sure to thrive.