“To me, a lush carpet of pine needles or spongy grass is more welcome than the most luxurious Persian rug” – Helen Keller
The smell, the feel, and the look of natural grass stimulates all our senses and if we listen carefully, we can hear the grasshoppers and the various denizens of the insect world on a balmy autumn evening. However, with the strain on water resources, people are now looking at Astroturf as an alternative to natural grass. I will discuss Astroturf as an alternative at the end of the series.
This is the first of a multi-part series on lawn care of natural grass lawns. Sustainability wise they are water hungry but do reduce temperatures considerably and can be watered with more saline water as well as grey water which is household wastewater. In this part, we shall discuss types of grass and how to lay them as well as points to note about mowing your lawn. Most of the inputs are from a dear friend and an expert on natural grass lawns Kauser Ismail.
Natural grass in the GULF faces numerous challenges, one of which is the tremendous heat. To deal with that we need to discuss the types of grass available and what is the best for your home.
Types of grass
Two types of grass are commonly available in the UAE. It is important to select the right type for your home. It really depends on whether your lawn is shaded or in full sun.
Sharjah grass is also known as Paspalum grass. This grass grows in the shade as it requires low sunlight. This means that it requires a lot of maintenance over the summer. Sharjah Grass is also prone to weeds & weed control is a must. Sharjah grass costs 10-13 aed per sq m
Bermuda Grass- needs ample sunlight & thrives in summer. It is low maintenance & yes weeds do pop up but can easily be controlled. This grass is a little more expensive than Sharjah grass around aed 18- 20/- per sq m. It is not available at all nurseries in Warsan & one needs to pre-order it.
Your choice of grass depends on the amount of sunlight in the garden. You could do a mix of both the grasses. Sharjah where there is shade & Bermuda for the rest of the area.
Carpet rolls are most convenient as your lawn looks great from the moment you lay it down. However, one needs to keep in mind that the level may be uneven. It takes time for the roots to become strong. Also, the cost of laying down a lawn goes up. You also run the risk of the carpet being infested with bugs
Tufts are the safest bet in my opinion. The quantity of grass required is almost 1/3. The tufts establish deep roots in the soil which results in the grass being resistant to pests & drought. The lawn will be even (assuming that soil has been leveled out prior to planting)
Another way to lay grass is by seeds. Seeds are available at Ace Hardware. It takes up to 30 days for the seeds to sprout. Not all seeds have 100% germination success. But seeds are a good bet to make your lawn dense and cover some bald patches.
Mowing
It is important to mow the lawn regularly. Mowing at the correct height is extremely important. The rule of thumb is never to take off more than 1/3rd of the height of the grass. This ensures water conservation, helps establish deep roots, improves the density of turf & lastly improves turf color
Gardeners usually tend to cut the grass short (ground level) so that they won’t need to mow the lawn that often. Don’t allow them to do this. Having a schedule is very important.
Another important point is to ensure that the lawn mower is cleaned thoroughly before use unless you have your own. The same mower is used in several gardens and we run the risk of weeds & fungal infections being transported from one turf to another. Even if you own your own mower it is good practice to get it cleaned regularly.
The next post will be on fertilizers and pesticides which work well for grass. Both organic and inorganic fertilizers will be covered.
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