Lawn Care

[Kellynch]

My understanding is that there are generally two types of grass - Malaysian(big leaf) and the other - I have the other.  Google has not been my friend - probably asking the wrong questions.  I get machines and ads for Thai gardening companies.  Apart from watering, what should be done?  Aerate, fertiliser and other stuff?  I'd appreciate help with details such as what type of fertiliser etc and when.  Many thanks.

[drtreelove]

I'm sorry to see that you haven't had some replies. I passed it up at first view because you have asked a huge question that would take considerable time and expertise to answer completely. 

 

Preparation is everything when installing a new lawn: incorporation of organic matter/compost, and installation of an irrigation system or planning how you will water the grass with sprinklers or drenching during the dry season. But you have an existing lawn, so you will have to start with what you have and go from there. Aeration, pulling of plugs or poking holes provides entry sites for adding fine compost and maybe gypsum to improve the growing conditions and allow oxygen to penetrate a compacted clay soil. 

 

For weed control, fertilization, and other management ideas,  try a search for the many previous discussions here and on the Farming In Thailand forum.  

 

 

[cooked]

I was a so called lawn and green specialist, have a lot of qualifications and experience.  You want to know what I do? I let the cows out on to the greenish bit when it gets to untidy.

[Kellynch]

On 1/11/2021 at 4:00 AM, drtreelove said:

I'm sorry to see that you haven't had some replies. I passed it up at first view because you have asked a huge question that would take considerable time and expertise to answer completely. 

 

Preparation is everything when installing a new lawn: incorporation of organic matter/compost, and installation of an irrigation system or planning how you will water the grass with sprinklers or drenching during the dry season. But you have an existing lawn, so you will have to start with what you have and go from there. Aeration, pulling of plugs or poking holes provides entry sites for adding fine compost and maybe gypsum to improve the growing conditions and allow oxygen to penetrate a compacted clay soil. 

 

For weed control, fertilization, and other management ideas,  try a search for the many previous discussions here and on the Farming In Thailand forum.  

 

 

drtreelove, very grateful.  I'll check out what you suggested :)

[drtreelove]

On 1/10/2021 at 6:39 PM, cooked said:

I was a so called lawn and green specialist, have a lot of qualifications and experience.  You want to know what I do? I let the cows out on to the greenish bit when it gets to untidy.

Cooked my friend, is that what its come to, with all your qualifications and experience?  Buriram style lawn care, let the cows out? OMG.  ????

 

Lets help the guy, and others who may have the same question. 

 

There are reasons to consider alternatives to lawn grass, and to use other ground covers that are more ecologically friendly and are not so needy of water, power equipment use and chemical fertilizers. But if you are determined, here are some thoughts:

 

The first step in my opinion, is to evaluate your resources and budget and how much work you are willing to do yourself, or will you be hiring workers to install and maintain your lawn. 

 

If your existing grass is in reasonably good condition, growing on reasonably good soil and not heavily weed infested, then work with improving the soil and water management as much as possible.

 

The right amount of watering is critical, not too much or too little. Too much can create root rot, too little will allow drought stress. Install a good irrigation system or use a hose-end sprinkler from HomePro or other shop, that you move around to get good watering done, usually daily during the dry season. Deep watering encourages deeper rooting and better drought tolerance, but don't keep it muddy wet. Get to know your own soil and how much water it takes to wet it, and how long it takes to dry out.  Water accordingly. 

 

The second easiest improvement to make is to "top-dress" the grass with a half inch (1.25 cm) or so of fine, composted chicken manure (like the CP sack compost ("pui insee") product called Maw Din. Don't add so much so that it covers the grass and shades it out from sunlight and photosynthesis. Water it so that it filters in to the grass and down to the soil grade.  A more thorough application would be to aerate and allow the compost to filter in to the holes as well as down through the grass blades. The composted chicken manure will be enough fertilizer to get started, but after a month or so, when the weather starts to warm up, you can begin to fertilize monthly or every six weeks with an organic or chemical fertilizer product. To be discussed later. 

 

But if your grass is trash and you're not sure how much is the desireable grass and how much is just green weed growth, then you may want to consider starting over by removing the existing turf and installing new sod.  Many grass vendors offer this installation, but they will likely short cut the process and lay the grass on top of hard clay without much preparation. I've always done my own sod installations, and incorporated (dug or rototilled) a good amount of compost into the soil before laying the sod.  Good preparation makes a difference for grass health, appearance and longevity. 

 

Seeding is an option, but it takes a few weeks for the seeds to sprout and the grass to establish, and during that time you cannot walk or play or allow pets or kids (or cows) to disturb the new growth, and weed growth can get established sometimes faster than the grass. Go with sod. 

[Kellynch]

That's brilliant.  I'm very grateful for all the time you took to help ????

[drtreelove]

My recomendation is to focus on getting the irrigation part ready, because the hot season is coming right up. In most areas of Thailand, except maybe in the mountains, it gets hot and dry by the middle of February, especially by March.  New sod or rejuvenated existing grass could be lost very fast without adequate water. You will need to water at every stage, planting, aeration, fertilizing, and daily maintenance. So decide what method you will use and get it functional during the next few weeks. 

 

I highly recommend that you consider going organic with your lawn care. Here are a couple of links with some tips. There is a lot more info on the Internet including YouTube videos. 

 

Organic Lawn Care: How to Go Chemical-Free and Maintenance Tips - This Old House

 

Organic Lawn Care 101 - Maintaining a Chemical-Free Lawn | Planet Natural