Lawns

[Lite Beer]

Hello.

Does anyone have any idea as to how often I should feed my lawn here in Isaan.

I dont know the technical term but am using the white granules that look like sugar.

The grass looks ok till you look close where the top third of the stems are nice and green but the bottom 2 thirds is a bit straw like.

Maybe this is normal here I do not know.

Thanks.

[tim armstrong]

Hello.

Does anyone have any idea as to how often I should feed my lawn here in Isaan.

I dont know the technical term but am using the white granules that look like sugar.

The grass looks ok till you look close where the top third of the stems are nice and green but the bottom 2 thirds is a bit straw like.

Maybe this is normal here I do not know.

Thanks.

Sounds like you might be using Urea. If so don't use too much. We did last year. My wife and I ran outside, naked, one midnight after a very long dry spell, during a heavy downpour, -and threw the stuff about with much gusto. It was fine for about a week and we were very pleased with ourselves. Then large brown patches appeared all over the lawn, like the aftermath of a wedding where huge quantities of beer are consumed and there's no trees or toilets.

Anyway use a mugful for your average sized lawn, and water it well in. Also don't mow it too short or the weeds wil grow and suck the moisture out. Leave the grass clippings on if its fairly weed free as they will mulch it. Tim

[CbrLad]

Hello.

Does anyone have any idea as to how often I should feed my lawn here in Isaan.

I dont know the technical term but am using the white granules that look like sugar.

The grass looks ok till you look close where the top third of the stems are nice and green but the bottom 2 thirds is a bit straw like.

Maybe this is normal here I do not know.

Thanks.

Sounds like you might be using Urea. If so don't use too much. We did last year. My wife and I ran outside, naked, one midnight after a very long dry spell, during a heavy downpour, -and threw the stuff about with much gusto. It was fine for about a week and we were very pleased with ourselves. Then large brown patches appeared all over the lawn, like the aftermath of a wedding where huge quantities of beer are consumed and there's no trees or toilets.

Anyway use a mugful for your average sized lawn, and water it well in. Also don't mow it too short or the weeds wil grow and suck the moisture out. Leave the grass clippings on if its fairly weed free as they will mulch it. Tim

Chicken crap is a good fertilizer, stinks a little after you put it on but works well. A couple of times a year is always good, I would suggest just before and just near the end of the wet season. The latter is probably the most important as it will help strengthen the roots for the dry season.

Just one point on leaving clippings on the ground, you have to be careful. Some types of grass do not break down fast. If they don't break down they will form a mat called thatch which then stops the water getting into the soil. The best tip there is to try it and see if it breaks down. If it does then yep it is a good mulch, if it doesn't break down say after 1 month then take the clippings away because it will do more harm than good.

[MrSquigle]

Could not find the other lawn thread I was lookin for, but this is a pic of my lawn for Beardog.....this lawn was laid on sand and as you can see, is doing fine.

The kangaroo in the foreground is not a real kangeroo by the way...just in case you try to claim I am after more cool points by keeping a real kangeroo.

[cheshiremusicman]

Hello.

Does anyone have any idea as to how often I should feed my lawn here in Isaan.

I dont know the technical term but am using the white granules that look like sugar.

The grass looks ok till you look close where the top third of the stems are nice and green but the bottom 2 thirds is a bit straw like.

Maybe this is normal here I do not know.

Thanks.

It depends on a lot of factors, the type of grass your growing, soil condition etc. The info below will give you a lot of very good advice as this came from an article about 'tropical lawns' I hope this helps. I personally use a 16-16-16 fertiliser that I buy from a local Thai supplier who provides all kinds of fertilisers for various local growers. A 50kg bag costs me about 960B. The feed that you refered to is most likely nitrogen and you have to be careful not to use this on its own too often as it will just make the lawn very green without building up a good root structure and eventually the lawn will become very weak and will not tolerate drought. Just one point, read the advice about watering as so many people continue to give a little water often rather than deep water which is the way to encourage the roots to go down deeper. I hope the following is helpful - if not just google 'tropical lawn fertiliser'

A good general lawn fertilizer should provide all three of the major essential elements: nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (abbreviated NPK). The three numbers on the front of every fertilizer bag represent the percentage by weight of these three elements. The first number represents the percentage of nitrogen. Nitrogen is required in the greatest amount by turfgrass and should have the highest value by a ratio of at least three to four times the other two. The nitrogen can be present as a mixture of several different materials. Some of these are very water-soluble and are rapidly released in a short period. Others are formulated to be released slowly over a longer period.

All commercial fertilizers are chemical compounds that must first be dissolved in water and allowed to soak into the soil before they can be absorbed by the roots of plants. Highly soluble forms of nitrogen, such as urea or ammonium, dissolve quickly and are a readily available source of nitrogen. The grass greens up and growth rate increases sharply about two days after application, reaches a peak in about two weeks and tapers off to the original condition after four or five weeks. These peaks and valleys in growth rate are typically produced by readily soluble fertilizers and require more frequent application to keep the lawn looking uniform. There also is a greater danger of burning the grass by applying too much at one time.

The newer slow-release formulations for nitrogen overcome several shortcomings of soluble sources. These are synthetics that have a much slower, longer residual nitrogen release pattern and a greatly reduced burn potential. They don't produce peaks and valleys in growth rate. Several forms of slow-release nitrogen are available. The most common found in typical home lawn fertilizers is called sulfur-coated urea, or SCU. This is usually mixed with more soluble nitrogen forms.

The more slow release the formulation, the better. To determine what, if any, amount of slow-release nitrogen is present, look on the back of the bag in the label section marked "guaranteed analysis." The total nitrogen percentage will be broken down into the various forms of nitrogen in the mixture. The soluble forms are listed as ammoniacal nitrogen or urea. If there is any slow-release nitrogen, it will be listed with an asterisk on the urea as "slowly available nitrogen" usually in the form of SCU. Look for the fertilizer containing the greatest amount of slow-release nitrogen.

The final considerations when using commercial fertilizers are how much to apply at one time, and how to spread it. The pounds of fertilizer you apply will depend on the formulation you buy. The recommended amount for grass is one pound of nitrogen for every 1,000 square feet of lawn. To determine how many pounds of fertilizer this will require, look at the first number on the front of the bag — the percentage of total nitrogen. Divide that number into 100. This gives the pounds of that particular fertilizer to use for every 1,000 square feet of lawn. For example: a 2,000-square-foot lawn using a 30-5-5 formulation requires 3.33 pounds of fertilizer (100 divided by 30) per 1,000 square feet, or 6.6 pounds for 2,000 square feet.

Always use a rotary spreader to make the application, and water well immediately afterward. Hand-spreading always results in uneven application that can cause some areas to be burned and others to remain unfertilized. And by the way, grass clippings do not add to thatch buildup and are best left on the lawn if the grass is mowed often enough. The clippings contain large amounts of nitrogen and other essential nutrients that will be recycled back into the soil. Thatch accumulates more rapidly as a result of too much water and nitrogen fertilizer. Higher mowing heights also allow for thicker thatch.

[Nomad97]

Cheshiremusicman, thank you for a very informative article. I have approximately 1600 sq ft of 'Nippon" grass and I use the 16-16-16 fertiliser which I buy for 20 baht per kilo, 5 kilo bags for 100 baht. (About the same price as your bulk buy.) Your formula for how much to spread is very useful and will allow me to increase the application from 3 kilos per 1600 square feet to 5 kilos (provided I have understood your figures correctly). I usually feed the grass 2 x per month and for most of the year the lawn is in good condition. Growth and appearance is below par during the winter season - Nov through Feb. I cut the grass as close as the mower will allow, usually 3 to 4 times per month, and I prefer to collect and throw away the grass cuttings. Less mess brought into the house by my daughter and our dogs.

[cheshiremusicman]

Cheshiremusicman, thank you for a very informative article. I have approximately 1600 sq ft of 'Nippon" grass and I use the 16-16-16 fertiliser which I buy for 20 baht per kilo, 5 kilo bags for 100 baht. (About the same price as your bulk buy.) Your formula for how much to spread is very useful and will allow me to increase the application from 3 kilos per 1600 square feet to 5 kilos (provided I have understood your figures correctly). I usually feed the grass 2 x per month and for most of the year the lawn is in good condition. Growth and appearance is below par during the winter season - Nov through Feb. I cut the grass as close as the mower will allow, usually 3 to 4 times per month, and I prefer to collect and throw away the grass cuttings. Less mess brought into the house by my daughter and our dogs.

Glad the info is some use. I use my grass cuttings to mulch the trees and keep the weeds down around the base's of same, as the have got a small edgeing of low plants around them and it also saves me having to bag and remove the cuttings.

I'm growing one large lawned area with 'manilla grass' and the others with a form of 'bermuda' but they have only been established this year about april and will need some TLC to get upto scratch. I have just raised the cutting height on all the lawns to help during the dry season.

[niggle]

Have same problem as OP. Areas of grass which are green on top for 1/3, rest underneath is brown and straw like. Tried fertiliser - only managed to burn the grass by putting too much down.

Any ideas the best way to discourage / get rid of the brown 2/3 grass ?

[Nomad97]

In the UK one would use a scarifier to clear out all the dead grass, at least once each year. In Thailand, I have never found a scarifier. However, at the end of the rain season I let the grass dry out and then cut as close as close can be. This tends to clear a lot of the dead grass. I suppose you could use a hand rake to clear even more of the dead grass. After this treatment the lawn will look pretty bare and scorched and leave you wondering, "what have I done?" However, some fertiliser, some watering, a little TLC and a couple of months and the grass will grow back greener and thicker than before. Experiment on a small area first - do not do the whole lawn unless you are sure of what you are doing.

[Beardog]

Hello.

Does anyone have any idea as to how often I should feed my lawn here in Isaan.

I dont know the technical term but am using the white granules that look like sugar.

The grass looks ok till you look close where the top third of the stems are nice and green but the bottom 2 thirds is a bit straw like.

Maybe this is normal here I do not know.

Thanks.

It depends on a lot of factors, the type of grass your growing, soil condition etc. The info below will give you a lot of very good advice as this came from an article about 'tropical lawns' I hope this helps. I personally use a 16-16-16 fertiliser that I buy from a local Thai supplier who provides all kinds of fertilisers for various local growers. A 50kg bag costs me about 960B. The feed that you refered to is most likely nitrogen and you have to be careful not to use this on its own too often as it will just make the lawn very green without building up a good root structure and eventually the lawn will become very weak and will not tolerate drought. Just one point, read the advice about watering as so many people continue to give a little water often rather than deep water which is the way to encourage the roots to go down deeper. I hope the following is helpful - if not just google 'tropical lawn fertiliser'

A good general lawn fertilizer should provide all three of the major essential elements: nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (abbreviated NPK). The three numbers on the front of every fertilizer bag represent the percentage by weight of these three elements. The first number represents the percentage of nitrogen. Nitrogen is required in the greatest amount by turfgrass and should have the highest value by a ratio of at least three to four times the other two. The nitrogen can be present as a mixture of several different materials. Some of these are very water-soluble and are rapidly released in a short period. Others are formulated to be released slowly over a longer period.

All commercial fertilizers are chemical compounds that must first be dissolved in water and allowed to soak into the soil before they can be absorbed by the roots of plants. Highly soluble forms of nitrogen, such as urea or ammonium, dissolve quickly and are a readily available source of nitrogen. The grass greens up and growth rate increases sharply about two days after application, reaches a peak in about two weeks and tapers off to the original condition after four or five weeks. These peaks and valleys in growth rate are typically produced by readily soluble fertilizers and require more frequent application to keep the lawn looking uniform. There also is a greater danger of burning the grass by applying too much at one time.

The newer slow-release formulations for nitrogen overcome several shortcomings of soluble sources. These are synthetics that have a much slower, longer residual nitrogen release pattern and a greatly reduced burn potential. They don't produce peaks and valleys in growth rate. Several forms of slow-release nitrogen are available. The most common found in typical home lawn fertilizers is called sulfur-coated urea, or SCU. This is usually mixed with more soluble nitrogen forms.

The more slow release the formulation, the better. To determine what, if any, amount of slow-release nitrogen is present, look on the back of the bag in the label section marked "guaranteed analysis." The total nitrogen percentage will be broken down into the various forms of nitrogen in the mixture. The soluble forms are listed as ammoniacal nitrogen or urea. If there is any slow-release nitrogen, it will be listed with an asterisk on the urea as "slowly available nitrogen" usually in the form of SCU. Look for the fertilizer containing the greatest amount of slow-release nitrogen.

The final considerations when using commercial fertilizers are how much to apply at one time, and how to spread it. The pounds of fertilizer you apply will depend on the formulation you buy. The recommended amount for grass is one pound of nitrogen for every 1,000 square feet of lawn. To determine how many pounds of fertilizer this will require, look at the first number on the front of the bag — the percentage of total nitrogen. Divide that number into 100. This gives the pounds of that particular fertilizer to use for every 1,000 square feet of lawn. For example: a 2,000-square-foot lawn using a 30-5-5 formulation requires 3.33 pounds of fertilizer (100 divided by 30) per 1,000 square feet, or 6.6 pounds for 2,000 square feet.

Always use a rotary spreader to make the application, and water well immediately afterward. Hand-spreading always results in uneven application that can cause some areas to be burned and others to remain unfertilized. And by the way, grass clippings do not add to thatch buildup and are best left on the lawn if the grass is mowed often enough. The clippings contain large amounts of nitrogen and other essential nutrients that will be recycled back into the soil. Thatch accumulates more rapidly as a result of too much water and nitrogen fertilizer. Higher mowing heights also allow for thicker thatch.

Thank you Cheshire. This is one of the most detailed broken down methods on the lawn posts yet!

I was wondering within a week we will lay down some Nippon grass (the Japanese in the front & sides & the small patch always shaded(or most of the time will get the Malaysian grass.) how long would you suggest waiting after initial laying of turf for fertilizing -so it does not burn the grass & cause brown spots? And is it hard to find a spreader for the fertalizer?

I live in the Pattaya -Bang Sare area that sells tons of turf?

Thanks again & have a delightful New Years as well!!!!!

Barry

Edited December 31, 2007 by Beardog

[cheshiremusicman]

[quote name='Lite Beer' post='1623778'

Thank you Cheshire. This is one of the most detailed broken down methods on the lawn posts yet!

I was wondering within a week we will lay down some Nippon grass (the Japanese in the front & sides & the small patch always shaded(or most of the time will get the Malaysian grass.) how long would you suggest waiting after initial laying of turf for fertilizing -so it does not burn the grass & cause brown spots? And is it hard to find a spreader for the fertalizer?

I live in the Pattaya -Bang Sare area that sells tons of turf?

Thanks again & have a delightful New Years as well!!!!!

Barry

Is this 'Nippon' the flowering head variety, as there appear to be a lot of various forms of this from dwarf to tall growing?

With regard to the fertilizing, I would possibly suggest that you make up a 'liquid feed' from your existing choice of fertilizer and if the area is not too large just water it in after the grass has been down for say two weeks. From what I have read ( and I am far from an expert on this subject and have a great deal to learn myself ) it is most important to make sure that the newly laid grass does not get a chance to dry out and this gives the root structure a great deal of help in getting itself well established, so water it copiously.

Diluting fertilizer in water is by far the safest method of ensuring that you do not 'burn' the grass, but it can be a bit impractical if you have a very large area to cover. I do not have a 'spreader' and do it by hand and have found that by using a large bucket and just walking and 'casting a handfull' I can get some kind of reasonable dispersion, but it is trial and error. Far better to put a little on and do it again in a few more days, than to overdo it in one go, and obviously make sure that you have watered the F in as soon as possible after the application, otherwise the F sits on the grass blades and hence you get the 'burn'.

I have possibly made the mistake on my property of putting down 'bermuda grass' in an area that part of which is now in permanent shade from the overhand of the house during this part of the year and maybe the grass will thin out too much because of this! I will have to wait and see what happens. I beleive that one of the best overall grass types to use over here is the 'Manilla' as this can tolerate more shade and I have this on the big side lawn. I went for the 'bermuda' on the area that is visible from the verandah as I wanted to try and get a nice 'fine lawn effect' with cut stripes, but it is early days yet as the lawns have only been down since april of this year and unfortunately I have had to dig them up a few times in order to install drainage pipes. All that is now behind me and I am now trying to get the surface back to some kind of level by applying fine river sand to fill in the bumps and hollows - a slow process but worth it in the end.

Again from what I have read ( and there is an awful lot of info on the internet if you google 'grass or lawns etc ) it is advised that you give a 'newly laid sod lawn' a cutting two weeks after it has been laid. If you do not have a good quality rotary mower, then I would use a decent 'strimmer' as it is amazing just how good a cut you can achieve with one of these with a bit of care.

I hope the info is of some use and the best of luck with the lawns.

[torrenova]

I've got grass on three sides of the house and some is in shade whilst some is in direct sunlight. I've some brown in the sunlight bit but some in the shade seems to be dying whiclst another area has lots of other things (weeds I presume of some descript) growing and I want some east solution to return it to a green lawn. Not a gardener but willing to try.

[Beardog]

[quote name='Lite Beer' post='1623778'

Thank you Cheshire. This is one of the most detailed broken down methods on the lawn posts yet!

I was wondering within a week we will lay down some Nippon grass (the Japanese in the front & sides & the small patch always shaded(or most of the time will get the Malaysian grass.) how long would you suggest waiting after initial laying of turf for fertilizing -so it does not burn the grass & cause brown spots? And is it hard to find a spreader for the fertalizer?

I live in the Pattaya -Bang Sare area that sells tons of turf?

Thanks again & have a delightful New Years as well!!!!!

Barry

Is this 'Nippon' the flowering head variety, as there appear to be a lot of various forms of this from dwarf to tall growing?

With regard to the fertilizing, I would possibly suggest that you make up a 'liquid feed' from your existing choice of fertilizer and if the area is not too large just water it in after the grass has been down for say two weeks. From what I have read ( and I am far from an expert on this subject and have a great deal to learn myself ) it is most important to make sure that the newly laid grass does not get a chance to dry out and this gives the root structure a great deal of help in getting itself well established, so water it copiously.

Diluting fertilizer in water is by far the safest method of ensuring that you do not 'burn' the grass, but it can be a bit impractical if you have a very large area to cover. I do not have a 'spreader' and do it by hand and have found that by using a large bucket and just walking and 'casting a handfull' I can get some kind of reasonable dispersion, but it is trial and error. Far better to put a little on and do it again in a few more days, than to overdo it in one go, and obviously make sure that you have watered the F in as soon as possible after the application, otherwise the F sits on the grass blades and hence you get the 'burn'.

I have possibly made the mistake on my property of putting down 'bermuda grass' in an area that part of which is now in permanent shade from the overhand of the house during this part of the year and maybe the grass will thin out too much because of this! I will have to wait and see what happens. I beleive that one of the best overall grass types to use over here is the 'Manilla' as this can tolerate more shade and I have this on the big side lawn. I went for the 'bermuda' on the area that is visible from the verandah as I wanted to try and get a nice 'fine lawn effect' with cut stripes, but it is early days yet as the lawns have only been down since april of this year and unfortunately I have had to dig them up a few times in order to install drainage pipes. All that is now behind me and I am now trying to get the surface back to some kind of level by applying fine river sand to fill in the bumps and hollows - a slow process but worth it in the end.

Again from what I have read ( and there is an awful lot of info on the internet if you google 'grass or lawns etc ) it is advised that you give a 'newly laid sod lawn' a cutting two weeks after it has been laid. If you do not have a good quality rotary mower, then I would use a decent 'strimmer' as it is amazing just how good a cut you can achieve with one of these with a bit of care.

I hope the info is of some use and the best of luck with the lawns.

Thanks again for the help!!!! My neighbor uses by hand method & says it works out fine.

We had 3 truckloads of din dam delivered today & it is brown. Looks like subsoil. we have it in the upper garden area & it grows most everything well. Isn't Din Dam supposed to be black& if this is a subsoil should I blend in some quai key to beef up the nutrients before we lay the turf in 2 weeks?

Our land is pure sun with only the back being shady (& very little grass area ) I would have opted for the Bermuda myself.

Thanks again

Barry

[chownah]

Din dam means "black dirt" but I have never seen a truckload of black dirt here. Dirt will be really really dark (black?....well almost) if it has alot of decaying vegetable material or charcoal in it....I suppose it is possible that there is some really really dark dirt somewhere because of its mineral content without the veg matter or charcoal but I've never seen it or heard of it.....anyway....In the tropics where soil temperatures are warm enough for the decay process to continue year round and where there is enough moisture to support this decay year round the tendency is for veg material to break down much faster than in a temperate climate so tropical soils generally have a lower organic matter content than soils in temperate zones.....so "black dirt" here is usually brown. Also, "din dam" is used here for just about any even moderately dark soil that has shown to be able to sustain a crop when fertilized with chemical fertilizers. Always what I have gotten when buying "din dam" has turned out to be fertile soil or with the addition of fertilizers to be able to sustain a crop nicely. Adding buffalo or cow manure is always a good idea but do remember that it will likely also add some weed seeds to the soil....chicken manure doesn't have this problem but is harder to get in quantity.

So....don't worry because the soil is not black...brown is usually fine too...whatever the soil color it will benefit from adding organic matter....manure or compost.

Chownah

[cheshiremusicman]

Thanks again for the help!!!! My neighbor uses by hand method & says it works out fine.

We had 3 truckloads of din dam delivered today & it is brown. Looks like subsoil. we have it in the upper garden area & it grows most everything well. Isn't Din Dam supposed to be black& if this is a subsoil should I blend in some quai key to beef up the nutrients before we lay the turf in 2 weeks?

Our land is pure sun with only the back being shady (& very little grass area ) I would have opted for the Bermuda myself.

Thanks again

Barry

If the soil grows other things well then I am sure that your grass will be fine on it. If you can, try dragging a heavy wooden board over the soil to level and compact it to a certain extent before laying the 'sods' and this should help in stopping you getting any deep hollows etc and give the soil a REAL soaking before you lay the 'sods' as well as after. Bermuda is fine but it takes a lot of feeding to maintain its growth and unless you are prepared to keep feeding it on a very regular basis then I believe that the 'Manilla' is the better option, as it will fine up tremendously well if you cut it regularly and doesn't need as much attention.

Just a word of caution to all you lawn lovers who want to eradicate weeds in your beloved green lawns. DON'T use 2-4-D weed killer on ANY lawn that has not been established for at least 9 months and even longer if its Bermuda. I made the mistake of applying same - diluted below normal strength thank goodness on my Bermuda and ended up with big brown patches that lasted for some 2 months, but fortunately it did not kill the grass. I had used 2-4-D in the UK on a regular basis and stupidly didn't check before I used it on my new lawns. I only found out the info the 'day after' I had done the deed when I 'googled' 2-4-D and broke out in a cold sweat when I read the info on it - stupid boy!!! Only excuse is that I don't read Thai ( as yet) and even if I did, I doubt very much, that it would have told me NOT to use it on certain grasses.

Having said all the above, 2-4-D is brilliant for eradicating weeds in lawns. Be interested to know if anybody knows of anything better that they have used out here in Thailand.

[Beardog]

Thank you once again Cheshiremusicman,

We decided on the last load to be din dam. Our contractor knows of a truckload at a good price(probably the going rate 1000 baht here. I will rake & ready the soil before the Good stuff arrives!

Thanks for the good tip on the weed killer as well

Cheers Barry

[cheshiremusicman]

Have same problem as OP. Areas of grass which are green on top for 1/3, rest underneath is brown and straw like. Tried fertiliser - only managed to burn the grass by putting too much down.

Any ideas the best way to discourage / get rid of the brown 2/3 grass ?

Agree with 'nomad67', but you have to 'bite the bullet' when you do this and my wife goes crazy when I have done same as the lawn(s) can look like s---t for about a month, but as the man said it WILL recover and then you can decide what 'height' you want to keep the grass growing. An awful lot depends on 'what type of grass' you are trying to cultivate and just how much effort/time/money you are prepared to put into the project, plus the factors like wear and tear - its horses for courses as they say. My old Dad, used to say that you can tell what type of gardener a person was from the quality of their lawns - reckon he was right, as they take an awful lot of looking after if you really want them to look good, whereas plants etc can look after themselves to a certain extent, as long as they have the right nutrients and water. Hope that you don't get into too much trouble if you do decide to 'lower the cut'!

The 'recommended' method of cutting most 'lawns' is to cut 1/3rd of the height off at one time and no more - so a little and often will help the grass to thicken up. Cut too much off in one go ( as many people do) and the grass will throw a wobbler and can go into a state of shock, so I would recommend that you do the deed in say three stages and gradually lower the cutting height if you really want to get back to a much lower cutting height. This again, is only from personal experience back in the UK,so it MIGHT be different out here in the tropics.

[MrSquigle]

Whats the rule for thick lush grass usually....cut short or long...which is best and why ?

[ozzydom]

There is an old saying in the lawn care industry, that says .cut short,root short...cut long root long..

Short cut lawns require more frequent watering and feeding because the roots are closer to the surface which dries out much more quickly,whereas cutting higher promotes longer roots plus

the longer grass helps shade the soil from the suns heat.

Example..... Your golf course is all nice and green but the greens require watering up to twice a day to maintain their green-ness and growth as they are short cut daily but the fairways with longer growth need much more infrequent watering.

So if you want a lawn like a bowling green you have to prepared to water daily ,(early morning or after sundown) and feed regularly.

Do I know about lawns? probably not ! but after I retired I started a lawn care and landscaping business on the Gold Coast to keep active and indulge my love of gardening and farming. It grew to over 500 satisfied customers and 6 trucks before I decided it was just to much for an old retiree.

[Lite Beer]

Great stuff. I dont understand much of it, and doubt if much of these items are available in an Isaan village, but keep it coming. I am picking up a few tips.

[cheshiremusicman]

There is an old saying in the lawn care industry, that says .cut short,root short...cut long root long..

Short cut lawns require more frequent watering and feeding because the roots are closer to the surface which dries out much more quickly,whereas cutting higher promotes longer roots plus

the longer grass helps shade the soil from the suns heat.

Example..... Your golf course is all nice and green but the greens require watering up to twice a day to maintain their green-ness and growth as they are short cut daily but the fairways with longer growth need much more infrequent watering.

So if you want a lawn like a bowling green you have to prepared to water daily ,(early morning or after sundown) and feed regularly.

Do I know about lawns? probably not ! but after I retired I started a lawn care and landscaping business on the Gold Coast to keep active and indulge my love of gardening and farming. It grew to over 500 satisfied customers and 6 trucks before I decided it was just to much for an old retiree.

I'm sure that you DO know about lawns, and from what you said you obviously know that it takes a H--l of a lot of work to keep a decent lawn looking good. There is NO easy way that I know of keeping a lawn without constant work - unless you prefer Astra turf of the equivalent, but I prefer to see it keep growing and frustating my desire for a lush lawn - maybe one day with luck I will acheive it. Re the watering, what in you estimation is the lDEAL time to water the lawns in the tropics.

[Nomad97]

Late afternoon or early morning seems to work fine for watering. Many say one shouldn't water during the afternoon but that is the usual time that nature does it work - seldom get early morning rain in Issan.

[ozzydom]

As Nomad says,morning or evening is ok, but I personally prefer mornings especially during the hot humid season as there is less chance of moulds and fungii breakouts if your lawn is dry at night. Natural rain does not seem to cause these problems .

Another tip is to keep your cutting equipment sharp and in the case of cylinder type mowers set properly and run your mower at high revs to give a good clean cut, Lawns that are just chewed down suffer tip browning and look pretty ordinary.

[Lite Beer]

As Nomad says,morning or evening is ok, but I personally prefer mornings especially during the hot humid season as there is less chance of moulds and fungii breakouts if your lawn is dry at night. Natural rain does not seem to cause these problems .

Another tip is to keep your cutting equipment sharp and in the case of cylinder type mowers set properly and run your mower at high revs to give a good clean cut, Lawns that are just chewed down suffer tip browning and look pretty ordinary.

This is probably a stupid question , but how do you keep your mower blade sharp? Can you do it yourself or do you take it somewhere.

I never had a garden in UK so I am learning as I go along.

Last week I fitted some extra water outlets and bought some more sprinklers. Hopefully it is getting enough water now.

I just have to keep the dog off the sprinklers

[ozzydom]

Lite Beer ,It depends on what type of mower you have.

Ozzy

[Lite Beer]

Lite Beer ,It depends on what type of mower you have.

Ozzy

Black and Decker. Rotary

[mobile69]

Are there any selective weedkillers here that kill unwanted weeds, but do not harm the Malay grass? I've asked in Chiang Mai & the reply is always "mai mee" & a look of amazement that such like could possibly exist.

[ozzydom]

Are there any selective weedkillers here that kill unwanted weeds, but do not harm the Malay grass? I've asked in Chiang Mai & the reply is always "mai mee" & a look of amazement that such like could possibly exist.

Dont know whether any of the plant specific herbicides are available here. Junglebiker seems to be knowledgeable in that area, maybe he will come in with some clues.

ozzy

[ozzydom]

Lite Beer ,It depends on what type of mower you have.

Ozzy

Black and Decker. Rotary

If the blades are on one bolt (swingers ) its safer to take them off and give them a sharpen on a grinder ,if they are two bolt fastened you can just tip the mower over and do them in situ.If you dont have a grinder whip them off and take them to a welding shop, probably cost you 20 baht,.

Sharp blades are also a lot gentler on your motor also.

Cheers

ozzy

[Lite Beer]

Many thanks Ozzy.