Agro-Technical principles and measures
Generally, agro-technical measures are applied primarily in the spring and autumn.
Nutrition and Fertilizer
The foundation of a perfect lawn is sufficient and balanced nutrition, which influences the quality of grass growth and its resistance to stress, diseases, and being walked on.
Frequently mown park, golf, and high-wear lawns are very demanding when it comes to nutrition. The amount of nutrients needed is best determined by analysing the soil and visually appraising the grass growth and recommended doses of fertilizer.
Nutrients should be supplied by using organic fertilizer, or industrial fertilizer in granulate or liquid form. Organic fertilizer improves the physical qualities of the soil, increases nutrient fixation in the soil, and increases the effect of the soil’s micro-flora and water absorption.
Try the lawn fertilizer AROS STARTER®
Basic Nutrition Elements:
- Nitrogen (N) – promotes grass growth and rootstock intensity
- Phosphorus (P) – influences rootstock setting and root structure growth
- Potassium (K) – increases the grass’s resistance to diseases, damage from winter frosts, and lack of water
Supplementary Elements:
- Calcium (Ca) – a building block for plant cells
- Magnesium (Mg) and iron (Fe) – important green leaves and the formation of organic mass
Dosage of Pure Nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium) in kg/100 m2/Year
| Lawn Type | nitrogen | phosphorus | potassium | magnesium |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Park Lawns | 0.55–0.75 | 0.25–0.45 | 0.8–1.2 | 0.1–0.2 |
| Sport Lawns | 0.75–1.6 | 0.25–0.45 | 0.8–1.2 | 0.1–0.2 |
| Technical Lawns | 0.30–0.75 | 0.25–0.45 | 0.8–1.2 | 0.1–0.2 |
For professionally-maintained lawns (especially golf courses and football fields), increase nutrient dosages shown on the table by 10–15 % as needed.
Scarification
Scarification is the vertical cutting of lawn sod. It is accomplished using a special scarifying rake, or a motorized scarifying on larger surfaces. The blades dig to a depth of 3–5 mm into the root zone, cleaning the grass sod of dead grass and enabling the access of water, nutrients, and light to the grass. Raked-up remains can be used as compost. After taking this step, it is important to fertilize the lawn, best with a fully-combined fertilizer if the lawn is in good condition, or, for a damaged lawn, a quick-dissolving nitrogen fertilizer for timely regeneration.
Aerification
Aerification means the airing-out of the soil with an aerification fork or aerification roller. The hollow tips of this tool penetrate to a depth of 100–120 mm, from which they bring brome soil up to the surface. The apertures that appear are filled in with high silicate sand, which helps improve the air and water proportions in the soil. Apply it in instances where the grass sod and soil gets packed down hard or if the surface gets over-watered.