Spring time is lawn time

April is here, and everyone is getting ready for gardening.

Sun light is getting stronger every day and it is working its energetic magic on the chlorophyl in the persistant and hardworking grass. Longer days and increasing tempetures will soon cause the lawn to green up and grow.
General tips to remember in spring time is to fertilize, to feed the soil, do not mow too closely and leave the clippings if you can.

You may find damages related to frost in the lawn this time of year. Snow cover for a longer period is not a problem in it self, the snow acts as a temperature stabilizing cover. The damages are related to fluctuating temperatures during the snow cover. Warm spells during snow cover cause ice formation and exces water to flood the plants under the snow. All plants respirate in the dark. Even plants in winter dormancy need oxygen to the roots. The stress of the melting water will kill some of the grass plants.

The mature lawn can be renewed
With the frost gone, you can repair any damages done by winter and frost. Spring time is the best time of the year to repair and oversow the lawn. If you want to establish new lawn wait for the autum.
You may find patches of snow mould, or simply bare spots in the lawn. Plant pathogens evolve and adapt constantly. Over time a lawn will be less resistant to pathogens.

Every year DLF is launching new varieties with improved disease resistance. A relatively simple act like overseeding a mature lawn regularly will improve your lawns overall genetic ability to endure pathogens and stop the spread of these. It will in turn improve your lawns general appearnce.

Most diseases can be extinguished by giving the remaining healthy plants in your lawn good basis for spread and growth.

The winter hardy lawn
If you would like to promote strong and early growth and more winter hardy lawn, we recommend you overseed using a mixture containing 4turf® (eg. Double, Fabian or Tetragreen). 4turf® is a tetraploid ryegrass, which is very resistant to diaseses, very green and has a very good winter hardiness. DLF have several mixtures in which 4turf® is a component.

A healthy and dense lawn is a good foundation for a great summer.

Winter behavior of two perennial ryegrass in a DLF Demo plot in Czech Republic.

(Photo taken early March 2018)