Page 22 - Intra Muros October 2021

GARDENING

MOWING AND FERTILISING YOUR LAWN it comes to water consumption, are
IN SPRING several Eucalyptus species.
• To create a healthy lawn, correct and regular
mowing is necessary. You need to cut the Know your trees, look after the right ones!
grass whenever it is growing – which is likely
to be weekly or even more frequently as the THINNING
weather warms up in spring.
• The aim should be to keep it at the same
height all through spring. For most lawns
this should be about 2.5-3cm high. For lawns
that take a lot of wear and tear, the height is
better raised to 4cm. For very shaded areas,
mow at a height of 5-6cm.
• Mowing too short and, as a consequence
weakening the grass, is the quickest and TOP DRESSING
easiest way of establishing weeds and Using manure works as feeding but gives
spoiling the lawn. off odours and your neighbours may not BASIC TREE PRUNING: CROWN LIFTING
• Next on the priority list is feeding the grass, appreciate your efforts. Top dressing should
and feeding the right lawn nutrients at the address level issue whereas feeding can
right time will produce a lawn to boast about. successfully be done with fertilisers as
• A good feed with a lawn fertiliser, not only mentioned above. When top dressing, a
makes the grass greener, but it makes it sandy soil with no stones is best. This will
grow thicker and increases its strength, work easily into the canopy and correct any
vigour and health. In spring, the best results low-lying areas.
are achieved by using a granular feed that
supplies a regular amount of nutrients over BASIC TREE PRUNING
several weeks. Invasive species include wattles, pines,
• To feed your grass use a lawn product such mesquite and eucalyptus. Such invasions
as 18-1-5 or 5-1-5 in a spreader so as to are especially worrying in drought stricken Crown lifting is the removal of the lower
apply it evenly over the whole lawn at the South Africa because most invasive trees lateral branches to allow better airflow,
recommended rate. use more water than other plant groups. improved access around the base of the tree
• Chemical fertiliser rate = 250-350kg/ha or for mowing or recreation and maintaining a
250-250g per 10m . 2 Among the invasive trees with the healthy upper crown area without suppressed
• Organic fertiliser rate = 500-600kg/ha or 500- most severe effects, particularly when and declining limbs.
600g per 10m .
2
Nutrient content
For example: The nutritional composition of
Multi-K™ Classic is 13-0-46.

This means that the feritiliser contains:
13% nitrogen (N)
0 % phosphorus oxide (P2O5) =
0% phosphorus (P)
46% potassium oxide (K2O) =
38.3% potassium (K)

Total active ingredients: 13-0-46 =
59% and not 100%

20 | INTRAMUROS OCTOBER 2021