Lawn preparations
Unsightly, yellow-green waterlogged patches often occur when the roots of a lawn are unable to breathe properly. This can happen when the soil becomes compacted and waterlogged, especially in heavily-used areas. To address this issue, special aeration measures such as aerifying and sanding can be implemented to allow the grass roots to breathe again and restore the vibrant green appearance of the lawn.
Aerifying
Lawn growth thrives on soil with sufficient sand content. However, if the soil lacks sand, such as in clay soils, or if it becomes compacted, as in newly constructed gardens, aerifying the ground can be beneficial. Aerifying involves creating holes in the lawn soil and filling them with coarse sand to prevent them from becoming clogged. This allows for better drainage of surface water and provides the grass roots with increased access to air, leading to improved lawn growth. For small lawn areas in house gardens or troublesome spots with clay or waterlogged soil, you can use a GARDENA Terraline™ digging fork for aerification.
To aerify your lawn, start by inserting a digging fork deeply into the soil, creating rows with a distance of approximately 10-15 centimeters between them. Gently loosen the soil by rocking the fork back and forth, and then fill the holes with coarse sand. For small areas in house gardens, this can be done manually with some effort. However, for larger areas, it is recommended to hire a landscape gardener who has the proper equipment for the task. Keep in mind that aerifying only treats the surface soil and may not address soil compaction in deeper layers. In such cases, it may be necessary to hire a landscape gardener for deeper soil loosening and lawn reseeding.
Sanding
Sanding is a surface treatment used to rejuvenate worn areas of the lawn. It enhances the permeability of the topsoil for water and oxygen, promoting better growth. Here's how to do it: Start by thoroughly dethatching the lawn. Then, evenly spread coarse quartz sand across the entire lawn surface, about 1 cm thick (grain size 0/2). As a general guideline, you will need 100 liters of quartz sand per ten square meters of lawn, or one cubic meter of sand for 100 square meters of lawn.
