Unpretentious meadow fescue for lawns and creating an oasis of pleasure
The amazing beauty of spacious meadows and forest edges conquers sincere hearts that yearn to reunite with nature. Meadow fescue for the lawn helps to bring the dream into reality. Sowing it on their plots, summer residents create such masterpieces. The green soft carpet turns the estate into a piece of Paradise, where peace and happiness rest.
In addition, the herb is used as sideratato restore soil fertility. Even such pests as bear, slugs, onion fly are in no hurry to "occupy" the sown areas. What is this miracle of nature? How to grow a culture on the territory of a country house? What cultivation rules should novice farmers know?
Biological features of the plant
The plant is distinguished by excellent resistance to frost, therefore, it is suitable for growing in any region of the country.
The herb has a unique rhizome structure. Its ground part has a creeping character. Thanks to this, meadow fescue receives nutrients and quickly covers the top sphere of the soil. The invisible area of the rhizome goes deep into the soil, which helps to strengthen the plant. As a result, it can easily endure dry periods and winter frosts.
The crop grows to 0.70 cm. It consists of generative and vegetative shoots, which recover very quickly after cutting. Leaves are flat, narrow-linear, slightly rough at the edges. The lower part of the surface is glossy. The plate is about 0.5 cm wide. There are miniature ears at the base. They are colored bright green. If the plant is not cut in time, spikelets will appear on it. At first they have a tightly compressed appearance. But, when ripe, they turn into spreading panicles. The length of the inflorescence is about 1.5 cm. The shape of the spikelet is linear-oblong. Sometimes it has a delicate purple hue. Flowering occurs in the second decade of June.
The plant is wonderfully recovering after mowing and chemical soil treatment.
A detailed description of meadow fescue includes information on fruits and suitable soil. They are oblong brown grains. Each specimen has a clearly defined embryo, which indicates the ideal germination of the plant. Seeds ripen by early August. The culture prefers fertile, moderately moist loamy soil. It develops rather poorly on sandy loam and acidic areas.
In the first year, the plant forms a vegetative mass, which lasts until late autumn.
The advantages and disadvantages of culture
For a green landscape to look flawless, the grass being sown must meet high demands.
Meadow fescue for lawn has a number of advantages:
- in the first year of sowing, it densely covers the entire territory of the site;
- forms a fluffy and even "carpet";
- rises in early spring;
- does not lose its decorative effect for 15 years.
In addition, the plant combines wonderfully with shrubs, trees and flowers. It is used as a green background for garden compositions. The culture easily tolerates dry periods. Does not lose juiciness in the absence of watering for a long time. It develops successfully in sunny areas.
The uniqueness of meadow fescue is that frequent mowing significantly improves its external features. The stems take on a rich shade and soft structure. Even an annual root system grows perfectly throughout the lawn, forming a dense green mass.
It is advisable not to sow the crop in playgrounds or recreation areas. It loses its decorative effect from excessive mechanical stress.
While meadow fescue has many advantages, there are also disadvantages. Grass is not suitable for high-end site designs. It does not produce the emerald "Persian carpet" that was grown in the royal palaces. The fescue area resembles swaying sea waves in which a kitten, puppy or small bird can drown. In fact, these are all the disadvantages of a chic groundcover, green culture.
The incomparable meadow fescue for the lawn: growing according to the scheme
There is nothing better than contemplating juicy greenery in the territory of your country house. But, at a minimum, it must be sown in advance. Many gardeners prefer cereals. They are unpretentious to maintain and easily adapt to weather conditions. To obtain perfect lawn from fescue, you need to adhere to the rules for growing ground cover grass. Consider a phased scheme of work.
Site preparation
The area allocated for the lawn is carefully inspected for stones, paper, remnants of metal structures and other debris. Then all weeds are carefully removed.
To do this, use various methods:
- dug up by the root;
- deep cultivation of the soil;
- treated with herbicides;
- use mulch.
Regardless of the option chosen, the site is well dug up. In the process, they extract dry grass and last year's dry roots. Large earth clods are broken with a shovel to obtain a loose soil. Level the site with a rake, removing bumps, pits and other irregularities.
Top dressing of the top layer of the earth
Meadow fescue develops successfully in neutral soil. The alkaline substrate is diluted with crushed peat. And lime is added to the acidic soil.
The fertility of the site is increased with the help of organic components:
- biohumus;
- rotted cow dung;
- compost.
In some cases, radical soil replacement is required. With the help of technology, it is removed, the field of which is covered with special lawn soil. Usually the mixture contains large amounts of peat, river sand and minerals.
Additional area compaction
After deep cultivation and surface leveling, the site is carefully compacted. A special garden roller is used for the procedure. If there is no such tool on the farm, an ordinary metal or asbestos pipe will do. As a last resort, summer residents compact the site with a plastic barrel. It must be filled with water and hermetically closed.
Sowing a ground cover crop
On the prepared surface, make even holes, 1.5-3 cm deep. Usually they are formed along and across the site. Then they carefully read the instructions on the packaging of the planting material. It indicates the standard seeding rate of meadow fescue per hectare. Typically, such an area requires 16 kg of seeds. Based on this, it is easy to calculate the required amount of grain for your site.
When sowing a culture, it is advisable to focus on the marked wells or conventional squares.
After sowing the grains, the soil is sealed.A rake is used for business, as well as a garden roller for ramming the territory. Water the plant with a sprayer in a fine-dispersed mode.
Simple care rules
The planned technology of cultivation of meadow fescue is carried out according to the traditional scheme. It includes a number of simple activities. In early spring, gardeners inspect the lawn. If they detect the accumulation of melt water or unevenness, they are immediately eliminated.
Around the beginning of April, the soil is fed with mineral fertilizers containing nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. After a month, ferticulation is carried out, that is, dry and rotten growth is removed. After the procedure, the plant is mowed. The re-haircut is carried out in June, and if necessary, in August. If there is no precipitation for a long time, watering is organized. Usually use sprays or hoses.
In autumn, meadow fescue crops are carefully checked again. It is possible that various defects appeared on the site. The dead plant elements are raked out with a rake. The damaged areas are loosened, leveled, compacted, and then sown with a crop. After the procedure, the lawn is thoroughly moistened.
In response to such loving care, the plant will grow stronger and start fresh shoots. Then an oasis of pleasure will appear on the territory of the country house. Looking at him, many get a boost of vivacity, which almost everyone needs. Let meadow fescue thrive on nature lovers' lawns.