Grass mat maintenance tips

If the grass is greener on the other side, then it's time to do something about it! With the help of these maintenance tips, you will have a wonderfully green lawn that is densely grown, looks healthy green and is free of weeds. You will be able to enjoy your garden to the fullest!

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Mowing grass

Mowing grass regularly is absolutely vital for proper grass maintenance. We recommend that you mow the grass at least once a week, even twice a week in spring. Pay sufficient attention to the grass mats to keep your grass optimally cared for and to reduce the chance of the formation of weeds and grass diseases. This will allow you to optimally enjoy a great green grass lawn.
 
When to mow for the first time?
Mowing season is from March to October. Check the weather conditions before mowing the grass. It is best to mow the grass during dry weather. If the grass is wet, then there is a chance your lawn mower will get blocked.
 
Mowing for the first time after new grass is placed
Do not wait too long for your first time mowing! You need to mow the grass as soon as the grass is 4 cm high. This is usually the case after one week. Mow carefully the first time and do not cut the grass too short. Do this in multiple steps over a couple of days until you have the desired length. Especially for the first few times the grass is mowed it is important to collect or remove the mowed grass.
 
How short should the grass be?
Do not cut the grass too short the first time. The grass mats will wear faster if the grass is cut too short. In spring, a length of three centimetres is enough. During summer, it is best for the grass to be slightly longer, especially under extreme drought (+30?C).  Keep the grass at four centimetres in that case to prevent dehydration and discolouration.

What kind of mower do I need?
You can choose between three kinds of mowers.

Cage mower
A cage mower is used to cut the grass short. This mower cuts the grass, resulting in cleaner cut grass. However, a cage mower suffers from more wear than a rotary mower and thus requires more maintenance.

Rotary mower
A rotary mower slings off the grass because the blade in the mower rotates quickly. This makes the grass a bit rougher. When mowing, take care of stones, twigs or other waste that might get slung away at high speed; avoid contact as much as possible. Like the cage mower, the blade of the rotary mower must be sharpened every year for a good result.
 
Robot mower
Mowing the grass every day really is best. A robot mower is the perfect solution.

Watering grass

Water is a crucial element for your grass. As such, watering it is an important factor in grass maintenance, which is why you need to check the moisture level in the ground regularly. Water is a basic life necessity for grass. Too little of it is not good, but too much water is also bad. Thus it is important that you keep a close eye on this.

When to water the grass?
If you have recently placed new grass mats, then it is important to give ample amounts of water during the first six weeks. This allows the roots to adequately attach to the soil You can water the grass at any time of the day, even in direct sunlight.
If your lawn has been placed some time ago, then do not spoil it by giving it too much water. After all, the roots should grow as deep in the ground as possible and absorb the water there. That is why it is wise to only water the grass when it is necessary. In case of impending dehydration, the grass will turn slightly blue. You can solve this problem by immediately watering the grass. Do not wait until the sun goes down, it might already be too late then.

How long should you water the grass?
It is better to water the grass one time a week for a longer time (no less than half an hour) than to water it a bit every day. Freshly placed grass requires more water during the first period than existing grass and, as such, must be watered to a number of hours every day. An existing grass lawn can root up to 10 cm deep and, as such, does not require water that often. As a result, signs of dehydration take longer to show and the grass will recover from dehydration more easily. Nevertheless, it is always better to prevent dehydration. Weeds and grass diseases will have much less of a chance to develop.

Fertilizing grass 

Having a lawn of grass also requires proper maintenance. Regularly fertilizing the grass is important for the formation of a dense, nicely green grass lawn. Grass can only grow if there are enough nutrients in the soil, which makes fertilizing vitally important. Below, there is a detailed description of when and how you can best fertilize your lawn.
 
When to fertilize?
A basic rule for fertilizing grass is to fertilize it every six to eight weeks during the growth season, which is between April and October. Make sure that you start fertilizing when there is no night frost for optimal effect.
 
How do I fertilize grass?
There are two ways of fertilizing grass. You can do it by hand, but for larger surface areas it is very handy to use a fertilizer spreader. A spreader equally distributes the fertilizer over the grass and is ideal for large surface areas.
If the grass is dry during fertilization, then you must spray the entire area with water after fertilizing it. This ensures that the fertilizer granules dissolve properly. If you do not, then it is possible that so-called scorch marks will form, which can cause irreparable damage to your grass.
Note! If the soil is too rich in nutrients, then diseases and fungi could form. Pay close attention to the dosage!

Types of fertilizer
Organic fertilizer
Organic fertilizer stems from organic elements, such as dried or fresh cow manure. Organic fertilizer improves the soil and injects sufficient nutrients into it.

Artificial fertilizer
Artificial fertilizer only injects nutrients into the soil that can be absorbed quickly by plants and works somewhat faster than organic fertilizer.

Dethatching grass    

In order to optimally enjoy a nicely level green grass lawn, dethatching the grass is vital. The dead material, such as leaves and grass waste allows for fungi to develop. A type of felt layer will form on the grass which does not allow water, light and air to permeate it much. As a result, the grass remains moist and acidic, which encourages moss growth. In order to prevent this, the waste must be 'combed out', or dethatched. This allows you to keep your lawn healthy and clean.

How to dethatch?
There are two ways of dethatching your grass: manually or by machine. The surface of the grass is of vital importance in the choice between manual or machine dethatching.

Manually dethatching grass
Manually dethatching grass is done by means of a dethatching rake. Note: manually dethatching your lawn is a labour-intensive activity. The dethatching rake is more suitable for smaller surfaces of grass and it is not advised to use it for a large area of grass!

Dethatching grass with a dethatching machine
If you have a large amount of grass to dethatch, then it is wise to use a dethatching machine. It is quite hard work to do this by hand. Compared to the dethatching rake, a dethatching machine requires less effort. Moreover, a dethatching machine is ideal for the efficient removal of waste from the grass.

When to dethatch grass
For optimal enjoyment of your grass, it must definitely be dethatched once, but preferably twice, a year. Dethatching grass must be done during autumn, so your grass will go into winter clean. You can repeat the process again in spring as soon as there is no night frost any more. This gives the grass more oxygen and will allow it to absorb more nutrients. You can then also replace any empty patches in the lawn with new patches of grass.