Grass as a Cooling Feature
Posted by admin on 18 Jul 2009 at 12:51 am | Tagged as: Landscape ideas
Often considered as merely an adjunct of the home, the lawn is seldom thought of for its very practical value in cooling the air on a hot day or evening. An area of grass does not absorb heat; besides, grass constantly gives off moisture from its leaves which have a cooling effect on the air around it. The difference in temperature between a grass lawn and just bare ground ranges from 5 to 10 degrees. But between grass and a hard surface like concrete or asphalt, the difference can be as much as 25 degrees.
Here is one of the most important reasons for making a first rate lawn. Such a lawn, however, must be built then given the necessary attention to maintain it. Merely scattering seed of doubtful value on an unprepared soil and raking it in will never produce a lawn. grass lives in a crowded community of garden statuary, outdoor fountains, and other garden water features. In every square foot of sod there are over 400 grass plants each competing for food and moisture.
The basis for a good lawn is thorough soil preparation. This is the only stage in the life of the lawn when you can get the soil into the condition needed by the roots of grass to penetrate deeply to form a lasting sod. Lawn making must be based upon the existing soil. If you are making the lawn following building operations, all stones and other debris must be removed. The contractor sometimes does this. Grading is sometimes done and some topsoil spread around, but hardly ever is it sufficient to carry a good sod.
Generally the topsoil is spread thinly over excavated subsoil that was graded off after construction ended. Subsoil is always poor as to plant food materials and poor in condition. Whether this soil can be improved sufficiently to make a lawn or whether you need topsoil is a question of cost as well as of the topsoil itself. Poor topsoil is a menace on a lawn, can damage outdoor fountains and garden water features, and you will be better off without it.
On the other hand, the quickest way to a good lawn is an adequate covering of good topsoil. The minimum depth needed is four inches. At this depth, one cubic yard is needed to eighty square feet. The best grade of topsoil should have at least ten percent humus, more if possible; it should test somewhere about pH 5.5 to pH 7.0. In color it should be dark brown to almost black. The very black lumpy material is not always topsoil, but dried muck taken from swamps and usually it is acid.
Good topsoil should have a gritty feeling, the grit being sand needed to give porosity. Good topsoil is expensive. It is often possible to reduce the quantity of purchased soil by improving, to some extent, the existing soil by adding organic matter. This is the great lack of all these soils. Without organic matter grass sod is almost impossible to obtain. If there is any green covering at all, even weeds, dig it into the soil or underneath any outdoor fountains, large waterfalls, or wall fountains. If the weeds have seeds destroy them. If the ground is bare, peat moss will act as an improver.
One bale will cover 300 square ft. one inch deep, and it has no weed seed problem. This is worked into the top three inches and provides a good base for a covering of two inches of topsoil, giving a good foundation for a lawn. Or you can double the quantity of peat moss and add some commercial humus, dig it in deeper to ten inches and dispense with purchased topsoil. A thorough mixing of these materials with the soil plus a breaking down of all lumps should leave the area ready for the next operation.
lives in a crowded community of garden statuary, outdoor fountains, and other garden water features. In every square foot of sod there are over 400 grass plants each competing for food and moisture.
The basis for a good lawn is thorough soil preparation. This is the only stage in the life of the lawn when you can get the soil into the condition needed by the roots of grass to penetrate deeply to form a lasting sod. Lawn making must be based upon the existing soil. If you are making the lawn following building operations, all stones and other debris must be removed. The contractor sometimes does this. Grading is sometimes done and some topsoil spread around, but hardly ever is it sufficient to carry a good sod.
Generally the topsoil is spread thinly over excavated subsoil that was graded off after construction ended. Subsoil is always poor as to plant food materials and poor in condition. Whether this soil can be improved sufficiently to make a lawn or whether you need topsoil is a question of cost as well as of the topsoil itself. Poor topsoil is a menace on a lawn, can damage outdoor fountains and garden water features, and you will be better off without it.
On the other hand, the quickest way to a good lawn is an adequate covering of good topsoil. The minimum depth needed is four inches. At this depth, one cubic yard is needed to eighty square feet. The best grade of topsoil should have at least ten percent humus, more if possible; it should test somewhere about pH 5.5 to pH 7.0. In color it should be dark brown to almost black. The very black lumpy material is not always topsoil, but dried muck taken from swamps and usually it is acid.
Good topsoil should have a gritty feeling, the grit being sand needed to give porosity. Good topsoil is expensive. It is often possible to reduce the quantity of purchased soil by improving, to some extent, the existing soil by adding organic matter. This is the great lack of all these soils. Without organic matter grass sod is almost impossible to obtain. If there is any green covering at all, even weeds, dig it into the soil or underneath any outdoor fountains, large waterfalls, or wall fountains. If the weeds have seeds destroy them. If the ground is bare, peat moss will act as an improver.
One bale will cover 300 square ft. one inch deep, and it has no weed seed problem. This is worked into the top three inches and provides a good base for a covering of two inches of topsoil, giving a good foundation for a lawn. Or you can double the quantity of peat moss and add some commercial humus, dig it in deeper to ten inches and dispense with purchased topsoil. A thorough mixing of these materials with the soil plus a breaking down of all lumps should leave the area ready for the next operation.
is thorough soil preparation. This is the only stage in the life of the lawn when you can get the soil into the condition needed by the roots of grass to penetrate deeply to form a lasting sod. Lawn making must be based upon the existing soil. If you are making the lawn following building operations, all stones and other debris must be removed. The contractor sometimes does this. Grading is sometimes done and some topsoil spread around, but hardly ever is it sufficient to carry a good sod.
Generally the topsoil is spread thinly over excavated subsoil that was graded off after construction ended. Subsoil is always poor as to plant food materials and poor in condition. Whether this soil can be improved sufficiently to make a lawn or whether you need topsoil is a question of cost as well as of the topsoil itself. Poor topsoil is a menace on a lawn, can damage outdoor fountains and garden water features, and you will be better off without it.
On the other hand, the quickest way to a good lawn is an adequate covering of good topsoil. The minimum depth needed is four inches. At this depth, one cubic yard is needed to eighty square feet. The best grade of topsoil should have at least ten percent humus, more if possible; it should test somewhere about pH 5.5 to pH 7.0. In color it should be dark brown to almost black. The very black lumpy material is not always topsoil, but dried muck taken from swamps and usually it is acid.
Good topsoil should have a gritty feeling, the grit being sand needed to give porosity. Good topsoil is expensive. It is often possible to reduce the quantity of purchased soil by improving, to some extent, the existing soil by adding organic matter. This is the great lack of all these soils. Without organic matter grass sod is almost impossible to obtain. If there is any green covering at all, even weeds, dig it into the soil or underneath any outdoor fountains, large waterfalls, or wall fountains. If the weeds have seeds destroy them. If the ground is bare, peat moss will act as an improver.
One bale will cover 300 square ft. one inch deep, and it has no weed seed problem. This is worked into the top three inches and provides a good base for a covering of two inches of topsoil, giving a good foundation for a lawn. Or you can double the quantity of peat moss and add some commercial humus, dig it in deeper to ten inches and dispense with purchased topsoil. A thorough mixing of these materials with the soil plus a breaking down of all lumps should leave the area ready for the next operation.
Tags: garden water features | garden water features | outdoor fountains | outdoor fountains | large waterfalls | large waterfalls | garden statuary | garden statuary | wall fountains | wall fountains | soil