Spring Lawn Care: When Should You Sand Your Lawn?
Created: 05/03/2022, 12:21 p.m
By: Andrea Stettner
Sand loosens the soil and helps the grass to grow well again.
We show how sanding the lawn works and which soils are suitable for it.
If your lawn grows poorly, even though you mow, fertilize and water it regularly,
compacted soil
is often to blame.
They usually look clayey and loamy.
When the ground is compacted, it is difficult for the lawn to grow properly.
As a result, moss and weeds quickly gain the upper hand in the garden.
Yellowish-brown discoloration of the blades of grass can also indicate this.
In this case, sand helps the grass to sprout vigorously again.
Sanding the lawn can help with compacted soil.
© Steffen Kuttner/Imago
Sanding the lawn: what are the benefits?
When sanding the lawn, also known as sanding or sanding, a thin layer of sand is spread over the entire lawn.
The rain then washes the sand into the ground and loosens the top layer.
Heavy, dense soils become looser again
, which improves water drainage and prevents waterlogging.
The grass roots also get more air and can draw more nutrients from the soil again.
Another advantage of sand: Unevenness in the ground can be easily leveled out with it.
In addition, sand can also help when reseeding the lawn so that the green sprout quickly.
This measure of lawn care is particularly recommended for soils that are often used and stressed.
That is why the lawn is often sanded on golf courses and soccer fields.
However, deeper compaction cannot be influenced by sanding.
In this case, the lawn should be aerated or aerated.
What sand do I use to sand the lawn?
When choosing sand, you should pay close attention to its properties.
The portal
Rasendoktor.de
recommends using sand that is as fine as possible, such as
quartz sand
.
A
grain size of 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm is optimal
.
Special lawn sand is commercially available.
But play sand is also often suitable if it is fine-grained.
The sand should also be washed, contain no more clay or silt and ideally have a round grain size.
Round grains
slide better into the turf and into the ground, while sharp-edged sand impedes root formation.
Incidentally, lime should only be included in the sand if you have acidic soil, as lime affects the pH value of the soil.
How often should you sand and when is the best time?
Ideally, sand your lawn in the spring after scarifying.
In principle, however, you can sand all year round.
Sand annually for
heavily used soils
, twice a year for the first two or three years makes sense.
A second sanding in the fall is also useful for shear clay soils.
Sanding the lawn – Instructions:
Before you start sanding the lawn, some preparations are necessary so that the measure can take full effect.
But the effort will be rewarded and you can look forward to a lush green, free from moss and thatch.
That's how it works:
First mow the lawn to a height of three centimetres.
Scarify the lawn with a suitable scarifier.
This will remove moss and thatch and allow the sand to get into the soil more easily.
If you also want to aerate the soil, this should be done after scarifying.
Distribute the lawn sand about
one to two centimeters high
over the entire lawn.
Sand a maximum of 10 liters per m², normally 3 to 5 liters per m² are sufficient.
The grass tips should still stick out.
The fastest way is by hand or with a shovel, or you can use a spreader.
A so-called lawn squeegee is a suitable
tool
, with which you can then distribute the sand evenly on the lawn.
Or you can simply use a back rake for it.
Finally, water the lawn.
This is how the grains of sand are washed into the ground.
In order to admire the first results, however, you have to be patient: If you sand your lawn once a year, you can
look forward to stronger blades of grass
after three to five years .
If you want to get rid of your weeds in your lawn faster, you can use a variety of methods.
You should also avoid common mistakes to protect the lawn.
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