Looking after lawns: Readylawn
We love our lawns, but local conditions affect how they perform.
We are on the dry east coast of the Land of the Long White Cloud, so for a part of the year natural rainfall might not be enough. A spot of know-how and smart care can keep lawns looking great, and minimise your water use and payments too.
Roger Morgan, owner of Readylawn is an expert on the needs of grass and approaches to watering. “Evapotranspiration (water transport through the plant), is around 4-5mm per day on average this time of year, increasing during periods of hot weather. Therefore, lawns need around 25mm per week to replace moisture lost.”
Roger advises shallow frequent watering is lost quicker on hot days, while deep slow watering once or twice a week to soak the soil is more efficient and better for the grass plant. Watering at night and early morning utilises off peak demand.
However, the rewards of lawn care are more than aesthetic and recreational. “Natural lawns stay more than 50 percent cooler than asphalt, concrete, and artificial grass on a hot day, plus evapotranspiration has well documented cooling properties to the local environment, not to mention benefits to mental well-being,” Roger adds.
