Modern garden design has been very popular in recent years. They, on the one hand, reflect our era with its hectic pace of life and high technology, on the other hand, serve as a kind of refuge, where you can relax and be alone with nature. Today we will talk about how to create such a garden in Toronto.

The main features of the modern garden design

The modern design can be called an eclectic, as it absorbed the features of several trends in landscape design – minimalism, the Japanese garden, as well as fashionable nowadays eco-friendly design.

Modern garden – minimum maintenance, maximum comfort

Minimalist aesthetics in modern garden design

Performing a lot of tasks at work, overwhelmed with information, tired of the chaos of city life, we want a simple, clear and free space, where it is easy to breathe, where nothing distracts or irritates. In the garden, the modern design is embodied by clear lines and strict geometric shapes that can be traced in the layout of paths and lawns, in the configuration of flower beds, ponds, terraces.

The design is not overloaded with details – use a minimum of accessories, a limited number of plants. Bright garden flowers prefer a restrained palette and exquisite forms of decorative shrubs, conifers, cereals.

This style is characterized by the use of modern materials – paving stones, concrete, glass, polymer composites, metal, stone.

A place for relaxation

According to the perception of modern design is close to the Japanese garden with an atmosphere of peace, tranquility, harmony with nature. To create it, designers widely use basic elements of Japanese style:

• paving of natural stone;
• gravel backfills and dry streams;
• artificial reservoirs in any form – fountains, ponds, streams;
• compositions from plants of one type.

The trend is to reproduce the natural landscape in miniature and show its natural beauty.

A place to relax in comfort

The naturalness of the landscape is not a reason to deny yourself the comfort. A characteristic feature of modern landscaping is a maximum of conveniences for full relaxation and entertaining.

Often the area with a terrace and an outdoor paved area is an extension of the living room. Not just a place where you can sit outdoors, but a really comfortable room with sofas, chairs, dining area, comfortable couches. Everything that you value in outdoor recreation – from the barbecue area to the mini-golf course – should be at your fingertips.

To provide recreation with maximum comfort, you can build a pool in a modern garden design, our experts will harmoniously fit it into your landscape design.

Minimal maintenance

Considering modern garden design as a place for pleasant pastime, it is important to minimize maintenance work. There are many techniques and technological devices for this task.

• Automatic watering systems eliminate the need to stand with a hose.
• Lawns, paved areas, and decorative backfills will free you from weeding and loosening.
• Perennials and ornamental shrubs instead of annual flowers will reduce the time for annual planting.

By thinking through these details, you’ll enjoy relaxing in your garden instead of wasting time on complicated garden maintenance.

A ready-made garden

Ordering a landscaping project in modern design, owners often want to get not only a beautiful, but also to the maximum “habitable” garden.  This problem can easily be solved by purchasing large trees and shrubs with a height of 1.5 m and higher in a nursery. This is especially true for slow-growing representatives of the flora – thuja, juniper, boxwood, etc.

A well thought-out and well-designed garden not only looks good, but also increases the market value of the house. Sometimes up to 15-20%. So investing in landscaping, you make a profitable investment, which will pay off in full if you decide to sell the house.

A modern garden design in Toronto is not an amusement park meant to impress or entertain. It is a place where you will feel comfortable and easy. A place that you will fill with your own meaning. We are ready to help you turn your dreams into reality.

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Low-maintenance landscaping

Not so long ago landscape design and low maintenance landscaping had an idea mainly employees of the palace, garden and park complexes, museums, specialists in art history. But development, as we know, moves in a spiral, and the spiral is spinning ever stronger. What was accessible to only a few is becoming the property of more and more people.

And now the housing of the new nobility and just wealthy people is no longer prestigious, even inappropriate without the appropriate design of the space around the house in the English or Moorish style. The discussion of the merits of this or that style, the differences between the Japanese garden and the Chinese, the possibilities of modernity and techno can be heard in various strata of society. Then the need, demand and hence supply began to “descend into the masses”, to democratize.

Low-maintenance backyard

Now at the service of those wishing to equip a place for physical and mental relaxation, not only a mass of firms, specialty stores and individual professionals, but also a huge number of magazines, publications, websites and forums, allowing to be aware of contemporary fashion, to realize their preferences, to identify opportunities.

Of course, there are many more people with “spacious” estates of less than six hectares than there are oligarchs. Therefore, formed a new trend in landscape design, which works a lot of landscape designers, florists – the so-called low maintenance landscaping. It is attractive to those who will not demolish the top layer of soil, build a complex drainage system, to bring and completely replace the entire soil for planting exotic plants, and will try to use what lives perfectly well in this area on this soil and in the existing water regime.

Low maintenance front yard landscaping

And such a corner, a quiet beautiful place, where you can relax, get away from the daily bustle, from the stressful rhythm of life, not like it was 100 or even 50 years ago, is very necessary for modern people. So it is understandable that many country house owners are trying to find on their land not only a place for pantry and seedbeds with greenery, but also for the low maintenance front yard landscaping or backyard.

Low maintenance yard

For some, such a corner can be a small rock garden or dry creek, or a garden of rocks in the traditions of the Land of the Rising Sun.

For another, the strings of his soul is better served by a small lawn, playing the role of a clearing overgrown with unpretentious simple flowers, bounded by a pair of tall bushes or small trees, in the shadow of which there are benches in the form of stumps.

Flower beds

Many people would prefer to relax near a small pond with water lilies floating on its surface under a plant bent to the water, and for you it will become a low-maintenance backyard landscaping. Arrange such a body of water now is not difficult – a really deep hole do not need to dig, special film coatings of black or blue color for the bottom and walls give a mysterious depth even quite shallow artificial ponds. Instead of films you can use more rigid plastic structures, fortunately they are available in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors.

Not so melancholic, but quite romantic corner can be arranged with a pergola, consisting of two or three arches, twined with grapes, vines or climbing roses, wooden or stone benches, surrounded by low-maintenance flowerbeds or vases with favorite flowers.

In any case, to determine what one really wants and what can be realized in the underlying territory, to plan and realize one’s desires is best helped by one’s own sense of beauty, sense of humor and sense of proportion. But you can’t do without special knowledge of landscape design and the opinion of experts from our company “Captain Handy” will help you with low maintenance landscaping in Toronto.

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Garden landscaping: original ideas

Garden landscaping and garden design, landscaping of the adjacent territory and planting of greenery on the site – today it is a whole science. Specialists in landscape design and urban gardening are engaged in it. And everyone likes to see a small piece of their own land beautiful, but this requires not only effort, but also knowledge.

And if you want the continuation of the house pleasing to the eye, expressing a creative attitude to wildlife, you need to skillfully combine flowerbeds and orchards, alpine hills and lawns, paved paths and flower beds.

Each landscaping specialist offers his or her own vision of the ideal landscaping of the site. And it often happens that both the approach is creative, and the original plan was wonderful, but in the end, expectations are not fully met. As a rule, the completed project does not leave room for new plantings, and the long-awaited bush of favorite roses have nowhere to stick.

Garden landscaping project

Specialists do everything under the order is very competent, carefully following the plan, reflected in the project of landscaping of the house or country site. But it’s very difficult – to take into account all the tastes and preferences of the customer, especially when he has not formed an idea of all the possibilities of landscape design and landscaping a living garden.

A beautiful garden, as a rule, is created not one year, especially as the trees and shrubs are growing up, new perennials are gradually planted, bulbous plants and flowers of the year are sown. So the look of the garden is constantly changing. And in order to avoid large expenditures on its improvement and not to create chaos in the gardening because of impulsive decisions, it is important to think everything out, and the site to break down into separate areas, which will be updated little by little year after year.

It’s no secret that any landscaping requires financial investment, and resorting to a landscape designer increases them at times. That is why today there are so many talented self-taught people who managed to make a blooming masterpiece from their site. For this, some needed special textbooks, some were inspired by illustrations of landscaped areas of the yard on landscaping in garden design. Perhaps you, too, will need those ideas, which are picked up in the article, to suggest how to improve the garden landscaping.

Idea #1 – alleys and garden paths

The garden is a place where it is not only pleasant to pick fruit, but also to relax in the summer heat, while these fruits are not yet ripe. It is not very comfortable to walk through a garden that is wet with dew or rain, and in the mite season it is also dangerous. Excellent decoration in the garden landscaping will be tiled or paved with natural material alleys and paths.

It is appropriate to make a border on the edges of the garden alley or plant flowers of annuals, early primaries, daffodils and tulips or fragrant night violets, which every evening will fill the site with intoxicating aroma.   

Idea #2 – Alpine slides and other elements of landscape design

Alpine hill or rockery – the best decoration in the project of garden landscaping, landscaped courtyard or a huge estate with a garden-park design. Typically, it is a small bed in the form of a slide with natural stones, where plants are planted a little chaotic, but in harmony with each other. One of its varieties is a Japanese rock garden. Alpinarium is very effective, and can successfully decorate:

• back yard;
• garden;
• A small artificial pond;
• landscaping of the territory of the individual development of the garden at the cottage.

Idea #3 – flowerbed

Designers offer a lot of interesting ideas so that trivial beds on a small plot delight the eye with their originality. For such an “edible” bed will suit vegetables and spicy herbs, which can be planted in a pattern:

• curly and common parsley;
• dill, fennel and coriander;
• ornamental onions;
• different kinds of lettuce and arugula;
• bush zucchini and patissons;
• ornamental beans and cabbage;
• Mint, lemon balm, thyme, etc. 

These plants can be planted in a certain order or in beautifully fenced beds, patterned or contrasting crops in color and leaf size. For example, garden and vegetable garden – new landscaping ideas.  

Idea #4 – hedges and vertical garden landscaping

The undoubted adornment of modern landscape design remains the elements of vertical garden landscaping. This idea is not new, because back in the ancient world the Babylonian Hanging Gardens of Semiramis were known as one of the wonders of the world. Today, these are posts with holes for growing strawberries and other design techniques.

Hedges are also a well-known method of landscaping. Only today they have received a different embodiment, thanks to new exotic plants adapted to our climatic conditions.

Equally interesting are the evergreen “walls” and thuja and juniper. And there are shrubs, planted with a wall, which bloom all summer or bear bright berries, such as honeysuckle, garden blackberry, barberry, etc. 

Idea #5 – Fountains and garden ponds

Nothing makes you happier than a homemade mini-pond with a handmade stream. It’s not hard to do if you use construction techniques. They are used both inside the house, for example, when landscaping the winter garden, and on the plot.

The main thing is to arrange the tank so that it does not leak, but the water had a natural drain, then the homemade pond will not stagnate, and the excess water can be directed to water the garden. The base can be made of:

• a special container for a mini-pool;
• a tractor tire lined with a tarpaulin and encased in rocks;
• Any metal or plastic container.     

Make a garden fountain on your plot is also possible – by special technology, using the supply of water with a water pump and other devices. Any reservoir in the garden – it is spectacular and picturesque, in addition, it is nice in the heat to relax near the pond on a bench. There are special plants that are planted near water bodies – lilies, water lilies, reeds and different types of reeds. But in the summer you can also move aquarium plants into the artificial pond.

Idea #6 – a garden bench, pergola or garden swing?

Speaking of benches, where to go without them? In a landscaped garden, there should always be a place to sit down with a book, a cell phone or a cup of compote and berry sills. This can be:

• homemade or ready-made garden bench;
• a small bench from improvised materials;
• pergola from climbing plants or a capital construction;
• garden swing under a canopy or in the shade of fruit trees.

Very picturesque look metal or wooden structures over garden benches erected for climbing plants.        

Idea #7 – green lawns

No matter how many beds and flowerbeds there are in the garden, a green lawn not only sets off all that lush blooming, but also remains a great place to lie down for a sunbath or to spread out the kids with toys or to display an inflatable pool.

Tip: When properly planning a homestead plot, it is important to plan a space free of flowers and trees. It can be seeded with special lawn grass or lay out ready-made rolled lawns. But do not forget that they need watering, as any living plants, and they are not immune to weeds.   

Idea #8 – original flowerbeds

Flowerbeds and flowerbeds are the main decoration in the landscaping of the plot. Their popularity is due to the simplicity and accessibility in relation to other elements of landscape design. Until recently, flowerbeds and flower beds did primitive – dug up the ground, fenced with bricks, laid “tooth” and plant flowers. Today, many original varieties of flower beds are offered to combine different types of flower beds in one garden and garden landscaping near me was cheap and beautiful.

Idea #9 – a collection rose garden

Very beautiful looks in the garden collection rose garden, where different varieties of roses also form a multi-level pattern. In the background – climbing or climbing roses, and they can be planted on both sides of the garden alley, closing in an arcade on metal supports. Next, the rose garden is filled with rare varieties and stem roses (in the form of trees), and along the edges, as a living fence, planted low-growing border varieties of roses.

There are also dwarf and indoor roses, which can also be planted in original compositions.

Idea #10 – seasonal and tiered flowerbeds

For example, an all-season bed blooms throughout the warm period – from snow to snow, if the plants are intelligently combined. It should have an intricate geometry of planting, so that the flowers do not interfere with each other. A circle is outlined inside the square, plants of different flowering times are planted along the perimeter and along the circle in parallel rows.

Tiered flowerbeds make a cascade or in the form of multi-storey buildings, from which the flowers hang in rows. Seasonal flowerbeds are also very popular – with chrysanthemums or tulips, which will please the owners with flowers in early spring and late autumn. Tulipanariums can be complemented by daffodils, muskrats and other primroses.

Tip: If there is a withered tree in the garden, do not rush to cut it down by the root, it can be used as a decorative stand. Cut down large branches diverging from the pole as a fork, attach flower pots to the edges, and in summer petunias or other plants will delight you with abundant blooms.

Idea #11 – Landscape and formal gardening

Two basic styles of landscaping can be used for garden landscaping – landscape and formal (cultural). Landscape planting of remote corners uses trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants characteristic of wildlife. This principle can also be used for remote corners of a large garden plot, which is not planned to plant fruit plants and flowers. For example, a gentle slope of the plot adjacent to a river or other body of water.  

Idea #12 – Lighting and garden décor

Elements of artificial lighting of the plot and garden décor – additional decoration of the garden, which will add positive emotions and add originality and coziness to the garden. For example, along the garden alley can be used:

• glowing pebbles with phosphorescent glow;
• Garden lanterns from the electricity grid;
• illumination and garlands;
• local battery-powered lanterns from sunlight.     

Garden décor – it is purchased figurines and funny homemade items that can be made from improvised materials.  

Idea #13 – Decorate the garden in winter

In winter, when most plants are wilting and leaves are falling off trees and shrubs, you want your garden to remain beautiful. Plant evergreen plants which are pleasant to look at even under the snow and grow close to home. On the eve of New Year’s and Christmas holidays it is customary to decorate 2-3 trees in the yard with illumination or garlands.

Beautifully look and originally trimmed bushes that have lost their leaves. Spheres, spirals, borders, cones, pyramids and under the snow look very beautiful. Take care in advance so that your site looks picturesque in winter as well.

Complement the landscape with snowmen, ice and snow sculptures, figurines of reindeer made of vines to create a holiday atmosphere. 

Garden landscaping will cost a couple hundred dollars – if you plant a couple of evergreens right in front of your house, that will add beauty to your lot and minimize the cost of landscaping. Front garden landscaping will look good even in the winter with a couple of evergreens.

Idea #14 – The Garden landscaping near me – “Captain Handy”

Our company has been landscaping and garden landscaping in Toronto and the GTA for years, and our experts’ experience has been tested by more than a thousand people. Ordering our services – you will definitely get a low price for a small garden landscaping and 100% personal approach.

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Xeriscaping and hardscaping

The new word in landscape design doesn’t have to scare you. Xeriscaping is a fairly simple design and construction technique that can help homeowners save cubic yards of water and money over the long term.

Contact the landscape design experts at ” Captain Handy” for advice on how to improve your yard, garden or recreation area, and learn about new methods and practices in modern terrain design and micro landscaping.

Xeriscaping – a method of landscaping with limited use of sod grass, creating an environment that thrives without frequent watering. You don’t have to sacrifice the beauty of your garden or lawn to achieve this effect.

Seven basic principles of xeriscaping have been developed over time, but just a couple of them are enough to significantly save water use for irrigation and watering plants on the property without a significant investment of labor or money.

Planning and designing

Proper xeriscaping requires a thoughtful plan. Determine the conditions that will affect water use, such as sun and wind exposure, as well as the slopes and irregularities of the site. Group plants that require large amounts of water and plants that need less water, watering them separately. This way you can plan your water consumption better.

Soil Improvement

Use soil covers such as compost, peat moss, or manure to improve heavy clay or sandy soils and retain moisture and nutrients in the soil.

Appropriate plant choices

Low-water-use flowerbeds can withstand periods of drought and high temperatures with minimal irrigation. There are many attractive and hardy flowers and shrubs available at most garden centers in a wide range.

Practical lawn areas

You don’t need to remove your entire lawn, but consider removing areas of turf that are impractical or difficult to maintain, such as narrow strips or grass on steep slopes.

Efficient irrigation

Use the amount of water you need to irrigate with minimal wastage. If you have an automatic irrigation system, adjust the frequency and duration of irrigation according to weather conditions and the changing seasons.

Proper care

The amount of work, for xeriscape front yard, depends on the amount of water.

Overwatering contributes to:

• poor plant growth;
• leaching of fertilizers;
• problems with insects and diseases;
• weed growth;
• requires increased attention.

If water is effectively applied and xeriscaping principles are used, less time is needed for garden maintenance and work.

Using hardscaping techniques in combination with xeriscaping on a plot

There is much more to creating the perfect xeriscaping than planting a few succulents and drought-tolerant grasses. With landscaping professionals, we are now focusing on creative approaches in incorporating hardscape into site planning – not just pouring tons of concrete.

Hardscape refers to “hardscape landscaping” techniques in man-made environmental structures that are incorporated into the landscape. Can include paved areas, driveways, retaining walls, sleepers, stairs, walkways and any other landscaping made up of hardwearing materials such as wood, stone, concrete, etc. – Wikipedia says.

Don’t limit yourself to a traditional approach to landscape design. Let the landscape architects at Captain Handy show you what you can really do with any area on your property.  Our professionals are landscape design professionals in Ontario and Toronto.  Check out our favorite creative options in hardscaping.

Retaining walls

First of all, the most common thing in hardscaping is the use of rocks and cement for retaining walls. Retaining walls can help you zone hilly areas of your land, create unique topography on flat areas.

Using hardscaping in projects allows Captain Handy landscapers to unlock more of the site’s potential, create interesting views and stunning vantage points.

Often we find that customers enjoy laid brick or natural stone for a greater “cottage feel. Others use concrete in wall structures and tile on sidewalks and driveways. The skill of talented hardscaping designers is that you can create any vision of landscape in reality.

When you think about the difficulty of implementation, you probably see a specific design.

Even though there are many variations in this design, you may find that there are all sorts of hardscaping options for you. The combination of the retaining wall and sidewalk makes for a rich and finished front yard. In addition, we often find that over-sized stone creates a natural landscape, even though the entire ensemble is man-made.

The beauty of hardscaping is that your landscape can vary greatly from area to area, and you can make all kinds of changes by playing with shapes, volume, and combination of materials. The drought tolerance of an artificial landscape doesn’t require sacrificing function at all.

Patio in hardscape design

When setting up a patio or patio with hardscaping techniques, you can use concrete, wood, stone, tile and other man-made and natural materials. Many of our customers, look at how they can furnish a large organized patio. Since this type of hardscaping is great for entertaining, for many customers it is usually not a problem.

With small yards, large patios can be the best choice in planning with a xeriscape design. Potted plants on top of a concrete or paved brick patio object are popular during the dry seasons. Without sacrificing your water bill, you can create a beautiful garden or large multipurpose space.

Focus Points

Focal points are our favorite part of landscape design in hardscaping. Using cement or pavers, you can create bird baths, secret gardens, outdoor fireplaces and more. Using natural stone and other available materials can help make any landscape, from a simple small backyard, to a square or large garden.

Here we’ve covered the basics of hardscape and xeriscape design. With our help now you have all opportunities to turn your yard into a cost-effective, beautiful, modern and practical landscape that will please the eye from year to year and will save money on care and maintenance.

Contact the experts, designers and architects at Captain Handy for advice on landscaping your yard at the phone numbers and addresses posted on our website.

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Lawn installation in North York

Today we will talk about such an interesting material as rolled turf. This is a very popular today ground covering not only on country plots. We will tell you how the lawn installation in North York is carried out correctly, about some of the nuances of the process.

And also designate the positive and negative sides of the rolled lawn. Understand this topic, you can easily control the masters who entrusted you to lay rolled lawns on your property. So to speak, to be with them “on the same wave”.

What is a rolled lawn

In fact, it is grass, which is planted on a special base. As the latter, sacking, cardboard or plastic mesh is used. The basis is laid on a flat surface, this can be a ground area or racking equipment.

Pour a layer of sod soil mixed with peat and sand on it. The main task is to bring the acidity of the mixture to neutral, as in nature. The thickness of the poured layer is 3-5 cm.

After preparation, the grass seeds are sown. As soon as the plants rise to a height of 10 cm, they are cut down. So do two or three times to strengthen the root system. After 2 months, the covering material is ready.

Manufacturers most often offer grass mats that are 2 m long, 0.4 m wide and 2-2.5 cm thick.

Lawn Installation technology

Lawn installation technology is divided into two main stages: preparation and laying the lawn itself.

Preparatory stage

First of all prepare the site itself, which is decided to lay rolled grass. To do this, remove debris, stones, pull weeds. Then prepare the drainage system. Do it this way:

• Remove the top layer of soil to a depth of 20 cm.
• Pour a layer of pebbles, which are aligned on the horizon.
• The next layer of sand. It is leveled and tamped.
• Pour the selected soil.
• Conduct soil rolling with a metal roller.

If the soil on the site is sandy, then the drainage system is not necessary. It will only be necessary to clear the area and level it.

And the last process in the preparatory stage is marking. If the landscaped area is large enough, it is recommended to divide it into strips. That is, at the edge of the site are hammered into the pegs with a pitch equal to the width of the roll turf.

Do the same on the opposite side. After that, the pegs are connected to each other with twine.

Note that the grass should not be higher than the garden paths after sprouting. And if you take into account that its height does not exceed 5 cm, then, relying on this indicator, the alignment of the site is carried out.

Basic stage

In principle, there is nothing difficult about it. It is necessary to spread the rolls evenly near each other, leaving no visible gaps. It is important to lay the first roll correctly. That is, parallel to the edge of the area in which the material is rolled out.

Since the rolls themselves have a certain length, then often each of them does not cover the length or width of the area. Therefore, the rolls are staggered. This is when the edge of one of them lies side by side, but to the middle of the cloth.

When the entire site will be covered with grass, soil mixed with sand is sprinkled between the laid strips. In this way, the edges of the laid roll are protected.

And a few more peculiarities of lawn installation in North York:

• The gap between the grass materials should not exceed 1 cm.
• It is forbidden to lay rolls overlapping.
• No segments from bales of less than 1 m in length should be laid. The edges of the material are the most vulnerable areas that do not take root.
• Lawn installation in bales is better to be done in dry and not hot weather.
• During hot weather the grass is watered abundantly and several times a day.

During installation, the spreading is carried out from one side of the landscaped area to the other. It is forbidden to step on the unfolded rolls.

If there is a reason to step on the installed lawn, it is better to put a wide flat object under your feet. For example, a sheet of plywood, or at least a board. Thus, the point load, which can damage the grass, will be reduced.

After 15-20 days, the first mowing is carried out. Experts recommend keeping the height of the grass no more than 5 cm. Although this is just a recommendation.

How to care for your lawn

So, the lawn installation is done, the site is watered, what’s next. The main task falls on the owner of the site. And it is not to dry out the laid material, so the grass should be watered all the time.

By the way, to understand whether the laid grass layer is dry or not, you should periodically lift the outermost layer. If the layer itself is wet, it is normal. If it is dry, you will have to increase the volume or frequency of watering.

The recommended dose of water for irrigation is 10-15 liters per 1 m2 of the laid plane. Keep in mind that this should be adhered to in the first two weeks after laying. After that, the frequency can be reduced.

How to choose the right one

Today, there are a huge number of manufacturers who offer rolled lawns. Therefore, a person unfamiliar with the intricacies of the device of the proposed materials, it is difficult to choose a quality product. Therefore, a few tips.

So, what should be a lawn in rolls:

• With a good root system, where a large number of stubs of white color should stand out.
• The thickness of the turf layer along the whole length of the strip should be the same within the range of 2-4 cm.
• The soil should not be too clayey or too sandy. It should not contain stones.
• The color of the grass should be succulent and the same all over the plane.
• There should be no pests in both the soil layer and the grass layer.
• Complete absence of gaps, which indicate poor quality of the material offered.
• The grass should be mowed.

It should be noted that some unscrupulous manufacturers in this way try to hide some flaws in the vegetation. A quality layer should have a small bevel so that the quality of the grass is clearly visible. An optimum grass height is 3 cm.

And the mowing should be even over the whole area.

Buy the material that has been removed from the turf on the day of sale. If you are offered an old, stale product, it will give off the smell of stale grass, and the tips of the cover will be yellowed.

Pros and cons

Let’s start with the positive characteristics.

• There is no need to prepare the soil, sow grass and take care of young greenery.
• Ready green cover easily tolerates low frosts, drought and is immune to various diseases.
• Does not allow weeds to grow.
• Easy maintenance.
• Long-term operation.

And the characteristics are negative.

• High price. The price depends on the greened area. The greater the latter indicator, the lower the price.
• A large number of low-quality products on the modern market. You can buy a material that simply will not take root or will last one season.
• Service life is much lower than that of seed lawn.

Conclusion on the topic

So, we have disassembled the topic, in which great emphasis was placed on the technology of lawn installation in North York from the rolled seeding material. This process is actually not difficult, but it has many pitfalls, ignorance of which will lead to a decrease in the quality of the final result. That’s why you should invite specialists and make sure they do everything correctly – the specialists of “Captain Handy” company always do everything correctly!

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Sod laying in Toronto

Proper sod laying is the key to the longevity of lawns on any site.

The specialists of Captain Handy know all the details and peculiarities of the proper installation of roll lawn.

We carry out lawn laying at a reasonable price. Lawn in rolls is mainly used for this purpose. Thanks to the material all works on lawn laying are carried out in the minimum time.

Rules of sod laying in Toronto

The laying of rolled sod is carried out with the observance of certain rules:

• Installation of the material should be carried out immediately after its delivery. Rolled turf should not be stored for a long time. Otherwise it falls into disrepair. Watering the lawn in rolls does not save the situation. The maximum duration of storage of such a lawn is 1 day.
• Before laying the sod, preparatory work should be carried out. It is recommended to do them at least 2 weeks before the expected date of laying the lawn.
• The soil before laying the sod should be dug out in advance and cleaned of foreign objects, weeds, etc. A chemical solution may be used to remove unwanted plants.
• The surface of the plot is carefully leveled and tamped with the use of special devices and tools.
• Before laying the rolled sod, fertilizers are added to the soil, the surface is watered.

If laying rolled sod in Toronto or Mississauga on clay-rich soil, it is important to remove at least 400 mm of topsoil. In addition, a cushion of crushed stone and sand is arranged. A layer of fertile soil is poured on top.

It is important to know that the top point should be a few centimeters below the level of footpaths.

The most favorable time when the laying of rolled lawn on a turnkey basis is spring. This allows the root system of the rolled lawn to fully adhere to the ground. While laying sod in autumn there is a risk of its death as a result of low air temperatures.

Stages of sod laying work

Before ordering the laying of rolled lawn, you should estimate the size of the site and, consequently, the amount of work. It is important to install the turf as quickly as possible. If you plan to lay rolled sod on a large area, it is best to carry out the work in stages.

In this case, only the number of turf rolls that can be laid during one working day is delivered.

Peculiarities of works on laying sod in Toronto:

• You should start sod laying on the side where the rolls are stored. This minimizes the chance of damage to the sod surface.
• When laying rolled turf, ensure that the seams of the previous row are offset. A similar technique is used when laying a brick wall.
• It is important that the roll sod rows fit closely together. The maximum allowable distance is 15 mm.
• To avoid displacement of the canvases, it is recommended to fix the edges with the help of stakes. They are placed in the corners of the lawn.
• Each row is compacted with a small roller. This ensures the maximum adhesion of the surfaces. Sod should not be compacted with your feet. It can damage the lawn.
• After laying, the sod is thoroughly watered. If it is too dry or insufficient, the grass will quickly wither away. A 1 – 2 bucket of water per m2 of lawn is enough. The liquid must soak into the grass.
• The seams in rolled turf should be thoroughly filled with soil. It is important that no gaps are left between the individual sheets, through which moisture will penetrate.

A wooden hammer is used to hammer the turf to make laying the lawn easier.

If there are flowerbeds on the site, the fabric is cut to the shape of the obstacle. Rolled sod is easy to reshape. A knife is used to cut it. Various improvised means can also be used.

It is desirable that the work on laying sod in Toronto is carried out by experienced professionals who are familiar with the subtleties and pitfalls of these works.

Lawn care after installation

During the first week after sod laying, the lawn should be watered daily with an adequate amount of water. Thereafter, the frequency is reduced to once every 2 days. If the air temperature rises significantly, the frequency may be increased.

After 14 days of laying the lawn, the vegetation can be cut. Only a few centimetres of grass are cut. To do this, a traditional lawnmower is used, which has an adjustable blade height.

It is important that the technique is of high quality. If the grass is not cut well, the grass begins to turn yellow, and areas of lawn with gaps appear.

After mowing, the vegetation must always be removed from the rolled lawn. Otherwise it will rot. At the same time, the turf also deteriorates. This is caused by a disruption in the oxygen supply to the grass.

Vegetation needs to be carefully cared for.

This is the only way to achieve a long life. It is recommended to water the lawn only in the evening. Daytime or morning watering will result in sunlight hitting the vegetation.

In this case, the droplets act as a lens. As a result, the plants get burned and die.

Lawn fertilizers should be applied immediately after winter.

Often puddles form on the surface as a result of snow melting. Excessive moisture leads to rotting of vegetation. To avoid this, experts advise gently piercing the surface of the lawn with a pitchfork.

Lawn care can be entrusted to specialized companies that have affordable prices for sod laying rolls and all related services, including fertilizers.

Why to order sod laying services in the company “Captain Handy”.

Our company offers a full range of services. Customers have the opportunity to order the sod itself, the design of landscape design, directly – laying, etc.

However, this is not the only advantage of cooperation with our company. The pluses also include:

• Price. We have a very democratic price sod laying in Toronto and Mississauga. Price sod laying in our company is much lower than our competitors. The final price may depend on various factors. However, in any case it will be tempting.
• Knowledge of secrets. The specialists of our company are familiar with all the pitfalls that can arise in the course of lawn laying work. This allows us to avoid a mass of problems with the vegetation and achieve a long service life.
• Quality. Masters of our company observe the technologies and stages of execution of works on laying of lawn. Thus, the maximum efficiency is achieved. The high quality is confirmed by numerous real reviews of our clients. The firm cares about its reputation.

Captain Handy has all the necessary equipment and vehicles for cheap sod laying near me in 1 day.  Clients do not have to hire expensive equipment on their own, pay for downtime, etc. This makes the final price sod laying per m2 looks even more attractive.

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Certainly lovely sodding grass form a dense and beautiful green cover in Toronto.  Exquisite grasses have a somewhat slower growth when laid, but they also grow slowly once fully established. Intensive care at the laying stage predestines the lawn for a superb appearance. Industrial grass seed mixes have faster growth when establishing a lawn and faster growth of the grass stand. Industrial grass mixtures do not require additional care during laying.

Sodding grass – Determining location

A sodding grass does not have to be horizontal. Slopes can also make beautiful lawns. A good layout is important. The uncultivated soil should be properly planned for later seed placement.

Sometimes a small slope down from the house is often more advantageous.

In this case, you can level the bottom layer of soil to achieve a highly decorative lawn. In many cases, it may be necessary to remove the topsoil before leveling. After leveling, the topsoil is returned to its original place and shaped to the same thickness.

• The use of lawn netting also achieves the creation of a lawn on slopes with a high slope.
• To strengthen slopes, you can also use industrial grass mixtures designed to strengthen slopes and gullies.

Preparing the soil

The best lawns are obtained on sandy loam soils.

If you have clay soils, in order to create a better root zone, it is recommended to pour a layer of sand with a thickness of 5 – 15 cm. Peat is usually not added. The top layer of soil is mixed to a depth of 10 – 20 cm, so that no lumps remain. For compaction, it is better to tamp the soil on small areas with your feet, on large areas use a lawn roller.

All work on mixing and preparing the soil should be carried out on dry soil.

Treating the soil Seeding layer

Prepare the seed bed for laying your lawn very carefully. Make sure that your drainage system goes through the soil layer in which the roots develop.

The soil is pre-cultivated to a depth of 10 – 15 cm.

If you have recently built a house or moved into a new house, remove construction debris (stones, bricks, large chips, etc.) and all other unnecessary items. Never plow it all up, as you will create unfavorable conditions for the grass root system to develop, and you risk damaging your equipment in the process of taking care of the lawn.

Root out the stumps (if you do not want to use them for decorative purposes), remove the shoots of trees.

How to remove weeds from a lawn

If the soil has not been cultivated for some time, it will be a good idea to free it of weed seeds before sowing grass or before laying sodding grass, otherwise they will germinate and cause trouble in the newly planted lawn. The best way is to loosen the entire area at regular intervals as weeds emerge, until the best time to sow the grass is right.

Weeds are usually eliminated by one of two methods:

1. Mechanical – Pull out large dead or growing stems of perennial and annual weeds.  Then everything else as low as possible mow or do a weeding;
2. Chemical (the most effective) – treat vegetating weeds with herbicide of continuous action.  Such preparations decompose in the soil not immediately and retain their effect for several days, so sowing should be carried out at the time recommended for each drug (on average, 3-4 weeks after spraying). During this time you can carry out the rest of the soil preparation operations.

Preparing for sowing

Before sowing, the whole area to be sown should be planned out definitively. The purpose of planning is to get rid of bumps, holes, hillocks and hollows. In areas with small bumps and pits, it is better to fill in a fertile layer of soil from elsewhere. It is not necessary to create a horizontal surface on the site – it can have a slope that saves the lawn from stagnant water.

A wooden bar can be used for this purpose. If the leveling allows, the soil is leveled with a rake to loosen a few centimeters of the top layer.

Lumps, stones, weeds etc. should be removed. If you brought in new fertile soil, level it. Plant soil if the thickness of the fertile layer of soil on the site is less than 10 cm.

On uneven areas, remove the top layer of soil and level the ground, then return the removed layer of soil in place.

Check the levelness with a long plank or step ladder.

Drainage

Drainage is done in areas where water stagnates after rains, watering sodding grass, melting snow.

Before returning the fertile layer of soil removed during leveling, pour a layer of gravel of large stones or broken bricks 10-15 cm in height on the non fertile soil and tamp it well. Then lay a layer of small stones or sand 15 cm high and also tamp. After all that, return the removed fertile layer of soil to its place.

So the soil profile of your plot will look like this:

• 15-20 cm fertile layer;
• 10-15 cm layer of sand or small stones;
• 10-15 cm a layer of large stones;
• Then there is a layer of infertile soil.

In-soil irrigation system for sodding grass

Creating an in-soil irrigation system is a process that requires proper calculation. If you decide to create such a system, consider the following:

The water pump pressure must match your irrigation system, ensuring it is fully loaded;

• there must be enough water for at least one irrigation;
• The water tank, timer, and pump must be located in a warm place to avoid damage to the system due to frost and freezing temperatures;
• it is better to use metal pipes or sturdy mastic or reinforced hoses to transport water inside the soil;
• Do not allow water in the system to freeze in winter, which can cause pipes and hoses to burst.
• Blow out the system after the last irrigation, using a compressor or water pump if equipped to do so;
• lay the system in deeper layers of soil where water does not freeze (this is only possible in regions with warm winters);
• before burying the system in the soil, test its operation in different modes (watering, blowing), placing the system on the surface of the site.

Sodding grass fertilizers in Toronto

Fertilizer with special granules contains all the main macro-and microelements in a balanced ratio, which guarantees the normal development of the root system of the lawn.  Humic compounds contribute to the full development of the lawn, preserving the stable green color of the grass for the whole vegetation period. Wrapping the pellets with their roots, the grasses consume mineral elements gradually.

Mineral compounds increase the absorption of useful substances up to 98%.  They remain in the soil for a long time, continuing their effect for two years.

When using other grass mixtures, in order to improve the overall fertility in nutrient-poor soils it is recommended to apply a basic fertilizer before digging, which can be both organic (peat, manure) and mineral.

Apply organic fertilizer for sodding grass in spring or autumn.

When applying mineral fertilizer in the spring, use a compound fertilizer containing nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, or a three-component mixture thereof.

If fertilizing in the fall, use a nitrogen-free fertilizer (superphosphate, potassium salt, etc.). Apply the mineral fertilizer 1-2 days before plowing (re-cultivation) in the doses indicated on the fertilizer packages.

Sodding grass seeding and watering

An uncomplicated process requires certain operations to be performed correctly.

Before sowing the grass mixture for sodding grass is thoroughly mixed.

Sow in windless weather, you can immediately after you have finished loosening the soil and leveled its surface.

In order to avoid footprints on loose soil, as well as to ensure a more uniform burial of seeds, it is recommended to compact the top layer of soil just before sowing, using a roller, lawn roller, wide board, sheet of plywood or other improvised means. On light (sandy, sandy loam) soil, trampling is also recommended.

Using an ordinary or fan rake, lightly loosen the top layer of soil to a depth of up to 3 cm.

There are two ways of sowing:

• By hand;
• Using a special sowing machine.

If you prefer to sow your sodding grass by hand, divide the seeds into four equal parts and sow them from four sides: 1/4 along the plot, 1/4 in the opposite direction, 1/4 from left to right, 1/4 from right to left. A simpler option: divide the seeds into two parts. Sow one part in one direction, the other part in the opposite direction.

When sowing with a seeder, divide the seeds into two equal parts and sow in longitudinal and transverse directions.

After spreading the grass mixture, you can rake the soil slightly so that a layer of earth no thicker than 5 mm covers the seeds.

To prevent the seeds from being blown away by the wind and pecked out by birds, it is recommended to slightly compact (roll) the soil using any improvised means. A net swath is preferred to a smooth swath. Using a net swath is an easy and effective way to get the seeds into the topmost layer of soil, the surface remains homogeneous and no crust is formed on it.

Do not roll the lawn when the soil is wet.

An important activity when sowing seeds is watering. Do this in the evening, as watering during the daytime can do more harm to the seeds than good.

Water the area abundantly, but don’t allow puddles until the grass grows 1 – 2 cm. Then water as needed. Water by gentle irrigation or sprinkling to avoid puddles.

Do not walk on the grass until it reaches 6 – 8 cm in height.

To avoid all the complications and potential mistakes, we recommend contacting the real experts in lawn, roll grass, and sodding grass Toronto – “Captain Handy”!

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Can artificial turf be perfect for your garden? Who wouldn’t want the perfect lawn? Every one of your neighbors will look at your lawn with envy, and every picture taken in your backyard will remind your friends and family how great your stunning lawn is. Unfortunately, with today’s busy lifestyles, lawn care can often get pushed further and further down the list of priorities.

Who has time to pick up weeds, mow the lawn, water and repeat every week? If you want the perfect lawn without the ridiculous maintenance, consider installing an artificial turf! From the many options available, including artificial turf, there is an option that fits both your needs and your lifestyle.

Artificial turf in Toronto

Installing an artificial turf in your garden will be the best choice you will ever make. If you’re a little concerned about its appearance, it won’t look “fake”: the latest technology has developed synthetic grass fibers that look natural and fresh. The blades can look and feel very similar to the natural grass on your artificial lawn.

Today, artificial turf comes in a variety of colors, fiber lengths (pile heights) and weaves. A number of styles are available that look very natural and are pleasant to the touch. Looks great all year round.

Minimal maintenance of artificial turf

Taking care of real grass and keeping it looking its best is usually expensive and requires a lot of your time. Who really wants to spend their free time on weekends mowing and trimming, fertilizing or weeding their lawn? Or, if you’re paying someone to do it, add another expense to the family budget.

With an artificial lawn, you won’t have to think about that anymore. It means an end to hours of mowing and weeding, and the result is a garden that looks great all year round without the hard work. Watering In most areas of the Canada, lack of rain is not a problem, the opposite is probably true!

Artificial lawns can live for weeks or months at a time, left alone. They only need an occasional wipe down to get rid of stuck leaves, plastic and other debris with a stiff broom. You also don’t have to worry about children and pets tearing and destroying anything.

No matter how much sunlight or how often it rains, your artificial lawn will stay green and lush. It requires regular washing, but not too often.

Good for the environment.

Artificial grass for the garden is eco-friendly and promotes water conservation compared to natural grass. Artificial grass will prevent the use of fertilizers and pesticides that can cause water and air pollution.

Save your money.

Homeowners use artificial turf because it is considered a more economical option compared to using natural grass. Although the latter is known to be cheaper in terms of installation costs, artificial grass seems like a smart choice.

Cost At first glance, it may not seem like artificial turf could be cheaper or more affordable than the real thing. However, while there is a certain initial cost to cover, once you do, you will start saving time and money every year.

Artificial turf will last 6-10 years and you won’t have to spend a dime on it. Think about the financial savings you could save on weed killers, fertilizers, lawn mowers or a gardener in ten years.

You can save a lot of money because of the minimal maintenance of an artificial lawn. There is no need to buy or use a lawn mower to mow long, growing lawns. You won’t water them from time to time because they won’t dry out. You also don’t need to seed or fertilize them.

In other words, if you’re more concerned about saving money in the long run and improving the look of your home, start improving the look of your lawn with our synthetic grass.

Exactly the right size for your yard or backyard

The great thing about synthetic grass is that it can be adapted to any size front or back yard. Even if you have windy paths, pebbles, bricks or other landscaping elements, artificial grass can be installed around these areas. This creates a seamless, clean look that blends well with any yard.

In addition, artificial grass blends well with natural plants and flowers in any front and back yard, creating a healthy surface that looks like a natural lawn. Artificial grass is designed to withstand watering or automatic irrigation that other plants and flowers need. A state-of-the-art drainage system allows you to manually drain water and liquids, which makes it easy. This way, you don’t have to worry about getting your grass wet.

Conclusion:

With realistic, minimal maintenance, economy and durability, whether you have a front yard or a backyard, this would be a good decision if you decide to install a synthetic lawn in your garden. It can even increase the value of your property and at the same time save you time and money.

Lawn care

Lawns in the garden are said to be low-maintenance. You don’t mow or water your lawns – and they grow just fine. The grass mixture for an artificial home lawn is assembled from crops that require attention. Therefore, proper lawn care is a must!

How often should I water my lawn?

It is best to care for and water the turf in the evening or early in the morning. During the day, especially if the sun is blazing, the water evaporates more quickly and the plants have no time to soak up the moisture. Moisture penetrates deep into the soil during the night, saturating the roots of the plants.

Water your lawn with a drip rather than a trickle so you don’t damage the stems or erode the soil around the plantings.

How much watering?

Depends on the soil, the time of the previous watering, and the weather. It is problematic to come up with an exact watering rate. Water the lawn abundantly, but not until puddles appear. To understand whether the grass has enough moisture, check the soil to a depth of 100 mm. If it’s dry, increase the watering.

How to water the lawn correctly?

It also depends on the soil and the weather. In hot weather water the meadow on sandy soils twice a week, in cool weather – once every 10 days. Lawns on clay or loam are not water intensive. Irrigate the grass as needed, the soil should have time to dry out.

Water the lawn with your own hands

What to water with?

Guided by the size of the site and the availability of equipment. There are several options:

Watering with your own hands with a garden hose with a spray nozzle. When choosing a hose, pay attention to the number of layers. The more there are, the longer the hose will last. The top layers are designed to protect against the sun, the middle layers are reinforcing, and the inner layers do not allow the development of simple algae. In addition, the hose should be lightweight.

Automatic watering with irrigation systems (sprinklers). Sprinklers – because they simulate raindrops, based on the work of sprinklers and atomizers, which disperse the water jet.

They can be unadjustable circular. They are optimal for small lawns. Several sprinklers can be combined into a system and connected to one water source. You can also set a timer to turn on.

Movable models rotate to irrigate areas one at a time.

Irrigation systems are often hidden underground. They are optimal for large areas, more than 6 acres. Sprinklers in such systems can be aboveground or underground (recessed), which are retracted only during irrigation.

It is not easy to conduct underground irrigation systems with your own hands. Usually this is done by specialists-engineers.

Lawn mowing

Lawn mowing is not just a matter of aesthetics. Cutting the grass is necessary for the vegetative development of plants. This way they bush better. Their rhizomes grow and create a dense turf.

What’s the right way to cut my lawn?

Mow when it is dry. But if the grass is overgrown, it’s better to mow when it’s cloudy or early in the morning – when there is plenty of dew. Lawn mower blades are less likely to get dull.

The grass tilts in the direction you mow, so change the direction of the mower with each cut. The grass will be dense and straight. And if you mow on time, you won’t have any gaps that occur due to poor light penetration in the lower parts of the grass.

It is better to collect the grass cuttings and put them in compost. Mulch makes an excellent organic fertilizer, rich in trace elements and humus. On hot days you can leave mowing on the mowed area for 2-3 days to retain more moisture in the soil.

How often should I mow the lawn?

Mowing the lawn too often is not necessary. On average, it is done once every 1-2 weeks, so that the grass has time to grow, get stronger and transfer energy to develop the root system.

The first mowing after winter is different than usual. Mow the meadow when the grass has grown to 10 cm. Mow on ⅓ of a stalk to allow the grass to recover faster after the cold weather. Set the mower blade at its highest level, at least 8 cm. This procedure will slow the growth of weeds. After a few “over the top” cuts, they will stop growing altogether. For the rest of the time, cut more, but leave at least 40 mm if the grass is growing intensively. Too short stems weaken the roots faster and the soil dries out more often. Leaving the grass longer will weaken the stems.

If you don’t know when the last time you mowed grass, use the weather as a guide. Grass grows at a temperature of 5 °C or more. Keep an eye on the temperature to decide when you want to mow last.

What should I mow my lawn with?

To avoid making the mowing of the meadow a heavy chore, choose the “right” tool.

Electric or gasoline trimmer is more convenient to mow than the usual lithe mower. The trimmer is light and maneuverable, but noisy in operation. With a scythe there is no such problem, but it requires skill and quickly becomes blunt.

Lawn mowers make mowing easier. Unlike trimmers, they have grass collectors that collect and shred the mowing. You won’t have to rake the grass like the old-fashioned way. When choosing a mower, pay attention to the power of the motor. The more powerful, the tougher it is.

Electric mowers are easy to use: there’s no need to fill up with gasoline and oil. But you have to worry that the wire won’t get under the knife, that the engine won’t burn, that the wire will be enough for the whole perimeter of the lawn…

Gasoline models are more practical. If the mower has a 2.5 mm line, you can cut even raspberries and currants. By buying removable attachments, you can easily turn your lawn mower into a cultivator or snowblower.

Riders and mini-tractors mow large areas that are difficult to care for by hand.

How to remove moss and weeds from a lawn

Moss in the field appears because of unevenness of the soil, strong compaction or high acidity of the soil, as well as a lack of nutrients and poor soil drainage. Too low cuttings and heavy shading also contribute to its appearance.

To remove moss, determine and eliminate its causes. Level the soil. If the soil is acidic, lime it. For nutrient-deficient soil, a complex fertilizer is necessary. To eliminate moss in the lawn due to heavy shade, replace the grass with a less fanciful one. Plant red fescue or meadow bluegrass.

If large areas are affected by moss and the above methods have proved ineffective, use chemicals to remove the moss or weeds.

Treat the clearing with a chemical solution on a warm, dry morning. After two days, water it. The moss will turn black two weeks after treatment. Rake it off and replenish the gaps with grass.

Weed control is effective in two ways – weeding or chemical treatment. The most reliable way to kill weeds is by hand, digging them up by the root. This gives good results, but is laborious and time-consuming. And in a large meadow it is almost unrealistic.

When there are many weeds and the area under the grass is large, it is better to use herbicides. Experts recommend that before landscaping a meadow, treat the area with herbicides of continuous action. When they dry out the weeds, sow the grass.

In a green and flowering meadow, use selective herbicides that kill a particular type of weed without damaging the lawn crops. Selective herbicides are good because they kill not only the stems but also the root system of the weeds. Chemical weed treatments are best done on a warm, windless day when the grass is dry.

To keep your glade green without weeds, regular mowing and watering are enough. They increase the density of the grass carpet and turfgrass, thereby suppressing weeds. Annual weeds will die from frequent mowing.

Lawn fertilization and nutrition

Fertilize the grass three times a year – in spring, summer and fall. Timely fertilization strengthens the grass and helps eliminate weeds.

Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for the amount of lawn fertilizer and the order in which it should be applied. If you over fertilize, you can harm your lawn and simply burn the grass.

When choosing what to fertilize your lawn with, consider seasonality. Spring and summer fertilizers contain a lot of nitrogen, essential for active grass growth. Fall fertilizer has more phosphorus and potassium, which strengthens roots and increases resistance to cold.

How do I fertilize my lawn?

After mowing, before watering. It is best to fertilize through a special sieve or with a spreader.

There is an opinion that mowed grass is also a good fertilizer for the lawn. This is a misconception. Grass clippings are useful as a protective layer for turfgrass during the hot season. With the onset of cold weather, it won’t protect against frost, so cover your lawn with cling film.

Lawn aeration and scarifying

Scarifying is the most effective procedure for clearing dry grass, moss, and plant debris from a meadow. By loosening and combing the soil, you will facilitate air and light access to the lower layers of grass and improve fertilizer penetration into the soil.

Scarify lawns as needed, several times a season: in spring after the snow melt, in summer – to remove the remains of grass clippings, in autumn – to clean the lawn from fallen leaves.

Tools for scarifying – fan or ordinary garden rake, lawn blower, scarifiers or special attachments on the lawnmower.

After scarifying, it is useful to aerify the lawn to make sure water, air and fertiliser can reach the roots. To do this, the soil is pierced to a depth of 10-15 cm. You can prick the soil with an ordinary pitchfork (several times a season), or with a pitchfork with hollow tines (once every 2-3 years). There are also special aerators: foot aerators, in the form of sandals worn on shoes with teeth, mechanical and electric.

After aerating, sprinkle coarse sand over the lawn to fill in the holes. Sanding improves soil permeability and renews the soil.

Lawn repair

Leveling and reseeding your lawn

Over time, grass ages and loses its density. If your lawn becomes “bald,” make lawn repairs. To keep your lawn looking well-maintained, resow any gaps in time. It’s best to do this when it’s cloudy or rainy. Before leveling or reseeding, comb the grass with a rake to remove dead plants. To properly reseed, cut out gaps, loosen the soil, add fertilizer, and sow the seeds.

If you need to level the landscaped area from knolls, trim the turf in the protruding areas, bend back and smooth out the excess soil. Do the same if tree roots have started to protrude on the lawn which can damage the lawnmower. Bend back the cut turf, remove the root and return the green layer to its previous position.

Lawn mulching

Mulching is the spreading of a special mulch over the surface of a meadow to correct irregularities in the soil, improve root nutrition, reduce moisture evaporation from the soil.

Mulching a meadow with different mixtures, depending on the type of soil. Often the mixtures include sand, peat and fertile soil mixed in different proportions, sometimes with the addition of leaf mulch.

Lawn mulch once a year, usually in early fall, having previously mowed it and cleaned from the felt.

It is equally important to earth the lawn once every five years in the spring or fall. Covering the ground with decomposed organic fertilizer will improve grass establishment and make the turf thicker. Spread the organic mix optimally at a ratio of 7-10 kg per 1m².

Lawn care calendar

Lawn care in spring

Lawn care in spring begins with the first thaw. The lawn after winter is full of moisture, weakened and easily damaged. In March, try not to walk over it too much to avoid potholes or footprint pits. This is especially dangerous for young lawns.

When the top layer of soil has dried, scarify and remove the resulting felt with a fan or regular rake. If you find pockets of grass disease, use a lawnmower to cut as low as possible all the plants in the affected area. Dig it up, loosen the soil with a rake, and only 10 days later sow new seeds.

Lawn care in summer

The main answer to the question “How to care for your lawn in summer” is to water it in time and mow it regularly. Your lawn may need replanting in midsummer. If you notice that the grass is starting to turn yellow, introduce spring fertilizer. By July and August the topsoil will compact little by little, so aerate and mulch to improve air exchange.

Fall lawn care. Getting your lawn ready for winter

Lawn care in September isn’t much different than in August. Mow and water as needed. If there are gaps in the grass carpet after the summer heat, reseed those areas. Fertilize your lawn in the fall in October, using special fall fertilizers. Do not use spring fertilizers with a lot of nitrogen, which the grass does not need with the onset of cold weather.

On a dry day, aerate your lawn to drain rainwater into deeper layers of soil. If this is not done, your lawn will become ice-crusted when frost arrives.

The last mowing of your lawn in the fall is done in late October through November. Ideally, before wintering the high The height of the grass stems should be 60-80 mm. Remove fallen leaves, branches and dry stems from the grass at regular intervals so they do not interfere with ventilation.

In winter, the lawn does not require treatment. The main thing is not to walk on it until there is a snow cover. On an icy lawn, it is advisable to break the ice crust.

Preparatory work

Technology for installation of sod in Toronto includes a number of preparatory works:

• Calculating the number of rolls. The area of the site (m) x 1.25 = Number of rolls.  For example, you want to do a lawn at home on an area of 80 sq.m. Multiply this figure by a coefficient of 1.25 to get 100 rolls of finished turf.
• Prepare the ground for laying. Carry out the clearing of old grass, weeds, stones and construction debris.
• Loosen the surface of the soil to a depth of 5-10 cm.
• Level the surface with a rake.
• Consolidate the soil with a lawn roller or other improvised means. Your task is to get the most even surface with the ground level 2 cm below the level of the paths.

Drainage arrangement

Drainage is necessary in order to eliminate the possibility of soil swamping in the future and increase the efficiency of irrigation. According to the technology of installation of sod, before starting work on the arrangement of drainage throughout the site is removed the topsoil, and on the prepared surface is laid gravel layer of 100 – 150 mm. On top of the gravel perform an embankment of the sand thickness of 100 mm. A good analog of sand is geotextile, which has high-performance properties. On top of the drainage, an embankment of soil with high fertility is made.

Adding fertilizer

Just a few days before the installation of sod in Toronto, a certain amount of useful additives, such as compound fertilizer, should be added to the soil.  They promote grass growth, so it much faster takes root in a new place. Such fertilizers can be peat, other minerals, and organic nutrients.

Self installation of sod in Toronto

• Turfing the area with sodding grass begins on the side where the rolls are located. This helps to minimize carry-over, soil crumbling and destruction of the root system. The bale begins to roll out gently in a straight line, gradually moving it around the site. Remember that it is forbidden to bend the edges of the roll. To circumvent the irregularities that are planned on the lawn with a lawn, use a cutter with a knife. Starting from the second row, all subsequent rows are laid in staggered order, and the rule should be followed: the joints of the different rows should not overlap with each other. All sections of rolls, lying next to each other, should be laid close to each other, but without overlaps and gaps. A person who will lay rolled turf by hand should move on a pre-prepared wooden planking. This will protect the lawn from deformation and will help to better compact it. Rolled turf after laying should not be exposed to any mechanical influences, so you should limit movement on it for a few weeks.

• If necessary, remove the edges of the lawn to shape it to match the plot boundary.
• After laying the first row, proceed to compact it. To perform this operation, use a lawn roller or a baler made of wooden boards on a special handle. If any bumps or cavities form, it is necessary to slightly lift the previously laid bale and sprinkle or remove the soil. At the end of this procedure, compact the lawn again.
• Once the work is completed, abundant watering should be done, which will allow the root system to better establish itself in the new soil. To check the degree of moistening, you need to lift the corner of the laid turf in a few places (10-12) across the site. The lawn is considered sufficiently moistened if it and the soil underneath it is 2-3 cm completely soaked with water.

When best to start installation of sod

The installation of sod can be done at any time of the year, but the best time for this is the middle of October. In this period of the year, the soil is not yet frozen and has not had time to absorb a lot of moisture. It is better to deliver turf bales to the place of work just before they start.

 Otherwise, the lawn may turn yellow from lack of nutrients and exposure to UV radiation. Grass in bales is also exposed to harmful microorganisms if stored for a long time.

Lawn care after installation of sod

Subsequent lawn care involves regular mowing and watering. The first mowing after laying can take place after 15-20 days. Be particularly careful when doing so.

The direction in which the grass is cut should be transverse to the direction in which the rolls have been laid. For a good rooting-in affect only the very top of the grass is mowed the first time. All grass cuttings must be raked up and removed from the surface of the lawn.

If there are weeds on the lawn, remove them by hand along with the root system. Before winter, mow the grass to a height of no more than 40 mm, which will ensure complete coverage with a layer of snow.

In order to have a perfect installation of sod in Toronto, it is enough to address the company “Captain Handy”. We have been working with lawns for many years and we know everything about lawns and landscaping. Just call our number and we will advise you in any matter.

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