Marián Josefík

Articles by this author

The guides build on one another, from understanding your soil to caring for a new lawn and designing irrigation.

• How to assess the soil beneath your lawn: three tests before you sow

  A feel test, inspection pit and infiltration test reveal soil type, compaction and the path of water. Find out what to check before establishing a lawn.

• Sand, biochar, zeolite and Actino: what your soil needs

  When to add sand, biochar, zeolite or Actino to lawn soil, and when to leave them out. Compare their roles and find out what to check before buying.

• How to mix soil for a lawn: ratios for clay, loam and sand

  Model volume ratios for three gardens, incorporation depths and conditions for use. How to choose amendment rates and keep the components adding up to 100 %.

• Lawn soil calculator: how much sand, soil and amendments do you need?

  Calculate sand, soil and amendments from your lawn area and soil depth. Separate materials to bring in, retain and remove, with conversions to tonnes, litres and bags.

• How to prepare soil for a lawn before sowing

  How to prepare soil for a lawn: loosening the subsoil, mixing, settling and levelling. Check whether your seedbed is ready for sowing.

• How to sow a lawn: timing, seeding rate and first watering

  How to choose the timing by soil temperature, prepare a seedbed, calculate the seeding rate and sow evenly. Including fertiliser, mycorrhiza and first watering.

• Care for a new lawn: from germination to the first cut

  How to adjust watering as roots grow, care for young grass, deal with weeds and bare patches, and recognise the right moment for the first cut.