May-June-issue

ENVIRONMENT
habitable. A 50’x 50’ lawn produces
enough oxygen for a family of four.
Erosion of soil by water is effectively
controlled by grasses as they intercept
raindrops before they disturb the soil and
they also slow the flow of water which
minimizes soil loss.
Groundwater is enhanced in two ways
by a dense turf. Turfgrasses increase
infiltration of water and clean the water
as it passes which in turn recharges the
underground water supplies used by all
of us. Run-off of water and pollutants is
greatly reduced by a highly maintained
lawn. Dense turfgrass cleans the water
helping to maintain a high quality
environment.
Zones that are stabilized by
turfgrasses enhance safety on roads and
airfields by reducing run-off which can
cause flooding. Turfgrasses also diminish
soil erosion which muddies surfaces and
they absorb dust improving visibility.
Traffic, both vehicular and pedestrian, is
directed by lawn barriers in areas of heavy
movement of people and on roadsides
and medians.
Fire retardation by buffer areas
of well-maintained lawn grass around
buildings is good insurance, they conclude.
When choosing the right type of
grass to plant, you may want to ensure
(depending on your location) that it is
drought resistant, a weed fighter, can grow
where there is shade, does not require
much watering and can grow well on your
type of soil. If you like mowing, slashing,
or cutting grass, you may opt to get the
type that is vulnerable but beautiful
because it allows you to deal with the
weeds that grow in between, thereby
giving you the much needed exercise.
Remember the following advice
from the experts; (Asepsis Kenya), after
selecting the area and ensuring you have
enough water to sustain your lawn at
the start of its life, as much as possible,
prepare the ground. This will save you
costs if you did it yourself. This includes;
Removing all the existing vegetation,
roots and rocks such as only soft soil is
left. If soil is unsuitable, consider adding
6 inches or 150mm of red soil. Doing
this yourself will save you mark-up costs
by a landscaper. Level the soil and add
manure. For every 5 parts of soil, add 2
parts of manure. For example if the red
soil needed is 5 trucks, put 2 trucks of
manure. Level the ground by raking it.
One of the major causes of our growing
water quality problem explains the lawn
institute, is runoff of contaminants from
hard surfaces, such as roads and parking
lots. Unfortunately, with expansion and
building development, open space is
lost to these impervious surfaces. It says
runoff can be reduced by establishing new
lawns and turfgrass areas. The biology
of turfgrass makes lawns a near ideal
medium for the biodegradation of all
sorts of environmental contamination.
Turfgrass purifies the water as it leaches
through the root zone and down into
our underground aquifers. Soil microbes
help break down chemicals into harmless
materials. This filtration system is so
effective rain water filtered through a
good healthy lawn is often as much as 10
When choosing the right type of grass to plant, you
may want to ensure (depending on your location)
that it is drought resistant, a weed fighter, can
grow where there is shade, does not require much
watering and can grow well on your type of soil.
52 MAY - JUNE 2018