Navigating the realm of lawn care can sometimes feel like deciphering a foreign language. From understanding the intricacies of soil pH to differentiating between aerating techniques, there’s a lot to take in. This glossary aims to clarify the jargon, providing you with a comprehensive guide to the terms used in lawn care.
Acidic Soil: This refers to soil with a pH value less than 7.0, indicating a higher concentration of hydrogen ions.
Aerobic: A term indicating a healthy soil environment where air is present, essential for plant roots.
Alkaline Soil: Soil with a pH value greater than 7.0, indicating fewer hydrogen ions.
Aeration: The act of introducing air into the soil, either manually using a garden fork or with a specialized machine.
Anaerobic: The opposite of aerobic; it signifies a lack of air in the soil.
Annual: Plants that complete their life cycle within a single year fall under this category.
Biennial: These plants take two years to complete their life cycle.
Broad leaf: Commonly used to describe certain types of weeds with broader leaves.
Compaction: This occurs when soil particles are compressed, leading to a breakdown in soil structure and resulting in reduced air circulation.
Compound Fertiliser: A type of fertiliser containing multiple nutrients, like Nitrogen and Potash.
Complete Compound Fertiliser: This fertiliser variant contains all three major nutrients – Nitrogen, Phosphate, and Potash.
Crown: The topmost part of the base of a plant.
Core Aeration: Also referred to as hollow tining, it’s a process wherein cores of thatch and soil are removed from the lawn using hollow cylindrical tines.
Cultural: This approach focuses on natural methods for lawn maintenance, eliminating the use of chemicals.
Damping Off Disease: A disease known to target newly sown grass.
Drag mat: A tool used to evenly distribute top dressing over a lawn.
Dry Patch: A condition usually arising during droughts where the soil becomes hydrophobic, making it difficult to re-wet.
Evaporation: The process through which water is lost back into the atmosphere.
Evapotranspiration: A combination of water loss through both evaporation from soil and transpiration from plants.
Fertiliser: Essential nutrients applied to lawns to encourage healthy growth. The primary nutrients being Nitrogen, Phosphate, and Potash.
Fungi: These are organisms, both beneficial and pathogenic, that derive sustenance from dead and living plants and animals.
Fungicide: A chemical agent used to combat fungal diseases affecting turf.
Fusarium: A prevalent disease especially during autumn and winter. Annual meadow grass is particularly susceptible.
Foot printing: A condition evident during droughts. When grass is stepped on, it fails to bounce back, leaving footprints.
Germination: The phase when shoots emerge after sowing new seeds.
Granular: Describes the form in which certain fertilisers or weed killers are applied.
Herbicide: A chemical solution employed to control lawn weeds.
Hollow Tine: An aeration method that involves extracting cores from the lawn.
Insecticide: A chemical solution used to combat lawn insects.
Irrigation: The manual application of water, typically during droughts.
Infiltration: Describes how water travels through the soil.
Lawnsand: A product commonly used in spring to combat moss.
Leaching: The downward movement of nutrients, chemicals, etc., through soil layers.
Leatherjackets: These are tiny grubs that feed on grass roots and can lead to bird damage as birds peck at the lawn to eat them.
Micro Organisms: These are tiny fungi and bacteria residing in the soil, visible only under a microscope.
Mulching: A practice where grass clippings are returned to the lawn instead of being collected.
Moles: Underground dwelling animals that can damage lawns by pushing up heaps of soil onto the surface.
Nitrogen: A pivotal nutrient for lawns, promoting growth when applied during spring and summer.
Nutrients: Essential mineral elements that bolster lawn health. Nitrogen, Phosphate, and Potash are the primary nutrients.
Pathogens: Harmful bacteria in the soil that can cause plant diseases.
Perennial: Plants with a life cycle extending beyond two years.
Pest: Any entity, be it weed, disease, or insect, detrimental to the lawn.
Pesticide: Chemicals designed to control lawn pests.
pH: A measure to determine soil’s acidity or alkalinity.
Potash: A crucial nutrient fortifying the plant against diseases.
Phosphate: Another vital nutrient that bolsters root development.
Reel Mower: A synonym for cylinder mower.
Red-thread: A disease primarily resulting from nutrient deficiency. Grass types like rye grass and fescues are prone to it.
Renovate: An effort to restore or enhance a lawn’s condition.
Rhizome: A type of plant stem situated underground, helping plants spread.
Root Zone: The soil area containing plant roots.
Rotary Mower: A mower type that cuts grass using a blade spinning parallel to the ground.
Scalping: A mowing error where grass is cut too short, leading to scalping.
Scarify: A process to remove thatch or moss from lawns using vertical blades or a rake.
Selective: Pertaining to herbicides or weed killers that target specific types of plants while sparing others.
Stolon: An above-ground plant stem aiding in its spread.
Sward: Refers to the grass coverage on a lawn.
Tiller: The formation of lateral plant shoots.
Transpiration: The process of water loss through plants.
Take-all Patch: A disease typically linked with a swift pH increase, with bent grasses being especially prone.
Verti-Cutter: Similar to a scarifier, this machine combats thatch accumulation.
Weed: Any undesired plant growing in a lawn.
Wetting Agent: A product aiding in water penetration during droughts, reducing surface runoff.
This glossary offers a snapshot of the vast world of lawn care. By familiarizing yourself with these terms, you can better navigate and understand the intricacies of maintaining a beautiful lawn.
