The municipality of MANTOVA, with the aim of enhancing an area of strategic importance, has established a state-of-the-art public park. The objective (achieved) was to create an eco-sustainable park that would reduce water consumption, herbicide use, and at the same time be able to withstand the foot traffic of thousands of people.

After careful evaluation, it was decided to create a grass carpet using Cynodon dactylon, specifically the IBIZA variety, sown with seed. 

Seeding was carried out in June (June 10th) with 12 grams per square meter of seed. A double-disk seeder (Vredo) was used for planting. The soil is sandy. A well-established irrigation system was installed, which is also managed remotely.

For practical reasons, the municipality used mature compost, which was incorporated into the soil to a depth of about 15 centimeters before working the land.

Germination started regularly after 5-6 days. At the same time, several weeds appeared, including Portulaca and Pabbio…

The first mowing, with collection, took place after another 6 days, followed by regular mowings every 4-5 days.

During the first 10-12 days, irrigation was split throughout the day, using low water volumes. On average, there were 7-8 waterings per day.

The first nitrogen fertilization with 15 g/m² of mini-prilled urea was applied 20 days after seeding. This was repeated with a similar dosage every 10 days for 3 more applications.

By the end of June, the number of irrigations was drastically reduced.

The situation as of July 10th:

About one month after seeding, a vertical mowing (verticut) with blades was performed. A light verticut was repeated after another 10 days.