Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Planting seeds
Tips for keeping your lawn healthy
Lawn Care Tips — Program Your Lawn for Success
LAWN CARE TIPS — #1
MowThe Grass Higher
Yes, I said higher. Many people like to think of their lawn as their own personal putting green. But close-cropped putting greens are among the most intensively managed—watered, fertilized, and chemically sprayed—patches of land in the world. Your grass will be much happier (and healthier and greener) if you loosen your stranglehold on it, and you'll be able to spend more time relaxing instead of working on your lawn.
The first step to this new paradigm is to raise the height of your mower. In the southern states, we have a wide variety of grasses. For Bermuda and Zoysia, you'll want mow 2 - 3 inches high; for Fescue and Rye, 3 - 4 inches is recommended.
Taller grass has multiple benefits:
The larger mass of grass blades makes the grass look greener overall, and problem spots will look less obvious than they did when you were mowing at putting-green heights.
The extra green on top delivers more nutrients to the grass' roots and helps them grow deep, giving the grass better access to water and making it more drought-tolerant. Deeper roots also mean better access to soil nutrients. The length of the grass leaf is mimicked by the roots, roots will die back in conjunction with shortened leaves.
The thicker root mass and the taller green parts work to crowd out weeds by keeping weed seeds from germinating and crowding out any unwanted plant pests that do manage to germinate.
Taller grass leaves help keep the sun off the soil, helping to preserve its water content.
Your longer-cut lawn will require less mowing. (Cutting the grass short stimulates the plants to try to grow faster to make up for their lost greenery.)
While cutting higher is beneficial, certain fine-leafed grasses tend to fall over or get pushed down by the lawnmower, resulting in uneven cutting. If you're finding this is the case, try lowering the mower deck by a half-inch at a time until you find the preferred height. Alternately, mowing your lawn a little more often may also help allow you to maintain a tall "cut height" but still avoid the falling-over problem. If only a few problem areas suffer from falling-over grass blades, doing a second or third pass
over these areas can help touch them up. This usually works, especially when the additional passes are done at different angles.
Finally, most experts recommend not cutting off more than a third of your grass at any one time—doing so may stress the grass. So, if you're going for a cut height of 3-1/2 inches, you'd want to mow the lawn by the time it gets to about 5 inches tall.
The section of lawn in the top of the photo is a typical chemical-treated suburban lawn. The greener section of grass in the lower portion of the picture is a natural, chemical-free lawn cut to a higher height.
LAWN CARE TIPS — #2
Mulch Those Grass Clippings
Somehow the idea got started that leaving the cut grass on your mowed lawn will smother it. Well, put that sham lawn care tip on the compost pile! Remember that grass clippings are 10% nitrogen, and you know that nitrogen is a main component of lawn fertilizers, so... Leave the grass clippings on your lawn to decompose and return their nitrogen to the soil for your lawn to reuse. Organic Gardening magazine notes that a season's worth of grass clippings will contribute almost 2 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet of soil—half of the lawn's annual fertilizer needs. Mulched grass clippings also shade the surface of the soil and make it harder for weed seeds to germinate.
You can make sure the you don't end up with a heavy layer of grass clippings on top of your lawn by:
Using a mulching mower to chop up the grass clippings finely as you are mowing. In heavy areas of the lawn you may need to make a couple of passes with the lawnmower to get them chopped up enough. (That may seem like extra effort, but it's less extra effort than bagging!)
A CLIPPING ON CLIPPINGS
William Dest, Ph.D., associate professor emeritus of turf grass studies at the University of Connecticut, compared lawns where the clippings had been left behind with lawns where they had been removed. He found that the lawns with the clippings had:
-- 45% less crabgrass
-- up to 66% less disease
-- up to 45% more earthworms
-- 60% more water reaching plant roots
-- 25% greater root mass
-- 50% reduced need for nitrogen fertilizer
SOURCE: A Healthy Lawn, A Beautiful Lawn from Organic Gardening magazine.
Cutting the grass often enough that the clippings aren't so thick that no amount of repeated chopping will make them disappear into the lawn. (This is not usually a problem unless you've let your lawn go to the point where your neighbors wonder what's wrong with you.)
Mulching your grass clippings will supply most of the food your lawn needs. By reducing or eliminating your use of chemical fertilizers, you'll reduce the amount of polluting runoff that rains carry from your lawn to local waterways.
Oh, and in case you're thinking that following the above procedures will mean that your lawn will eventually suffer from thatch buildup—it won't. Thatch results when you've used chemical fertilizers and pesticides on your lawn so much that you've killed most of the organisms in the soil than would normally break down the dead grass clippings. Freshly mulched grass clippings are a feast for earthworms, who are instrumental in breaking down thatch and aerating soil.
LAWN CARE TIPS — #3
Sharpen the Blade
It's easy to wish that the only care a lawnmower needs is to check the oil once in a while and give it a tune-up once every decade. But the mower blade is something that needs attention at least once a season, and two or three times might even be necessary, depending on your use. Sharpening the blade will make it easier for your mower (and you) to cut the grass and, more importantly, will avoid tearing the grass and wounding the grass blades, which makes them more susceptible to infection and evaporative loss.
Your local power-equipment dealer or lawnmower shop can sharpen your blade for a small fee, as can many hardware stores, but investing in your own sharpening wheel will save you money in the long run. If you go this latter route, read up on the proper bevel angle for your mower blade before you end up grinding yours into a stiletto.
William Dest, Ph.D., associate professor emeritus of turf grass studies at the University of Connecticut, compared lawns where the clippings had been left behind with lawns where they had been removed. He found that the lawns with the clippings had:
-- 45% less crabgrass
-- up to 66% less disease
-- up to 45% more earthworms
-- 60% more water reaching plant roots
-- 25% greater root mass
-- 50% reduced need for nitrogen fertilizer
SOURCE: A Healthy Lawn, A Beautiful Lawn from Organic Gardening magazine.
Cutting the grass often enough that the clippings aren't so thick that no amount of repeated chopping will make them disappear into the lawn. (This is not usually a problem unless you've let your lawn go to the point where your neighbors wonder what's wrong with you.)
Mulching your grass clippings will supply most of the food your lawn needs. By reducing or eliminating your use of chemical fertilizers, you'll reduce the amount of polluting runoff that rains carry from your lawn to local waterways.
Oh, and in case you're thinking that following the above procedures will mean that your lawn will eventually suffer from thatch buildup—it won't. Thatch results when you've used chemical fertilizers and pesticides on your lawn so much that you've killed most of the organisms in the soil than would normally break down the dead grass clippings. Freshly mulched grass clippings are a feast for earthworms, who are instrumental in breaking down thatch and aerating soil.
LAWN CARE TIPS — #3
Sharpen the Blade
It's easy to wish that the only care a lawnmower needs is to check the oil once in a while and give it a tune-up once every decade. But the mower blade is something that needs attention at least once a season, and two or three times might even be necessary, depending on your use. Sharpening the blade will make it easier for your mower (and you) to cut the grass and, more importantly, will avoid tearing the grass and wounding the grass blades, which makes them more susceptible to infection and evaporative loss.
Your local power-equipment dealer or lawnmower shop can sharpen your blade for a small fee, as can many hardware stores, but investing in your own sharpening wheel will save you money in the long run. If you go this latter route, read up on the proper bevel angle for your mower blade before you end up grinding yours into a stiletto.
If you are REALLY serious about changing your lawn care, try a manual push reel mower. No need for gas and oil (you are the motor). The spinning reel across the bed knife acts like a scissor cut rather than a machete like cut from a motorized rotary mower. Reel mowers are safer, the rotary mower can sling a rock or other object over a hundred miles an hour!
LAWN CARE TIPS — #4
Be Sweet to Your Soil
Most turf grasses prefer soil that is slightly acidic to neutral. Many weeds, on their other hand, prefer acidic or alkaline soils, so getting the pH balance right can optimize conditions for your grass and make them less favorable for weeds.
If you have naturally acidic soil, sweeten it with lime or wood ash. Hardwood ash has about 50% to 65% of the alkalinizing power of lime, so if you go that route, you'd use half again more of the ash.
Before you use either, though, use a soil test kit to determine the pH of the soil under your lawn. It's better to edge your way up to the desired pH over a few applications than to overshoot and then face the more difficult task of bringing the pH back down. Both lime and ash are best applied in the fall—this enables the material to break down over the winter so the soil is improved for the next season's growth. But if you test your soil in the spring and it's too acidic, go ahead and do an application.
LAWN CARE TIPS — #5
Aerate
It may be painful to see those big plugs of your sod coming up when you run an aeration machine over your lawn, but doing this every couple of years allows air, water, and nutrients to get deep into the root zone of grasses. In a state like Georgia, where clay is the predominant soil type, aeration may be necessary more frequently. Aerating also helps eliminate thatch.
LAWN CARE TIPS — #6
Choose the Right Grass Variety For Your Area
Your latitude and average annual rainfall level will govern what type of grass you choose for your lawn. Those in the northern climes usually do better with "cool season grasses," while those in the hotter southern region do better with "warm season grasses." Those in the middle don't have such clear-cut situations—your best bet is to ask your county extension agent, local nurseries, or even neighbors who seem to have good-looking lawns. (Beware, however, of that three-eared neighbor who seems to believe that Better Living Through Chemicals applies to his lawn.)
LAWN CARE TIPS — #4
Be Sweet to Your Soil
Most turf grasses prefer soil that is slightly acidic to neutral. Many weeds, on their other hand, prefer acidic or alkaline soils, so getting the pH balance right can optimize conditions for your grass and make them less favorable for weeds.
If you have naturally acidic soil, sweeten it with lime or wood ash. Hardwood ash has about 50% to 65% of the alkalinizing power of lime, so if you go that route, you'd use half again more of the ash.
Before you use either, though, use a soil test kit to determine the pH of the soil under your lawn. It's better to edge your way up to the desired pH over a few applications than to overshoot and then face the more difficult task of bringing the pH back down. Both lime and ash are best applied in the fall—this enables the material to break down over the winter so the soil is improved for the next season's growth. But if you test your soil in the spring and it's too acidic, go ahead and do an application.
LAWN CARE TIPS — #5
Aerate
It may be painful to see those big plugs of your sod coming up when you run an aeration machine over your lawn, but doing this every couple of years allows air, water, and nutrients to get deep into the root zone of grasses. In a state like Georgia, where clay is the predominant soil type, aeration may be necessary more frequently. Aerating also helps eliminate thatch.
LAWN CARE TIPS — #6
Choose the Right Grass Variety For Your Area
Your latitude and average annual rainfall level will govern what type of grass you choose for your lawn. Those in the northern climes usually do better with "cool season grasses," while those in the hotter southern region do better with "warm season grasses." Those in the middle don't have such clear-cut situations—your best bet is to ask your county extension agent, local nurseries, or even neighbors who seem to have good-looking lawns. (Beware, however, of that three-eared neighbor who seems to believe that Better Living Through Chemicals applies to his lawn.)
Reconsider the size of your lawn, turf grass is the most expensive ornamental to maintain. Consider reducing the size of your lawn for shrub and flower beds. Better yet, plant a vegetable garden!
Finally, if you live in a very dry area, you probably should not be attempting to grow a lawn at all. Try permaculture instead. In the long run, it will save you time and headaches, not to mention water.
LAWN CARE TIPS — #7
Feed and Reseed At the Right Time
According to lawn-and-garden guru Mike McGrath one should time feeding and reseeding based on the needs of the particular variety of grass:
Cool season grasses such as perennial rye, Kentucky bluegrass and the fescues should be sown in mid-August to mid-September so the seeds have warm soil in which to germinate but the young grass shoots have rapidly cooling air (in which they thrive). McGrath also recommends fertilizing in the fall with an inch of compost, watered in; and, if you aren't reseeding, some corn gluten meal, which will also help suppress fall weed germination.
Warm-season grasses like zoysia, Bermuda, and centipede should be sown and fed in the spring and summer but not in the fall.
For feedings, use a natural, slow-release fertilizer or fine compost.
LAWN CARE TIPS — #8
Water at the Right Time and
In the Right Way
Most lawns need about an inch of water per week. If not enough rain has fallen to quench your lawn's thirst—a rain gauge can be useful here—rather than watering a short period everyday, give your lawn a "soak" only once a week to give your lawn its week's worth of "rain." To do this, water your lawn until you see puddles form, then stop and allow the puddles to soak in, monitor your rain gauge. Repeat until you measure 1" of "rain."
If you have to water, do it in the early morning. Watering in the evening invites disease.
Finally, remember that most grass is designed by nature to work around droughts by reducing growing activities when water is in short supply. But if you overuse nitrogen fertilizer or your lawn isn't particularly healthy to begin with, the grass' natural abilities may be defeated.
LAWN CARE TIPS — #9
You Can't Spell “CLOVER” Without “LOVE”
We don't really know why people hate clover in their grass. Maybe we can persuade you to love it by summarizing its benefits:
Clover fixes nitrogen from the air, providing free fuel for the turf grass with which it peacefully coexists.
It adds to the greenness of your lawn (except, of course, for the relatively brief part of the year when clover flowers).
The clover's flowers provide an important source of nectar for honeybees, bumblebees, and other types of beneficial bees and pollinating insects.
Earthworms, which are great for soil in general, like the presence of clover.
Clover is disease-resistant and avoided by most common turf pests.
It's drought-tolerant.
Simply put, clover is part of a healthy lawn, adding to the stability of your "lawn system."
Fork Over the Clover
Clover heads can even be eaten in salads, with nutrients that include protein, calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium.
But if all that doesn't want to make you abandon your dubious mantra "Must Kill Clover," then at least get rid of the clover in a sane manner. By this we mean NOT by using products that contain 2,4-D, a nasty herbicide that can have ill effects on your pets, your kids, and you. Instead, try a multi-year program of applying natural corn gluten meal, which will have the added benefit of killing all of your other seed-based weeds and adding nitrogen to the soil, too. Remember that corn gluten meal will suppress germination of grass seeds as well, so time your applications away from reseedings. For more information about corn gluten meal, see this Eartheasy article or this You Bet Your GardenQuestion of the Week.
LAWN CARE TIPS — #10
Other Weeds — Don't Get Overly Stressed!
Not many people want a yard full of dandelion puffballs or crabgrass. But there's a difference between not having a weed-infested yard and having a lawn that has only one species of plant (grass). Paul James ofGardening By The Yard points out that 100% weed control is nearly impossible and not even particularly desirable for a healthy lawn. Some weeds provide food or habitat for beneficial insects, which are good for controlling pests in your lawn, garden, and other planted areas. As mentioned above, the "weed" clover fixes nitrogen from the air and helps fertilize your turf grass.
Still, we understand that some weed control is necessary, and we will address specific weed control strategies in our upcoming article on organic lawn care.
Lawn Care Tips — Wrap-Up
"Don't get overly stressed" is not only good advice for our attitude towards weeds in our lawn, it's a pretty good way to approach lawns in general. To misquote some ancient Greek with a not-so-hot lawn, "Pride goeth before a fall and before having a heart attack over the appearance of the lawn."
Finally, if you live in a very dry area, you probably should not be attempting to grow a lawn at all. Try permaculture instead. In the long run, it will save you time and headaches, not to mention water.
LAWN CARE TIPS — #7
Feed and Reseed At the Right Time
According to lawn-and-garden guru Mike McGrath one should time feeding and reseeding based on the needs of the particular variety of grass:
Cool season grasses such as perennial rye, Kentucky bluegrass and the fescues should be sown in mid-August to mid-September so the seeds have warm soil in which to germinate but the young grass shoots have rapidly cooling air (in which they thrive). McGrath also recommends fertilizing in the fall with an inch of compost, watered in; and, if you aren't reseeding, some corn gluten meal, which will also help suppress fall weed germination.
Warm-season grasses like zoysia, Bermuda, and centipede should be sown and fed in the spring and summer but not in the fall.
For feedings, use a natural, slow-release fertilizer or fine compost.
LAWN CARE TIPS — #8
Water at the Right Time and
In the Right Way
Most lawns need about an inch of water per week. If not enough rain has fallen to quench your lawn's thirst—a rain gauge can be useful here—rather than watering a short period everyday, give your lawn a "soak" only once a week to give your lawn its week's worth of "rain." To do this, water your lawn until you see puddles form, then stop and allow the puddles to soak in, monitor your rain gauge. Repeat until you measure 1" of "rain."
If you have to water, do it in the early morning. Watering in the evening invites disease.
Finally, remember that most grass is designed by nature to work around droughts by reducing growing activities when water is in short supply. But if you overuse nitrogen fertilizer or your lawn isn't particularly healthy to begin with, the grass' natural abilities may be defeated.
LAWN CARE TIPS — #9
You Can't Spell “CLOVER” Without “LOVE”
We don't really know why people hate clover in their grass. Maybe we can persuade you to love it by summarizing its benefits:
Clover fixes nitrogen from the air, providing free fuel for the turf grass with which it peacefully coexists.
It adds to the greenness of your lawn (except, of course, for the relatively brief part of the year when clover flowers).
The clover's flowers provide an important source of nectar for honeybees, bumblebees, and other types of beneficial bees and pollinating insects.
Earthworms, which are great for soil in general, like the presence of clover.
Clover is disease-resistant and avoided by most common turf pests.
It's drought-tolerant.
Simply put, clover is part of a healthy lawn, adding to the stability of your "lawn system."
Fork Over the Clover
Clover heads can even be eaten in salads, with nutrients that include protein, calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium.
But if all that doesn't want to make you abandon your dubious mantra "Must Kill Clover," then at least get rid of the clover in a sane manner. By this we mean NOT by using products that contain 2,4-D, a nasty herbicide that can have ill effects on your pets, your kids, and you. Instead, try a multi-year program of applying natural corn gluten meal, which will have the added benefit of killing all of your other seed-based weeds and adding nitrogen to the soil, too. Remember that corn gluten meal will suppress germination of grass seeds as well, so time your applications away from reseedings. For more information about corn gluten meal, see this Eartheasy article or this You Bet Your GardenQuestion of the Week.
LAWN CARE TIPS — #10
Other Weeds — Don't Get Overly Stressed!
Not many people want a yard full of dandelion puffballs or crabgrass. But there's a difference between not having a weed-infested yard and having a lawn that has only one species of plant (grass). Paul James ofGardening By The Yard points out that 100% weed control is nearly impossible and not even particularly desirable for a healthy lawn. Some weeds provide food or habitat for beneficial insects, which are good for controlling pests in your lawn, garden, and other planted areas. As mentioned above, the "weed" clover fixes nitrogen from the air and helps fertilize your turf grass.
Still, we understand that some weed control is necessary, and we will address specific weed control strategies in our upcoming article on organic lawn care.
Lawn Care Tips — Wrap-Up
"Don't get overly stressed" is not only good advice for our attitude towards weeds in our lawn, it's a pretty good way to approach lawns in general. To misquote some ancient Greek with a not-so-hot lawn, "Pride goeth before a fall and before having a heart attack over the appearance of the lawn."
Friday, March 26, 2010
No More Poison!
I've been in the green industry since before it was "GREEN." My first introduction to turf care was in 1996 when I started working for the Parks & Rec. Dept. All I knew then was "mow, blow & go" and "if a little bit's good, a lot is better." Roundup was the answer to weed-eating, gas solved the fire ant delima, and what the heck was "mulching"?
Grass not green enough? Pour out the nitrogen (via synthetic fertilizer), never mind the rate, just water the heck out of it. Flowers wilting? Double the irrigation. Weeds in the sidewalk? Hose 'em with glysophate. Leeching? Runoff?
Now, this was't the mindset of the whole department, but this was the attitude as a whole in the industry and as a "newbie," I just figured that was how it was done. I carried alot of that mentality with me when I started my own lawn care business. I learned real quick "mow, blow, and go" would not earn me quality customers and there was alot more to making the grass green than Nitrogen.
I heard the word Organic through out my twenties, and I never gave it more thought than it's something burned out hippies were into. But the more I heard about it, the more I believed there had to some truth to it. So I researched at least a hundred websites or so, read several books, I tried some of the "organic" fertilizers produced by the recognized name brands, they seemed to work well enough, but then I learned the difference between organic & organic based. There is a huge difference! Generally, an organic BASED fertilizer, derives its organic materials from industrial sources, such as sewage sludge, which is loaded with heavy metals. Not to mention, it will still, often times, be mixed with petroleum derived synthetic fertilizers. I also check out the companies who claimed to have an organic alternative to their traditional treatment regimen, but they continue to use herbicides and pesticides to treat weeds and pests. I don't know about you, but I think that defeats the purpose in offering an "organic" alternative.
I am proud to say that I can offer a truly organic product that is endorsed by the Safe Lawns Foundation, plus it is the only do it yourself system I am aware of. No more poison for me, how about you?
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