Lawns Hub

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In the Western U.S. it is the beginning of irrigation season. Back East, the Spring rains might persist some years, but generally this is the season when lawns begin to get just a bit stressed. It’s not yet watering time, but signs are available all around. A few drier lawns are showing a bit of brown at this time of year, usually those lawns on hillsides which don’t really keep water, or else sunny spots that catch the warm, evaporating  Sun all day.

It’s not a bad idea to be proactive with watering, for those who have it. It’s also a perfect time to feed the lawns, at the tail end of rainy Springtime. Fertilizing will make the grass power out its deep green color, retaining and absorbing the iron and nitrogen for the greenest green color. The roots will totally enjoy expanding and livening up with all that good Potassium. A well-timed fertilizing can extend a green lawn’s lushest time by a month or more, if done right.

Cutting the lawn at a bit higher mode will also extend the greenness. It not only looks lusher, but the longer and larger planes of the blades will store and catch dew in the mornings and extend any watering by percentage points.

Do these two things before entering the more serious watering regimes and you’ll be a lot better off. These tactics actually save water as well.

The goal of most lawn mavens is to show a thick, lush cover of green foreground, welcoming any and all to a home where one cares greatly about his appearance. I could make a long, long list of guys and gals to whom this means something magical and serves a vital role in their well-being. Sure, some are a bit “out there” and darn near obsessive with it all. It happens!

In the end, a lush lawn is, by any criterion, gorgeous to look at and improves such things as air quality and the maintenance of dust control for a home. What we often overlook in the maintenance end of any lawn is a certain “tired” nature a lawn can acquire after a period of years. It is for this reason the entire notion of “overseeding” takes place. An informed  sprinkling of grass seed over an existing lawn is never something to overlook. It is one chore which may be the easiest of all toward maintaining a healthy lawn. It also allows the introduction of new species of seed to augment or to ameliorate existing conditions, leading to an improved stand of grass lawn. Whether we are looking for an improved substance to walk on or one which may be, say, more disease resistant, overseeding allows this function.

Typically, overseeding commences with a real low mowing of the existing lawn – at a severely low setting. Seed is then sprinkled over the entire lawn, with some manual raking with a grass rake to follow. This “bedding” of the seeds allows contact with soil and some protection from elements while the germination period transpires. It also allows a couple of weeks between mowings, which we would do without a catcher.

Naturally, watering the new seeds is required on a very regular basis, either by one’s own devices or by rain. But attention to this detail is fairly vital. In the end, what one finds is a far lusher stand of lawn than before, with an improved top, lush as when it was initially installed, if not more so. A gradual shifting from here can tale place, in terms of the grass chosen. Bear in mind many types of grass combine exceptionally well.

Miracle Gro Lawn Fertilizers have the advantage of water-soluble application which acts far faster than normal, granular fertilizers. It is not the least bit uncommon to see results the very next day and I have found this to be especially true of the tree and plant fertilizers by Miracle Gro. Their concentrations of Nitrogen and Iron in a grass-centered fertilizer always reveal a greener lawn by far, reflecting the most common bias of all lawn working fools like us.

Easy to apply – especially with their applicator – one can water and feed at the same time which is always a satisfying enterprise. I am not ‘all that’ on the longer term effects but one sure cannot argue with the short term beauty delivered by this product. There are slower-releasing fertilizers out there which do indeed last longer as a feeding system. But this stuff is not that far behind, either. This is a legitimately great product, by any criterion.

For abundant product information and for user reviews, click here.

Lawn aeration is a sometimes controversial aspect of Spring (or sometimes Summer) . Generally, most of the argumentation deals with periodicity than anything else. Should I aerate every year? When, if not, should I be aware of the need? Let’s address what “aeration” is first -

Aeration is the process of mechanically removing small plugs of soil and thatch from the lawn to improve soil aeration. Lawn thatch is the layer of dead turfgrass between the green vegetation and the soil surface that must be removed to maintain the lawn health.

The “when” can occur almost any season, outside of the obvious cold weather seasons. The “why” is this:

Thatch is the issue here, as much as anything, although soil types, such as heavy clays, might need oxygenating by virtue of taking plugs of actual dirt from the layer below the grass and upgrading that, essentially replacing the soil over a period of time.

Thatch itself becomes worse over time as organic material gets tangled up in the grass. It can be from the lateral growth of grass itself or from clippings and remainders from mowing of any type. A thin layer of thatch is actually quite desirable because it helps insulate the grass from extreme heat and cold. The cushioning effect also helps the lawn deal with heavy traffic, thus the notion of using materials which are softer than clay.

There have been some newer methods of aerating which I am not particularly fond of myself. I subscribe to the “plug” theory, personally, whereby we take an aerating machine over the lawn to be addressed and literally remove parts of the soil underneath by inserting “plug removing tines” such as the picture above illustrates. There are newer technologies that use spikes which poke holes in the ground without removing soil. What has bothered me most about this process is the “compaction” issue in dealing with harder soils. I would prefer to remove the offending material completely for a far better result, rather than pushing soil aside in an even denser pattern.

Golf courses, for example, aerate by the “plug” method, raking up the small chunks of dirt removed, then replacing the dirt with a light loam or a sand by raking crossways and thereby refilling the holes with lighter material.

In any case, the obvious advantages are many, almost no matter what item you choose to use – there is more oxygen now available to the root; fertilizers can easier make their way to the necessary level; less penetrable soils can be lightened and even sweetened; the ravages of foot and lawnmower traffic are lessened.

Lawn care requires a reasonably high amount of attention. While not the single most labor- or time-intensive aspect of the landscapes around our homes, lawn care does require some attention to detail. Regimes concerning lawn mowing, fertilizing and watering face us all with the necessity to try and wrestle with something usually enjoyable, yet often challenging, time wise. I know that from the perspective of one who installs entire lawn and garden systems, from grass to irrigation, seeing my product taken good care of means I will have a sense of pride and design ownership for long years

Generally, I install places and then leave. I acquaint clients with the systems of course and generally leave a sheet with instructions and tips. I also recommend certain lawn care professionals. For me, I generally recommend Tru Green – who have provided great services for me over a long period of years. I realize the actual amount of time couples and families have for the work. Installing the landscape itself is a chore some folks take on by themselves. Obviously, I make my living with those who are reluctant to take on such high-energy, high labor tasks, especially in newer homes. In this day and age when everyone is necessarily busy making a living, it can be a delight watching someone else provide your lawn care services at reasonable rates.

And, before I pound the lawn notion into the ground, businesses who provide lawn care also provide analyses of tree and plant issues. Being the professionals they are, they have a professional interest in seeing every growing thing in a landscape do well. It is not only a reflection on them, it is just good business. These lawn care pros can analyze issues such as diseases, pests, and over- or under-watering issues in the midst of their daily routines and recommend some easy cures.

My interest is in seeing a home owner’s investment pay off in beauty and natural enjoyment of their landscapes. Lawn care and what good attention to detail and progress can provide is the real secret behind good-looking and long-lasting landscapes.

Who does it better? Golf courses are the penultimate source of state-of-the-art issues regarding grass lawns. We sit in front of our TV’s sometimes and just drink in the other-worldly green wonders of a Pebble Beach or Augusta and find it satisfying and relaxing, somehow. I’m speaking of just the ambiance, and not even the players themselves. We even now have a TV channel totally devoted to the game of golf: The Golf Channel. I often wonder how many of us are drawn more to the simple gorgeousness of the sport, as opposed to the competition. Or, of course, the combination of the two.

From water conservation techniques to fertilizer applications, the innovations inspired by the constructions and maintaining of golf courses has propelled lawn and garden technology and turf science to new heights. Golf courses are the Guinea Pigs for our own personal affairs with our own lawns. They continually innovate, led by the urgency of continuous beauty and grounds that are beneficent to golf equipment. Oh, and the roll of the ball! Better not leave that small detail out.

Golf instruction includes a focus on taking care of the golf course itself as well. Divots are to be sought out after a shot and every golfer gets to play “gardener” as they replace them by properly relocating them and patting them down as firmly as possible. Obviously, this is done so that it will grow back. Since most courses are watered nightly, it happens almost seamlessly. Below is the picture of a course – Pebble Beach Golf Course – which has hundreds of players every day, almost year round. Find the divots:

Not easy, is it?

Granted, a golf course is a special place, with oodles of care provided and budgets to cover maintenance on a nearly minute-by-minute basis. But what is far more relevant to homeowners and people like us is what they find in their own science of golf course lawn care. Their findings winnow their way down into classic conventional tactics regarding issues like drainage, fertilization and mowing techniques. In the end, we, as end users, gain immeasurably in the most practical ways. We owe golf courses some huge props for lending that science back down to us.

Oh, and we owe some thanks for those killer views The Golf Channel gives us too! There’s nothing like discovering the 14th Green at Pasatiempo at 1 AM when one feels a bit too restless for sleep. As far as I know, looking at Paradise has never been a bad experience. Maybe we should call it a “transitional sleep aid” instead.

I realize it’s mid February, but it won’t be long now before we are all concerned with things like getting the mower ready for action, tweaking the irrigation – if we have some – and fertilizing. Naturally, being a gardener/landscaper, I am always optimistic about the arrival of Spring. The fact is, I generally hope it gets here early, without fail. Of course, sometimes it doesn’t cooperate at all! There’s nothing worse than snow in April, is there? Nevertheless, it is never too early to prepare for those chores leading to another year with a great lawn.

I always make my own checklists at this time, hoping by doing so, I will actually read them later. Those I make for others, I tell them they MUST pay attention. What a hypocrite I am. I amaze myself sometimes. Anyway, here are a few things I look at at the onset of every Spring:

Fertilizer: Did I use a Winterizing fertilizer? If so, how has it worked in the past? Did it last into Spring at all? If not, then I will need to have mine handy for when the daytime temperatures get above 50 degrees consistently.

Irrigation: Did I drain the system appropriately? I often find a reasonably warm day in very early Spring where I actually run through the system. Yes, it does mean shutting the entire system down again, as we did in the early Winter, and sometimes we entrust that chore to others. In any case, what I can do easily enough is to make sure the timer has a 9 Volt battery sufficient for the year and even do an quick inventory on the obvious aspects such as sprinkler heads, valve boxes and the rest. Just take a look at them, not much more, necessarily. If they are broken, either flag them or make a note and get it fixed early rather than having to wait when the entire world is out fixing lawn systems. It could be an excellent time as well to prune away branches that might interfere with sprinkler arcs, too.

The Mower:  Unless you already did the work, it is close to the time when any servicing needs doing. Listen, beat the rush. Small engine guys get swamped in late March, all over the Northern Hemisphere. Having that baby ready to go is quite a solid feeling.

There are a bazillion other small chores to pay some attention to, but these are your typical ready-made challenges. Addressing these things take just a little while but pays off handsomely when we are all organized when the season hits.

If you’ve been reading up on composting, you probably know by now that you can either have aerobic or non-aerobic composting. Briefly recapping, the difference lies with the type of micro-organisms that break down the organic material into what we use as compost: the process can be either aerobic (literally meaning involving air) or anaerobic/non-aerobic (where the breaking down is done without air).

Aerobic composting is much superior to the anaerobic kind. It means your “ingredients” will break down faster and almost no smelly side effects (whereas anaerobic composting tends to produce more smelly gas).

The problem? To get the desired aerobic process going, you have to take time to manually turn your compost heap, at least once a week. Now, some folks love this type of work, taking care of their precious heap as if it were a family pet. They know what its temperature is on any given day and nurture it accordingly. However, if you want to take composting to the next level, or if you want to save on manual labor, Earthmaker has the solution for you:

This dark looking talk is an advanced aerobic composter with three chambers. Operated by the force of gravity, it moves organic material through the chamber for continuous cycling and perfect aeration. This means both faster composting, producing up to 10 gallons per month, and less gas emission (in other words, eco-friendly and doesn’t stink ).

So, if you recycle organic waste for your lawn, you may want to consider moving on to this smart system. Check it out on Amazon here.