Lawns Hub

More grass today!

Rye Grasses come in two types: Perennial grasses and Annual grasses. Naturally, the annual grasses die off in Winters, just as the perennials may be expected to return. This fast-developing seed is probably the most versatile of all lawn seeds. Used often as a “nurse crop” seed in combination with a more desirable type, it germinates quickly, thus protecting the slower developing seeds. Rye grasses add toughness and thickness to any seed combination it is used with and, being a “cold season grass”, it stays greener longer and shows up earlier.

Rye seeds also have the amazingly attractive ability to be sown by hand casting without all the standard preparation worries. Rye grasses thus are perfect for repairing damaged lawn areas and allow the rhizomes from Bluegrasses and the like to filter through and establish themselves. They provide many attributes and very few downsides, being this versatile.

Annual Rye grasses are widely-used to establish pastures and erosion-control slopes and valleys with a fast-growing and rapidly-developing seed and can be used as the aforementioned ‘repair seed’ allowing the damaged other seed stock to replenish itself in a more timely and thorough way.

Perennial Ryes make a durable stand for athletics and playground and park uses. Mixed with the more beautiful grasses, it acts to provide a tougher, more long-lasting mixture, perfect for longer periods of greenness at both ends of the climate extremes.

Annual Ryegrass is easily removed from any area through heavy grazing, mowing or turning under before the seeding stage. Maybe this should be the number one grass of the new millennium? A non-aggressive, vigorous grower, it furnishes nutrients back to the soil, forms an erosion soil basis for stability, highly digestible, beautiful color, dies off when you need it to without chemicals.

The term “Bluegrass” holds a particular place in my heart, since I was raised in Kentucky. Oddly, it is not native there and, yes, it is widespread especially in the central part of the state famous for its thoroughbred horse farms and race horses. Almost a virtual “Plains”, Central Kentucky is rich in limestone and flat enough at least to provide huge area of natural grass expanses. The Ph Factor is perfect for bluegrasses and the richness and gorgeous color of Kentucky Bluegrass is rightfully famous and very desirable as a lawn choice.

Bluegrass is not a deep-rooting grass, thus it is susceptible to browning out during periods of stress, such as cold weather or drought. But it is one hardy perennial grass which goes dormant during these periods and can generally be counted on to bounce back when conditions allow. It is particularly famous for its rich green cast, even going to the blue, thus its title. There are few grasses that can provide the rich deep green color of this grass and few also quite as hardy, in the end. It also is “barefoot friendly” providing a marvelous texture to walk on. It mends easily enough by reseeding and roots amazingly quickly, once planted.

Best results with this gorgeous and much-desired product include mixing a few other seed types in, either from nurseries and sod farms themselves or by adding it yourself. Perennial Rye grasses are great “starter” seeds as a “nurse crop”, providing protection when it develops so quickly and offering an early green appearance. These are also a cooler season grass which tends to ‘green up’ early than the slow developing Bluegrasses.

Bluegrass is best for medium traffic areas and is easily repaired when damaged. A Fescue seed mix can improve the durability of Bluegrass as well and provide a sturdier lawn all the way around. Fescues are also cooler season grasses as we will discover elsewhere.

When we decided to make a blog dedicated strictly to lawns and lawn care, naturally the inevitable “Internet Exception Clause” hit me like “the kiss at the end of a hot fist” (My Mike Hammer allusion, lol). What does someone in New Zealand care about “cold climate grasses”? Or Florida or California for that matter? And what internet surfer in Red Deer, Alberta is going to care about Bermuda Grass and its attendant problems?  Not only that, but the choices expand exponentially, even in those places themselves!  If someone wants a showplace which will get little traffic and no dogs or kids befouling the perfection, his choices might be different entirely from someone whose entire edifice gets the traffic equivalent of Grand Central Station.

There are choices even within the regions themselves depending on need.  Some grasses are highly sensitive to traffic and abuse ands yet others can hang in there, are easily reseeded and require very little maintenance to stay pretty green and refreshing.  The science of grasses has become more than what it once was, for real, and science is producing yet hardier and more gorgeous species annually.

Not only this, but grasses also contain an immense and equally-evolving number of ornamental plants which are rapidly becoming more widespread in landscapes all over the world.  Grass’s ease of maintenance in the context of a shrub is as recommendable as is its uncommon beauty as a landscaping plant feature.

So what I am going to do is to list a few of the more common grasses we use in North America for lawns only. These will also apply to Europe and much of the rest of the world, considering the diversity of climates within North America and I will try and list appropriate zonal hardiness at the same time, easily transferable to the rest of the world.

Ever wondered what Lawn Aerating means?

Lawn aerating is a process whereby a machine is passed over the lawn and small tubes are pressed 2-3 inches into the soil, permitting the “plugs” to be raised out of the soil and cast off. Thus it is literally removing soil and creating deep little hollow pockets for better air and water circulation. As well, by sweeping new soil or sand into the holes thus created it allows you to actually upgrade the soil itself. What often occurs in more clayish soils is a compaction process, whereby the soil becomes so hard and compressed from constant compression from feet and wheels, that roots are literally not allowed to grow.  Also, the roots can better achieve their innate goals of getting water and nutrients not allowed from the denseness of the soil they are trapped in. Aeration also allows fertilizers and rainfall to penetrate better.

Many 4 season climate lawns get an aeration every year.  Snow itself can be a compacting agent. The fact is it does stimulate root activity, making the small grass plants work to receive their proper proportions of air, water, nutrients and, in the end, sun. Aeration is one of the simplest and easy of preSummer tasks and easily one of the most necessary.  A lush green lawn needs a good base from which to grow.  Aeration can improve the soil and can lessen the compaction from people and Nature and release it for its good work of looking darn good.

Southwest lawn decor only slightly differs from garden decor offered all around the world. In the Southwest, lawn decor can take the actual forms of local features, such as cactus and its unique and interesting formations or the local animal populations. Otherwise, many of the same items appearing “back East”, such as wind-driven flags, whirligigs, weather vanes and the like all pertain equally here.

Of note and a caveat of sorts is to remember the overwhelming more sunlight and the resultant exposure to UV rays of the Southwest versus almost any other area. Sunlit days are wonderful things, full of vitamin D and the blissful blooms of never-ending flowers. On the negative side of things, such sunlight can wash color out of fabric in an amazing fast time. I suggest extreme care be taken in protecting articles of lawn decor from the effects of prolonged and quite brutal exposure to an astounding amount and ferocity of sunlight and its attendant harm.

Finally, inasmuch as lawns are such a gorgeous contrast to the heat of Summers in the Southwest, Southwest lawn decor will undou8btelt want to mimic the more “cool” colors and tendencies of the lawn itself. There was no mystery at the brilliant azure blues of Muslim Temples in the Middle East, where the weather is quite similar. Those gorgeous deep blues and greens provide visual relief and a felt contrast to the unending sunlight.

Remote control lawn mower technology has actually reached a viable stage. Mind you, there is a learning curve with this sucker and there are not many brands out there, but someone has combined game technology with a gasoline-powered lawn mower resulting in a machine which you can actually drive from elsewhere. This thing has to be a hugely fun toy for the guy who has everything! Or it may be just another cool way to have some fun while enjoying your lawn maintenance chores.

I would be interested in a consumer report on this monstrosity, myself, before I begin advising anyone to buy one. Besides, they price may just be through the roof as yet. There are questions begging for answers: How does it do in rain? Can a starter be locked to prevent kids from using it as a toy? What is the software or guidance failure rate and what are the implications in terms of safety if the guidance system fails? If I chop up my neighbor’s angry dog who follows it all over my lawn while it operates, will he sue? I can think of about 100 other scenarios for resistance.

Funny enough, however, I confess to a certain love for the project. I guess I have to relegate that to my male personality in the end, sigh. As in: The bigger the boy, the bigger the toy,” I may love it but I can think of 1,000 reasons a wife might not, especially if she is in the field of Law. Then again, she didn’t like the convertible either, but changed her mind one fine Spring day. Come to think of it, her feelings for basketball changed with tickets to a game too. Maybe there’s still a chance yet with the remote control lawn mower!

A lawn “slit seeder” is supremely useful for lawn renovation projects. Slit-seeders combine vertical mowing with seeding. As the machine goes across the lawn, it opens the soil and deposits seed directly into the soil opening. Most slit-seeders have a roller that helps firm the soil after seeding. Seed is metered at a predetermined rate; it’s suggested to apply half the desired seeding rate in one direction and the other half on a second pass perpendicular to the first. These machines have an incredibly high success rate for seed taking root and growing. Obviously, seeds are protected and nearly guaranteed protection from sun, birds and drought by being packed firmly into the soil where, once it grows, it will remain in place.

These units are hydraulically powered and are quite ingenious. By allowing the seed to go neatly into the subsurface of the soil, one saves in all the preparation labor of grading and amendment entry and goes directly to the source of what will be new: the seed placement. As mentioned, the protective layers of soil serve as the perfect medium for a new lawn.

Lawn service fertilization weed control can represent an efficient and healthy way to approach the issues of green lawns and clear-looking gardens without the attendant bother of having to purchase applicators and tots around heavy bags of the necessary maintenance products that represent lawn maintenance. An efficient lawn service fertilization and weed control company can take care of these things on a recurring basis based on need and appropriateness.

Many companies program visits for preselected times of the week and year and can be safely considered reliable for it. It is, after all, their bread and butter too. Their knowledge of local forces, such as weather, predictable weed species and the timing involved in maintaining the utmost in timing regarding both is an awesome tool they possess that not many homeowners possess on their own.

Generally, their prices are not that bad, either. For the services they render, it;s highly doubtful a homeowner can match the price even considering he does not charge for his time. The buying power of bulk quantities of these businesses typically means they can charge a pittance for the materials. Also, the labor for much of their work tends to be mechanized, another huge time saver. They tend, as mentioned, to be very reliable. If they are not, there are few businesses which can show this more out front than a lawn and weeding service. There is much to say for hiring these services. Your lawn tends to be their worry then, at least regarding the more complex aspects.