Tag: lawn care tip

Lawn Mower Safety

When working with your lawn mower, read your operator’s manual and pay close attention to all warning labels.

Wear proper clothing when mowing your yard; including a tucked-in shirt, long pants and closed-toed shoes with good traction. Secure or remove loose articles of clothing or jewelry so they don’t catch on the equipment.

Walk the mowing area first and clear any tools, toys, yard debris or other objects that could get thrown by the mower’s blade.

Before you start your lawn mower, check to make sure all safety guards and shields are in place.

Keep children inside and under supervision while mowing your yard. Never give children “rides” on a riding lawn mower. As a result, your children may run up behind you as you’re mowing, expecting another ride, where you can’t see or hear them.

Be careful not to run over your own toes when walking backward with a walk-behind mower.

When mowing in hot weather, make sure to drink plenty of water and rest frequently.

Technorati Tags: , , ,

How to Develope a Lawn in the Shade

One of the most important things for the health of a lawn is the amount of light it receives. But with concrete jungles becoming the norm, your lawn may not be getting as much sunlight as it is supposed to. As a result the grass suffers from more humidity, which translates into less vigorous grass, diseases and fungi, unhealthy roots, and a lot of weed and pest infestations.

So it is really advisable to only plant a lawn if it can get the sunshine it needs. In case you need to grow your lawn in the shade, buy the right kind of seeds. No bluegrass or ryegrass, try fine fescue and tall fescue, they will fare better.

Reduce the seeding rate by about a third so as to reduce competition between individual plants. Find the right time of the year to plant your shade lawn in, either in fall after the trees have shed all their leaves or in spring, after the leafing of vegetation. Make sure you let the grass grow longer, so it can process more energy. Mowing at or above 4 inches would be ideal. Try not to step on it too much, and prevent pets from getting on it as much as possible.

With 50% of required sunlight, grass growth is bound to be thinner and you may perhaps consider alternative arrangements for your lawn area. There are a lot of plants that flourish and look beautiful in shade. Or, you could also opt for ground covers.

Technorati Tags: , , , , , ,

Fertilization

Regular fertilization throughout the year is necessary to maintain a healthy lawn.

The number of applications of fertilization needed will vary from location to location and will also depend on the type of grass and soil conditions.

fertilization  throughout the year will help your lawn to replenish nutrients and color depleted during the winter, reduce stress caused by drought and heat and develop strong healthy grass roots that survive from year to year.

Know what Feeds Your Weeds

Every weed tells a story about your soil. Crabgrass likes compact soil. Cinquefoil likes poor dry soil. Dandelions like high pH. Use your soil test as a guide to make conditions favorable to turf and unfavorable to weeds. Many plants you might consider weeds are beneficial to your lawn and useful to humans. For example, clover helps make nitrogen available in the soil, and plantain can be applied to the skin to soothe insect bites. And a diversity of species leads to lawns that are more hardy.

We Love Dogs, Grass Does’nt

Unfortunately, many people walk their dogs on the first lawn that they can find. While this isn’t the dog’s fault, chemicals in their urine can cause the grass in the affected areas to die off. If you see a dog walker on your lawn, try to find out who they are and politely advise them that they are trespassing on private property and causing damage to your lawn. Let them know that they’ll receive a bill from you as a result of any repairs you need to make. Most accidental offenders will steer clear of your lawn in the future.