Leaf Removal

Posted on September 29, 2010 in Equipment Tips, Lawn Care Tips

Leaf Removal
Leaf Mulching
Leaf Mulching is one of the more organic methods of leaf removal. And, it is very lawn friendly.

If you have a push mower, it is more than likely that it is already mulch-capable. Most of the time, there is a plastic shoot where grass exits the push mowers deck. You should be able to remove the plastic shoot, and block the hole in the mowers deck. Most newer lawn mowers come with a mulching blade as well. If not, one can easily be picked up for around the price of $20.00.

If you have a riding lawn mower, attachments can be purchased (for most) to block the hole in the mowers deck. Mulching blades can also be purchased for a price in the area of $40.00. The prices and attachments vary by mower type, but most of the time the attachment is a small plastic cover with gumby straps that hold it to the deck. It simply fits of the exit hole on the mowers deck, blocking anything from escaping and in return mulching it.

So why should you mulch?

Well there is a few good reasons. The first, it is a lot easier than manually raking your leafs with a leaf rake. Depending on your yard size, leaf raking can be a long, pretty intense task. And with the technology available in this day and age, it is not a “must do” task.

The second, mulching leafs and returning them back to the soil is an excellent organic lawn care method. It return rich nutrients and iron to your lawn that grass strives on. By returning these nutrients back to the soil, you will notice a thicker, greener, all around healthier outcome within your grass.

The third is the cost factor. Tools like leaf blowers and vacuums can get very expensive. With some leaf blowers costing $300-$500 and up, and some vacuums costing $300-$1000 dollars you can easily see why mulching is extremely less expensive. You should replace blades every season depending on the use involved. So at the worst conditions, and the cheapest leaf removal tool it would take almost 8 years of purchasing mulching blades before you would reach the cost of a low-end leaf vacuum! Leaf Blowing
Leaf blowers are a very effective, but also very expensive method of leaf removal depending on the size of your yard. Small leaf blowers can run $140 to $300 dollars. While they are good for small leaf removal projects, sidewalks, and driveways, people with larger, tree filled yards will quickly become disappointed with the limitations on the smaller blowers.

For larger, leafier yards, I personally recommend the BR600 from Stihl. While there are more powerful models available, the BR600 packs a punch and is able to move large piles of leafs, wet or dry. It also moves snow with little problem.

Depending on if you live in a city, and what city that is, normally there are scheduled leaf pickup services. By blowing your leaves to the curb side or street side, large city trucks with vacuum hoses will come and remove you leaf piles as long as they are in an acceptable area. The city than compost or mulches the leafs for recycled use at a later time. And normally this is done free of charge! Leaf Vacuuming.. Compressing
Leaf vacuuming also provides a method of mulching or compressing your leaves.

My favorite leaf vacuum is the stihl hand held model. It is light weight and compresses leafs at a 14:1 bag ratio. The bag straps onto your back and has an easy unzip and dump feature. They run around $300 but are worth the money if you need to go this route. I normally use the BR600 to blow the leafs into a pile and then use the leaf vacuum to mulch and compress the pile. The mulched leaves can then be used for a compost or a cheap-organic fertalizer where needed.

Another type of leaf vacuum is the walk behind model. Troy-Bilt and Craftsman make notable versions of these. They basically look like a push mower, except they have a vacuum attached to the front and a fairly large bag attached to the back. They do what they are supposed to, however I am not a giant fan of these models. I would rather purchase the mulching attachment for a push or riding lawn mower and mulch the leafs. These pieces of equipment can run in the area of $500 depending on versions.

The other type of leaf vacuum is the riding mower attachment. It is the same principle as the push mower version, except for use with a riding lawn mower. I am not a giant fan of these models either and they are more for professional use. They are also very pricey, $600+.

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Zero Turn Lawn Mowers

Posted on September 29, 2010 in Equipment Tips

Zero Turn Mowers – Now Thats a Lawn Mower
The volume of zero turn lawn mower sales has been growing over the last few years while the number of conventional riding lawn mowers has been declining. In fact, the demand for zero turn lawn mowers has increased so dramatically that some companies no longer even make the conventional riding models. When comparing rear-engine riding lawn mowers, conventional and zero turn are the two types. While the older conventional rider models are relatively agile and nimble, they do have some disadvantages, particularly in turn radius. Depending on the model, a conventional rider will actually use as much as 28 inches and as little as 4 inches to make a 180 degree turn. Mathematically this is wasted movement that cannot be avoided in a conventional rider, at the end of each directional cut.

In comparison, a zero turn lawn mower does exactly as its name implies. It turns with no wasted movement or surface area coverage. A zero turn lawn mower actually turns around within its own track so that no movement is wasted at all. Not only that, but many zero turn lawn mowers also operate and travel at nearly twice the speed of a conventional rider lawn mower. The Main Primary Different Between Zero Turns and Convential Riders
One of the primary operational differences between these two lawn mowers is in how the steering system is designed. Conventional lawn mowers have a steering system where the wheel is placed in a position which enables the front wheels to turn with the radius controlled by the physical design of the lawn mower. Meanwhile, zero turn lawn mowers actually have two steering grips which independently control each of the two rear wheels. If the controller moves one of the grips forward while simultaneously putting the other one in a reverse position, the entire zero turn mower will make a complete rotation in one single spot.

The Cost Factor..

As convenient as it is to have a zero turn lawn mower, another factor that many people consider when choosing which rider to purchase is the cost of each lawn mower. There is a considerable difference between the two different types. A conventional riding lawn mower will range in price between $1,600 and $3,000, while a zero turn lawn mower will range in price between $2,600 and as high as $7,200. Many people would argue that that’s a substantial amount of money to spend on a machine that runs only one hour every week. Obviously there is another factor that buyers take into consideration when choosing which lawn mower to purchase – the fun factor. Up to 8 MPH…
Zero turn mowers are arguably much more fun to drive and operate than conventional models. They nimbly move and cut around trees and other lawn obstacles. Driving a zero turn lawn mower has been compared to driving a bumper car, except without crashing into other bumper cars. Also, like anything that is driven, speed is a factor that everyone takes into consideration. Conventional lawn mowers only move at about 4 miles per hour, while there are some zero turn lawn mowers that go nearly double that speed. Although people continue to buy conventional riding lawn mowers, sales for them are declining every year. It appears as though pretty soon all anyone will want are zero turn lawn mowers.

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Lawn Mowing Safety

Posted on August 18, 2010 in Lawn Care Tips, News Alert

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.

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Add a Decorative Waterfall..

Posted on August 18, 2010 in Garden Tips, Lawn Care Tips, Ponds

To enjoy your yard to the fullest, consider adding a decorative water feature. Fountains, ponds, and waterfalls are a wonderful way to add a focal point and dimensionality to your yard.

You can create a pond kit yourself or call a professional landscaping company to assist with the project. You can add lights, decorative stones or yard art as well as waterfalls or tiered pools to create a flowing water effect.

Flooding, Mushrooms, and Moss

Posted on August 18, 2010 in Lawn Care Tips, Lawn Disease

Heavy rains or flooding can be harmful to your lawn. If the lawn is underwater for less than four days, the temperature is below 60 degrees and no erosion takes place, then chances are high that the lawn will survive.

Remove all debris, silt and mud deposited on the lawn after a storm. In cases of a hurricane, salt water presents a danger. If either salt water or oil has contaminated the soil, be sure to flush the lawn with water until you’re confident the root system is free from contaminants.

If you’re having frequent flooding problems, fill in any low spots or depressions in your lawn and grade slopes so water drains away from the house and its foundation. If you’re still having drainage problems, consider installing a drain tile.

Lots of wet weather often causes the growth of mushrooms, which work to break down old organic matter in the soil. Mushrooms are not harmful, so you can mow them down if you like.

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