Posts Tagged ‘grass’
Today is Earth Day – be kind to your “weeds”
 Dandelions Are Healthy For Your Body Ok – everyone enjoys a lush, well kept, perfectly green lawn – at least most everyone….but, did you know that Dandelions are considered a valuable herb with many culinary and medicinal uses?
According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) is a rich source of vitamins A, B complex, C, and D, as well as minerals such as iron, potassium, and zinc. Its leaves are often used to add flavor to salads, sandwiches, and teas. The roots can be found in some coffee substitutes, and the flowers are used to make certain wines. The article goes on the say that dandelion roots are mainly used today as an appetite stimulant, digestive aid, and for liver and gallbladder function. Dandelion leaves are even used as a diuretic to stimulate the excretion of urine.
Take a few minutes are learn more about the important nutritional value of Dandelions!
Learn more about the medicinal value of Dandelions:
http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/dandelion-000236.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taraxacum_officinale
http://www.theherbprof.com/hrbDandelion.htm
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 Firebelly Organics We recently read in a SafeLawns.org blog post about the 2010 launch of Firebelly Organics. Tom Kelly of Milford, N.H., a former pesticide applicator has much of New England buzzing over his revolutionary, easy-to-use lawn care program made from 100 percent organic ingredients.
After a few phone and email conversations with both Tom Kelly and his wife Debra (Sales & Marketing), we are impressed and excited to share their company and their story with the ecomowers.com community. Signing up for their monthly lawn care program might just be the perfect complement with your ecomower.
About Firebelly Organics:
Fire Belly Organic Lawn Care honestly believes we can make the world a much better place by simply changing the way we treat our lawns. When we eliminate the overuse of dangerous pesticides and chemical fertilizers we are taking a step towards saving the environment and creating a healthier world for our children, pets and families.
Located in New Hampshire, Fire Belly provides a seasonal, do it yourself, six step organic lawn care program to customers all over The United States and Canada. We are also a leading provider of organic lawn care products to the organic lawn care applicator industry. By simplifying process in which you can treat your lawn organically Fire Belly leads the way in converting turf care programs from a dangerous chemical process to a safe natural approach.
 Firebelly Organics Fire Belly is dedicated to providing effective environmentally responsible products that address soil biology. Our horticultural products feed the soil through the introduction of select beneficial microbial species allowing them to facilitate the natural processes inherent to healthy plant growth. We blend a diverse array of beneficial soil microorganisms with natural plant extracts and organic nutrients to create microbial systems. These natural systems simultaneously feed the soil and the plant, which allows plants to grow to their full genetic potential
We not only want to provide you with the proper products to treat your lawn but we also want to help you with any and all concerns when it comes to the care of turf. When you sign up for the Fire Belly program you are getting many years of agronomic experience that we hope you will put to use by constantly asking questions. When outstanding products come together with outstanding education and information you can have an outstanding lawn…naturally.
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Did you overseed your lawn this fall? How does your grass look now? Did you fill all those bare spots your dog Lizzy so nicely caused this summer? If you planned ahead, purchased choice seeds, and followed a rigid planting strategy your grass probably looks fantastic. However, if you bought cheap seed, tossed it on the ground, and watered it a bit you probably have clumpy & patchy results. Researchers at Kansas State report that fall overseeding is a very common practice and that many may or may not succeed.
K-31 is known to be the most common seed on the market which also makes it the least expensive. One of the disadvantages to K-31 is that it grows fast and you’ll need to mow it a few times after planting. Under stress conditions, K-31 becomes clumpy and patchy and results can be poor.
Kansas State recommends planting at a rate of 50% the recommended rate for new establishment. You should measure the area to wish to plant and accurately calculate the amount of seed you need.
For more information checkout the full article here: Overseeding in Fall Can Repair, Improve Lawn
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Further to the basics of cutting height (you can read more here) and how it influences the quality of your lawn, let’s examine the equally important quality of cut (QOC).
In a separate blog entry I used the roses in the blender analogy to illustrate what happens to tender grass blades when cut using a rotary lawn mower. The key element at work in mowing grass with a rotary mower is SPEED – speed of the blade turning fast enough to tear or flail the tips off of the grass being mowed.
You may be surprised to learn that only the last ¼ to ½ inch of a rotary lawn mower blade ever does any actual cutting, but if you think about it the blade is moving so fast, that as you push the mower forward only that portion of the blade makes contact with the longer grass blade – everything farther down the blade just passes over the already mowed grass.
The sharpness of the blade is another misunderstood concept. Many people believe that a rotary blade should be extremely sharp, this is a misnomer:
Firstly, if you use a rotary you know that a razor sharp blade is impossible to maintain, just a few minutes of cutting will dull rotary blades significantly. The lifting force that many rotary mowers are designed with today also brings all kinds of debris into contact with the blade, dulling it significantly. That is why a rotary mower dealer or mechanic will not even recommend a blade that sharp, because it can’t be kept that way and is more susceptible to damage as you try to make it sharper and the leading edge becomes thinner.
Finally you would need to sharpen the rotary blade after every mowing, which is not only inconvenient; it can be dangerous if you are not careful and know what you are doing. If the blade is not perfectly balanced each time it can put tremendous strain on the mower as an unbalance blade spins irregularly on the drive shaft of the engine.
The bottom line is that the only way a rotary can mow grass is by shear speed and to smash the tips off the blades of grass. No matter what you do, you cannot overcome this mode of mowing action with a rotary lawn mower.
If you want the best looking, most healthy grass – stick to using a reel lawn mower. All the professionals use reel mowers……
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Can Turgrass Change The Air Temperature?
Temperature Modification
Have you ever had the pleasant experience of walking barefoot in the yard and feeling how cool the grass is? Of course, many of our reel mower enthusiasts ecomow in their bare feet. Grass obviously plays an important role in controlling our outdoor climate.
Studies show that grass can cool the air temperature by absorbing the sun’s heat during the day and releasing it slowly in the evening, thus moderating temperature. The grass will absorb some of the solar radiation to fuel the photosynthesis process. Grass areas also have irregular surface area which scatters light and radiation, greatly reducing glare.
Turf grass will cools itself and its surroundings by a process know as evapo-transpiration. Transpiration from the grass blade, and evaporation from the soil. An acre of turf on a summer day will lose roughly 2,400 gallons of water through evapotranspiration to the atmosphere. Roughly 50% of the sun’s heat striking the turf may be eliminated through this transpirational cooling process.
The cooling properties of turf are so effective that temperatures over turfed surfaces on a sunny summer day will be 10 – 14 degrees cooler than over concrete or asphalt. Or to put it another way, consider the fact that on a block of eight average homes, the front lawns have the cooling effect of 70 tons of air conditioning!
Research studies revealed overall temperature of urban areas may be as much as 5 to 7 °C warmer than that of nearby rural areas. Through the cooling process of transpiration, turfgrasses dissipate high levels of radiant heat in urban areas. Maximum daily canopy temperatures of a green, growing Cynodon turf (Bermuda grass) was found to be 21 °C cooler than a brown dormant turf and 39 °C cooler than a synthetic surface (Table 1; Beard and Johns, 1985). The transpirational cooling effect of green turfs and landscapes can save energy by reductions in the energy input required for interior mechanical cooling of adjacent homes and buildings (Johns and Beard, 1985).
Source:
“Environment Temperature Modification,” The Lawn Institute http://www.thelawninstitute.org/environment/?c=185540 [accessed on June 30, 2009].
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Although grasses are better equipped than other species to deal with cutting, even grasses have difficulty tolerating mowing. Mowing removes plant tissue that would otherwise perform photosynthesis and provide energy for the grass. Bottom line: mowing is always a stress on your grass.
As a rule, not more than 33 to 40% of the aboveground tissue should be removed in a single mowing (Christians, Nick, Fundamentals of Turfgrass Management: Ann Arbor Press, Chelsea, Michigan: 1998, page 148). In addition, grass should be cut at an even higher setting during periods of stress (high temperatures, frequent compression, etc.).
For more information on particular turf species and cutting recommendations, see Fundamentals of Turfgrass Management, by Nick Christians: Ann Arbor Press, Chelsea, Michigan: 1998, (chapter 8, in particular).
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Managing Your Grass Clippings
Grass clippings will always be a part of lawn care. Because lawns grow at different rates depending on environmental conditions and management practices, it is important to tailor mowing, fertilizing, and watering to meet plant needs, yet avoid excessive growth. Grass clippings an inch or less in length filter down to the soil surface and decompose relatively quickly. Longer clippings have a tendency to remain above the lawn where they appear unsightly and can shade or smother grass beneath. Long clippings need to be removed to avoid both unsightliness and lawn damage.
Bagging clippings did not become commonplace until the 1950s when bagging attachments were designed for rotary motors. In nearly every instance, proper lawn care can greatly reduce or eliminate the need to collect clippings. In fact, clippings are a valuable source of nutrients. University of Minnesota soil test recommendations call for less nitrogen fertilizer if clippings are returned to the lawn. Also, the addition of organic matter in the form of clippings may help to improve the status of your soil if it is sandy or low in organic matter.
Contrary to popular belief, returning clippings to the lawn does not normally contribute to increased thatch formation. Thatch is a layer of undecomposed organic matter that builds up between the soil surface and the actively growing green vegetation. A thatch layer will develop if organic matter is produced faster than it is decomposed by microorganisms. The major factors contributing to thatch development are vigorous grass varieties, excessive nitrogen fertilization, infrequent mowing, and low soil oxygen levels. Small clippings are composed primarily of easily degradable compounds which break down rapidly and do not accumulate. Long clippings may contain wiry stem material that is slow to decompose.
Alternatives to Leaving Clippings
While leaving clippings on the lawn is recommended, certain instances make the practice inadvisable. The following are some exceptions to the rule:
If the lawn is heavily infested with certain leaf diseases, removing clippings may help reduce disease severity. If the lawn must be mowed when wet, clippings can mat together and smother the grass. If the grass has become too tall, clippings can mat together and smother the grass.
When clippings must be collected, using them as mulch in the garden or composting them are two good alternative disposal methods. Grass clippings can provide an effective mulch around garden plants. Mulching helps reduce weeds, conserve moisture, and modify soil temperatures. However, do not apply more than one or two inches of grass clippings as a mulch at one time. Wet grass clippings can mat down and prevent oxygen and moisture from getting down into the soil. When oxygen is limited, anaerobic decomposition of the clippings may take place, leading to the production of offensive odors. Do not use grassclippings as mulch if the lawn was recently treated with an herbicide for dandelions or other broadleaf types of weeds. If clippings are to be used as a mulch, then wait until its been mowed at least twice.
Composting involves mixing grass clippings and other plant materials with a small amount of soil containing microorganisms which decompose organic matter. Grass clippings are excellent additions to a compost pile because of their high nitrogen content. However, they should not be the only compost component. As with mulches, a thick layer of grass clippings in a compost pile will lead to bad odors from anaerobic decomposition. Mix them with dry materials such as leaves or straw. Clippings can be composted in the backyard or hauled to municipal composting sites.
Source:
“Managing Grass Clippings,” University of Minnesota, Sustainable Urban Landscape Information Series: http://www.sustland.umn.edu/maint/mowing.htm[accessed on May 6, 2008].
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What is “Grasscycling” ? It is simply leaving your grass clippings on the lawn!
10 Reasons Why You Should Grasscyle
1. Grassclippings are a large portion of the waste stream so grasscycling will help reduce the amount of waste going to the landfill.
2. When properly clipped, grassclippings decompose quickly and release nutrients back into the soil.
3. You will have a healthier looking lawn.
4. Eliminates the necessity for collection and disposal.
5. It’s easy and can save time.
6. Grasscycling greatly reduces the need for fertilizer because grass clippings return nitrogen to the soil.
7. Frequent mowing at a low cutting height deprives the root system of nutrients and moisture. Longer grass blades create more shade, providing the soil protection from the sun.
8. By mowing at a raised height, you reduce stress that can retard root growth.
9. If you have a gardener, grasscycling will save your gardener time because there are no clippings that require collection and disposal. Encourage your gardener to grasscycle!
10. Grasscyling is good for your lawn.
How to grasscycle
Basic Rule: Do not cut any more than 1/3 of the length of the grass blade at one time.
Proper mowing is the key to grasscycling. Grass should be dry and the mower blades sharp. In the fast growing season you may have to cut every seven days-but in the slower growing season you might only need to cut your lawn every 7-14 days.
During a “wet season” or at a time your grass cannot be mowed as frequently as desired, you might have an excess of clippings. This is an excellent opportunity to put your clippings in a backyard compost pile.
Watering
Water in the early morning if possible. Do not over-water. Too much water will cause your lawn to develop shallow root systems. Water less frequently but deeper.
Fertilizing
Do not over fertilize. Proper fertilization is important, however, over fertilization can weaken a lawn by causing excessive growth. It is best to apply smaller quantities more frequently.
Lawnmowers:
There are several brands of recycling mowers available that cut grass into small pieces and force them into the soil. However, you do not necessarily need to purchase a recycling mower to grasscycle. Almost any mower will work by raising the cutting height. If your mower has a collection bag, remove it to allow clippings to drop into the soil. However, if your mower does not have a safety flap covering the opening where the bag fits into the chute, or a plug for the chute, contact your local retailer to purchase a retrofit kit.
Most Common Misconceptions:
Grasscycling causes thatch build up.
No! Studies have shown that grass roots are the primary cause of thatch, not grass clippings. And, a small amount of thatch is actually beneficial. It serves as a mulch, preventing water evaporation and soil compaction.
Grasscycling spreads lawn disease.
No! The primary cause of disease spread is improper watering and fertilizing. If a disease is present, infestation will occur whether you are grasscycling or not.
My lawn will look bad.
No! Grasscycling will give you a healthier looking lawn if it is mowed, watered, and fertilized properly.
Grasscycling is not new. Many parks and golf courses have been practicing grasscycling successfully for years.
Grass Clippings
Many homeowners remove grass clippings after mowing to prevent thatch buildup. However, it has been shown that grass clippings do not contribute significantly to thatch buildup. Clippings can remain on most lawns, and help to keep them healthy, as long as the grass is mowed often enough.
Source:
“Grasscycling,” Recycle Works: A Program of San Mateo County:
http://www.recycleworks.org/compost/grasscycling.html [accessed on May 6, 2008].
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