Category: Lawn

What is Aeration?

May 1, 2015MBEhleAdvice, Garden, Home Improvement, Lawn, Lawn Care

First-time homeowners or those just beginning to embrace their inner landscaper may notice their neighbors using a machine to punch holes in their lawns and wonder what they’re doing. While aeration is slightly more complicated than simply punching holes in a lawn, that’s likely what your neighbors are up to when you see them manning an unfamiliar machine in their lawns.

Aeration may be a foreign concept to men and women with little lawn care experience, but it’s a relatively simple way to ensure your lawn stays healthy.

What is aeration?

Lawn aeration is the practice of perforating the surface of a lawn in an effort to promote stronger roots and a healthier landscape. A host of factors, from inclement weather to kids using the yard as a playground to the type of grass in a yard, can make it difficult for lawns to thrive. Aerating is a way to counter some of the things that prevent lawns from looking lush.

Why should I aerate?

Aeration is practiced so lawns can grow deeper roots, as poking holes in the surface breaks up compacted soil, thereby allowing air, nutrients and water to reach the root system.

Over time, a lawn that is not aerated is likely to feature compacted soil that won’t absorb water and nutrients, which are essential to maintaining a healthy lawn.

Lawns that are not aerated also tend to build up thatch. Thatch is a matted layer of materials that can build up in a lawn over time. Grass clippings and other debris might not stick to your shoe when you walk through the yard, but they are combining to create thatch just below the surface of the grass. That thatch also makes it difficult for water and nutrients to reach the soil where they can promote strong, healthy root systems. Aeration helps to combat the buildup of thatch and promote a healthy lawn.

Can I do it myself?

Homeowners with little experience caring for their lawns may want to consult professionals before tackling the project themselves. Many professional landscaping services have experience in aerating lawns, which can be labor-intensive. Aerating is not necessarily a difficult task, but some aerators do not cover much soil surface with each pass they make, so it can take a while to complete a full aeration of your lawn. In addition, some homeowners may be uncomfortable operating an aerator, and that can lead to mistakes that can harm a lawn. Homeowners pressed for time or those concerned about their ability to operate an aerator may benefit from hiring professionals and then watching how the pros do it. If you watch carefully, you might be more confident come the next time your lawn needs to be aerated.

How often should I aerate?

Lawns that are not subject to heavy use can go longer between aerations than those with more frequent use. If kids play in the yard every day or if you routinely host parties where guests spend lots of time in the yard, your lawn will benefit from more frequent aeration. Speak to a landscaping professional about how often your property needs to be aerated, as there may be certain region-specific variables that will influence how frequently a lawn should be aerated.

When should I aerate?

Landscaping professionals recommend aerating lawns during the growing season, when holes created by aeration can be filled by growing grass. Homeowners should consult with a landscaping professional about when to aerate their lawns, as the type of grass may also determine the best time to aerate.

Aeration is a great way for homeowners to ensure their lawns stay lush and healthy for years to come.

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Repair Dead Grass

April 11, 2015MBEhleAdvice, DIY, Farm, Home Improvement, Lawn, Lawn Care

A patch of dead grass on an otherwise lush lawn can be a frustrating eyesore for homeowners. Whether lawn care is your passion or just something you do to maintain the value of your home, dead grass can be exasperating.

But as unsightly as dead grass can be, addressing it and restoring the dead patches can be somewhat simple. Before you can restore grass, however, you must first identify the source of the problem. Grass often dies because of urine damage, which is typically characterized by a dead spot surrounded by otherwise green grass. Grub infestation might be at fault when dead grass appears, and such an infestation often produces patches of light brown grass that are scattered throughout the lawn. It’s also possible that dead grass is a result of human error. If your lawn was overfertilized, then patches of gray-green grass may appear. Fungal disease is another common culprit behind dead grass, and such disease can manifest itself in different ways. Once you have identified why the grass is dead, which may require the help of a professional, then you can begin to treat your lawn.

Urine damage

Urine damage is often limited to a particular area of the grass where your family pet routinely relieves itself. Once a particular patch of grass has worn down, the pet may move on to another spot. But if you quickly notice a dead spot due to urine damage, you can train the animal to urinate elsewhere, limiting the damage it causes. When repairing the grass, dig a hole that’s roughly four inches deep and fill it with fresh soil until it’s level with the soil surrounding the dead patch. Then you can sprinkle seed on top of the freshly laid soil and water the spot.Grass should grow in and stay green so long as you prevent further urine damage.

Insect damage

Addressing dead spots caused by insect damage can be a little more complicated, and some homeowners may prefer to hire a professional. If you want to handle the problem on your own, apply pesticide to the affected areas so the insects behind the problem are killed. Once the insects are no more, cut the grass, raking the affected area to remove the dead grass and any additional debris. Scatter grass seed over the affected areas and then apply an appropriate fertilizer and water immediately. Professionals may know just the right fertilizer for your lawn, so even if you want to go it alone, visit a local lawn care center to ask for advice about addressing your particular problem.

Fertilizer damage

Fertilizer damage can also prove difficult to address, as applying fresh seeds too soon can kill any freshly growing seedlings. So grass that has been damaged by over-fertilization must first be allowed to fully die. Once that has happened, the grass can be cut and any remaining debris or dead grass can be removed. Seed can then be scattered, and you can even add some additional soil before laying down an appropriate amount of fertilizer and watering the lawn immediately. If you don’t trust yourself to use fertilizer correctly, then hire a professional to do the job for you. This will cost a little more, but you likely won’t wake up to more dead patches of grass down the road.

Dead grass can be unsightly and turn an otherwise lush lawn into a patchy eyesore. But addressing dead grass can be easy and can quickly restore a lawn to its green grandeur.

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Eco-Friendly Lawn Care Tips

April 3, 2015MBEhleAdvice, Home Improvement, Lawn, Spring, Summer

Many homeowners are constantly on the lookout for ways to make their homes more environmentally friendly. Such a pursuit is both noble because it helps the environment and practical because it often saves money.

While there are many eco-friendly improvements homeowners make inside their homes, it’s important to note that there are several ways for men and women to be more environmentally conscious outside of their homes as well. Lawn care can be done in a way that’s conscious of the environment, and the results can be just as appealing as if the lawn were tended to without regard for the planet!

* Be conscientious when watering. Overwatering a lawn is pretty common, especially during the dog days of summer, when homeowners try to overcompensate for hot days with excessive watering. The growth of moss on sidewalks or the driveway is a telltale sign that you’re watering too much, as is a standing pool of water on the grass. Homeowners who find it difficult to determine when their lawns have gotten enough water can purchase an intelligent irrigation control system that adapts your watering to a lawn’s needs as well as the weather.

* Turn back the clock on your tools. Before gas mowers became the standard, man-powered push mowers were used to cut the grass. Such mowers still exist, and they require no fuel, making them a more eco-friendly option than their gas-powered counterparts.

* Stay local. If you need to plant new grass or you’re beginning a garden, then stick with local plants, flowers and grasses rather than more exotic options that are not native to your area. Plants, flowers and grasses that aren’t native to your region will require more maintenance and often more watering. That added maintenance might prove to be a headache, and that excessive watering will not be beneficial to the environment. Native plants, flowers and grasses have already adapted to your climate, and they can be provide just as much aesthetic appeal as more exotic alternatives.

* Avoid pesticides whenever possible. Many homeowners treat their lawns with pesticides, which can make a lawn look beautiful. But that beauty typically comes at a steep price, impacting local wildlife and perhaps even the local water supply. When pesticides are applied to a lawn, the chemicals within may run off into your local water supply. If you can’t avoid pesticides entirely, then do your best to minimize how often you use them.

* Don’t let rain water go to waste. Rain barrels are a great way to make good use of rain. Rain barrels can be placed beneath a gutter’s downspout, where they will collect water that can be reused throughout your property to water the lawn and garden. Rain barrels can be relatively expensive, but over time they will pay for themselves as you save money on your water bill.

Lawn care can be conducted in a way that benefits the environment as well as your bottom line. GT134013

Start Your Garden Off Right

March 12, 2015MBEhleGarden, Gardening, Lawn, Lawn Care, Spring, Summer

As winter slowly winds down, many gardeners cannot wait to soak up the springtime sun and get their hands dirty in the garden. Such excitement is not just good for gardeners, but can benefit the garden in the months to come as well.

Late winter or early spring is a great time to get a head start on the gardening season. Even if gardening season is still around the corner, completing the following projects can ensure your gardengets off on the right foot.

Clear debris

One of the best things you can do for your garden as winter winds down is to clear it of debris. Winter can be especially harsh on a landscape, and gardens left to the elements are often filled with debris once spring arrives. Dead leaves, fallen branches, rocks that surfaced during the winter frost, and even garbage that might have blown about in winter winds can all pile up in a garden over a typical winter. Clearing such debris likely won’t take long, but it’s a great first step toward restoring the garden before the time comes to plant and grow the garden once again.

Examine the soil

Soil plays a significant role in whether a garden thrives or struggles. Examining the soil before the season starts can helpgardeners address any issues before they plant. Ignoring the soil until a problem arises can turn the upcoming gardening season into a lost opportunity, so test the soil to determine if it has any nutrient or mineral deficiencies. This may require the help of a professional, but if a problem arises, you might be able to adjust the acidity or alkalinity of the soil and still enjoy a successfulgardening season.

Another way to examine the soil is less complex but can shed light on when would be a good time to get back to work. Reach into the soil and dig out a handful. If the soil quickly crumbles, you can start preparing for gardening seasoning. But if the soil is still clumped together, it needs more time to dry out before you can begin your prep work.

Initiate edging

Edging is another task gardeners can begin as they get ready for the season. Edge plant and flower beds, but be sure to use a spade with a flat blade or an edger designed to edge flower beds. Such tools will cut deep enough so grass roots that may eventually grow into the flower bed are severed. Depending on how large a gardenis, edging can be a time-consuming task, so getting a head start allows homeowners to spend more time planting and tending to their gardens once the season hits full swing.

Fight weeds

Though weeds likely have not survived the winter, that does not mean they won’t return once the weather starts to heat up. But as inevitable as weeds may seem, homeowners can take steps to prevent them from turning beautiful gardens into battlegrounds where plants, flowers and vegetables are pitted against unsightly and potentially harmful weeds. Spring is a good time to apply a pre-emergent weed preventer, which can stop weeds before they grow. Though such solutions are not always foolproof, they can drastically reduce the likelihood of weed growth.

Though gardeners might not be able to start planting theirgardens in late winter or early spring, they can still get outside and take steps to ensure their gardens thrive once planting season begins.

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Eco-Friendly Lawn Care

March 10, 2015MBEhleGarden, Gardening, Home Improvement, Lawn, Lawn Care

Maintaining a lush lawn is a healthy and rewarding hobby that affords homeowners to spend some time outdoors in nature. Lawn enthusiasts can make their hobby even healthier by adopting several eco-friendly lawn care strategies that not only make for a healthier lawn, but a healthier planet as well. Responsible landscaping has grown increasingly popular in recent years, as more and more homeowners are adopting eco-friendly lawn care practices in the same way they have embraced environmentally conscious behaviors in other areas of their lives. The following are a handful of ways lawn care enthusiasts can incorporate eco-friendly practices into their landscaping routines.

· Maintain an appropriate grass height. When temperatures start to peak in summer, homeowners may be tempted to cut their grass as close as possible so they can reduce the number of afternoons they spend riding or pushing a mower in the hot sun. But cutting too low makes the grass increasingly susceptible to infestations and disease, and such problems may need to be remedied with potentially harmful pesticides if no other approach proves effective. Even if it means an extra afternoon or two mowing under the hot sun, maintaining an appropriate grass height can lead to a healthier lawn, as longer grass soaks up more sunlight, allowing it to grow a deep root system that will help a lawn survive drought and other potential problems.

· Cut back on harmful pesticides. Many homeowners now prefer to avoid pesticides at all costs, but sometimes pesticides are a last resort when lawns are falling victim to harmful insects and organisms. Homeowners who want to embrace more eco-friendly lawn care practices can cut back on their use of pesticides, first trying more environmentally friendly options. For example, biopesticides are made from naturally occurring materials, including animals, plants, bacteria, and certain minerals. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, biopesticides are often inherently less toxic than more conventional pesticides. In addition, biopesticides typically affect only the pest causing the problem, whereas broad spectrum pesticides may affect surrounding organisms, such as birds and mammals, in addition to the targeted pest. The EPA (www.epa.gov) advises homeowners hoping to use biopesticides first learn about managing pests so they can effectively remedy problemson their properties.

· Harvest rainwater. Lawns need water, especially when temperatures rise in the summer. But watering lawns can have an adverse effect on your community’s water supply, draining that supply and hurting the community in the long run. Homeowners who can harvest rainwater can drastically reduce their impact on their community water supply, thereby helping the planet and their community, especially if they reside in locales where water resources are traditionally scarce. When rainwater is harvested, it is collected from downspouts before it washes into nearby sewage systems. Many lawn and garden retailers sell rainwater harvesting systems, which homeowners can install themselves or pay a landscaping professional to install for them.

· Lay mulch down around trees, shrubs and flower beds. Trees, shrubs and flower beds need water, especially in the summer when rising temperatures pose a threat to plants. Homeowners can cut back on the water they use to protect those plants by laying organic mulch in the spring. Organic mulch conserves moisture in soil, promoting stronger roots in plants and helping homeowners cut back on the amount of watering they need to maintain a garden that’s both healthy and pleasing to the eye. Organic mulch, which might be made of bark, is also heavy, making it hard for ugly weeds that rob plants of water to thrive.

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