Lawn Care

By Steve Knowles

In the past we have polluted our soil with chemically derived insecticides but this was not always the case as there was a time where all natural insecticide products were used. The success of the synthesized products over took the natural way of doing things and as a result have caused many health issues.

So the very act of protecting our food supply using commercial insecticides has been recognized as having links to some rather unsavory results in the form of cancer and birth defects in humans and our wildlife.

Most of us are aware that using natural alternatives to chemicals is beneficial to humans so there are ways you can take advantage of to control insects. So what are natural insecticides? Essentially natural insecticide products are sourced from plants that are known throughout the ages to repel or kill these pests. These natural plants can quite often be found around your home and would not detract from the esthetic look of your home.

Pyrethrum is a well known plant that looks like the Daisy flower and comes from the chrysanthemum plant family. This plant is widely used these days as a natural insecticide. This plant when formulated for insecticides does not discriminate, it is very effective in killing insects even to the detriment of the good insects such as Ladybeatles.

When spreading this product it is advisable to wear a mask as it normally comes in the form of a dust which you spread around your garden, it is not recommended that you ever apply insecticides whether they are chemical or natural without wearing protective clothing. In the case of Pyrethrum a mask should be used.

Rotenone. Which is a byproduct of certain South American plants and is normally applied as a spray for the fruits and row crops. It is lethal to aphids, cockroaches, houseflies, and mosquitoes.

In small doses this is not harmful to humans however it was originally used in South America to stun fish and make them flow to the surface of a stream or pool. Considering that there are other natural insecticide alternatives it may be wise to avoid this form of natural insecticide as it could potentially runoff into our water systems.

The problem with any insecticide is that the majority of them are broad based and will kill the good with the bad. Often some of the best natural defenses come from the good insects and some of these broad based natural insecticides cannot tell the difference between the two.

The diligence and dedication to using natural products pays back with a safer environment for your home and is worth the effort. The limitations you will experience are in the form of less resilience to weather conditions such as rain and extreme heat. Having to reapply the natural protection more frequently is a small price to pay for your health.

Combining various types of all natural insecticide recipes is effective in researching what will work in your garden. Having the research already done for you by experts in the field is another alternative and for a small fee is probably the way to go. When all is said and done the benefits of using all natural insecticide products is worth the effort.

If you want to avoid synthetic chemical insecticides and have access to many all natural insecticide products you can go to the sales page - natural Insecticides.

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By Kristy Snow

Laying sod is a heavy task. Most pallets of sod weigh at least 2000 pounds. Sod should be laid so that the shorter end lines don't match up. In you're confused, just remember to lay it down to minimize straight gap lines.

Soil Preparation

The secret to a good sod project is the prepping of the soil. Good topsoil will yield much better results. Use a dark black topsoil with organic material.

Fertilizer

You can boy sod starter fertilizer at your local hardware store. After putting down the topsoil, then put down the fertilizer. The fertilizer will be under the sod roots.

Watering

Many new sod owners make the mistake of not watering their sod enough. As a general rule, new sod should be watered 60 minutes a day for 30 days. There are many factors that affect the calculation. You must take into account the volume of water that the sprinkler system puts out, high or low temperatures, quality of sod, type of sod, and type of dirt. You should water enough that the ground stays totally wet, but not wet enough that the ground will settle. You sod will sink down if you get the ground too water logged. To check the dirt, use a screwdriver. The screwdriver should go into the soil fairly easily and the dirt should be moist all the way in.

Watering is the single largest factor. Some people do get away without following the water procedures, but most who do end up in failure. Many people think it's not worth the water bill. Then , when the sod dies, they regret it.

Cutting

If you can find one, use a sod knife available at sod suppliers. If you can't find one, the next best tool is a linoleum cutter. It looks just like a sod cutter only it's a little larger and sharper. If you can't find a linoleum cutter, use a regular utility knife. Some people even use their butcher knives. It works, if you don't mind rough usage of your kitchen supplies.

Cut the sod from the back. It's a lot easier. The back side is the side that isn't green.

Rolling

If, after your sod comes in, the ground is a little bumpy, you can get a rolling machine from the local rental center and roll the ground. This will push the bumps back down into the grass. A rolling machine is a large metal cyclinder that is supported by two wheels and rolls. Some are motorized and some can be pulled with a four wheeler. Some of them get their weight by adding water to the cylinder.

Placement

Ideally, you would have a Bobcat with pallet forks to move the sod pallets around. If you are reading this, you probably don't have one. In that case, your best bet is to be there when the sod truck arrives. Guide the donkey or piggyback operator to the exact location where you want the sod. Calculate the exact spots. It will take you a lot of work, later on, if they are misplaced.

For further landscape information, please visit Outdoor Shower

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By David Shifflett

A brown spot on your grass happens to everyone at some point. Brown spots can be cause by many different things; compacted roots, animals, insects, high traffic areas, not enough water and not enough sun. Here is a quick and simple fix to help make that lawn look great.

You don't need to buy expensive products to fix your lawn. All you need to fix your lawn is, seed, fertilizer, and compost. To get started we are going to want to rack the affected area with a firm rack, to rough it up. Then with a hoe, cultivator, or a garden fork loosen the soil down a couple of inches to give the grass the chance to germinate and grow long and healthy roots. Following the manufactures instructions place the fertilizer down and work it into the soil with a garden fork or your hands. Make sure that you use gloves when dealing with fertilizer. Once that fertilizer is worked into the soil lightly sprinkle the grass seed over top of the soil. You want to sprinkle the seed like you would salt on some French fries. When buy the seed to use you want to use a type that is a perennial type that is right for your area, not one that is annual and dies after the season. Then once you have the seed is in place cover, the area with compost to aid in the growth of healthy grass. Step on the patch to set the seed. Finally water the seed thoroughly to give the planted seed a great start.

If you think that a pet or animal created the spot with urine, you will want to add lime to the soil to neutralize the acid in the urine. If you are not sure if it was an animal, you can test the soil with a PH tester that you can buy at the store. For grass to grow right it prefers a PH level of 6 - 7.

When dealing with a lot of fixes, you can place the seed fertilizer and the compost into a bucket. Mix the bucket up good to make sure that everything is dispersed evenly. Now you're going to want to roughen up all the areas that need to be fixed. Then place the mixer on to each stop and press it down with your foot. Water the patches daily till the new grass is about two inches high. Then water every other day till the grass is hardy and well rooted.

For more articles like this visit http://www.pshomehelp.com

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By David Payn

How to get a lush, verdant hue from the lawn that you tend so lovingly from year to year; now that is a hotly contested subject and one that needs some objective comments.

Is it about the choice of grass originally sown or laid?; is it about climatic factors?; is it about the condition of your soil?; is it about the the type of soil?; is it about turf being better than seeding?; is it about scarifying and general care and maintenance?; is it about water application?;or is it about nutrients? You are about to get some answers.

Always bear in mind that there are two very general choices for grass, one strain that grows well in the Northern Hemisphere and that other that fairs well south of the Equator. Getting this wrong is disastrous, so ensure you have the correct variety. They are categorized as cool season grasses (for northern climes) and warm season grasses (for antipodeans).

For the north, Kentucky Bluegrass is a good choice - make sure it is a recent mix of varieties - because it tends to maintain its form without too much feeding and even in an extended rain free period. The variations of Fescue are also a preferred option as they need vary little care to maintain their lushness. So, mixture is critical; make sure you find the right mix from reputable suppliers.

The natural soil substructure need not be a problem with lawns; topsoil is normally all that is necessary for a successfully green lawn, although do make sure that the subsoil is sound and not likely to sink.

If you are starting from scratch, ensure you add enough sand to the topsoil to aid proper drainage; waterlogged areas will not give you the green lawn you desire but quite the reverse. Make sure you add in fertilizer which is probably the single most important factor for obtaining a greener lawn. We will come to that shortly. Bulk produced fertilizers tend to produce better results, but if you wish to go organic you can use materials such as peat moss, leaf mold and pine bark.

The condition of the soil should also be assessed with regard to adding extra lime where necessary.

Scarifying your lawn will obviously help because the roots thrive on an oxygen supply which will also help to make the grass leaves greener in the long term. Removing moss and other undesirables with a sturdy grass rake will also help immensely by removing competition for the soils nutrients.

It is nutrients which will ultimately give your lawn the greener look that you so crave. Organic nutrients are fine and have their place in the garden but they are time consuming to produce, hard to apply quickly and efficiently and do not contain the same intensity and concentration of proprietary brands.

To assess different fertilizer and nutrient products, first look at what they are designed to do. You want a richer, greener lawn so make sure that the product is geared up to achieve the results you want.

A broad rule of thumb to begin with is around ten to fifteen kilos of a high grade fertilizer, such as N5-P10-K15, N6-P12-K12, N5-P10-K10, or N7-P14-K21 for each 1000 square feet of lawn. When a soluble form of nitrogen is employed, do not utilize in excess 500 grams of nitrogen per 1000 square feet.

If you follow the few basic rules outlined above, it is then all about choosing the best product available for making your lawn greener. Shop around and see what works for you.

David Payn's blog

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Give Your Lawn The Headstart It Needs For A Great Lawn This Growing Season

By Jose Nieto

Spring Lawn Care

Spring is an especially important season for your lawn grasses. What you do or don't do in the Spring can effect how your lawn looks year round. Basically what you do to your lawn in the spring is setting the foundation for a good growing season. There are basically eight steps you should take in the Spring to insure that you have a good foundation set for your lawn to prosper into the summer and fall.

Equipment Maintenance

I quite often see this as one of the last steps in a spring lawn prep program. I have to part from the crowd on this one. I can't see why you would want to take care of your equipment after you've completed your Spring maintenance. Better to get all your equipment in shape before, that way your not trying to cut the grass with a dull mower or any other horticultural atrocities. If you haven't done it in the fall now is a good time to sharpen the blades on your mower, do an oil change (Note, don't change your oil over your lawn, any spills on the the grass will probably result in a patch of dead grass). Check your rake and straighten out the tines if necessary. Have you ever used a rake that had bent times and gone over the same spot a dozen times without getting the debris you were trying too? Check you Fertilizer and Seed broadcaster (spreader) oil if necessary, add air to the wheels and make sure they are free and clear of old chemicals. Same for your sprayer if you have one, clean out any old water or chemicals test to make sure it works and replace any seals or gaskets that may have deteriorated.

Cleanup

Now is the time to get rid of twigs, leaves etc. A thorough raking of the lawn is in order. It isn't necessary to dig in with the rake but it is important to get rid of the debris so that your fertilizers and amendments as well as water have a chance to reach the soil.

Mow

You could of course be tempted to mow over all the winter debris but I wouldn't advise it. A nice mowing, preferably on the high side for your grass type is a fundamental start to all the next steps you'll be taking. Check out the section on mowing for mowing tips.

Aerate

I am a huge fan of aerating lawns. This is a key factor in your Spring Lawn prep. De-Compacting the soil, giving it room to open up and allowing the fertilizers to work their way into the soil is, in my opinion, one of the most important things you can do for a lawn. Whether you buy a pull behind core aerator or rent a power aerator, make sure it is a core or plug type aerator. The holes left behind will quickly fill in and the plugs will disappear back into the lawn bed over the next few weeks. Your lawn will love you for it! Here is a section dedicated to aerating that will be helpful. Read the section on aerating at The Lawn Place for a complete guide on aerating.

De-thatch

I'm not a big fan of de-thatching, I prefer to aerate and let the action of the aeration break into the thatch and help it along in decomposition. Many lawn experts highly recommend thatching so I have to believe there are circumstance where thatching is appropriate. I believe that this is chiefly with grasses that grow in clumps such as fescue's. Grasses that grow via rhizomes and develop a mat of interlaced "runners" can benefit as well. My only caveat is that I would hire someone with a power de-thatcher rather then use a pull behind detatcher with the steel tines on it. A power de-thatcher will cut and pull the thatch up. A pull behind de-thatcher will tear apart the network of rhizomes, you lawn will recover but wont look very pretty after your done.

Fertilize & Add Amendments

Now is the time to fertilize, giving your grass the nutrients they need promote healthy growth. As a rule I dislike fertilizing in the summer. The warm season grasses tend to tolerate summer fertilization well but cold season grasses such as fescue will not do well with high nitrogen application, especially when the temperature is over 90F.

Your grass will benefit from other amendments as well. Lime is the most common amendment and should be added if your soil alkalinity is to low, in most cases it is ok to add lime to almost any grass type without testing. Don't Lime Centipede or Carpetgrass though unless you have had your soil tested and the alkalinity is extremely low. Centipede and Carpetgrass prefer acid soils and lime will generally create an environment that Centipede and Carpetgrass will not thrive in.

Iron is another amendment that should be added at this time. Most experts agree that iron should not be added if the temperature is over 90F. Some fertilizers already have an iron amendment in them, if yours does not then products such as Ironite, chelated iron, or ferrous sulfate can be added at this time to prevent iron chlorosis. Plants require iron to manufacture chlorophyll, High PH as well as other environmental conditions can deplete your lawn of iron, resulting in yellowing or browning of the grass. Here is a link to a page on this site dedicated to Lawn fertilization .

Herbicides, Pre-emergent's, Insecticide

A well kept and healthy lawn should have little problem with weeds as the dense turf and frequent mowing should keep out any weeds. However, since this is reality we are all occasionally plagued with weeds, crabgrass and other noxious plants. A pre-emergent is probably the best solution, applied in the spring this will help keep the weeds down and allow the lawn to develop a dense turf to further control weeds. One consideration to take into account now is whether you will be overseeding, if you are the use of a pre-emergent or herbicide is NOT recommended.

Since we keep a number of pets I generally apply Insecticide to my lawn several times a year. I usually don't start applying until late spring and continue every four weeks until late fall. There are a number of insecticides suitable for use on lawns, most are broad spectrum so will work on fleas and ticks (Which is as a pet owner is one of my concerns). I prefer a liquid application as it is more economical. However, a granular application tends to last longer.I don't think there is really any difference in overall effectiveness between the two.

Overseed and Top Dress

If you have any bare spots in the lawn that you did not overseed in the fall then you should tackle those spots now, in the early spring for the cool season grasses and in the late spring or even early summer for the warm season grasses. Preparation is much the same as if you were seeding a new lawn, just on a much smaller scale. Loosen the first several inches of soil, remove debris and rocks, rake in the seed to the desired depth for the grass variety you are planting and put a thin layer of mulch such as wheat straw over it. If you have access to a roller it is a good idea to roll the seed in as well. Water daily for the first several weeks and gradually space out the watering until your seedlings have matured and have at least three or more leave per plant.One exception to this is centipede, I like to wait until later in the spring season, even early summer before overseeding. Even then I use a nurse crop such as carpetgrass since centipede is a very slow grower and wont germinate until the soil is consistantly warm.

Top dressing is an option at this time of the year. For those of you that have poor soil condition top dressing with peat moss or screened topsoil may be a good idea to help your lawn along in the summer.

In Summary

The work you put into your lawn in the Spring will pay dividends during the rest of the growing season. You should be able to complete all of these steps in one day on a weekend, planning ahead will help. Getting the neccesary supplies ahead of time will also be a great time saver. Be sure to visit The Lawn Place for more information on lawn care and keep an eye out for more articles on lawn care. JN

http://thelawnplace.com

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