Recovering From a Wicked Winter’s Wreckage
Written by admin on April 1, 2011 – 9:20 am -Homeowners' To-Do Lists Grow as Snow and Ice Retreat, Revealing Damage to Yards and Gardens After a season of record snowfalls and lengthy cold spells in many parts of the country, homeowners are finding their houses and landscapes unusually battered. Blizzards, wind and errant snowplows have conspired to make this spring one of long recovery, leading to an early sales uptick for the yard and home-repair industry. "Many people will see the worst lawn this spring and summer in the history of their lives," says Jackson Madnick, founder of Wayland, Mass.- based Pearl's Premium Inc., which packages and sells its own grass-seed blend. Looking at ornamental-plant damage over the past 15 years, this winter ranks in the "top five," says Doug Erickson,... more
Tags: Lawn Care
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Cut Down on Lawn Maintenance by Mowing Correctly
Written by admin on April 16, 2010 – 3:28 am -by Francine L. Huff, One of the most important things you can do for good lawn maintenance is to mow your grass properly. While this may seem like a no brainer, there are things you can do to improve the quality and appearance of your lawn. Lawn Shouldn't Be Too Short If you want to keep lawn maintenance to a minimum, set your mower so that it cuts grass 3 inches high. Cutting grass too low can make it more susceptible to drought, insects, and weeds. That's because the root system will be much smaller, leaving room for weeds to spread. A lawn that is too short can also lose more water through the soil. Keep the blades of your mower sharp because grass cut with dull blades may dry out quicker. When to Cut During the warmest weather you probably... more
Tags: Landscaping Tips, Lawn Care
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How to Overseed Your Lawn
Written by admin on April 16, 2010 – 3:15 am -How to Overseed Your Lawn Overseeding lawn Read More →
Tags: Landscaping Tips, Lawn Care
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Edging and Trimming Your Lawn Properly
Written by admin on April 10, 2010 – 4:00 pm -When Edging Becomes Abuse Weeds along the edge of your lawn are usually the result of unintentional damage caused by you or your lawn service when edging or trimming. In particular, it is caused when string trimmers are turned sideways and used as edgers. Done properly this shouldn't damage your lawn, but it's almost never done properly. The problem is that when a trimmer's string makes contact with the ground, it tends to pull the trimmer head towards the lawn, chopping up the grass and underlying soil. The soil that gets kicked up creates greater opportunities for weed seed to germinate, and the regular beating the grass takes from the trimmer makes it easier for weeds to become established. If you use a lawn service, insist that they use... more
Tags: Landscaping, Landscaping Tips, Lawn Care
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Professional Lawn Mowing Secrets
Written by admin on April 10, 2010 – 3:51 pm -Your lawn needs regular appointments with a mower, but if you're simply checking off the chore with little attention to detail, you're missing out on a great strategy for strengthening your lawn. Knowing how to mow can give you a thicker, healthier, and more beautiful lawn. Mow High Different lawn types thrive at different heights. For example, Bermuda looks great around an inch, Kentucky bluegrass does better around two to three inches. Do some research and find out what lawn mowing height range is best for your lawn, then mow at the higher end of the range. Longer grass shades out weeds and gives the lawn more leaf surface to produce food. Set your mower high, and you and your lawn will be happier. Sharpen Those Mower Blades Sharp lawn... more
Tags: Lawn Care
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How to get your lawn ready for winter
Written by admin on September 26, 2009 – 5:42 am -Winter Lawn Care Tips If you want to make sure that your lawn is healthy and hearty in the spring them, then you need to follow some basic winter lawn care tips not only in the winter time but also in the fall to keep it healthy all year long. Although most lawns seem to be dormant during the late fall and winter season, how you care for your law during this period can make a really big difference when it comes to your lawn's overall health and beauty during the spring and summer months. Below is a look at some of the ideas that will allow you to keep your lawn healthy all year long by properly maintaining it throughout the fall and winter. If you live in an area where regular snowfall is normal, then you are going to want to make sure that... more
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Posted in Lawn Care, Leaf Blower, Riding Mowers, Self-propelled Lawn Mowers, String Trimmer, Walk Behind Lawn Mowers, Zero-turn Riding Mower | No Comments »
Amending Soil Naturally: Organic Soil Preparation for Spring or Fall
Written by admin on September 7, 2009 – 12:58 am -By Ellen Russell Adding general organic soil amendments, such as compost and other organic matter, to your gardens and flower beds in the fall or spring prevents soil compaction and replenishes nutrients used by the previous year’s plantings. What’s more, Fall and Spring cleanup projects, lawn mowing and leaf raking, provide an abundance of free organic material that is ideal for use in organic soil improvements. Your gardens will thrive with a boost from organic amendments at either time of year (or both!). Periodic organic soil improvements are needed to continuously meet your garden’s demands for nutrients. Without adequate soil nutrition, the health and yield of blooms, vegetables and fruits will suffer. Additionally, organic soil... more
Tags: gardening, Lawn Care
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Select the right mower for your lawn
Written by admin on August 17, 2009 – 5:12 pm -Tips on picking the right mower to keep your lawn trimmed. By Alan J. Heavens, McClatchy Newspapers A lot of people already have taken their lawn mowers out of storage and given them a couple of workouts. How did the mower perform? Is it time to buy another? If it is a gas-powered mower, are you thinking about switching to electric, or to battery power, or an old-fashioned push mower? If it's time to buy a new lawn mower, here are some things to consider, no matter which side of the push/electric/gasoline debate you're on. Chore or joy: Do you enjoy mowing the lawn, or does it become a chore after the first few outings? Would it be worth it to hire the neighbor's kid or to contract with a service? If you like mowing or think that the exercise,... more
Tags: cordless lawn mower, electric lawn mower, gas lawn mowers, Lawn Care, lawn mower, self-propelled lawn mower, walk behind mower
Posted in Electric Lawn Mowers, Lawn Care, Riding Mowers, Self-propelled Lawn Mowers, Walk Behind Lawn Mowers | No Comments »
How to Get Rid of Weeds
Written by admin on August 5, 2009 – 6:38 pm -By Lynn Ocone, This Old House Weed-free lawns are the stuff of dreams and championship golf courses. In fact, when you consider the tenacity of weeds, it's a wonder any of us win the pitched battles we wage with these pesky invaders. Just one dandelion plant makes up to 15,000 seeds, each of which can survive six years in the soil—creating 15,000 more seeds when it sprouts and matures. Synthetic herbicides are the usual response to chronic weed problems. But used unwisely, these chemical weed killers can be dangerous to people, pets and turf. And unless you get at the underlying problems that weaken lawns and favor weeds, you might have to apply herbicides frequently. The best way to control dandelions and other weeds in your yard is to... more
Tags: gardening, Lawn Care
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Propane String Trimmers
Written by admin on July 23, 2009 – 4:39 am -by Jann Swanson Gas powered lawn and garden equipment are environmental disasters. Here are some ugly statistics from the EPA. • Gas lawn mowers create 5 percent of U.S. air pollution; and even higher percentage in metropolitan areas. • Garden equipment engines emit high levels of carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds, and nitrogen oxide. • Gas mowers consume 800 million gallons of gas per year. • Gardeners spill 17 million gallons of fuel each year while refueling lawn equipment - more than the oil spilled by the Exxon Valdez. Now believe that last one if you want, but I have heard 100,000 gallons spilled in the U.S. just from mowers - sounds more realistic - but whatever the volume, spilled fuel contaminates groundwater and... more
Tags: gardening tools, Lawn Care
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