The Green View

Mow, Mow, Mow the Lawn…

With spring showers and the best Greenview Fertilizer products stimulating the growth of the most beautiful lawn you’ve ever created, you’ll soon be merrily, merrily mowing and watering to keep your lawn looking neat, trim and green.

Besides our desire for the look of a “manicured lawn” that we all admire, why do we mow our lawns? It’s a lawn maintenance practice that’s part of our American culture because mowing regularly and mowing properly is important if you want a weed-free, golf-course quality lawn that is stress free.

Lawn Mowers

And what’s a sunny weekend in the burbs without the hum of gas or electric-powered lawn mowers, cutting and vacuuming up the pieces of excess turf? From push-behind, or stand-behind to the sleek and  fast riding zero-turn mowers and tractors, before you buy, examine the most important functions of these common rotary-type mowers. They are: the height adjustments, mulching capabilities for recycling, cutting width, horse-power and innovative features like self-propelled mowers with speed sensing and cruise-control. Whichever mower you use, pay special attention to proper cutting height. Cut your grass too short and it will develop a shallow root system and weakling roots that will be easily stressed in the summer heat. You want turfgrass with a deep, strong root system, and higher mowing heights result in stronger roots and fewer weeds.

How often should you mow?

During periods of active turfgrass growth, your lawn may require mowing more than once per week. Mow about 1/3 of the leaf blade during any one mowing. Generally, you should mow when the grass is dry, but if it rains quite a bit and the grass becomes too wet for timely mowing, the turfgrass may shoot up and become quite tall. In this case, do a “double cut,” mowing at the highest setting and once the lawn dries, mow again to the recommended height. And don’t forget to vary your mowing direction to avoid the “rut” effect.

Some additional tips for proper mowing:

• Mow your grass at the right height during the summer, about 1 to 3 inches (it actually varies by grass type.)
• Each mowing season, tune up your mower and keep the blade sharp.
• If you let the grass grow too high, then cut it too low, such scalping can cause your grass plants to go into shock, making them susceptible to drought and disease.
• Mow during the coolest part of the day to avoid browning.
• And don’t forget the headphones—lawn mower engines can be loud!

As with any gardening task, stop mowing and watering occasionally….just to smell the flowers. Enjoy the view!

Content courtesy of Ohio State University Extension. Image courtesy of Green Pro.

Submitted by J. Weinmann

What about the grass clippings?

If you mow regularly and don't have large piles of grass clippings, it is best to leave them on the lawn.  The clippings return nutrients and organic matter to the soil as they break down.  A big misconception about leaving the lawn clippings in the yard is that they attribute to thatch.  Thatch is a layer of decaying plant matter that accumulates at the surface of the soil, but grass clippings (if not left on the lawn in excess) break down quickly and are healthy for your lawn.

Large piles of grass clippings are not healthy because they can clump together and mat down the grass blocking sunlight which will cause yellow spots and increase the chance of disease.

Lawn Mowing Recommendations

Following a few important lawn mowing procedures can make a huge difference in the look and health of your yard, so before you start up that mower read over these recommendations.

During the fastest growing periods in the spring and fall it is a good idea to mow often enough that you only remove 1/3 of the blade at a time.  Mowing about twice a week is a good schedule to follow while the grass is growing quickly.  If you wait too long in between cuts and you take off too much this causes major shock and damage to the grass.  Cutting away too much grass at a time causes dried out soil, drought effects, weeds growing faster and stronger without the shade of the grass plant, dehydration, and reduced chlorophyll which is used to produce energy for the roots.  All of these strains on the plant require more energy to recover from the shock.

During the hot summer months raise your mower and cut the grass at a higher height to help the plant retain more water and to shade the soil from becoming too dry.  The grass does not grow as quickly and strongly so frequent mowing is not necessary but the same 1/3 rule applies.

Robotic Lawn Mowers - The Advantage is Yours.

      Robotic lawn mowers are now available in sizes suited for any lawn size and there are quite a few advantages to robotic mowing aside from the obvious fact that you don’t need to push or drive them.

      One of the most important advantages is that they are environmentally friendly. Government studies have shown that a gasoline powered lawn mower can belch out more emissions than a typical SUV. In addition, spillage of gasoline and improper motor oil disposal is in the millions of gallons every year. By comparison, robotic mowers run on electricity and most use about as much juice as a 100 watt light bulb. A larger unit, capable of handling more than five acres, will use about as much as a standard refrigerator.

     Tired of all the noise ruining your little corner of paradise? Robotic mowers produce little noise and are even quiet enough to run at night without upsetting your neighbor.

     These robotic wonders also provide advantages related to the health of your lawn. One of the things that cause the most stress on a lawn is cutting it. The accepted rule of thumb is that no more than one third of the blade length should be removed with each mowing. To stick to this rule, most people would have to cut more than they do now which is not very appealing. With a robotic mower, you can set it to cut as often as you like and it will be happy to do so.

     The Belrobotics Bigmow and KA LawnBott series are designed to run daily and just trim the tips of the grass. This maintains the lawn in a way that would make a golf course manager green with envy.

     The Robomower acts more like a traditional mower in that it has three mulching chambers that reduce clippings to a very small size. It can handle the “one third rule” without leaving any turf smothering clumps. If you are the type of person that likes razor straight stripes, you would have to learn to do without. All of the units cut from different angles with each mowing. Fortunately, this is the recommended mowing method for healthy grass and the results will appear more as a sea of green than that of a baseball field.

     If you want a beautiful lawn with less effort, robotic mowing just might deserve a look.

Probotics provides a robotic lawn mower selection guide that may help you decide.

Lawn Care 101 - Tips for Growing Grass

When grass is coming out of dormancy in the spring, the tendency is to feed heavily creating an instant green lawn.  However, heavy feeding creates excess top growth at the expense of the root system.  Consequently, although you mow often to keep the lawn in shape, the grass cannot put energy into the roots so that it can survive the heat of the summer.  When choosing a fertilizer this spring, look for a slow release fertilizer.  Slow release fertilizers provide a controlled release of the nitrogen nutrients so the grass does not get that sudden influx of high nitrogen. A slow release nitrogen fertilizer yeilds benefits to the grass plant and prevents the release of excess nitrogen that can contaminate the area watershed.

With grass growing at a healthy, rather than excessive rate, you can concentrate on correct mowing of the lawn.  Before you start mowing make sure that your mower has clean, sharp blades.  Cut the grass blades to 4”-6”.   This depth will allow the roots to stay cool and moist by creating a barrier between airborne seeds and the ground so weeds cannot germinate.  If you plan to use a weed and feed fertilizer, look for one that offers a pre-emergent and post emergent herbicide.  Applying a pre and post emergent herbicide before the grass is too high will kill any existing weeds, including crabgrass, while they are still small.  Never cut more than one third of the blade each time, so for overlong grass, mow once on a high setting, then a second time to the correct length. 

Root systems need water to sustain the lawn, so water regularly but deeply.  Lawns need 1” of water per week.  This may come as rain, but often will need to be provided by the homeowner. To calibrate overhead watering systems, place a container within range of the sprinkler and time how long it takes to fill to 1”. 

Greenview Fairway Formula Fertilizers uses a patented timed release nitrogen technology developed for and used by championship golf courses.  One application of fertilizer in the spring and one application in fall provides a complete annual feeding program.

Greenview Fairway Formula Spring Fertilizer with weed control is a proprietary product that combines both a crabgrass preventer (pre-emergent herbicide) with a broadleaf weed control (post-emergent herbicide) with the university recommended amount of slow release nitrogen.

Check Out Greenview Fairway Formula Fertilizers.

Author - Kate Copsey can be reached at KTCopsey@aol.com.

Father Mows Best Competition

I mentioned the Memorial Day Makeover contest sponsored by a Michigan radio station in my last post. Well, somebody at that station must really be into lawn care because they are also sponsoring the Lowe's Father Mows Best Competition on June 18th from 3-6pm at Lowe's in Grandville, Michigan.

The winner will receive $500 in power tools of his choice for the lawn.

Hover Mower

I thought I'd seen some cool mowers over the last few weeks. You know we've reported on the Robo-Mower and the Hustler Equipment mower painted up like Richard Petty's NASCAR auto.

This mower exclusively from Hammacher Schlemmer is really something. It's called the Hover Mower and it rides on a bed of air just slightly above the ground. That should make it more manuverable and easier to handle and, you know what, I bet it is. It mulches the lawn while it cuts too.

The mower sells for a mere $700. Hmm...

Hustler Mow for Victory Tour Winds Down

If you've been following the Hustler Equipment Mow for Victory tour you know it's about to culminate. Saturday, the specially-designed mower will reach the Victory Junction Gang Camp to conclude the tour.

Today, the mower will make its appearance at a Hustler dealer in Greensboro, NC, then later at the Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Grass Recycling

More and more people are using mulcher mowers these days. Mulching is a great way to recycle your lawn clippings by returning nitrogen and other nutrients directly back to your lawn.

If you still bag your grass consider purchasing a mulcher mower the next time you buy a lawn mower. In the meantime, recycle your grass clippings, by either spreading it on your vegetable and flower gardens, or mixing it into the compost pile.

Here's a great article on the subject by About.com landscaping expert David Beaulieu.

Mow for Victory Tour to End May 28

Hustler Turf Equipment's colorful Mow for Victory Tour will come to an end on May 28 when the Mow for Victory Team arrives at Victory Junction Gang Camp in Randleman, NC. The Mow for Victory Team is driving a custom-painted Hustler Super Z lawnmower that resembles Petty's #43 Dodge NASCAR race car.

The 4,000 mile tour started on February 26 in Fontana, NC, and travelling from dealership to dealership to raise money for Victory Junction Gang Camp (VJGC).

The year-round, racing-themed camp serves kids with hemophilia, rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, spina bifida, kidney diseases, asthma, sickle cell disease, burn survivors, skin disease, heart disease, epilepsy and immune disorders. Children attend the camp free of charge.

The website has some video footage on its journal page.