Lawns are a way of taming nature in an age when urban dwellers are distant from nature and live in developments with association rules where they cut the trees down and name the streets after them. Lawns are a means homeowners can map their territory. Now understand I said map and not mark. Some animals mark via bio evacuation or scent or auditory squawk which is unacceptable in the human urban neighborhood kingdom. Lawns are instead territorial mapping of a sociographical plot, habitual use becomes the home range, where horticultural prowess is put on display for all to see in the spirit of competition, borders established and instead of confrontational becomes more so an act of avoidance if you’re not into your neighbors. The lawn is an extension of themselves and will be defended if necessary. The call to arms is “get off my lawn” in the modern day colonist vernacular of each...
It’s time to get “growing”….it’s been a long winter and I want to see green grass don’t you? Then it’s time to wake up your lawn. To do so I’ve always taken a word from the wise as in Ben Franklin and applied gypsum to my lawn. Found throughout the world , gypsum got the name Plaster of Paris from rich deposits near the French capital. It was ambassador to France Ben Franklin who recognized the value of gypsum as a soil amendment and fertilization agent. The story goes that he applied gypsum on a clover field so that the words “this has been plastered” were written in gypsum on the middle of the field and could be read. It was also Franklin who said “He that rises late must trot all day”. I take Ben’s advice and wake up my lawn in spring every year with a healthy dose of gypsum. Gypsum or calcium sulfate will...
It’s good to see some green grass out on the lawn again. Water cooler conversations turn to “do you think it will be an early spring?” For those who have read the Little House on the Prairie series of books by Laura Ingalls Wilder you shudder at the thought of 7 months of winter. The ‘Long Winter’ was the sixth book in the ‘Little House’ series describing 7 months of blizzards in the severe South Dakota winter of 1880-1881. Without TV, internet or cell phones that is some serious cabin fever we’re talking about. Fortunately we all experience a melt down at this time of year when a winter thaw teases us with thoughts of spring. Snow however is the great equalizer….everyone’s lawn looks the same in winter. When the snow melts it exposes the need for a little “lawn” and order. Snow mold causes ugly patches of...
The record breaking heat and humidity this summer has had an effect on “Lawn-Gevity” …….physiologically cool season grasses do well when air temperatures are in the 60 to 75 degree range…….a couple months of 80’s and 90’s can create real difficulties for grass. When soil temperatures heat up the grass starts to stress, yellow and wither. Grass has an ability to cool itself through something we call evapotranspiration…….it’s something like people perspiring. The roots draw up water from the soil and it evaporates through the leaves dissipating heat. The problem is roots aren’t as active in summer as they are in spring and fall…..they even shrink reducing their water absorbing ability. Contingent on how healthy your lawn was heading into summer the stress can exacerbate other issues like grub damage or...
Couple of issues in the landscape that can drive homeowners nuts in July……Nutgrass or Nutsedge and Japanese Beetles. Check out this picture I took in someone’s landscape. They obviously did not prepare for the invasion with a timely Beetle spray prior to the attack. It’s a feeding frenzy! Once they engage and start damaging the plant it attracts additional marauders to the onslaught…. I’m seeing a lot of Nutsedge in lawns right now. As your desirable turf wilts and growth slows in the hot summer sun, the lime green Nutsedge will grow much faster giving an unsightly appearance to the lawn. We had a lot of rain last year and again this spring….now throw in the summer heat and you’ve got the makings of a banner year for nutsedge. Nutsedge is a sedge not a true grass. Pull one out of the ground and you can feel the triangular shape of the...