Things To Consider Before Planting A Lawn

Tuesday, December 9th, 2008
A garden lawn

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It can be hard to grow a thick, dark green lawn, but there are a few tips to follow. When seeding a lawn, fall is undoubtedly the best time. September is the perfect time to begin your lawn, because the hottest weather will be over. You could also start in early spring, but there needs to be good root growth before the hot summer weather arrives. However, they will be competing with crab grass, which grows quickly in the summer months, as well as high heat and inadequate water.

When planting your grass seeds, keep in mind that the seeds are relatively small, so they should not be planted deeply into the ground. As long as the ground is relatively moist, the seeds only need partial covering with soil. You should use about 4 pounds of seeds for 1,000 square feet of lawn. Don’t try to make up for low-quality seeds by using more of them; this will just increase competition between them.

When planting your seeds, use a mechanical spreader if you can. To ensure even coverage, you should spread half the seeds in one direction, the rest in the other direction. That way, you will not miss any spots. When you’re done, rake the seeds lightly. You may also want to cover the seeds with 1/8 inch of soil or compost, but this is not absolutely necessary.

If you’re trying to plant a lawn on a slope, this will need special treatment. If it rains, the seeds are likely to be washed away. You can cover them with straw to keep them in place, but remove the straw as soon as they sprout. Or you can cover the new seedlings with an open mesh burlap, cheesecloth, or garden mesh. These will keep the soil intact and protect the new grass. It should be removed by the time the grass is half an inch long.

Rainfall is best for new grass, but if you have decided on sowing grass seeds during dry weather, you’ll need to water for the seeds to germinate. Be sure to use a fine mist so that you won’t create puddles. Water in the morning, before the hottest part of the day. Especially once the grass seeds sprout, be sure to adequately water them. You can use a sprinkler, but don’t leave it on the lawn until the soil becomes too wet. After you water, the water should reach down about 5 inches into the soil.

As your grass begins to grow, you may wonder when it’s time to begin the chore of mowing. You can start moving when the tallest blades of grass are 2 inches long, but don’t cut the grass shorter than an inch and a half.

If you’re considering tearing out an old lawn to replace it with a new and healthy lawn, this may be a wise decision. However, there are also some things you should do before planting the lawn. If your lawn is growing poorly because the soil is too hard, plow it and add compost. You can also try aerating the top layer of soil, or adding 4 pounds of plant food for every 100 square feet of lawn. If your lawn is mossy, you should improve the drainage before planting your new lawn.

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Improve Your Lawn With The Use Of Mulch

Sunday, December 7th, 2008
Mulch & Stone for the Garden

Image by mstephens7 via Flickr

If you want to make a good impression on your friends and neighbors, then your lawn and garden may need some attention. The right landscaping materials and plants can enhance and beautify your home and increase its overall appeal.

You can turn your simple barren, bland yard into a work of art at a relatively affordable price, by doing it yourself.

Recently, in the past few years there have been many companies that have introduced a wide variety of bagged rocks and mulches. The newest line from Vigoro offers the landscaping artist over 26 varieties of products. They vary in size, color and shapes, so your possibilities are limitless.

Beautiful and decorative landscaping rock and mulch are a great way to improve your yard. Try using mulch to accent your garden, flower beds, driveway and walkway. Mulch also provides added benefits, other than being attractive they improve your soil and plants. Mulch is good at controlling and slowing erosion, maintaining proper moisture levels, and it controls weed population and soil insulation.

Here are just a few helpful tips when choosing and adding mulch to your yard or landscape:

1.) Choose a mulch that lasts a long time and is heavy, this prevents it from being easily washed away from heavy rains.

2.) Choose a mulch with looser structure to allow better soil aeration

3.) Make sure to apply mulch at the proper time, during late spring it will help preserve water and reduce ground temperature

4.) When applying mulch make sure it is 1-2 inches deep. A finer, more fluffy mulch should be applied 3-4 inches deep.

5.) Ensure mulch is applied evenly by raking through it with your hands

6.) Water the mulch after applying

7.) Make sure to move mulch a few inches away from plants and tree bottoms

To prevent grass growth and keep your plants in a healthy state, there is a mulch made by Vigoro called “Mulch with Weed Stop”. This mulch is the first ever to contain a pre-emergent herbicidal agent. It controls weeds for up to 4 months, while allowing your annuals and spring bulbs, shrubbery and trees to continue growing and thriving for an ever-beautiful landscaping or garden. It is the only mulch that contains natural forest products and is certified by the Mulch and Soil Council.

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Things To Know About Garden Mulch

Saturday, December 6th, 2008

If you want to make a good impression on your friends and neighbors, then your lawn and garden may need some attention. The right landscaping materials and plants can enhance and beautify your home and increase its overall appeal.

You can turn your simple barren, bland yard into a work of art at a relatively affordable price, by doing it yourself.

Recently, in the past few years there have been many companies that have introduced a wide variety of bagged rocks and mulches. The newest line from Vigoro offers the landscaping artist over 26 varieties of products. They vary in size, color and shapes, so your possibilities are limitless.

Beautiful and decorative landscaping rock and mulch are a great way to improve your yard. Try using mulch to accent your garden, flower beds, driveway and walkway. Mulch also provides added benefits, other than being attractive they improve your soil and plants. Mulch is good at controlling and slowing erosion, maintaining proper moisture levels, and it controls weed population and soil insulation.

Here are just a few helpful tips when choosing and adding mulch to your yard or landscape:

1.) Choose a mulch that lasts a long time and is heavy, this prevents it from being easily washed away from heavy rains.

2.) Choose a mulch with looser structure to allow better soil aeration

3.) Make sure to apply mulch at the proper time, during late spring it will help preserve water and reduce ground temperature

4.) When applying mulch make sure it is 1-2 inches deep. A finer, more fluffy mulch should be applied 3-4 inches deep.

5.) Ensure mulch is applied evenly by raking through it with your hands

6.) Water the mulch after applying

7.) Make sure to move mulch a few inches away from plants and tree bottoms

To prevent grass growth and keep your plants in a healthy state, there is a mulch made by Vigoro called “Mulch with Weed Stop“. This mulch is the first ever to contain a pre-emergent herbicidal agent. It controls weeds for up to 4 months, while allowing your annuals and spring bulbs, shrubbery and trees to continue growing and thriving for an ever-beautiful landscaping or garden. It is the only mulch that contains natural forest products and is certified by the Mulch and Soil Council.

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Growing a Green Lawn and Beautiful Flowers

Wednesday, December 3rd, 2008

Good lawns are fundamental for a beautiful and enjoyable yard. When you plant your lawn, you may not realize that you are planting it for years to come, or even for generations. However, the lawns of many famous estates were planted over a century ago, and these beautiful green lawns are something to aspire to.

If you are currently planning to plant a lawn, there are many items which can help you that simply weren’t available years ago. New chemicals can stop weeds and help alleviate poor soil conditions, helping you grow a beautiful, healthy green lawn. New types of spreaders, mowers, and other lawn tools can help you keep your lawn in top shape.

Obtaining a beautiful green lawn is more complicated than just scattering some seeds and pulling weeds. You need to have the right kind of soil, which may require additions. You may need to add drainage, or grade your yard. Before selecting a seed formula, consider the uses for your lawn. Will you be using it for recreation, or are you striving for a smooth lawn like a putting green?

Particularly if you do not have a small suburban lot, the lawn will be a broad stretch to balance the flowers, shrubs, trees, and walkways. It should be at least two or three times the width of your borders and flower beds. Planning your lawn size will, of course, depend on the size, shape, and use of your lot.

Once you have planned your expanse of grass, you should then choose a complementary selection of flowers. You will want beautiful and colorful flowers, with some varieties available for cutting to bring indoors. The most effective gardens have a succession of flowers blooming from early spring to late fall, which is best obtained with perennials that naturally bloom at different times in the season.

You may also want to plan for quick-growing annuals to fill in the gaps when your other flowers are not in bloom. When the season passes, you can fill in the space with another beautiful plant.

Before planting your garden, you should make a plan on paper or an advice guide to help you have a beautiful garden. This plan should indicate the shape of beds and borders, as well as the position and number of plants. Many plans include a border running around the sides and back of the yard. Make sure your borders include a variety of plant heights, with tall plants behind shorter ones. You can also plan for beds in the center of your yard, or rows of beds with walkways in between. When making your plan, consider how people will use your yard, and make sure your most beautiful plants will be seen and enjoyed often. If your borders are particularly wide, you may wish to build in walkways, which can provide room for plant maintenance tasks.

With the proper planning, lawn care and maintenance, you can grow a beautiful lawn with borders of colorful flowers.

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How to get rid of grubs in your lawn

Tuesday, December 2nd, 2008

This article talks about the devastation caused to your lawn by the presence of grubs. It outlines ways and means by which you can get rid of grubs in a safe and effective manner.

Maintenance of a lawn is very important for it to look beautiful and healthy. One possible damage to a lawn comes from grubs. In fact, the extent of harm from grubs can be quite considerable and preventive steps should be taken as soon as possible. Wilting of grass and the presence of wildlife and birds in your lawn is an indication of the fact that your lawn has been infested by grubs. If you find small holes in the lawn, then it could be because of small animals having tried to uproot the grubs. Generally, possibility of grub infestation is high during dry weather, particularly the time between spring and fall. Before starting with treatment for grubs, do make sure that the problem is actually with grubs and nothing else. The good part about treatment of grubs is that it is not a very difficult procedure as grubs can be seen immediately under the lawn soil.

The only care you have to take before treatment is to verify the kind of insect that is present in the soil. If your soil is infested with white grubs, then it is the larvae of beetles and it is usually white, fat and seen in a C shape. These beetles have six legs and a brown head and take two years to transform into a matured beetle. The best time to treat them is during warm weather, when they are usually feeding. As long as no grub infested area is left untreated, grub removal is easily achieved.

However, it is always better to stop grub infestation before it starts rather than worry about the treatment procedure. This applies to grub infestation, also. If you take certain measures beforehand, you will not be afflicted by the problem of grubs and you won?t have to spend time in treating them. The best cure for not letting grubs enter your lawn is to place bacteria that give rise to milky spore disease in your garden. The great thing about these bacteria is that it does not let grubs appear in your lawn and it has no other side-effects on your lawn. Apart from this, the bacteria can function for a great number of years and is very useful, particularly when used before the infestation has begun. If the lawn is already infested, then the bacteria do not have a very impressive effect on your lawn and it will take considerable time for you lawn to be rid of the grubs.

Apart from this, there are microscopic worms called nematodes in the soil which attack the white grubs. They are very small, but perfectly capable of destroying the grubs. The way they function is by entering the grubs? body and then giving out a poison which finishes off the grubs in around two days time. Rather than resorting to chemicals, nematodes are a very effective way of doing away with grubs. This should be an essential learning from your supplies gardening exercises.

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Buying A Leaf Blower

Monday, December 1st, 2008

There are several options you should consider before purchasing a leaf blower. The most common type is a backpack blower, which is used by many professionals. This particular type gets its power from a 2-stroke gas engine. The harness, is worn on your back and the blower fits into it. The fan and engine are on the backpack as well, and a hand held hose directs the airflow in the direction you choose. This type of blower is very powerful and easy-to-operate. It has a more efficient fuel tank and air filter which means a longer duty cycle capability.

A backpack blower with a higher than 40cc capacity engine, is best with a power to blow of 400 cfm (cubic feet per minute) and a volume of 190 mph. These blowers are ideal if you live in a relatively quiet neighborhood, because they are designed to control the volume of noise. Harnesses and comfort will vary from model to model.

A performance backpack blower will have a blowing capacity of more than 450 cfm and volume of 195 mph. They are aptly named for their performance. This type of model is quite a bit nosier than other models, but they are faster, more fuel effective and have a faster throttle time. Many professionals prefer this type of model, which also has additional accessories available.

The larger, heavier and more cumbersome backpack blower is called a Big-bore backpack. Their engines start at 50cc and get larger. They are quicker and capable of cutting cleaning times by half. Many lawn care guides and tips mention that these blowers are much more powerful and used for a larger area and can handle a tough job like wet leaves with relative ease. These models are better suited for commercial lawn care purposes.

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Organic Solution : New Lawn Care Tips

Tuesday, November 18th, 2008

You are starting a lawn or reseeding the one you already have. Planting new seed needs some reliable information to guide you in this task and have a successful outcome.

When you plant grass in an area which has a hostile climate to the new grass, all the advice and tips received are welcomed. Learn here valuable advice.

You are starting a lawn or reseeding the one you already have. Planting new seed needs some reliable information to guide you in this task and have a successful outcome.

When you plant grass in an area which has a hostile climate to the new grass, all the advice and tips received are welcomed. Learn here valuable advice..

Tilling And Cleaning The Soil

Clean the soil of any debris, organic matter, stones and other objects that can obstruct the growing of your seeds. Seeds need the best available conditions to grow and you are supposed to give them in an efficient way. Clean and till the soil as the first step to make it more hospitable for the seeds, they need to find a comfortable and rich environment and it begins with a clean soil that cover their requirements. Condition the soil before seeding. You can find many commercial soil conditioners, there are organic varieties, too. Engaged in the organic lawn care program, you can choose an organic soil conditioner. The objection made to organic product is cost, but the benefits are greater, they help to balance environment actors, like bacteria classified as good and avoid the destruction of beneficial forms of life. Beneficial bacteria and insects are respected by organic products. Organic care given to the seed will boast improved results when the bouncing, green turf will be spreading over your lawn. Strong, healthy and lively, the grass will endure any climatic adversity.

Soften the soil to provide a suitable bed for seeds. If you wonder how to soften it, the reply is : by tilling. This condition will produce a quick development of the seed. After that, apply the soil conditioner you have selected

Watering Your Lawn

Watering is a crucial point in growing any type of grass. Many people excess in watering using a daily watering routine for mature grass that can damage grass and roots by drowning. Water with moderation making sure your seed won’t be hurt by losing too much of the soil.

Water enough to maintain moisture when the grass is growing and still small. Once a day you can wet the soil with water without exceeding. If your area supports heavy rainfall, reduce watering to the minimal. Don’t water after a rain.

Weed Control

Use organic weed control products and pull out weeds by hand. Avoid the chemical herbicides, that can be dangerous to your new grass

Organic Solution : New Lawn Care Tips

Organic solution will ease the management of lawn care problems. Adopt the organic solution and reduce the problem before they start.

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Quick Steps To Have A Great Lawn

Sunday, November 16th, 2008

You want the greenest lawn of the block, the one which will be the focus of all the looks and the one that will raise the envy of your neighbors. Well, create and maintain it just require some basic

You want the greenest lawn of the block, the one which will be the focus of all the looks and the one that will raise the envy of your neighbors. Well, create and maintain it just require some basic

Quick Rules Help To Improve Your Lawn

Watering

Watering is a crucial point in developing a healthy lawn. Many people think that daily watering will benefit the lawn grass but what they are really doing is flooding it, washing nutrients from the soil and turning the grass into dirt. Avoid daily watering: once a week watering is enough. When you water once a week, do it deeply and evenly and remember that most of the grasses need from 1 to 1.5 inches of water.

According to the type of soil, clay or sandy, the water will dampen differently under the surface: clay soil will allow water from 4 to 6 inches under the surface and sandy will do it from 8 to 10 inches under the soil.

Use a rain gauge or a tuna can to measure the water you sprinkle on your lawn. A tuna can is very useful, you can place on the soil and watch. When the tuna is filled, you can end your watering.

The quick rules to have a green lawn are simple and easy to follow, once you have known it, it is only a matter of time to apply them in the right time.

Aerate

Compact soil needs to be annually aerated. If the problem is severe, you must aerate two or three times a year. Compact soil, subjected to heavy traffic or with a great amount of clay, obstruct water penetration to the roots. Aeration can be either mechanical or manual.

Weeds: Pull out weeds by hands. Use herbicides only in minor cases, but if you develop a routine of checking your lawn for weeds and extract them regularly, there won?t be many chances that you have weeds on your lawn.

Repair any bare patch in your lawn as soon as possible, keeping the good appearance of your lawn and avoiding giving that space to weeds.

Another useful and vital lesson in the list of quick steps to lawn care is good mowing. First of all, check out the condition of your blade. Dull blades won’t work properly, rather they would rip your grass. One hint to know that the blade needs to be sharpened is to look for a brown line on the soil when you are mowing. This uneven line shows that you should sharpen or even replace the blade.

Give your grass what it needs: good, balanced diet, according to the grass type and the season. In every season your grass will require of specific nutrients: spring, summer, fall and winter exigencies have to be covered fully.

The first three applications must be done in the early stage of every season and, the last one (winter) should be done after the first frost. When you use a product, use it according to the manufacturer directions. Don’t try to do something different or the application won?t be effective. Note: skip only summer fertilizing when drought is happening.

Quick Steps To Have A Great Lawn:

Use always a sharp blade Mow according to the season Avoid to cut more than one third of the grass total height For spring and early fall, use the suggested measure as two third. Last mowing of the summer can tolerate more than the limit suggested. Leave the clipping on the lawn: they will fertilize your lawn naturally. Using these quick steps will allow you to have a lush, green lawn that will look like under the care of a professional. Other good advice is to select a good turf seed, like Buffalo grass seed. This kind of seed is ideal for saving water, endures drought very well and if you live in a dry climate, Buffalo grass seed will be more than convenient for your lawn.

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Lawn Resources Galore!

Tuesday, June 24th, 2008
A Striped Lawn

Image via Wikipedia

Your outdoor garden can benefit with some beautiful green grass to set off the color of the flowers and shrubs you so diligently tend.  You need lawn resources.

A beautiful lawn only enhances your efforts in the garden, so stop by this great site and grab the great lawn tips there.

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