Lawns and mothers-in-law

 By GEORGE WEIGEL

Q: My mother-in-law and I have different theories about lawn care. She is of the generation where you make regular use of commercial pesticides and fertilizers to get the "golf-course" look to a lawn.

I prefer a natural, environmentally safer approach to lawn care. For the past three seasons, I have been using a mulching mower and have not bagged grass in that time. I use all-organic fertilizer. In season, I cut high at 3½ inches, and in the fall, I spread leaves from various trees on the lawn in a light layer and mulch-mow all of them in as well.

My mother-in-law, however, believes that grass and leaf clippings from the mulching mower simply "lay in clumps" on the top of the lawn, preventing water and other lawn nutrients from getting into the soil. She believes the leaves and grass don't disintegrate and create "bumps" in the lawn, from which she believes makes it difficult for her to walk.

Who is right? If I am right, she bakes me three dozen of my favorite cookies. If she's right, I will take her to dinner at a restaurant of her choice.

A: You want me to get in the middle of a mother-in-law dispute? This could be trouble...

I have to go with you on this one, though. Your regimen is solid from beginning to end, and I'll bet your results back that up.

If your grass clips and mulched leaves just sat there, you'd see them. Or at least you'd be able to rake up a clump and take a closer look to see what might be causing any "bumps."

Nature does a quick and effective job of breaking down organic matter -- especially small pieces like grass clips and leaf fragments. These two also add up to the perfect blend of nitrogen and carbon that's ideal for composting.

Come spring, these materials will be composted into excellent nutrients and organic matter that will help lawn growth. Penn State's research found that letting the clips lie like you're doing is the equivalent nutrition to one fertilizer application per year.

Numerous research also has found that grass clips and leaf fragments are not a significant cause of thatch. Thatch is that thick, spongy layer that can build up at the lawn surface and impede rain and nutrient use. The main component of thatch is dead grass roots, which usually happens from excess fertilization, cutting too low and shallow, frequent irrigation.

Healthy lawn soil is teeming with life, and it's those bio-organisms that help break down organic matter. When you kill off that life with regular applications of insecticides, herbicides and fungicides, you're slowing a lawn's ability to break down dead organic matter. In other words, those high-input commercial programs are much more likely to contribute to thatch than the system you're using.

As for bumps in the lawn, a variety of other factors are usually behind those. Soil-tunneling bugs called cicada-killers are a big one that I see, but bumps also come from various lawn fungi (especially "puffballs"), tree roots (roots can easily extend out twice as far as the branch canopy), earthworm activity and the dropping of acorns, sweetgum balls and assorted other tree fruits.

If your mother-in-law notices bumps, a good way to solve it is to dig down and see what they're made of. I don't think you're going to find any little clumps of grass and leaves.

Enjoy your cookies... but stay on mother-in-law's good side by taking her out to dinner, too.George WeigelMowed leaves like these on the lawn won't lead to bumpiness.

www.lawncarehamilton.com
www.lawncarehaldimand.com
www.lawncarewaterdown.com
www.lawncaregrimbsy.com
www.hamiltonturfking.ca
www.hamilton.turfking.ca
http://turfkinghamilton.blogspot.com/
http://kingofgreen.blogspot.com/
http://twitter.com/#!/turfkingofgreen
http://bit.ly/g6Irnc

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Turf-King-Hamilton/110675539001874

From: http://blog.pennlive.com/gardening/2010/12/lawns_and_mothers-in-law.html#comments

Powdery Mildew on Lawns

Also found some Powdery Mildew on a lawn today. Just in a corner. Shady spot by a fence where there is likely little air movement. Even though we have not had much rain in the last 3 weeks, we did get a quick sprinkle the other day. Plus we have been getting heavy dew.
That may be just enough moisture to allow the Mildew to grow.

Powdery Mildew is another lawn disease that is not normally fatal. It does discolour the blades and can be unsightly. Grass blades that are severely infected may turn yellow and die.

Often the mildew attacks the lawn because of the conditions in that location. If it is a shady area, increasing the amount of sunlight that penetrates will reduce powdery mildew. This can work if you trim a tree or shrub. The trimming may also increase air circulation in that area. Much harder to do much if the shade is caused by the garage or the house.

Lawn care disease treatments are not normally needed for powdery mildew on home lawns.

Overseed the affected area with a more shade tolerant turf species. Or perhaps, rethink the need for lawn in that spot and replace it with a shrub, mulch or ground cover.

If you have a lawn/tree/shrub that needs some Tender Loving Care- get The KING OF GREEN:

Turf King Home

Click here to Request a Quote Online -

or call us at 905.318.6677 or 1.888.TURFKING (887.3546)

If you would like more information, please Contact us

Follow us on Twitter  http://twitter.com/turfkingofgreen

Join our Facebook page  

http://www.bit.ly/FacebookTK

Copyright 2009 Turf King-Hamilton. All Rights Reserved.

Slime Mold

The sudden appearance of "foamy" patches of slime mold on lawns or wood mulch can be disconcerting. Slime molds are colorful organisms that usually appear in warm, muggy weather after a rain. They can be white, purple, gray, orange, yellow, or brown in color.

Slime molds first develop as a yellow or orange slimy mass and can ooze over areas 12 inches or more in width. To some people, the patches look like vomit from a dog or other animal.

As the weather becomes dry, most slime molds develop into crusty structures that are typically filled with dark spores.

Slime molds can be found lawns and the lower leaves of other low-lying plants as well as on mulch.

Slime molds use plants, wood mulch and other organic materials as a surface to support their spore-producing reproductive structures. They feed on dead organic matter and on bacteria and fungi found in the soil.

Slime molds do not infect plants. They are not plant parasites, but they may injure plants by covering and shading them thus reducing the amount of sunlight that reaches the leaves.

Control of slime molds generally is unnecessary. Slime molds are more of a curiosity than a problem. They will disappear if left to complete their life cycle. If their appearance is bothersome, they can be broken up with a rake, a mower, or a strong stream of water. To remove it from plants, simply wash or prune them. If management is required for cosmetic reasons, decrease irrigation to reduce slime mold incidence.

Slime molds are fungus-like organisms that have previously been classified as fungi, and later as Myxomycetes. They are no longer classified as fungi. Depending on the sources, there are now two or three different groups of slime molds, one of which is the myxomycetes. These now fall under the broader category of eukarya.

If you have a lawn/tree/shrub that needs some Tender Loving Care- get The KING OF GREEN:
Turf King Home
Click here to Request a Quote Online -
or call us at 905.318.6677 or 1.888.TURFKING (887.3546)
If you would like more information, please Contact us
Follow us on Twitter  http://twitter.com/turfkingofgreen
Join our Facebook page  
http://www.bit.ly/FacebookTK
 

Copyright 2009 Turf King-Hamilton. All Rights Reserved.

Do tree roots keep coming up for air?

Do tree roots keep coming up for air?

Tree roots need oxygen as well as moisture and nutrients. As the roots near the surface continue to grow and increase in diameter, they often end up breaking the surface of the lawn. These roots give the tree character and uniqueness, but the lawn mower is usually not very happy with this situation. The lawn mower (machine) will complain because its blades will be dulled or bent if they twirl into these surface roots. The lawn mower (person) is likely to be unhappy because the lawn mower (machine) is unhappy and also because to some lawn mowers the roots detract form the appearance of the lawn.

What can be done about these roots?

Some people cover the roots with soil, then plant seed or sod to smooth out the lawn under the tree. As long as the depth of soil is minimal, this can be a temporary solution. If too much soil is placed over the roots, the flow of oxygen to the roots will be impaired and the health of the tree can be affected. The problem with adding soil is that eventually, the roots will rise again and the lawn mowers may once more be affected by the exposed tree roots.

What happens in natural situations? In the forest, the roots may be exposed, but since there are few lawns in the woods, no one seems to mind. Usually there is leaf and twigs littering the ground. These tend be less likely to pack down and to thus restrict the flow of oxygen to the roots. Thus the roots have less need to rise up above the surface. In suburbia, the soil usually has less organic matter and is more likely to be hard, impermeable and just down right tough on tree roots.

Under trees whether the roots are exposed or not, consider emulating the forest conditions by applying a layer of mulch 2-4 inches deep. This permits better oxygen exchange to the roots, reduces weeds, and also reduces water loss from the soil. Certain perennial ground covers or plant may tolerate the shady conditions under a tree better than a lawn. Hostas, perwinkle, lily of the valley, pachysandra are just a few. Trying to grow a decent lawn under a tree is not always easy, so looking at alternatives may be one way to keep your tree and lawn mower content.

If you have a lawn/tree/shrub that needs some Tender Loving Care- get The KING OF GREEN:

Turf King Home

Click here to Request a Quote Online -

or call us at 905.318.6677 or 1.888.TURFKING (887.3546)

If you would like more information, please Contact us

Follow us on Twitter  http://twitter.com/turfkingofgreen

Join our Facebook page  

http://www.bit.ly/FacebookTK

Copyright 2007 Turf King-Hamilton. All Rights Reserved.