Lawn Mower Blade Speed

Ever wonder why the rotary lawn mower can cause the lawn to be damaged. Here on this lawn, this spot is obviously caused by the mower itself. Harder to see in the photo, but the grass blades are bent in a circular direction. Why is it that the centre is green? Then an area with the most damage and then areas that seem okay.

Rotary mower engines are made to spin at 3,600 revolutions per minute when not under load. During cutting, the rpm drops to between 2800 and 3300. 


The centre of the blade is spinning at 3600 rpm, but the velocity of blade itself will vary depending on the length of the blade.  An 18 inch blade tip will travel through the air at one speed, a 21 inch blade at a faster speed and so on. This also means that the centre of the blade is travelling slower than the tip.


Does the speed of the mower affect how well the grass is cut? Often if the grass is thick, I find there is a strip of grass that does not get cut very well. If the riding mower is set at a lower speed, this strip in the centre get cut better than if the speed of the mower is faster. In this case, the grass in the middle does get the mower blade passing over it, but at some times, the centre of the blade is also over this area and not cutting is done. At the side, the cutting edge which is at the end of the blade is over the lawn longer -therefore that area gets cut better.


So now in the case of the circle in the picture, did the brown area get cut more by the centre of the blade, that part that is not sharpened. So that there was more tearing of the blades, rather than cutting with the sharpened part? Tearing of the blades would cause more stress and more damage to the lawn than being cut by the sharper part of the blades at its ends.


The cente didn't get cut at all when the mower was sitting over this spot. It got cut when the mower moved on. Then it was cut by the sharper part of the blade -hence very little damage.


I don't know if I am 100% right, but that's my theory.

Even the weeds are thirsty

With this sultry hot weather, the lawns are dry. Usually the weeds seem to manage somehow.
But these plantains are drooping in the heat.
Avoid stressing your lawn in this heat. Avoid mowing when it is warm. Water judiciously. Even excessive foot traffic can cause unwanted results
www.hamiltonturfking.ca
www.hamiltonturfking.ca
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Plantain-Sign of a weak lawn

Plantain is a weed we don't see in well-maintained lawns.

Most often it is found where the soil is compacted and the turf is thin. Here's another case where the plaintain is not the problem but it is really a symptom.

Fix the problem- improve the health of the lawn by improving soil conditions, and increase turf density, then the symptoms will disappear.
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Pets peeve lawns

High nitrogren in dog urine will damage lawns especially with the warmer summer weather.

Urea burns lawns. Urea is also a component of some fertilizers as it does contain nitrogen. Nitrogen is the first number on a bag of fertilizer. It helps turf to grow and be green. But too much is harmful. As the urea starts to dissipate, you may see the lawn become greener in spots.

How to reduce dog urine damage?
The best way is to train your dog to do its business off the lawn. My son's dog uses a patch of gravel. No harm done to the lawn.

One pet store owner claimed that with the right dog food, lawn damage was eliminated. She did not specify which type of diet worked.

Failing that or during the training process, dilute the urine as soon as possible with water. Easier said than done, but there will be less urea in one spot.

Some people have had sucess with gypsum. Gypsum counteracts the excessive "salts" in urine that cause the lawn burn. Gypsum needs to be applied about every 4-6 weeks.

Keeping your lawn healthy-while not a cure or prevention per se, does reduce the damage- in that a healthy lawn with a strong root system will suffer less and recover faster.

I keep telling people that "regular, professional applications of our Turf King 75% slow release, top quality, granular, lawn fertilizer will greatly improve and then maintain your lawn's health, density and greenness. Call Turf King, The King of Green.

905.318.6677
www.hamiltonturfking.ca

www.hamiltonturfking.ca
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Crabgrass Menace

# weed control Crabgrass is up and affecting lawns. Lighter green foliage that does not blend well with the darker greens of desirable lawn grasses is one reason people feel crabgrass is a weed. Here we see crabgrass sprouting in a lawn.

Crabgrass likes warm soil. Most often it is found along the edges of the lawn -especially where the grass abuts concrete or asphalt walks or driveways. The hard surfaces hold the heat and transfer the warmth to the soil nearby. Coupled with the fact that the lawn tends to be weaker at the edges, makes these spots ideal for crabgrass to grow.

In this lawn, one may think that crabgrass is the problem. In reality, the crabgrass growing here is a symptom of a weak lawn. This patch of crabgrass is in a sunny, open location. Yes, that is the type of situation that crabgrass likes. But, I believe crabgrass is here because the lawn is weak. I don't believe the lawn is poor because of the crabgrass.

Sure enough, there were a number of chinch bug nymphs crawling through this area.(not the best photo, but they don't stop to pose, no matter how politely you ask). Not a lot yet, but much of the damage was from last year. This year the nymphs are just starting. My point is that this area was damaged by chinch bugs in the past, which weakened the lawn, which allowed the crabgrass to invade.

To reduce the risk of crabgrass, do protect your lawn from pests. Then do those things to keep your lawn healthy and dense- regular quality fertilizations, overseeding as needed. Also proper mowing and watering. For crabgrass, a mowing height of 3" is important. The longer grass blades will shade the soil and keep it cooler. This will favour desirable turfgrasses and discourage crabgrass.

www.hamiltonturfking.ca

Black Medic- an Indicator Weed>

Black medic is similar to white clover in that you often find it growing in low fertility, low maintenance sites
http://bit.ly/anaVAd

Fiesta Weed Control Before and After Pics

Turf King has been using Fiesta weed control . Check out these before and after photos on a lawn treated a short while ago..

Fiesta weed control before and after photo. First photo was taken June 15th, before treatment.

Second photo, June 23rd. Not perfect but such a huge difference.

Call Turf King 905.318.6677

www.hamiltonturfking.ca

White Grub Report

In  the 7th edition of the "Turf Management Report" sponsored by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Pam Charbonneau  reports on: 

Insects

New on the insect front this week are European chafer flights.  They began roughly a week ago and were pretty much right on time.  Flights have been heavy all week. I have spent roughly a half hour every night over the last week at dusk observing the adult emergence and flights.  I really should get a life.   I think people are surprised at how many adults are flying, but that is usually the situation in a wet year.  The grubs were there, but there was very little turf damage.

http://bit.ly/9iSD34


Here at Turf King we received an email from someone who has been seeing adult flights as well.