Lawn Care Guide

Matia Bryson asked:


 

Trying to stay true to the principles of organic and natural living is not as easy as you think it should be. In our culture we have become acclimated to certain conditions that have only been achieved through the use of chemicals. From doing the laundry, to washing cars and tending our yards, we have invented a chemical for nearly every task. If you want to live more green and be in harmony with the environment with your lawn care, you will need to give it some planning and forethought. 

One bit of thinking we may need to change is our perception of what makes a weed. Many of the “pests” that we are being sold chemicals for are actually our native plants and rather beautiful in their own right. An example of this is the dandelion that has a pretty yellow flower during one stage of its growth and wispy and delicate heads during its seed stage. We have all enjoyed blowing the seeds to the wind and watching the “parachutes” gracefully float away. 

Notwithstanding your newfound definition of a weed, you may still want to discourage some types of plant life in your lawn. Here are some ways to do that in as natural a way as possible. First, give the desirable grasses as much support and nutrition as possible. You can find organic fertilizer recipes and get on a schedule of feeding your lawn the nutrients it needs to make it as strong as possible. 

Grass is naturally an aggressive, thriving plant. Do your part to keep it healthy and it will make no room for the weeds. Keep your yard on a regular mowing plan so that the plants are at a good height for the grass only. This way your grass will receive more of the soil, water and sunlight than the weeds. Grass loves to be mowed, whereas weeds are damaged by it. The act of mowing keeps the yard looking good in more ways than one. 

Here is one other method for weed control that has been all but forgotten. We are so inclined these days to gravitate to the solutions that take no time and no effort. This forgotten method I am talking about can become an activity for quality family time together. It can get you out into the fresh air and give you great exercise. This method is simply going out into your yard and pulling the weeds by hand or with digging tools. 

The hand pulling of weeds is very efficacious in weed removal because nothing kills a weed like removing its roots from the soil. The weed can then be removed from your yard and you expend some calories and use your muscles like they should be, too. There is nothing that can be said to be more natural and environmentally “green” than this good old-fashioned method, and it is truly effective, also.

 



Susan

Moses Wright asked:


You probably know what it feels like - pushing your conventional push mower our lawn is larger than .25 acres! For those with larger lawns, they should seriously consider purchasing a reactor-type lawnmower. It is relatively easy to operate and can cover medium to large lawns far quicker than the conventional push lawnmowers.

There are electric models for your lawn mower as well as the standard push mowers that everybody has seen. With powerful batteries, such designs can last for half an acre before it runs out of power and needs to be re-energized. These electric models are really quiet, good for the environment and don’t produce any noxious fumes. They lack the horsepower of the gasoline operated models and might run the hassle of being trapped in bushier places.

If you are a professional lawn care specialist, you might want to look into models that have reel blades that cut out in front. The rotary type is good if there isn’t a golf link to mow. The mowing blades are usually found below the deck below the seat and can give you some vibration. A good seat with plenty of cushion, however, won’t bother you.

You can find smaller riding mowers that will work with your lawn as well. The designs are basically the same as the bigger ones. The capacity and the size of the machine will be the main difference. You will always want more horsepower with your mower, but if you have a well-built machine, it won’t need as much horsepower to do a great job.

You do not really need much horsepower if your yard is flat and even. If you have a very hilly area, however, you will need a lot more. If you have a lot of hills, a lawn tractor will be your better choice.

A lawn tractor will have 10-15 horsepower and can work well. Considering that a car has 150 ‘ 300 horsepower, it seems that it’s a lot less energy, but you don’t need that much. You will pay more for more horsepower, just like with a car. Make sure you really need it first.

Prices will go up if you have a mower that can cut a bigger area. Lawn tractor blades usually cut between 38 ‘ 42 inches and can cut the lawn quicker. But you will probably be only able to cut your lawn 10% more quickly and the mower might be a lot more inaccurate.

You can get a garden tractor with 20 horsepower and up to 60″ mowing blades for a powerful, efficient machine. If you need to haul dirt or tree parts with an attached trailer, you can use this more efficiently.

You will want to look at the turning radius of the mower you are about to buy too. If you have a very low or even zero degree turning radius, it will cost a lot more. If you don’t have a lawn that is difficult to negotiate, you probably won’t need it.



Anna