2010 September | Grass Stitcher

Weeds And Crabgrass Problems – Weed, Feed And Repair

As winter approaches your summer grasses will slowly diminish and be taken over by the winter grasses. In that in-between period, your lawn may well thin a little and this will provide an opening for weeds like Crabgrass to invade your lawn. This is a good time to weed your lawn, give it a light feed, and to repair any problem areas.

Weeding is a real chore and short of using chemicals, which can often be indiscriminate in what they kill, you are going to have to do this job by hand. Pull out any weeds as soon as you notice them and be sure to pull them out gently so you get them roots and all. While you’re pulling out those weeds, take a close look at your lawn. Is it just changing from summer to winter grasses, or can you see bare earth? If you can see earth, you need to repair that section. If there is a reasonable thatch cover then leave it be.

After weeding, give your lawn a light feed with an organic fertilizer designed for use in the fall. Liquid fertilizers are ideal at this time of the year, just be sure to water it in well. Once you have fertilized, leave your lawn to rest for a week to ten days then re-examine those bare patches. If you see new grass shoots appearing then all is well – the fertilizer has triggered some new growth. If there are no shoots appearing – then it’s time to do a repair job.

Using a lawn repair tool to perforate the surface then sow seed that is suitable to your lawn, and suitable for the winter conditions ahead. You can use an all purpose mix – the winter grasses will germinate and come to life while the summer grasses will stay in hibernation until the warmth of spring awakens them.

Weeds and Crabgrass can be a problem at this time of the year. If you stay on top of them, then the problem won’t get out of hand. By repairing bare patches you are providing competition, which should further help to reduce any weed invasions.

Grass Stitcher
USA bryan@imaginegrafix.com

Tweet Read More →

Lawn Care Tips – Don’t Let Leaf Litter Destroy Your Lawn

At this time of the year many lawns are in peril due to the excess leaf litter that is floating around. Go away for the weekend and you’ll likely return to find large yellow patches beneath all that leaf litter. The cause is simple enough – your lawn is not getting adequate sunlight.

When deprived of sunlight, grass, like most plants, draws out the chlorophyll from its stems. It is the chlorophyll that gives plant matter that green tinge – without it, plants (grass included) turn yellow. There are other hidden dangers with fallen leaf litter, especially if left too long.

Leaf litter as a mulch on gardens can be good. On lawns, it blocks out the sunlight, tends to sweat, and harbors bacteria and molds that could be harmful to your lawn. With the sunlight blocked out, your lawn is then weakened and susceptible to disease and insects – and remember, insects love to hide in leaf litter.

To ensure your lawn doesn’t suffer from leaf litter problems, remove the problem each day if possible. If you are going away for the weekend, avoid watering your lawn for several days. The reduced moisture will at least slow down the sweating and growth of mold and other harmful bacteria.

If you have left a pile of leaf litter for too long, remove the pile and expose your lawn to as much sunlight as possible. You could also add a little a seaweed tonic – just be sure it is a fairly weak solution (about half the recommended rate). Hopefully, this will help revive that yellow patch. If the lawn’s color hasn’t returned within seven days, there is a good chance it is dead – or dying.

Use a grass seeding tool to perforate through the thatch to soil below and over sow with a suitable grass seed. Water lightly but be sure to keep the leaf litter away. Your lawn should return to normal fairly quickly. Leaf litter can look attractive in small quantities, however, in large quantities, it can be deadly to your lawn.

Tweet Read More →

Repairing And Reducing Pet Damage In Your Lawn

If you have a pet dog then I am sure your lawn is going to have areas that have been dug up. Dogs often get bored, or they think they can hear something below the surface, so they start to dig. Over time your lawn can look more like a patchwork quilt than a lawn.

This can be a real problem because once a dog starts it becomes a real habit. It becomes a game to them and the more you growl or yell at them, the more they will do it. There are a number of steps you need to go through.

Step one – repair your lawn. Use a lawn care tool to perforate through the lawn to the soil below. Sow your grass seed – the amount you sow will be determined by the amount of damage done to your lawn. Water lightly and continue to water lightly every two to three days until the seed germinates.

Step two – distract your dog. There are a lot of toys available that dogs love to play with. Some of the better ones are those where you place food inside them. The dog really has to work at them to get the food out. Another trick is throw a good handful of small cat biscuits across your lawn each morning. Your dog will spend the day hunting them all out instead of spending the day digging holes.

It also helps to train your dog, especially to respond to single word commands like ‘stop’. Our pets are wonderful companions, but there are times when we are at work, the kids are at school, and our pets are home alone. Dogs do get bored and they can cause considerable damage to a lawn when bored. Stimulate them and you won’t have a need to repair your lawn due to pet damage all the time.

Tweet Read More →

Expanding The Scope Of The Grass Stitcher

If you have purchased a Grass Stitcher in the past, or if you are considering buying one, one thing you should keep in mind is its versatility and adaptability. Having a tool in your tool chest that can be expanded on or used for a variety of jobs can be worth its weight in gold. They can certainly save you a lot of money, or time, or both.

second head for the Grass Stitcher The Grass Stitcher as a single unit is perfect for small repair jobs. It still works well if you have a large job; it just may take a little while to complete. Having a second Grass Stitcher head on hand means you can covert your tool to a double-headed Stitcher in a matter of minutes. You know what they say, two heads are better than one, and this is certainly true of the Grass Stitcher.

When using the tool with two heads, you can complete twice the work in far less time. When called for, the tool can revert back to a single head in minutes. The double-headed Grass Stitcher works wonders in garden beds as well. If you’re looking to mass sow annual seeds in early spring, just run the Grass Stitcher over the garden bed then cast your seed. If you have a good seed mix, the randomness can look great when it all comes into flower.

Whether you’re repairing a small patch of lawn, or reseeding a large area, the Grass Stitcher is the perfect tool. Add a second head and those large jobs become a lot smaller.

Tweet Read More →

Lawn Care – Adding Color To Impossible Bare Patches

Most gardeners have an area of lawn that just doesn’t want to grow. If the grass does grow, it’s never thick and lush, just thin and ragged. There are a million and one options to consider, however, unless you can get to the root cause of the problem, you may find it a frustrating exercise in lawn care.

One option worth considering is adding flowers. I’m not talking about just any sort of flowers. With winter approaching, there are not too many flowers that could be planted – but then, there are one or two that not only like the winter months, they really do need them. Bulbs are a big favorite, and there are two bulbs that can be planted in your lawn, allowed to flower, then cut back with the lawn mower at the end of the flowering season. The two I have in mind are early flowering daffodils and the flowering jonquil.

Both add a real touch of color to a lawn in early spring, they are non invasive and rather grass-like in appearance. After flowering, just mow your lawn. To plant out daffodils and/or jonquils, dig small holes to a depth that is three times the height of the bulb. You can drop some bulb fertilizer in if you like, then drop the bulb in and cover well. You can mass plant them, or spread them out a little – or try a combination of both.

Once you have planted out your bulbs, use a lawn seeding tool to perforate the surface and sow thickly with a good winter grass seed. Winter Rye is one well worth considering. This cover of grass, even if it is fairly thin, will help to protect those bulbs. The winter chill sets the bulb growth in action and the spring warmth brings them to life. There is a wide a range of bulbs you could use – find some that you like and come spring, that bare patch will not be a problem.

Tweet Read More →

Lawn Care – Preparing Your Lawn For Winter

Fall is the most critical season in your lawn care calendar. What you do to your lawn now will be reflected in the state of your lawn in spring and summer. At present, your soil is still warm from the heat of summer, not too hot – not too cold – in fact, just perfect for preparing your lawn for winter.

Grasses in general don’t like winter. Most grass species go into a hibernation state reserving their energy for new growth in spring. You will notice that your lawn’s growth is slowing, that you don’t have to mow as frequently, and that some of the winter grasses are starting to appear. All is good for some winter preparation.

Start by filling in any cracks or hollows that have appeared over summer. This may need over sowing to promote new growth. Now is also a good time to check for any thin patches – these too will need over sowing. Now is also a good time to aerate and top dress your lawn if it needs it.

Once you have aerated, top dressed and filled in any cracks of hollows, it is time to over sow with fresh lawn seed. Use a lawn care tool to perforate the surface. Use sufficient pressure to perforate through the thatch in thin areas, but go lightly in areas that have been filled. Sow your seed and water lightly. For the next three to four weeks, ensure the sown areas only receive light waterings, preferably early in the morning. Once you have a good green top, cut it back by about a third.

There are fall fertilizers available, use these according to directions. If you have it, a top dress of well composted and well sifted organic matter is your best option. This contains all the ingredients your lawn needs, particularly the live organisms that help to break down any old plant material. This will help to keep your thatch at a manageable level. Remember, the work you do now will decide how great your lawn looks next spring.

Tweet Read More →

Page 1 of 512 3...5 Next ›

September 2010

Archives

Weeds And Crabgrass Problems – Weed, Feed And Repair

Lawn Care Tips – Don’t Let Leaf Litter Destroy Your Lawn

Repairing And Reducing Pet Damage In Your Lawn

Expanding The Scope Of The Grass Stitcher

Lawn Care – Adding Color To Impossible Bare Patches

Lawn Care – Preparing Your Lawn For Winter

Grass Stitcher Testimonials and Reviews