Mow Factor

<"http://add.my.yahoo.com/content?url= http://therealbuzzinrealestate.blogspot.com/">Mow, Larry & Curley

Today, we are going to examine mowing techniques.  Techniques?  It's certainly time to get the blade sharpened, and do yourself, or get the mower tuned up, oil changed, painted, if needed, cleaned up.  Also, it's time to clean and inspect the edge trimmer and/or the line trimmer, make certain with the latter you have plenty of spare line.  It's a good time to get the debris of the winter off the lawn with a gentle raking but too early for thatching.  Certainly, bare spots should be seeded, and as I mentioned in a previous blog, weed control should be kept away from  newly seeded areas until the seed sprouts, as the week control will kill the new grass.  

Mowing should be done, ideally in the evening.  The fact is that mowing damages the plant and it will take a day or two for the grass to fully recover. Mowing in the evening provides about 12 hours of respite for the grass from the sun. Mowing in the morning means that the stressed grass will be subjected to the sun much quicker and if there is morning due on the lawn the grass will be cheated from the rejuvenating effects of the moisture because mowing will hasten evaporation.  

You should mow your lawn in a pattern.  And, you should not use the same pattern two times in a row.  You should develop three or four patterns and alternate them.  Why?  First, unless you really have too much time on your hands, you want to get the job done quickly -- making a pattern ensures that you don't go over the same area again and again.  It is also an efficient use of your equipment.  It makes the lawn mower work for less time buy reducing over-all mowing time.  And, it is good for the lawn.  

How many times have you watched or attended a baseball or football game and noticed how beautifully manicured the fields were? The turf was striped with perfectly straight lines alternating in light and dark shades of green that looked painted on the field. The baseball field looked like a parquet floor, or a football field was branded with alternating pale, then dusky, 5-yard lines.

Game attendees often call to ask how the grounds manager creates such complex designs. Some callers assume it is done with paint, or by growing different species of turf or by mowing the turf at varying heights. Yet, you create these visions of beauty simply by mowing or rolling the turf in different directions. Patterns can be simple or complex, but they should always be time efficient and safe on the turf. Complex patterns take a little longer, but the extra effort is well worth it, as proven by the attention such designs attract. Whether you maintain a stadium or a home lawn, you can dress up any site with a striped design. It adds a professional touch and helps instill respect from others both in and outside our profession.  It adds value to your property because a thing done correctly is noticed.  You will be known as a professionally landscaped property.
Here's an article from CBS News:
(CBS)  David R. Mellor is a diamond cutter.

That is, he's the head groundskeeper at venerable Fenway Park in Boston. And as assistant groundskeeper in Milwaukee, he was among the first to master elaborate on-field mowing patterns. Now in his new book, “Picture Perfect,” he shares his wealth of knowledge and invites others to turn their yards into masterpieces. He visited The Early Show to talk about it.

Some consider Mellor a Picasso of the playing fields – an artist whose canvas is Bluegrass or Fescue. He is one of the people to credit for all those fancy geometric patterns you see mowed into the fields of so many big-league parks. He has designed checkerboards, tartan plaids, concentric circles, even starbursts and weird wave patterns that now you can do, too.

“ Picture Perfect: Mowing Techniques for Lawns, Landscapes, and Sports” shows homeowners how to stripe their lawns like a pro.

Here are some of his basic lawn-care suggestions to get started:

• Cut grass at least once a week, trying not to remove more than one third of the blade in any cutting. If you let clippings fall, it's an excellent way of returning nutrients to the soil.
  
• Keep mower blades sharp to ensure a crisp cut and prevent disease.
  
• Do a soil test. It will help you determine what kind and how much fertilizer to use. County co-operative extension agents can help you with soil test information for your area.
  
• Read fertilizer instructions carefully. Don't assume that if a little is good, a lot must be better. Slow fertilizers last longer and don't promote a "flush" of growth.

For those who want to stripe their lawns like a pro, Mellors has these advanced pattern tips:

• Maintain patterns by going back over lines, or every other line, to etch them in.
  
• Change mowing pattern and direction every third week so the grass doesn't get stressed or weak.
  
• To make straight lines, don't look down! Pick a point in the distance and mow straight to it. Go slowly. (Tip: If you have an upstairs window, a bird's eye view can enable you to spot-check your progress.)
  
• Make turns off the lawn, if possible. It will not only mean cleaner lines but will decrease stress at the turn points. Otherwise, make "Y" turns and lift the blades off the ground as you turn.
  
• A mower with blades that turn in an upright position (as opposed to most horizontal rotary mowers) will help promote patterns because it naturally lays down the blades.
  
• Use a roller with water added for weight. Some garden centers sell rollers, or they can be rented.
  
  Also, check to see if your dealer or landscape center can outfit rollers on the back of your mower. Be careful when using weighted rollers that they are not too heavy. You only want to bend the grass blades, not compact the soil. 

Lawn Memory
When you brush or comb your hair in the same way, over and over again, it gains a memory and begins to fall in the same way. Lawns are the same when they are mowed in the same direction and pattern over and over again. Not only will the grass lay in the same direction but small ruts can start to appear in the soil from the wheels of your mower. The tires and the weight of your mower push down and compact the soil into ruts that follow your typical mowing pattern. This can be especially true of you mow when the grass and ground are wet.

That's about all we need to cover today food for the lawn, new grass seed, rubble off the lawn, and food for thought.