All articles tagged with #lawn care
Mushrooms often appear in lawns during wet weather and can be harmless or toxic. To manage them, remove mushrooms promptly with gloves and keep the lawn dry and well-maintained to prevent future growth. While beneficial for soil health, caution is advised if pets or children are around, and expert identification is recommended for safety.
Amazon shoppers recommend a $35 solar ultrasonic mole repellent that emits sounds to deter moles, gophers, and snakes, helping to protect lawns without harm or chemicals. Many users report noticeable improvements in lawn health and ease of use, though it may not be a long-term solution for severe infestations.
To naturally keep ticks out of your yard, maintain short grass, create barriers like fences or gravel, plant tick-repelling plants such as lavender and garlic, trim tall shrubs regularly, and use organic treatments like eucalyptus oil or diatomaceous earth. These methods can reduce tick populations and help prevent tick-borne diseases.
Segway has launched its Navimow i series robot lawn mower in the US, offering two models under $1,000 that can navigate autonomously without a boundary wire. The i series utilizes Segway’s Exact Fusion Locating System 2.0 and features AI-powered mapping, a ride-on boundary mode, and a mapping assist feature. This marks a significant step towards mainstream adoption of robot lawn mowers, with more competition in the market expected to lead to price drops and improved features. Additionally, CES 2024 showcased several new robot mowers, including models from Aiper, Mammotion, Ecovacs, and Dreame, indicating a growing innovation in the smart garden space.
Lamb Mowers, a small business in Northern Virginia, is revolutionizing lawn care by employing sheep to mow, weed, and fertilize suburban lawns. By grazing on nuisance plants and selectively eating weeds, the sheep provide a natural and chemical-free alternative to traditional lawn maintenance. The sheep's gentle grazing habits promote healthy root growth and biodiversity, while their presence brings joy and therapeutic benefits to homeowners. This sustainable approach to lawn care reduces emissions and connects people with nature, offering a glimpse into a different relationship with grass and the environment.
The type of mower you use can impact the health of your lawn. While rotary mowers are popular for their speed and ease of use, they shred the grass, making it more susceptible to diseases and fungus. Reel mowers, on the other hand, provide a clean cut that helps retain water and promote a lush-looking lawn. They also allow for grasscycling, where the clippings can be left on the lawn as mulch. However, reel mowers require manual effort and regular use, and may not be suitable for taller grass. Overall, reel mowers are a great option for a healthy lawn and gardener, promoting grass health and reducing the risk of damage-causing insects.
Cypress mulch, while offering benefits such as moisture retention and weed control, has drawbacks including acidity that can harm grass, slow decomposition that limits nutrient availability, and the environmental impact of harvesting cypress trees. Alternatives to cypress mulch include eucalyptus mulch, plantation-grown conifer trees like pine, mixed hardwood mulch, leaf mulch, and homemade compost, which offer similar benefits with less environmental impact.
Ticks are carriers of harmful diseases, so it's important to keep them off your lawn. Ways to prevent ticks include regularly mowing the grass, putting up fences to deter animals that carry ticks, and creating barriers with gravel or wood chips. Placing outdoor play areas in sunny spots and maintaining trimmed bushes can also help. Growing plants like lemongrass, lavender, and mint can repel ticks. Despite these precautions, it's still important to check for ticks regularly.
Meadows are a low-maintenance alternative to traditional gardens, but they are not easy to start and require periodic mowing and weed removal. However, proponents say the benefits of planting native plants that attract pollinators and provide refuge for local wildlife make them well worth the effort. Meadow owners have found that meadows are easier to manage than traditional gardens, and they offer a tapestry effect that can reduce weeds. Meadows are also less maintenance than a lawn and can perform well during drought seasons.
To make your lawn thicker, first identify the cause of thinning, test the soil, aerate it, overseed with the recommended amount of grass seed, and provide constant care and attention to the new grass. Dethatching and monitoring the lawn's needs throughout the year are also important steps to maintaining a thick and healthy lawn.
To make your lawn thicker, first identify the cause of thinning, test the soil, and aerate it. Then, overseed with the recommended amount of grass seed and provide constant care and attention, including watering, fertilizing, and mowing. Dethatching should be done every 2-3 years. Monitor your lawn and adjust your care schedule accordingly based on the seasons and weather conditions.
A lawn sweeper is a useful tool for removing debris from your yard, including leaves, clipped grass, and sticks. It can improve the look and condition of your lawn by removing excess moisture and dead grass, exposing more soil for seeding. To use a lawn sweeper, walk the yard and collect any larger items, set the brush height to match your mowing height, and tow or push the sweeper back and forth. Empty the bin when it fills up to prevent debris from dropping back into the yard.
Grass clippings can be repurposed in several useful ways, which will benefit from its rich source of organic minerals, and nutrients it provides. These include leaving the clippings on the lawn to fertilize it, adding them to compost heaps, using them as mulch, protecting hedges, using them as bedding for animals, starting a 'lasagne garden', making plant 'tea', adding them to worm bins, and feeding potted vegetables. It's important to never compost grass clippings on their own, as it should always be balanced out with dry/brown compost materials, such as dried leaves, straw or shredded paper.
Nostoc commune, a gelatinous bacteria that can grow on soil, gravel, and cement, is commonly mistaken for algae and can appear in dark green, rubbery blobs. It is not harmful to plants, animals, or lawns, but can be slippery to walk on. To prevent it, maintain drainage in wet areas and eliminate phosphorus fertilizers. Scythe, a herbicide, has also been found to be effective in killing the bacteria.
The Nostoc commune, a jelly-like mass that thrives in wet conditions, is often mislabeled as algae and is harmless to yards and grass. It can be easily removed by skimming the surface below it with a flat-edged shovel or tilling around the area and then removing it. To prevent it from growing, look for low areas that collect water and fix them by adding additional drainage, filling in low spots, or reducing sprinkler time. In some Asian countries, the Nostoc commune is consumed, but it is recommended to reach out to an experienced harvester before consuming it.