Creating low maintenance eco friendly lawns
by Carson Arthur of HGTV
Most Canadians find that lawn care can be a challenge. However, there are simple ways to having a green lawn without the struggle. All you need is a basic understanding of how a lawn works, the right equipment, and a few tips on lawn care.
The first step to ensuring your lawn will stay green all season long is to check where your grass is growing. Is it in the shade of a tree or in the hot sun all day? A simple tip is to seed the right type of grass for each area. Red and Sheep Fescue grasses are excellent for shady parts, while Perennial Rye Grass and Tall Fescue grass blends are perfect for hot sunny areas. For more information on different types of grass seed check your local garden centre.
The second step is often the least favourite: mowing. However, it doesn't have to be. There are plenty of new mowers out there that make the activity more enjoyable. Take a close look at your current machine and if it's hard to push, loud, and spits out a cloud of smoke each time you start it, consider purchasing a new unit. Electric mowers are the easiest to maintain and the ecological choice as they have no emissions, so it's better for you and the environment. As well, electric mowers are silent making them perfect for an early morning mow, without waking up the neighbourhood. My personal favourite is the new 36V cordless mower from Black & Decker. Cordless mowers are great as you don't have to worry about extension cords and the 36V battery has enough power to cut most lawns on a single charge.
Mowing is important. Grasses are like most plants; if you clip off the growing points they will produce new shoots and become denser. The growing point for grass is in the crown where the new leaves develop. Cutting the crowns will turn thousands of individual grass plants into a tightly woven turf or lawn. The best clipping height is approximately 2” to 2½ ”. You can determine your blade height by placing your mower on the sidewalk and measuring the distance between the blades and the ground. Cutting the grass too short will make it susceptible to weeds, disease, insects and drought.
Along with proper cutting techniques, watering is essential to keeping your lawn green and healthy. My favourite watering tip is to provide no more than 1" of water per week. It's easy to measure with a large margarine container, just make sure the container is under the sprinkler so that it's an accurate measurement of the water on the grass. If you keep your grass cut to the suggested length, it will not need to be watered until the end of June. But a lawn that is cut too short needs be watered more often to compensate for the loss of leaf surface.
Carson Arthur is best known as HGTV's landscaping host from Green Force and Global's Room to Grow. He focuses on creating harmony between urban needs and ecological choices.
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