Lawn Tips
Keeping your grass green in the shade.
One of the most important things for the health of a lawn is the amount of light it receives. But with concrete jungles becoming the norm, your lawn may not be getting as much sunlight as it is supposed to. As a result the grass suffers from more humidity, which translates into less vigorous grass, diseases and fungi, unhealthy roots, and a lot of weed and pest infestations.
So it is really advisable to only plant a lawn if it can get the sunshine it needs. In case you need to grow your lawn in the shade, buy the right kind of seeds. No bluegrass or ryegrass, try fine fescue and tall fescue, they will fare better.
Reduce the seeding rate by about a third so as to reduce competition between individual plants. Find the right time of the year to plant your shade lawn in, either in fall after the trees have shed all their leaves or in spring, after the leafing of vegetation. Make sure you let the grass grow longer, so it can process more energy. Mowing at or above 4 inches would be ideal. Try not to step on it too much, and prevent pets from getting on it as much as possible.
With 50% of required sunlight, grass growth is bound to be thinner and you may perhaps consider alternative arrangements for your lawn area. There are a lot of plants that flourish and look beautiful in shade. Or, you could also opt for ground covers.
Soil Tips.
One of the essentials of lawn care is making sure that you do not have too much soil compaction. Over time, your soil will become compacted and harder beneath the grass. This begins to cause problems like moisture penetration and grass root restriction. Aeration makes it possible for your soil to "breathe"Â a little easier.
There are two types of aeration. One is the kind called "plugging", where a special device removes clumps of soil, about the size of a finger, from out of the ground. The other kind simply punches holes into the soil. The point, however, is that this allows water seep down better (preventing erosion and drying out), as well as providing room for helpful organisms like earthworms to live. It is usually possible to rent an aerator if you do not wish to buy one. It is good to aerate about once every year or two.
Fertilizing.
Fertilizer can help your lawn grow as well. While it is not strictly necessary, and while it is possible to grow a healthy and attractive lawn without the aid of fertilizers, many people find them very helpful. It is important not to apply too much, however, as this can result in the death of your lawn, and also can result in harm to the environment as the excess fertilizer is washed away.
Fertilizers usually come in liquid or granular form. Liquid fertilizers act fast and require application every two to three weeks. They can be applied with a hose-end sprayer or by using a watering can. Granules are dry and require that you water the lawn immediately after their application. You most often use hand spreaders or mechanical spreaders to disburse these types of fertilizers. They can last eight to twelve weeks.
When you use fertilizer, you should be aware that it might be harmful to let your children play on the lawn for a few days. You need to make sure that the fertilizer has been absorbed below the surface before allowing yourself or others to play on the grass. Many conscientious landscapers find that they do not need fertilizers to create a successful lawn.
Landscaping near swimming pools.
Privacy, safety, beauty and convenience are some of the considerations to keep in mind when landscaping around swimming pools.
Plants provide beauty and privacy around a swimming pool. They soften the harsh lines of swimming pool equipment and help swimming pools to blend more naturally with the surrounding environment. If you grow plants that are tall enough, they will form privacy screens around the pool area. But plants must be chosen wisely. Strive for low-maintenance plants. For instance, you don't wan't large deciduous trees around a swimming pool, as you'll end up fishing all those leaves out of the water! Even needle-bearing evergreen trees can be messy. A good alternative is a broadleaf evergreen such as holly. Avoid fruit trees: not only are they messy, but the fruits attract bees. And as beautiful as flowers are, be aware that they, too, can be bee-magnets. Even worse, plants with invasive root systems can damage a swimming pool over the years.
Fencing around swimming pools is a must when small children are present, for the purpose of safety. The right fence design can also offer you privacy. If you don't like the look of a fence, soften it by training vines to grow over it; the vines will enhance privacy to boot. Another safety feature around pools is outdoor lighting.
Patios provide not only beauty, but safety for swimming pool areas. Climbing out of the swimming pool, you can be assured of a slip-resistant surface to land on with a scarred concrete patio. If you opt for a brick patio instead, be sure to keep the surface of the bricks rough (you'll have to clean moss off patios periodically). For convenience around swimming pools, nothing beats a closed gazebo in which you can change into/out of your clothes and relax in the shade. Outdoor furniture also affords convenience around your swimming pool, as do barbecue equipment and outdoor furnaces.
Rose Growing Tips.
The ancient Greeks identified 4 basic elements: earth, water, air and fire. Successful rose growing begins with proper attention to these same 4 basic elements. Get these right, and you're well on your way to classic rose growing in your own backyard:
1. Soil (earth):
* Roses prefer a soil pH ranging from 6.5 to 6.8.
* Soils with good drainage are best for rose growing. When improving the soil through the use of soil amendments, don't forget to promote drainage by incorporating peat moss.
2. Irrigation (water):
* Watering requirements depend greatly on conditions. But on the average, it is best to water rose bushes twice a week -- and to water them thoroughly. A regimen of two deep waterings per week is preferable to four shallower, less thorough waterings.
* Avoid late-evening watering, which could foster powdery mildew. Powdery mildew is a very common disease among roses.
3. Spacing (air)
* Rose growing in conditions where adequate spacing is not provided can foster powdery mildew, as well. Let your roses breathe: don't plant them too closely together. Follow spacing requirements for each particular variety when purchasing rose bushes, as indicated on the plant label.
4. Sun (fire):
* Roses like six hours of sun per day
* Six hours of morning sun is preferable to six hours of afternoon sun.
Starting a new lawn by seeding.
To start new lawns, many people wonder which is better: laying sod or seeding lawns. While laying sod is fast and produces high-quality new lawns, seeding lawns is cheaper and offers a wider variety of grass types. Check with your county extension to learn which grass types are best for your region.
- Remove the old lawn and/or weeds, if any exist. One way to accomplish this is by digging them out with a flat-bladed shovel (make sure you get the roots). Another method is to apply an herbicide, then rent a sod-cutter to remove roots and all. Before proceeding further, have your soil pH tested. Most lawn grasses prefer a pH of 6.0 to 7.5. If the test reveals that you need to adjust the pH, do so in conjunction with Step #2.
- Break up the compacted soil with a tiller. Tillers (also called rototillers) can be rented from your local rental center.
- Spread a starter fertilizer over the now-loosened soil. This type of fertilizer is high in phosphorus, the middle number in the NPK sequence on a fertilizer bag.
- Also spread a soil conditioner over the soil. "Soil conditioner" is often what it's called at the store, but if you have a good supply of compost at home, it will serve just as well as a soil amendment.
- Again using the tiller, till the starter fertilizer and soil conditioner (or equivalent) into the soil. I know this seems like a lot of work, but good soil preparation is one key in seeding lawns successfully.
- Now rake the soil to begin to level it out, removing any rocks and debris that you find. To avoid problems with excess water-runoff, make sure that any site grading you do allows water to flow away from your house.
- This step requires a roller. Rollers, like tillers, can be rented from your local rental center. Fill the roller's drum with water, then use the roller to finish leveling the soil. Water the soil lightly.
- For this step you'll need a seed spreader. Following the recommended seeding rate, spread 1/4 of the seed over the entire lawn area. Then repeat times, each time using 1/4 of the seed. However, each of the 4 times you distribute a load of seed, push the spreader in a different direction, to encourage even dispersal.
- Rake lightly, so as to cover the seed with a thin layer of soil.
- For this step you'll use the roller again. But first you'll empty out the water from the drum, because you want it lighter this time. Now roll the lawn surface.
- You're done seeding the lawn, but you're not done working! The seeds must be watered properly, in order to germinate. Use just a fine spray, as you don't want to create a flood! The soil should be kept evenly moist, which may mean several waterings per day (depending on the weather).
- After the grass blades sprout, you'll still need to water a couple of times per day. If you know your schedule won't permit this, now's the time to look into automatic irrigation systems, before starting a new lawn.