Tips on Maintaining a Fresh Green Lawn
Just in the USA alone, the percentage of people with a grass lawn is about 78%, but new research shows that the majority of those people lack basic lawn care knowledge, resulting in unattractive and unhealthy gardens, which, therefore, will take a bigger piece of the common homeowner’s salary, as well as more time and effort. The number one argument for unhealthy lawns is lack of time but, by following these simple tips and guidelines and by putting a little bit of effort and more regularly, you’ll be able to avoid opening your wallet when the situation gets too nasty to handle.
Three aspects will make or break a lawn – the weather, the soil and the lawn care. Unless you have magical powers or a machine that makes it rain, controlling the first one is out of the question. Most people already have a finished lawn, so choosing the type of soil is only an option for those who are still in the process of building a garden. That leaves us with the last one but most powerful – proper lawn care practices. In this article, we’ll offer you a variety of tips that will get you the lawn of your dreams, without breaking a sweat!
How to Mow Correctly
Mowing your lawn might look like an easy task on paper, but once you discover the harm you could be making to your grass, you’ll probably want to know a bit more on how to properly do it. These are the key aspects you need to take into consideration:
Mow High
No one enjoys extremely tall grass, but you should think twice before cutting it too short. This is how it works: if your grass is four inches tall, its roots are also four inches and if you cut it to two inches, its roots, over time, will also become two inches. You need a good root mass to avoid diseases, droughts and weed infestation, which means the taller the grass, the healthier the lawn.
Don’t Shock It
Cutting more than one-third of the height of your grass in on go will likely shock and stress it, making it more vulnerable to diseases.
Sharpen your Blades
If you mow with a dull blade you will get ragged tips, which will brown much faster and, again, will become more vulnerable to diseases. In order to avoid that, we recommend that you regularly sharpen your blades with the adequate equipment (can be done manually or with a grinding machine).
Be Creative with Your Mowing Patterns
If you keep mowing the same way, every time, the wheels of your lawnmower will keep running over the same areas, which can cause bald spots and weaken the grass. Switch it up a little once in a while to avoid this.
Mulching is Caring
Mulching is a fundamental task in lawn care, even though we think that most people never heard about it. Mulch can be a variety of materials that, layered above your grass, have various beneficial properties – conservation of the soil’s moisture, improvement of its fertility, an increase of its overall health, a decline of weed’s growth and a more beautiful and greener lawn. Even though there are tons of lawn mowers out there, only a few are capable of mulching and able to deliver great results, be sure to read this guide to discover the best ones on the market.
Because pesticides and chemicals can be harmful to the environment, to you and to your family’s health, the more common material for mulching is the freshly cut grass clippings. Even if you bag them and apply them later you’ll lose large amounts of nitrogen – perfect for fertilizing and maintaining biological activity in the soil. Still, we recommend using some kind of fertilizer, at least once a year, in the late spring and fall.
You should also ask a lawn care professional to test your soil’s pH balance and, if wrong, what to do to correct it.
Water It: Not Too Much, Not Too Little
Watering your lawn depends on a variety of aspects, like the weather, the soil and the humidity in the air. You should start by reading about those in your area, but we can give you some tips that will work for the majority of lawns.
Especially during dry summer months, we recommend you watering your lawn a few times a week, with one to one and a half inches of water (except if you just planted your seeds – if so, twice a day is ideal). The best time to do it would be in the morning – a good excuse to get up early and enjoy the sunlight! It goes without saying, but don’t water your lawn when it’s raining, as overwatering can cause your roots to rot.
There’s an old trick, still used today, to better control your irrigation system. Set some old tuna fish cans around your lawn and when they fill up, check the time the sprinklers were on – that’s the minutes you should set them, every week (they will usually fill between 30 minutes and an hour). Also, if you see a couple of them not filled, your irrigation system is not properly calibrated and is unevenly watering your lawn.
Lastly, never use hot water! Some people use water tanks that are left in the summer’s warm, which can be enough to scold the tips of the grass.
Aeration Might Be Necessary
If you’ve got a compacted, poor or clay-heavy soil, aerating your lawn, once a year, could save it from big problems. That’s also a good idea if you notice that there’s a lot of foot traffic or big equipment rolling around on it. How to aerate it, you ask? Easy! Even though there are specialized machines for it, a simple pitchfork can do the trick. Start by normally mowing your lawn. After that, stick the pitchfork’s teeth, full length, on your grass and repeat it in four to six inches intervals (works best if the soil is a bit moist, after raining or having been watered a couple of hours before). Then, work by rows, till you’ve done it on your full lawn. Lastly, turn your sprinklers on so the water can penetrate the root zone.
Final Thoughts
A lawn is, usually, the first thing that stands out in a house and who doesn’t enjoy making good first impressions? With these effortless tips, you can have a beautiful and elegant yard, almost taken out of a movie, without breaking the bank and without a ton of effort. Thanks for reading and as enjoy your gorgeous lawn!
How To Use an Edge Trimmer Safely
Whether you’re operating an old or new trimmer, its important you learn how to operate them safely. Trimmers are easy-to-use, but you’ll need to change the string fairly frequently, and maintaining them will ensure they last for a long time.
Additionally, it's important to pay attention to the safety features before diving in to using it.
First, you need to follow the user guide (mentioned below) before proceeding to the actual use and operation of the machinery. This is very important as any misstep may lead or cause physical injuries.
Secondly, after using the edge trimmer, it is important to remember that it should be stored in a safe place. As with any sharp devices, there is a chance children could get into it if not stored properly.
Lets get into the process of operating your new edge trimmer safely.
Before Using
Before operating the device, make sure to review the product’s guidelines and safety procedures. This is very important as one misstep can lead to serious injuries. Here are a few other important check points:
You should inspect the device for damages and check whether the sharp edges and cover are secured properly.
Don’t operate the trimmer with the underside exposed. You always want to have the bottom of the trimmer facing down for your safety.
If the trimmer is electrical, make sure you are using a heavy duty extension cord to operate it. If you are using a lightweight cord, there is a chance that the trimmer could accidently cut through it when being used.
If any of the parts are damaged or broken, it is best to return your product and have it replaced with a new one.
This inspection process keeps you safe, but it also keeps the machine operating smoothly. Trimmers can jam frequently, and a lot of that can be prevented through this pre-use inspection.
Safely Using Your Trimmer
Once you’ve finished your inspection, here are the steps to safely operating your lawn trimming machine:
Make sure you wear the following items before starting the device: safety goggles, long pants, closed toe and sturdy shoes.
You must inspect your work area and make sure that there are no pieces of loose objects around like stones, metal, etc.
The edge trimmer should be operated with its cutting head below the user’s waist. Avoid overreaching while the edge trimmer is still on.
Don’t operate an electrical trimmer in the rain. Generally speaking, the process will be a lot easier in dry conditions, so that the trimmings don’t stick together and clog your machine.
When trimming grass near trees with low hanging branches, be careful not to hit your head. It is easy to do when you are staring down, and you can hurt your eyes if not careful.
If you need to make adjustments to the device’s mechanical and maintenance components, make sure to power off and disconnect the electric cord to avoid any injuries.
After each use of the edge trimmer, place it in a secure place and not within reach of children.
Lastly, the device should also be maintained according to the manufacturer’s safety guidelines and instructions. Some of the maintenance you will need to do is: cleaning, lubricating and proper storage of the edge trimmer.
Conclusion
Edge trimmers are fantastic tools for maintaining your yard and lawn. While they look pretty safe and easy to use, there are a few safety precautions you need to follow to operate them safely. Once you observe these, though, you’ll find that this tool is an easy-to-use machine that will keep your lawn looking good.
Purchasing A Cordless Lawn Mower
Do you find that mowing the lawn on a weekly basis is more of a task than something you enjoy? It might be time to switch up how you are mowing your lawn. Whilst petrol mowers do still have a use, especially for larger properties and land, if you have an average sized garden, why not make your life easier? Battery powered technology has come a long way over the last 10 years and that is no different for cordless lawn mowers. Many are now better than their gas guzzling counterparts and the benefits of cordless don’t stop there! Follow our 7 things to consider before you buy a cordless mower and you may well decide that it is time to make the switch!
Weight
Even though you are still pushing around a motor, a battery powered mower is far lighter than a gas powered equivalent. Because of the weight difference, they don’t use as much energy, so the units tend to be smaller than their gas guzzling counterparts. This also makes them cheaper to run because you are using your electricity to charge the batteries rather than purchasing fuel. This can also help you get a better cut and finish of your lawn, a gas mower is more likely to get bogged down due to the weight, so why not look to decrease this risk?
How Big Is The Area You Need To Cut?
If you have a large paddock, then a smaller cordless mower may not be the one for you. The smaller units won’t have the same power capacity as the larger units and may run out mid chore. There are now many battery cordless mowers that can have the same runtime as their petrol equivalent, so just because you have a big area doesn’t mean you can’t have a cordless lawn mower. You can simply have one battery on hand if the other one runs out, that way you don’t need to stop cutting in order to recharge it, this is far more convenient than having to fill up the petrol tank halfway through.
What Are The Run Time and Power Options?
You may struggle to find equal power between a gas and a battery powered, unless you are looking for larger units. If you need a large power mower, then dual systems are the one for you! That way you can have one battery on charge whilst the other one is working in the mower. You also need to factor in run time, if you have a large garden or a paddock, chances are a 30 to 45 minute run time across one battery won’t be enough. If you have a small garden this cycle will be ideal
Charging Time
Charing time is a big factor when you are looking to select a cordless mower, you want to make sure that you are selecting a product that gives you the fastest charge time possible. If you are considering a unit that only has one battery, make sure the charge time is fast so that you don’t have to wait too long to finish the job you started.
Battery Charge Indicator
There is nothing worse than starting a job only for the battery to die mid cutting and realise that you in fact forgot to charge the battery. Look for a cordless mower that has a battery charge indicator on it. That way you will know how much charge you have left and if you have forgotten to charge the battery from your last use, you can pop it in the dock and start mowing once it has reached 100%.
Battery availability
Make sure that the mower brand you are buying has the option to purchase one or more separate batteries at a reasonable price. You don’t want your battery to fail only to find out that separate batteries aren’t available or worse, that replacements cost more than the mower!
Maintenance
If you have been using a gas-powered mower, you will be used to the additional costs of having to maintain one. Consider the maintenance aspect of this when you are looking at an electric mower. They don’t require the same level of maintenance as gas powered mowers, the don’t require filters or additional purchases like oil and pull strings, so they can save you money in the long run!
Final Thoughts
There are so many different aspects to consider when you are looking to make a change to a cordless lawn mower. Most people will have an average sized garden where a standard battery cycle and charge time will be enough to cut the lawn to a good standard. If you have a larger garden or a paddock, it may be worth looking at dual battery options to make sure you can finish the job once you have started it. Overall cordless mowers are better for you and the environment than the gas equivalent, they are lighter, quieter and don’t use as much energy as gas powered, so not only will your bills be improved, you may not feel mowing in your back the next day! Follow our considerations to help you select the best lawn mower for your garden.
Four Reasons to Choose Professional Perth Landscaping Design
When you think about garden design in Perth, it’s likely that you’ve considered hiring a professional landscaper. Some people opt to go it alone, but let’s face it, getting a garden to thrive here in Perth can be a real challenge. We’ve all see the lush lawns and perfect gardens, but it’s hard to achieve those results without expert help. In this article, we will look at four reasons why you should consider a professional landscaper for your lawn and garden needs.
1. Adding Value to Your Home
You may not realise it, but a well manicured lush lawn and beautiful, healthy garden can add a great deal of value to your home. Besides the obvious kerb appeal to draw potential buyers in, it’s estimated that a great garden could increase the property value by 10-12%. The opposite is also true; a garden that’s poorly maintained can shave a similar amount off the price that you could expect to get when you sell your home. These sorts of results can only be achieved with professional landscaping, so if you want to sell your home for the best price, this is a cost effective investment that delivers a great deal for the modest outlay.
2. Improving Kerb Appeal
We touched on this above; a well turned out garden will certainly draw a great deal of attention from your neighbours. Many people focus purely on a lawn because it’s so hard to get a lawn looking lush and thick here in Perth. However, there are other areas that will draw admiring glances from visitors and potential buyers alike. Flower beds, shrubs, and ornamental trees all act as a wonderful accent to a well maintained garden.
3. Create a Tranquil Space
Our modern lives are hectic, and it’s important to have a place where you can relax. A well designed and regularly maintained garden will undoubtedly fit the bill if you need to wind down after a hard day. Being in and around nature is a proven stress reliever, and it’s even better if all the hard work is done for you by a professional landscaper. If you already have a garden that you don’t enjoy using it can be easy to become despondent about spending time outside. However, you may be surprised to learn that even the most unloved garden can be brought into full bloom with some expertise and hard work. So, don’t suffer in silence, hire a landscaper, and start enjoying your garden again.
4. Improving Energy Efficiency
Many homeowners are unaware that a professional landscaping service could actually improve the energy efficiency in their homes. If you get a professional to work with you on your gardening plan, they can make some excellent suggestions to improve energy efficiency. As an example: a set of trees could be planted to provide shade to windows and provide some passive cooling for your home.
5 Best Commercial Weed Eater Reviews that Guarantees Obvious Reduction in Weeks
The presence of weeds is irritating because of so many reasons. Number one, it destroys the appearance of our lawn. Next, it caters pests and organisms that can cause plant disease. Last but not the least, weeds are expensive – it will take up your time, effort and money.
Since weeds are a common problem and using non-chemical products are highly recommended, the next question would be: what amongst the available best commercial weed eaters in the market should I buy?
Let us take a look at this comparison table so you can have a preview of the products we’re about to evaluate.
And without further ado, let me present to you the…
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Best Trimmer Line Reviews for Easy & Effective Weed Cutting
A properly landscaped garden is such a pleasurable sight. I understand the fact that not everyone understands how tedious it is to maintain it as such. You will have to make use of many tools like pruners, cutters, and trimmers with the best string trimmer head. I know how frustrating it is when you ran out of those helpful strings, and that is why today, I will help you by giving the best trimmer line reviews.
Here’s a quick preview of the products I have studied.
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