Soil nesting ants can create enough annoyance that it may be desirable to reduce their numbers in the yard or around the house. The first troubling situation that may justify treatment is when ants are nesting close to the house and are searching for food indoors. Any turf grass spray should work and stop the ants to invade. Secondly ant mounds can...
Soil Testing compares soil characteristics and crop nutrient requirements and ascertains fertile soil. Thus it ensures no excess fertilizer use or pollution providing substance. It also furnishes the information required to maintain soil fertility. Elements are separated and measured. The fertilizer to be used is suggested. PH, Humic substance and ...
Lawn weeds may be divided into two classes based on the way they emerge from the seed. Most monocot weeds found in turf grass are from the family germinate and are termed as weedy grasses. It includes crabgrass, annual bluegrass, tall fescue and quack grass. Dicots are termed broadleaf weeds and include those plants as dandelion, clover, ground ivy...
Select a handheld edger and place it between the lawn and the roadway. Keep the wheel of the edger on the pavement and the blade on the edge. For bigger lawns use the power-driven edger. In areas, which are difficult to reach, periphery of beds or around trees it is better to use grass shears. Suppose that the grass is very tall to be mowed or the ...
Leaves, grass, twigs, roots and other wastes from lawns sum up to approximately 18% of the annual municipal waste. For summer, grass makes up 50% of the municipal waste, while in fall leaves causes 60-80% of the total waste. This gigantic amount of wastes strains the municipal collection systems as it raises the expenses required for the extra equi...
A collection of blades of grass cut many times, bits of leaves and branches, roots and rhizomes that are decaying on the lawn are called a Thatch. This cut grass is left on the lawn as it provides nutrients to the soil, reduces water evaporation and shields from ice damage. But if the decomposition is very slow the thatch becomes a large layer. Thi...
Soil texture means the quantity (in percent) of sand, silt and clay in the soil. Texture affects moisture holding capability, aeration, drainage, condition of tilled soil, ability of getting compacted and nutrient retaining capacity of the soil. The perfect soil texture is loam and silt loam. The finest soil texture for a lawn is a sandy loam, havi...
Appropriate watering, fertilizing, weed control and mowing are key to success for existing lawn or establishing a new lawn from seed. New seedlings and seeds that have not yet germinated but have taken up water are extremely susceptible to heat and drought stresses. Proper watering is the difference between a beautiful crop of grass or no new grass...
It is also called Aeration. It is done by removing a block of soil and making holes in the soil or cutting channels in the soil. Equipment, which has hollow tines or spoons, arranged on a drum or disk is used. It removes blocks of soil 0.25 to 0.75 inches diameter and 2 to 4 inches deep when used on the lawn. Such machines can be rented from lawn/g...
Mulch is a mixture of entire or shredded leaves, grass clippings, bark, compost, pine needles or peanut shells encircled around a plant on top of the ground for enriching the soil. It acts as a protective layer on top of the soil. Don’t apply mulch very close to the plant. Applying mulch in early spring retains moisture and checks weed growth. It i...