Organic Weed Control

Weeds are a problem for almost everyone. Controlling them without harming pets or the environment can be done if you use certain techniques. Organic weed control is becoming more and more popular because it is cheap, safe for the environment and it works!

The most obvious way to get rid of weeds in your yard or garden is to simply remove them by hand. There is actually a technique to this that will help you better control weed growth. If you simply pull the weed out, you can break off roots, allowing the weed to grow right back. Using a shovel or spade does the same thing. Cutting roots can actually allow each root to grow its own plant, causing the weeds to only multiply. Use a small forked garden tool to gently work the roots up out of the soil without damaging them and the weed will not grow back.

If weeds are in your lawn, there is a very simple and safe solution. Mow your grass before weeds have a chance to seed. You may have to be very dedicated to mowing on a schedule, even twice a week, to avoid maturing weeds that can spread. One good thing about weeds is that they add drainability to the soil. This will help your grass to quickly choke out cut weeds. As weeds are eliminated, nitrogen will return to the soil making your grass more aggressively take over future weeds. Make sure that your mower is on a high setting so that your grass will keep cut weeds shaded. Weeds need a lot of sun and cannot grow if the grass is high. Grass that is left longer will also grow slower because it is not in a hurry to make more nutrients for the roots.

You may notice that weeds shoot up after a rain. They love water and can quickly take water from your grass. Make sure that you spot check your lawn after a rain and get rid of any new weeds. Do not water your lawn unless your grass starts to wilt over or seriously dry out. This will help starve out weeds that are waiting to spring up.

Using the right fertilizer can help keep weeds under control. If you have a lot of dandelions, chances are your soil pH is too high. Adding a thin dusting of lime will bring the pH back down to where your grass likes it and the dandelions do not. Use organic compost or organic fertilizers to avoid creating a perfect weed habitat. Weeds generally pop up where grass has a short coming. Creating the right environment for grass will help ensure that weak spots do not occur.

Check with your local nursery to identify weeds. Change your lawn according to which weeds are thriving and your grass can take over. Keep items picked up off of your lawn to avoid creating a weak spot where weeds can grow. For example, leaving your garden hose lying on the ground can block out light, killing grass and creating a perfect spot for a weed to take hold. Use a hose reel to keep your water hose up off of the ground and neatly stored away. When your soil is right, your lawn will be right, without the use of harmful chemicals.

About the Author: Stacy Pessoney is an award winning author and writer of web content for many different web sites. She is well versed in many different areas, including gardening, hose reel, lawn care and landscaping.

Lawn Care Tips

-Aeration: Aerating your lawn can help oxygen reach the roots of your grass. Normally, soil has tiny air pockets that provide this oxygen, but your yard can become compact due to sports, kids, mowing and animals. You can aerate with spikes, but they can actually contribute to compaction. The recommended method is core aeration, which takes small plugs of soil from your yard.

-Fertilize: Fertilizing may not be necessary if you mow your yard often. Providing the lawn with too much fertilizer can actually give your grass a shallow root system and cause more problems. If you do use a fertilizer, use it sparingly and only if you need to tackle a major weed problem. One of the best things you can do to fertilize your yard is to leave grass clippings when you mow.

-Mow: Mowing on a regular schedule can help keep your lawn healthy. Do not let the grass get so tall that you will need to cut more than half of the blade height. Cutting off too much of the grass can damage it, causing it to turn brown or even die. Make sure your mower blades are sharpened every season to avoid ugly, brown, jagged tops. Do not mow in the heat of the day because grass will be sensitive to heat for a couple of hours after being cut.

-Compost: Compost dry leaves and yard clippings along with other organic waste to create your own fertilizer. Compost is great for your flower beds, tree growth and makes good filler for holes in your lawn. Not only will you save money, but you will save quite a few lawn bags and the environment.

-Problem Areas: Sloping areas in your yard can be a big problem. Some people try for years to grow grass on slopes, but it just keeps washing downhill. Talk to a nursery or landscaper in your area about native plants that have deep roots. They will anchor themselves to the slope better than grass and usually require very little maintenance.

-Water: You may not have to water your lawn often unless you live in a very hot or arid climate. Water your grass in the morning so that water has time to soak in before the sun can evaporate it. Watering mid-day is just about useless. Watering in the evening can over-saturate the lawn, causing root rot and other problems. Water your grass deeply and less often for optimal lawn health. Keep a hose reel handy for easy watering so that watering does not become a chore that you want to avoid.

About the Author: Stacy Pessoney is an award winning author and writer of web content for many different web sites. She is well versed in many different areas, including gardening, hose reel, lawn care and landscaping.

Helping Your Installed Sod Take Root

Installing pre-grown sod can be an excellent way to give your pitiful looking lawn a much-needed jumpstart. If your lawn is mostly bare, consisting of more dirt patches than lush green grass, you might be best to consider sod as a quick replacement, especially when time is not on your side, and seeding and growing a new lawn is not an option. You’ll have lush green grass in no time, and it will root quickly allowing for that upcoming lawn party or simply adding beauty and usability for your own pleasure.

Some preparation is needed before your sod arrives, and some instructions need to be followed implicitly to allow your sod its best chances for successful attachment and growth. You first need to remove existing grass remnants and any pesky weeds in the area. An organic herbicide can do the job of killing grass and weeds you are unable to simply pull up; after it does its job, remove the wilted and brown remainders. Adding organic topsoil and tilling it, working it within the existing soil will ensure your sod has the best, most fertile soil possible in which to extend its root system. Rake the top of the area now, adding organic fertilizer or organic compost from your compost bin. After working in the compost and fertilizer and making sure the area is level, it is time to start watering. Extend your hose reel so that you can adequately irrigate the soil in preparation for the sod’s arrival. Attempt this in several short spurts, allowing for ample penetration of necessary water while minimizing the waste due to water runoff. These waterings should continue until the day before the arrival of your new sod. Sod should not be stored on your property when it arrives, but immediately rolled into position as the generated heat from the stacking can be harmful to the overall health of your new lawn. Lay your sod rows in place as you would if you were a bricklayer or sheet-rocker, making sure to stagger the seams thus minimizing the appearance of “blocks” of grass. For the next two weeks, the watering of your sod should be ample, allowing for nice wet sod that will quickly take root. Your hose reel should be used as much as six times a day in summer, perhaps three times in early spring to ensure rapid growth. You are able to check the rooting process by gently tugging on your sod after a couple of weeks. If it has not attached in a given area, increase the water supply; don’t be stingy! Once in place sod is fairly easily maintained, only needing adequate waterings after rooting has taken place. In this manner, you and your family can enjoy a fresh green lawn for many years to come. The rewards are ample for minimal work and expense.

About the author: Jon Bassfarm is an Internet content writer who enjoys researching and writing about many subjects including hose reel, landscaping, and much more.

Caring for Your Compost So it Benefits Your Lawn

Keeping your lawn its greenest and continuously growing at its peak potential doesn’t happen overnight. Diligent waterings from your hose reel are excellent, but your lawn may demand more, depending on the quality and type of soil that’s underneath the surface. Composting is an excellent and environmentally friendly option, but you must remember, your compost need its own attention as well, so that it can generate all the growth-giving properties that you desire.

The location of your compost pile or bin is something that should be considered. It should be placed appropriately in your lawn so that any runoff that may occur can be beneficial in and of itself. If your lawn is sloping, make sure to place your compost pile or bin at or near the top of the slope so its runoff can be utilized advantageously. A bin to store your compost is not necessary, but is helpful in keeping it contained, though a simple pile will do the job as well.

The materials you place in your compost pile should be organic, that is, plant-based materials. Meat waste can be dangerous as it can attract local wildlife. It is best to use lawn clippings, leaves, vines, and other plant refuse, as well as kitchen waste such as vegetable peelings, coffee grounds, eggshells, and the like. The more finely crushed all of these items are, the more quickly they can be broken down within your compost pile, and their advantageous nutrients applied to your lawn.

After your pile location is established and beginning organic materials assembled, heap them together with a little soil and manure to get the nitrogen and microorganisms necessary to start the process. Rather than a mountainous pile with the middle protruding upwards, attempt to let the outer parts of your pile be highest, allowing for water seepage from the outside in. Water from your hose reel should now be applied, making the pile moist, but not overly wet. Within only a few days, the microorganisms will begin doing their job and, combined with the nitrogen and plant material, the pile will begin to heat up. If heat is not being generated, fresh lawn clippings and water should be applied to add more nitrogen and hydration. If an ammonia smell is detected, use your pitchfork to aerate the pile somewhat to allow for equal oxygen distribution. The pile should be turned at least once a month to continue the process of decomposition, and if the materials involved are finely crushed, application of viable compost to your lawn can happen in as little as two months.

Composting is an easy way to add valuable nutrients to your lawn while doing your part as well to help keep the size of your city or county’s landfills from unnecessarily growing.

About the author: Jon Bassfarm is an Internet content writer who enjoys researching and writing about many subjects including hose reel and landscaping.

Composting Benefits for Your Lawn and Garden

So your neighbor’s garden is more fruitful, beautiful, and aggressively growing than yours: why do you think? He/she is seemingly not out and working in it anymore than you are, you haven’t seen a hired gardening expert milling about, but you have noticed a sweet smell coming from next door that you don’t seem to recognize. You could get the answer quickly by asking your neighbor what he or she is doing that you’re not, but your pride won’t let you ask. Dollars to donuts, your neighbor is using compost to help enrich the fertility of the growing beds, whether commercially produced, or produced in his back yard as well. You would do well to attempt the same, and the benefits to your garden will be overwhelming!

Compost can be a valuable resource to enriching your lawn’s landscape and your garden’s growth, and if you make your own compost, the cost is minimal, if anything. Your lawn clippings, your raked leaves, clipped branches, and yes, even kitchen food scraps, should be saved, cultivated, and then applied to your lawn and garden. The use of compost can enrich and improve the physical structure of the soil itself. For clay-like soiled lawns, working in compost can help reduce the density of the soil, allowing it to accept and use the water applied by your hose reel; the soil will become more porous and thus, more easily hydrated while improving its ability to hold and use the water applied. For sandy lawns, the addition of compost can deter erosion by adhering within the soil, allowing the soil to hold together in its form, reducing the risk of moving in heavy winds or rains. By adding compost to your soil, waterings can be less frequent, allowing for savings on your water bill, because compost has its own hydrating properties when it is applied to the soil in your lawn or garden.

Constructing a compost bin can be easy or difficult, depending on design and complexity. Old slats from a wooden fence can be utilized in construction, chicken wire is often used, and many counties even have plastic composting bins available for purchase, often through their park’s departments. The size of your bin should be manageable without being too small (less than 27 cubic feet) to hold sufficient heat nor too large (over 125 cubic feet) for sufficient oxygenation.

Composting can add exponentially to the successful growth of your lawn and garden. With a little elbow grease and determination, your neighbor will be asking how your garden grows so well in no time!

About the author: Jon Bassfarm is an Internet content writer who enjoys researching and writing about many subjects including hose reel and landscaping.

Getting Rid of the Pesky Slugs that Terrorize Your Garden Organically, Without Harming Them

Have you ever gone out to admire your beautifully growing garden and found yourself horrified by holes covering the green leaves and a silver, tell-tale trail left behind? Of course, the silvery trail lets you know that your garden has been violated by the slimiest, most disgusting, plant-damaging pests around, slugs, and they will undoubtedly return now that they have found your amply set green table of garden foliage goodness to feed their repulsive bellies with. The question is, of course, how do you make sure the next visit is their very last? You are certainly not growing your beautiful garden for their benefit and need to make sure they do not continue wrecking havoc on your lovely green space.

Slugs do their worst at night, because their slimy wet skin is delicate and sunlight can dry them out easily. Because of this, waterings in the late evening, though assuring penetration into your garden by the water, are a “no-no” when it comes to slugs as it only attracts them more. Also, it is better that you attach a “soaker” hose nozzle to your hose reel as it allows you to have better control of exactly where your water goes. In this manner, you can be sure not to leave little puddles of water in unnoticed places where slugs tend to congregate.

While you could choose from quite a few chemical solutions available on the market, it is more environmentally conscious to try the organic routes initially. It is good to remember the natural predators of slugs, for they are many. Birds, salamanders, and frogs love to have their fill of slugs for dinner. Birds are easily attracted to your garden; spread some nice birdseed to attract the local starling population. They will be more than happy to pick off those pesky fellers, one by one. If the birdies don’t do the trick, keep in mind just how delicate those slimy suckers’ bellies are. Slugs try and protect their vulnerable undersides out of necessity. Try littering the area surrounding your flowerbeds and gardens with gritty substances like sand or eggshells. Slugs will turn the other way rather than cross a line that could puncture their fragile epidermis. This will deter them, forcing them to head to the neighbors’ yards in search of sustenance.

By following these few suggestions, it will be possible to protect your garden, organically, from the belly-bound predators, allowing your flowers and plants to prosper, beautifying your home and yard all season long.

About the author: Jon Bassfarm is an Internet content writer who enjoys researching and writing about many subjects including hose reel and landscaping.

Bare Spots in Your Lawn Are Easily Fixed

While some people truly have the greenest, most lushly growing lawns around, purely for looking at and admiring, if you’re like me, you like to enjoy your lawn by laying on it, tossing the football around, playing with the kids, or even fetch with the family dog. Unfortunately for your lawn, excessive playing and foot traffic can wreck havoc, causing bare spots from repeated use. You’ll be happy to learn, however, that repairing these bare spots is a manageable task that is achievable without too terribly much effort.

Whether your lawn is damaged by compaction from your children or dog, too little water, or insects, the coming fall season is an excellent time to begin reparation. It is essential to repair the bare spots, not only for aesthetic reasons, but to make sure they do not increase in size and become more susceptible to weed infestation or disease. Weeds have no trouble adapting, and will be firmly entrenched if not held at bay. You want to match your new grass with the grass that is already growing on your lawn and have those types of seeds on hand, purchased from your local lawn and garden shop. It is first necessary to remove the affected areas with a shovel and cover the spot with new, fresh, fertile soil. Following the directions on the label of your seeds, spread your seeds, covering them with either straw or moss to protect from rain and watering from your hose reel. Press the soil down lightly, do not press the seeds deeply or bury them deeply in the soil. Fertilizer is a good idea to apply over the area, to encourage quick and steady growth, from the first watering. The straw or moss will help hold in the important H2O of these first watering sessions. Make sure your hose is set on a fine mist, in order to keep the straw in place, and ensure the soil is moist, above all, not drenched. Grass will spring up within a few weeks of planting, but make sure not to walk, play or mow the area until around three inches of growth is visible. Once this happens, due to your fastidious tending and ample, but not excessive waterings, you can treat this new patch of grass like any other.

This method can be used again and again until your entire lawn is repaired, vigorously growing, and gorgeously green!

About the author: Jon Bassfarm is an Internet content writer who enjoys researching and writing about many subjects including hose reel and landscaping. Please visit www.roboreel.com for more information.

Caring For Your Lawn in a More Natural Way

One of the best parts of being a homeowner is actually “owning” a piece of land. No matter how big or how small, this piece of land is yours to do with what you please. The Native American ideal of land stewardship is a fantastic one, the idea that none truly own the land, but should feel encouraged to diligently keep the land as merely stewards of it. If you think of yourself as a steward of the land you inhabit, you will accept and take on willingly, the responsibility of maintaining it, protecting it, and keeping it looking its best. Is this a too high-falooting ideal when discussing your lawn, your very own patch of green? Perhaps so, but if thought of in this manner, maybe you’d be more inclined to treating it better and looking out for its best interest.

In the Middle Ages, no one groomed or mowed their lawns, obviously. Lawns were kept as special green spaces for enjoyment, yet were not bridled, restrained, and hacked, to look like the British Open’s long greens. Lawns were mostly kept under control by use; by being trampled by horses, sporting activities, and the like, allowing them to grow a little longer, a little healthier, and greener, without the introduction of chemicals or fertilizer. Could perhaps a secret to a greener lawn be letting it grow longer between cuttings? Yes, it very well could. I’m not suggesting you let your lawn look like “Little House on the Prairie”, mind you. Letting it grow a little longer between cuttings and setting your lawn mower to its highest setting can make a world of difference in keeping a healthier lawn. The longer blades of grass can help you be certain that the root systems of your lawn are flourishing below the soil with the roots being themselves longer and better established as well. Longer blades mean more surface area for photosynthesis to take place, allowing more light to be collected, to promote a healthier, more lush look in appearance as well as promoting the ability to stave off pesky weeds. Instead of watering your grass daily, extend your sprinkler or hose nozzle from your hose reel for longer, deeper watering sessions. Apply around one inch of water to your lawn once every mowing cycle to ensure proper immersion and absorption. When mowing, you should really only ever take a third of your grass’ height off, in order to ensure healthy growth. Mowing once every ten days will save you quite a few mowings over the year, allowing you to spend more time with your family, and less money on gas (or electricity) to mow your lawn.

Let’s all let our lawns grow in healthier ways by simply letting our lawns grow more!

About the author: Jon Bassfarm is an Internet content writer who enjoys researching and writing about many subjects including hose reel and landscaping. Please visit www.roboreel.com for more information.

Helping Your Lawn Achieve Its Potential: Aerate!

Who doesn’t love a nice, lush, green lawn for entertaining, relaxing, and simply admiring? While it is true that is hard work maintaining a beautiful and healthy lawn, its benefits are immeasurable and well worth the blood sweat and tears. While everyone knows it is essential that a lawn be well hydrated, most homeowners neglect an essential part of lawn maintenance that allows the precious water do its job more fully, namely, aeration. Aeration not only promotes growth, it will help ensure that your lawn is thicker, grows faster, and healthier than ever!

The main objective of aeration is to create a situation where the grass roots penetrate more deeply into the soil while allowing essential oxygen, water, and nutrients ample access to the roots and soil as well. Though aeration may seem tedious to some, few can argue with results. An aerator tool can be picked up at your local hardware store for not too much coin, and is well worth the expenditure, unless you enjoy tracing your entire lawn, on hands and knees, poking holes; now that would be an excellent way to get familiar with every square inch! Because your lawn sees its fair share of use, much more than your garden especially if you have children or pets, the soil beneath your grass becomes compacted, making it terribly difficult for nutrients to penetrate and do their best. A lawn aerator punches holes in your lawn as you push behind, similarly to a push mower, with the holes penetrating around three inches, clear to the soil. This helps loosen the soil, allowing for better and essential air circulation to the roots of your grass. This is especially helpful in grass restoration situations where new growth is desired.

Aeration is best when your lawn is sufficiently moistened. A good time to perform an aeration session is the day after a nice steady rain. If rain is not in the forecast, make sure to extend your hose from its hose reel and amply water your lawn the day before aerating. It is essential to not drown your lawn, but to water it with about an inch of water. An easy way to test this would be to place containers in the areas you are watering with an inch demarcated on their side. Once this mark is reached through steady and well distributed watering, turn off the hose. Overnight, the water should soak in and allow the soil to dampen just enough to perform the aeration. Many homeowners follow aeration with fertilization as well because the loose soil allows for penetration of the nutrients. Aeration should be accomplished twice a year with dense, clay-like soil, and only once a year for sandy-soiled lawns. With an aeration, fertilization, and hydration program, your lawn will benefit greatly and provide hours and hours of enjoyment for you and your family year round.

About the author: Jon Bassfarm is an Internet content writer who enjoys researching and writing about many subjects including hose reel and landscaping. Please visit www.roboreel.com for more information.