A hedge trimmer is an instrument or a mechanical device that runs on power and is used for the cutting or pruning of garden hedges. They are being categorized on the list of powered garden tools. Earlier times this cutting was done with the help of a knife or with pruning shears. These days with the advance of technology the hedge trimmers are being developed and thus the work that needed 5 to 6 hours of arduous labor can now be completed in just a mere period of half of an hour.

Types of hedge trimmers:

The power source in a hedge trimmer by which the trimmers work can be either gasoline or electricity. Generally those hedge trimmers, which use gasoline as a power source, are more powerful and at the same time are heavier and difficult to start. The electric hedge trimmers on the other hand are the portable types that are lighter and less powerful in comparison to the gas run trimmers. Most of the powered types hedge trimmers are generally designed with safety devices so that both the operators' hands are on the handles of the trimmer.

How to use hedge trimmers:

The garden hedge trimmers need to be safe and easy to handle. They should be reasonably light and capable of dealing with the job that they are given to them. Usually for best results it is suggested to cut an arc sweeping form bottom to the top. The height of the hedge should only be reduced to a certain level at the top. This can be done suitably by over the top of the hedge. For those tougher branches a sawing action might be required for this purpose. A tackling of the blades for the thick branches may damage the blades of the hedge. For hedging those unreachable tops one can invert the hedge trimmers gripping the cross bar from the bottom parts in order to give it some extra heights and hence pole extensions are provided with most of the modern day trimmers. It should be remembered that A shaped hedges are always better. Besides encouraging wildlife other advantages of this shape is it allows light penetration for a denser hedge and is more stable in the wind.

Lawn clippings are mainly grass leaves along with some stems that are cut by the lawn mower. Earlier clippings were bagged using rotary mowers. It was thought that they might aid thatch development. But this assumption is now disproved.

The Present

In summer period, 20-30% of residential wastes are made up of grass clippings. These enhance the cost of waste disposal and fills landfills with precious organic material. So it is made illegal to dispose lawn clippings. The lawn clippings must be left on the lawn. They act as a natural plant food. Compost when added enhances the biological activity to make the clippings work faster and for greater span of time to maintain a lush and green lawn. Screen the compost by spreaders or it can also be added in a random manner. The clippings are one third as strong as the chemical fertilizers and on an average they have half the nitrogen content. Some amount of nitrogen has to be added which aids in the decomposition process of clippings. This cuts down on the expense of fertilizer. In late autumn or start of winter, the lawn mower shreds the leaves and the shreds are laid around shrubs or trees. These leaves break down during winter and there are fewer residues to be raked in the spring. When left on the lawn they provide shade to the soil surface and decrease loss of moisture content caused by evaporation. Lawn clippings smaller than an inch in length decay quickly and are sieved down the soil surface. The addition of organic matter of clippings to the lawn improves the condition of the soil if it is sandy.

Collecting clippings

The average mowing time is decreased by 30% when clippings are not collected. Leaving clippings on the lawn is not advisable when certain leaf diseases are prevalent on the lawn and removing the clippings may decrease the spread of the disease. Also when the lawn is to be mowed when wet or the grass is very tall, clippings carpet and suffocate the grass. If it is unsafe to use the mower without the bag, the clippings may very well be sucked in. Larger clippings must be removed and cut down as they spoil the look of the lawn and choke the grass below them.

Proper timing

The proper timing for watering your lawn is early in the morning and when the wind is not blowing. This lets the more amounts of water to get absorbed and in the even distribution. Water before the mid-day when the evaporation rate is the highest, in order to avoiding the lessen the water quantity. Watering could be done in the evenings that would be good time to water your lawn. Most of the disease causing fungi require several hours of leaf wetness for the infections and the disease to occur, so do not let the encouragement grow.

Water amount

Excess of water can cause thatch, fertilizer leaching, increased disease or grass weed problems such as creeping bent grass, annual bluegrass, or rough bluegrass instead of green grass. Less water can cause shallow rooting of the grass and the lawn, which helps the lawn to susceptible to its disease, drought stress or the winter injury. Thus, proper amount of watering is necessary. Less amount of the more amounts of water. When the lawn wilts, wet the entire area to a depth of the measure of about 10-12 centimeters. The soil characteristic depends for the amount of water to be applied. The water needed approximately is of 2.5 to 4 centimeters and that is adequate for the lawn. The slopes, areas near the buildings, curbs, sidewalks, and soils need more amount of water. Proper maintenance of the lawn makes it look beautiful also pleases you.

Lawn care tools

The lawn care kit includes tools and equipment, cool season grasses, interpreting labels, lawn diseases, lawn insect pests, lawn weeds and procedures and techniques. These kits provide the basis for interactive learning experiences for storage in the lawn. Kit components include posters, labels, statements, demonstration items and charts to keep lawn tiptop.

Storing pesticides

The pesticides that are not in use should be stored in an area well away from living areas and children. The place one chooses should have a cement floor and be well ventilated, insulated from temperature extremes and out of direct sunlight. The most important is keeping out of a child's reach. A locked metal cabinet in garage is usually a good storage place for pesticides just remember, liquid pesticides freeze. Always keep pest control products in their original containers with labels intact in it for security. Pesticides can seriously contaminate the local environment if not taken care properly and if they spill. If a pesticide leaks or is spilled in the garage, on the driveway or on other outdoor areas, do not wash down the spill. This will cause further pollution and may carry the pesticide to storm sewers or other near by water sources. The best way to clean a small spill is to surround the contaminated area with dirt, sprinkle kitty litter, vermiculite or some other porous material over the spill. Sweep the absorbent material into a sturdy plastic bag and put it in the trash. Wear rubber gloves and long pants, rubber boots too while cleaning up. Keep pets and other people away from that area. Wash down the area with water or detergent after removing as much of the pesticide as possible. So it is recommended to store these thins properly.

Proper feeding of lawn

Do not let the lawn starve. Fertilizing is an essential part of lawn care and by giving the grass correct soil feed four to five times per year the owner is effectively keeping moss and weeds at bay. As a bite to keep up energy levels the experts recommend an organic mineral fertilizer. Made partly from sugar beet extracts and this promotes soil life beneath the green carpet. The last fertilizer application of the year should be done in the month of September and later on by February or March, as soon as the snow has melted, it is the time for the first feed of the new season. The expert says that better too much fertilizer than too little. A lawn cannot grow too lush and an organic mineral fertilizer will not harm it.

Good mowing

It is very simple as the more often one mows the lawn the better it will look. It is like going to hair dresser every two months, when it comes to lawn care the experts recommend to go over it twice to three times per week. After all, if one feeds a lawn regularly, then it also requires regular cutting as well. The turf at football stadiums is kept shorter than two centimeters, but in gardens one can let it grow to about 3.5 centimeters

Too much watering is harmful

When it comes to watering, it is better to be careful. It is the opposite principle to fertilizing that means better too little water than too much. The only time grass needs extra watering is in extremely hot conditions. A lawn's water requirements depend on the exact temperatures and soil conditions. That is why it is not easy to lay down hard-and-fast rules for the amount and frequency of watering. Expert's recommends that during the rainy season only twice water will be enough for grass seeds.

Leave it alone
If you follow the above advice of experts, there is only one more thing to do for a soft, dense, vital lawn that is leave it in peace to grow

Weed Identification

Weed detection is the first step toward chemical control and the pest must be correctly identified before herbicide to control it can be selected. Several inexpensive detection guides are available at most bookstores. Most of these guides contain colour photographs as well as written descriptions to help the homeowner. Lawn weeds can be grouped into one of three broad classes like grasses, sedges or broadleaf.

Control

Most of the turf-production practices are not only intended as weed control methods but help control weeds. This includes use of soil tests to maintain recommended pH, timely addition of rates of fertilizer, controlled irrigation during periods of limited rainfall, insects and disease management and proper mowing. Bare soil is a prime area for weed raid. Bare areas should be reseeded, plugged or left for adjacent grass to grow into. Areas reseeded should be covered with mulch like grain straw until turf fills the area. Regardless of how well one manages the turf, weed seed germinate and seedlings emerge. The person should rely on other control methods when this occurs. Some scattered weeds like wild garlic can be removed by hand. However, hand removal is a tedious and time-consuming process. Herbicides that will reduce the time required to control weeds are available in the market and can help to control weeds easily.

Fertilizers can be plant food

Very few soils are fertile enough to supply the nutrients that healthy plants need. The soil in most areas has become so exhausted over the years so fertilizers and other additives must be added. If the Soil's colour is deceiving and does not indicate the fertility and poorest in nutrients then it indicates that it needs nutrient. A healthy, green, lush lawn is generally a result of a correct fertilization program. There are different opinions about how often and when to fertilize. In general one should fertilize at the beginning of the season when the grass most actively grows. How often one fertilize also depends on the intensity of maintenance. Low maintenance lawns require less fertilization and medium maintenance lawns usually have additional fertilization added to the list. High maintenance lawns are fertilized on a more exactness application during the most active growing months

Organic fertilizers

An organic fertilizer promotes residual colour and density with slow even growth in a wide range of soil types and pH. It stimulates indigenous soil microbes. It gives aids in rooting, stress tolerance and disease management and suppresses weed growth. It contains macro and micronutrients to buffer salts and improve soil nutrient holding capacity. It also provides a balanced carbon to nitrogen ratio for continuous nutrient availability and replaces organic matter. It helps in preventing disease associated with numerous fungi and ideal for use around sensitive environmental areas. This enhances the wear and stress tolerance of turf and improves tolerance to winter and summer stress conditions. This is ideal for use on new turf or during renovation and over seeding.

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, having 60-70% sand and the remaining of mixed silt and clay. Analysis of texture of soil is crucial as it plays a role in letting plants flourish.

Procedure

Checking of soil texture is done by Hydrometer method or Pipette method. For a huge lawn gather samples at equally spaced gaps in the area. Then mix these to form a composite sample. For accurate analysis rake up a couple of inches and make a hole six inches in depth. This enables us to check the soil from the root area rather than the surface. Free the sample of rocks and debris and make it dry in a day or two. Then sift the sample by using a wire-mesh or an old colander to separate small stones and roots and to break lumps of soil if present. Now take a cupful of the sifted soil in a jar and add to it a tablespoon of powdered detergent to keep the soil particles separate to achieve an accurate checking. Add water and mix these three materials completely. Ensure that no soil gets attached to the sides of the jar. Let the sediment settle. During sedimentation it is observed that sand settles the first, followed by silt and clay needs a couple of days. The layer of sand has a coarse texture than the silt. The layer of clay is the finest. Now measure the height of each layer with a ruler. Divide height of each layer multiplied by 100, by the total height of all three layers to get the percent of each layer. Now transfer your percentages to the soil texture triangle and deduce the soil texture.

Use

The soil utility can be enhanced, as follows-if there is heavy clay content; it becomes difficult for water and air to reach the roots. Also roots find it hard to grow. So the lawn must be aerated.

As far as the concern of the growth of a beautiful green and thick lawn goes nutrition or feeding is always an integral part. The rest that matters all is the hows, whats, and whens about the nutrition of the lawns. Here in this part of article we are going to focus on the whens of the lawn nutrition. On an average basis the best time for the nutrition of the lawns is autumn even though extra feeding can be done in spring and the early summer. In those parts of the planet where the atmosphere is more warm and tropical type regular feeding starting from spring and continuing through the autumn is suitable. The best lawn nutrition can be provided with the complete type of fertilizers having a reasonable percentage of nitrogen in them.

What to feed to the lawns:

Most of the lawn fertilizers have three major ingredients in them. These are nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. It is fortunate that most of the lawn manufacturers these days mention the composition and the percentages of these ingredients in the packages so that any one has to hunt for the specific nutrients. The sacks of the lawn fertilizers have all the instructions for the application and at the same time specify the area over which they should be spread. Along with this all the major components present in the fertilizers are also mentioned. Experts suggest the usage of a fertilizer having a percentage of at least15 to 20 % for comparatively newer lawns. There are also some varieties of nitrogen plant foods having a nitrogen percentage of up to 20 to 45 % that can be used at correspondingly lighter rates.

How to apply the fertilizers:

In case of the lawns the type of the fertilizers really does not matters that much if the proper care is taken of the how about of the application of the fertilizers. As it is seen some grass varieties needs specific requires more food and some require less and hence is the need to take care of how much food is being fed to the grass. In addition to all these the impacts of heavy or over dosage of nutrition or even mal nutrition can possibly result in the poor or death of an already existing turf.

Grass Seed Types

Red Fescue is a type of grass seed that grows thick and compact. Planting creeping red fescue will bind the lawn together and have it looking full and lush. Meadow Grass is more versatile type of grass seed. Smooth stalked meadow grass is resistant to wear and tear and is especially efficient in times of drought. Bent grass is one of the golden oldies. It provides a strong base to the lawn and stays green throughout the winter months when cold temperatures damages. It also grows compact and is a favorite seed for golf courses. A mixture is option of combining these grass seed types to get the lawn look and feel the way the person wants. Extreme moisture or heat is two instances where one might want a grass seed mixture on the lawn

Seeds for lawn

Purchasing grass seed for lawn can be a difficult task given the large selection of brands, vendors and turf grass types available. The very first step before purchasing any seed is to determine what species of grass to plant. Factors to consider when selecting a grass for lawn are the level of maintenance, irrigated or non-irrigated, how much shade or sun and many other factors. If there is heavy shade in lawn, it may be advantageous to plant shade-loving ground covers rather than turf grass. If there is regular traffic on the lawn, tall fescue is best wear tolerance of grasses. When seeding very late in the fall, a cover crop like annual ryegrass or wheat can be used to develop and hold the soil until spring. Plan on reseeding next spring with an optional turf species. Avoid purchasing seed lots that contain any annual ryegrass

Periodic feeding of glass

The best way to meet the need for periodic feedings of the lawn is by using lawn fertilizers that are slow-release in nature. One can find such products at the local home improvement store. As these lawn fertilizers release their nutrients over time, then the person is essentially stretching out the feeding time. As nutrients are released, the root system of the grass fills in any bare patches. This in itself promotes lawn weed control, grudging weed seeds of a place to germinate. In addition, there are lawn fertilizers that promote lawn weed control at the same time. Effective lawn weed control should go hand-in-hand with the function of lawn fertilizers and if the weeds suck up some of the nutrients that one is supplying, those nutrients are being wasted, as they are not going to the grass.

Buying suggestion

Before buying lawn fertilizers, read the instructions on the bag carefully. A particular product may not be suitable for the type of grass. When applying lawn fertilizers, follow directions clearly, concerning how much to apply, how often they should be applied and under what conditions they should be applied. Lawn fertilizers should be applied with spreaders. It is advisable not to fill the applicator with the spreader parked on the lawn. Just fill the applicator somewhere else, and then wheel the spreader onto the lawn.
Key benefit

As fewer weeds means the grass will look smoother or more even and after mowing, with no weeds the grass will keep it's good looks and turf grass will be thicker.

Even though insects are one of the most populous forms of animal life on earth, fortunately there are only a small number of insects that may at times become a potential problem in turf grass. Generally turf grass insects can be somewhat cyclical and dependent on a number of factors that primarily includes weather, suitable food sources, desirable habitat and predators. All these above mentioned factors play an important part in the population size of particular insect species.

Impact of Insects on Lawn:

Damage to the turf grass is usually not observed until the number of insects reaches a threshold level. For example, a homeowner would not need to treat a yard with a pesticide if only one or two white grubs are found while doing yard work. However, if the homeowner peels back dead sod and finds more than five annual white grubs per square foot, then the homeowner would need to treat. The presence of insects is always normal after all it is the rule of the nature, but not always at damaging levels and hence is the importance of inspecting their numbers before resorting to the use of control measures.

About insect control:

Pests infesting lawns cannot be controlled over a prolonged period of time solely through the usage of pesticides. For the maintenance of a healthy and vigorous turf grass it is always a better option to use the pesticides in combination with sound cultural practices. This involves strategic planning of the possible pest problems prior to the planting of the lawns. At the same time it should also be kept in mind that the best defense against any type of pest attack is a healthy growing plant. In many cases it has even been observed that if the turf grasses become more susceptible to the pests if they are over stressed. Considering this proper watering, fertility, aeration, thatch control and overall sanitation may work more effectively than pesticides. Still for the precaution and prevention of the probable pest attacks it is important to know a little about which pestiticide to use depending the type of the pest infestation in the lawn.

Removing ant mounds in lawns

For eliminating ant mounds in lawns first, rake the ant mound down level by spreading the dirt to the surrounding area and check if the ants rebuild the mound. If they do, then use an insecticide to reduce the population rather than fight the mound with repeated raking.

Organic ant killer

Organic lawn care product, which provide a natural alternative for insect control strategies. It offers the homeowner organic and natural way to control insect. This organic lawn care product has a wide range of chemical free pesticides and natural insect control products. That includes organic spray, chemical free garden pesticide organic ant killer. All of the products have been extensively tested to ensure performance without any residue issues. It is a non-toxic and effective ant control, or all around organic spray for bugs, as these products are safe and reliable. The products are 100% natural and are derived from cedar, which has been used for many years as an ant repellent. These are child safe too. The ant, which makes mounts in the lawn, can make the lawn very unhealthy too. Thus removal of ants is must. Thee are many products in the market, which can remove the ant from building in the very first stage in the lawn. An ant makes the lawn very dirty and unsafe for children. The ant pill looks so dirty and the turf grass can be affected as well. It is better to use organic product then toxic product as it cause less harm to the plant as well as the homeowner health.

The Extension Division of Virginia Tech and the University of Maryland have developed a seed labeling system, which is being used for Kentucky bluegrass. These seeds and blends adhere to the quality standards of the Division. They are inspected and certified by the Virginia Crop Improvement Association not to have grave weed contaminants and possess only those species recommended by the two institutions. Prior to recommendation, each variety has to pass through minimum three years of testing at different locations in the two states. Seeds packed with a burnt orange label contains high quality mix of improved Kentucky bluegrass, while those with a yellow label have Kentucky bluegrass with creeping red fescue added to attain shade tolerance and perennial ryegrass for fast growth.

Tifton 9 Bahia grass

A variety called Tifton 9 Pensacola is being sold legally as a certified seed. It provides a long growing season. It has a medium fine green leaf. There is a need of less maintenance and attention. Its root system are so developed that it reduces soil erosion and for drought tolerance. Tifton 9 is a fine bladed, fast growing and quickly establishing variety. It has an even texture than Argentine or Pensacola for lawns. Can resist cold temperatures and hence used in Southern States. The disadvantage is that the aggressive growth during summer needs mowing often. Certified Tifton 9 Bahiagrass seeds are available in 40 lb bags.

Advantages

In order to achieve variety purity, it is recommended to buy Certified Seed. Such a seed has less amount of weed or other seed contaminants. It is also free from inert filler, which is not needed. Certified seed increases the possibility of getting a variety adapted to the environment. A blue certified tag means that the seed in the bag has certain standards, which may be mentioned on the seed bag. Named certified seed having a purity analysis of high percentage avoids unrequired grass seeds. It becomes possible to choose one variety for shady places and a different for sunny ones. Buying certified seeds ensures the best and dependable return for its money. Mixtures of grass seeds lead to a blending of textures on the lawn, which is avoided by certified seeds.

Generally a shredder is a machinery device that is used in tearing objects into smaller pieces. The most common types of shredders are the paper shredders and the garden waste shredders. Common applications of the garden waste shredders are found in garbage disposal. There are also shredders that are specifically designed and made for the shredding only particular devices like Compact Discs and Hard drives. Having a look into the mechanism of a traditional garden shredder one can find that that most of these shredders moves relatively slower. They are specially suited for typical gardening jobs like cutting crushing and chipping twigs and branches.

The garden Waste shredders:

The garden waste shredders are also known by the names of wood chippers, tree chippers and mulchers. The garden waste shredders are typically applied in the disposal of garden waste. This type of shredders turns pieces of wood into smaller pieces called woodchips. The smaller pieces of wood are easily biodegradable consuming very little amount of time as compared to the bigger pieces since much of their surface area is exposed to the environment. Sometimes garden shredders are also used to compact garden waste such as dried leaves fallen from the trees. Most of these types of machines are of utmost benefit to the working gardener or the garden enthusiasts.

Applications:

They can perfectly reduce any kind of sprawling piles of hedge cuttings and branches to a much smaller volume that can easily be managed in bags and by shovel and rake. The chips of wood after the shredding can also be utilized in various ways primarily as mulch or as path feelings. Greener materials such as leaves or lawns can be turned into fine organic matters after composting them. Moreover any types of shredded materials are found to have better insulating properties for which they can be used as perfect insulators for different gardening purposes. In a nutshell it can be said that shredding devices are one of the most significant ways through which garden recycling can be accelerated. It not only clear up the garden waste and recycle it, but also saves burning as well as saves a lot of money that would have been wasted in the purchase of compost and wood chippings.

Undoubtedly many Americans have a love affair with the green lawns. It has been seen that even in the dry and arid climates of Arizona and Southern California the gardeners struggle against nature to preserve a perfectly green carpet. In fact the effort is worth enough since a green background provided by lawns can add to the beauty of any landscape or garden. Hence it is no wonder that the lawns are so popular at least in those parts of the world. And it is not that hard also to cultivate and maintain a patch of green grass since the botanical anatomy of this species dictates that this plants have got the widest survival strategies and can survive in harsh climates.

Requirements for lawn cultivation:

Almost anyone having a small patch of dirt can have a lawn. At the same time it is also important to note that it takes a lot of efforts to have that picture perfect lawn. Fortunately with the advancements in the fields of cultivation lawn cultivation has nearly become a science especially with the introduction of newer strains of grasses and highly specialized fertilizers. The first thing to do is to sort out that what is the role of the lawn in the landscaping plans and consider a few factors like climate and personal tolerances for the maintenance of the lawns. The rest is as easy as having enough patience to watch that lovely and lushy green patch growing slowly sprouting their little blades.

Cultivation in practical:

A basic understanding of a few simple facts like the growing of the grass, its requirements and needs for the growth and the various climatic influences can yield the kind of lawn that almost any gardener dreams about having in the front yard. And to add to the list good news of the lawn growers, the maintenance of the lawns is not that complicated considering the availability of the products for the use on use grass these days. Proper care basically involves three major steps including feeding, mowing and weeding and all of these are interrelated. Experts suggests that the best time to start a new lawn is just before the rains begins or in between the winter or the early spring. Hence it is suggested to start of with the cultivation right away to have that favorite late summer family barbeque in that plushy thick green carpet.

A mechanical spreader is prevalent. It is of 2 types – Drop and Rotary spreader. For both a hopper is filled with nutrients and the spreader is pushed on the lawn. The drop one has an aperture at the base of the hopper. The trigger is pulled to open the cover and the material moves through the aperture into the lawn. The area of lawn fertilized during each lap is determined by the width of the spreader, which is maximum 2 feet. The advantage is that for smaller areas the chemicals don't fall in surrounding areas and the work is more precise. The negative aspect is that for large areas it is needed to walk several times.

The Rotary spreader

The rotary or broadcast spreader has a segmented rotating dish, which spreads the chemicals into surrounding areas. Thus a larger area is covered (sometimes even 8'). The disadvantage being that constant coverage is not obtained. So how far the material is thrown has to be determined and our passageway has to be arranged accordingly. Some there are side deflectors to avoid spreading on sidewalks or driveways. There are also hand-held spreaders for small areas. The drop spreader is slower then the rotary one. Near the perimeter use the drop spreader thereby creating a safety region. Now the area in this region can be fertilized with a rotary one.

For both it is advocated to spread fertilizer in one direction and then in a perpendicular direction for the second time. Remove any remaining material with a brush after spreading. Keep moving parts lubricated.

Calibration and Wrong use

Read all instructions on the bag. Weigh enough fertilizer for 100 square meters. Adjust spreader to a low setting. Spread the material over the area. Increase/ decrease the setting so that 100 square meter are covered. Record the setting and product on a paper and paste it on the spreader. Improper use of spreader carries the nutrients into lakes and streams which assist algae and weeds to grow which affects the atmosphere of aquatic organisms and cause a hurdle for swimming.

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. This layer is a hindrance to the new grass about to shoot and to the motion of water, oxygen and nutrients into the soil. It also promotes plant disease and drought pressure. Thatch helps growth of fungus and insects. De-thatching simply means removal of this layer. Mostly this process is not a regular work but only when the layer becomes excessive. It is usually done in early fall. If done in spring the nascent grass may get damaged. It should not be done in late spring, as the lawn must recover to face the summer heat.

Procedure

De-thatching can be done by hand for small areas. For large ones, mechanical dethatchers can be used. These can be taken on rent for one day or service of lawn companies can be taken. The best dethatcher is called a Vertical Mower also known as a Verticutter. It has a collection of blades, which move into the thatch and pull it. It is advised to set the blades high than low till one get used to the machine. The depth upto, which, the blades can dig into the thatch, is adjustable. After the total lawn is dethatched run a second round perpendicular to the first round. Another instrument is called a Power Rake. Spring tines are connected to the blades. It costs about $30. A thatching rake has thick blades, which move in the layer and loosen it. Collect the thatch in trash bags. Add it to a manure pile. Dethatching is usually done if the thatch becomes more than half an inch thick. Perennial ryegrass and tall fescue do not produce much thatch. On the contrary Bermudagrass, Kentucky bluegrass and bentgrass give rise to thick layers.

Avoiding De-Thatching

Thatches can be avoided by apt fertilization methods, thereby avoiding nitrogen content more than essential for the soil. Shallow and repetitive irrigation is not advisable. Proper mowing should be done.

Maintenance of lawn

Lawn maintenance by experts may help to ensure that the lawn maintenance regime includes lawn fertilizer applications that are applied before lawn and garden issues occur and make them ready for grasses. Without lawn fertilizer, the lawn may experience a deficiency in one or more of the nutrients it needs and which can result in limited growth and development of the required beauty. Deficiencies may cause a yellowing of the leaf tissue, as well as thinning of the stand, stunted growth and increased vulnerability to lawn disease. A lawn maintenance program, which includes lawn fertilizers that will encourage and enhanced root growth in the landscape and a thicker lawn, will result from a healthier root system. An additional procedure may be required to obtain optimal results like soil analysis, lime application, core aeration and over seeding in the lawn.

Use of fertilizer
On the topic of which fertilizer to use, a turf research project has compared many different lawn fertilizers and ingredients determined that every one tested worked equally well after one month. Spreading fertilizer can be a very simple work. Wheel-driven drop spreaders are the most accurate but the wheel tracks have to be overlapped for getting the right amount to avoid gaps or double applications.

The suburban lawn and gardens are the ones that receive the highest percentage of pesticides application per acre than most other lands in the whole of the United States even more than the agricultural lands. These hazardous effects of the usage of these lawn chemicals have shown through different studies. They are also found to slowly drift into the homes contaminating the indoor air and surfaces exposing especially the children at comparatively higher risk levels. Many of these chemical lawn care products are also linked to the deadlier diseases including cancer, carcinogenicity, birth defects, reproductive disorders liver and kidney damage and neurotoxicity. Hence it is important to be concerned over the potential impacts of these chemicals on our children, families, neighbors, wildlife and the drinking water resources. And for the good reason the public concern over the potential hazards that are associated with the usage of chemical lawn care products has been on a steady rise.

Need for the environment friendly lawn care:

The one and only solution to all the above-mentioned problems is probably an environment friendly lawn care approach. Caring for the lawns in an environment friendly manner can really have a bigger impact than one can even imagine or think of. The first initiative in this regard that is to be undertaken is to think lawn care as a preventive health care program where the basic idea is to prevent the problem before its occurrence so that there is no need of any sort of treatment. It is a fact that a healthy lawn can almost out compete any weed, survive most insect attacks, and fend off most diseases before these problems ever get the upper hand. Other significant steps that are to be followed in this program include the development of a healthy soil, selection of the grass type based on the climate and regular care. Development of a healthy soil is important since it is the foundation of a healthy lawn. For well growth the lawn needs a soil that should poses good texture key nutrients and the right acid/alkaline balance. At the same it is also important to select the right type of grass that suits the needs and the likes of the local weather.