24 - Friday, May 26, 1989 - North Shore News

40 TIPS

Safely beautify lawn

DESPITE SOME predicticns,
damage caused by drought will not
make lawns and fawn mowing
things of the past.

Data recently released by En-
vironment Canada indicates that
last summer’s drought is easing in
the northern and southernmost
areas of the prairie provinces while
eastern Ontario and all of Quebec
are experiencing normal soil
moisture levels.

What does this mean for home-
owners? It means they'll be faced
with lush green lawns this spring
and summer, What follows are
mowing tips from Dr. James Wat-
son, chief agronomist for an in-
dependent manufacturer and mar-
ketez of outdoor power and irriga-
tion equipment.

3) Set the mower a notch lower

permits light and beat to speed

grass growth.

2) Alter the fisst mowing, rater
‘the mower to the preferred
beight-of-cut for your Ken-
tucky bluegrass, fine-feaved
tescues and perennial ryegrasses
should not be mowed lower than
2.5 te 4m.

Duriag periods of high
temperatures cr reduced precipita-

on the species of grass and time of
year some lawns may require fire-
quent cutting. For example, in the
spring, Kentucky bluegrass may
need to be mowed every three or
four days.

3) Remove no more than oze-
third of the izaf surface during say
ore cutting. Cutting more than
one-third of the leaf surface in any
one cutting reduces its ability to
“photosynthesize” (manufacture
the food necessary for the growth
process).

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Grass grows from its base, not
its tip. Growing points are located
at the crown, the soil surface line
between the roots and leaf, rather
than at the tips of the blade or
stem. Mowing does not harm the
plant, as long as no more than
one-third of the surface is remov-

4) Meiutaia a consistent mowing
schedule. Allowing the grass to
grow tco high can cause clipping
accumulation. A layer of clippings
can smother the grass and create
an environment favorable to
disease organisms and insects.

If the grass gets too long, you
May want to mow twice. mow
at a higher cut, let the clippings
dry for a few hours and then mow
at the normal height-of-cut for

your region. This will disperse the
clippings, and on thin turf, will
terve as a mulch which conserves
moisture.

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6 Choose 2 good time of day to
mow. Avoid mowing during early
morning hours when there is a
heavy dew on the grass. Dry grass
cuts easier, appears better groomed
and requires less mowing time. If
you must mow when the dew re-
mains, you can partially dissipate
it with a light spriakling, or by
dragging a garden hose or rope
over the turf surface.

T) To ensare the best cut, make
sare the mower blade is sharp.
Dull blades or improperly adjusted
cutting heights can damage the
turf. Leaf tips will become frayed,
tum gray, then brown. Brown,
mutilated tips provide ready access
for disease-producing organisms.

You may want to choose a
mower with snhanced vacuuming
power that lifts grass blades
straight up before cutting.

> For esthetic parpcses, alter

patterns with each mowing.
For example, cut in an east/west
direction once, then a north/south
direction the next time and diag-
onally the next. This strategy pro-
duces a “‘patterned effect’? which
enhances turf appearance and sids
in grooming.

_ 9) Wear proger clothing while
mowiag. To ensure your own safe-
ty, wear long pants that will shield
your bare skin. You should avoid
loose clothing or dangling jewelry
that can snag on mower controls.
Also, wear sturdy, non-slip shoes
that provide good traction and
protection.

10) Properly maintain your
lewmmowey. To save yourself from
the headache of a mower that
won’t run when you want it to,
take steps to properly maintain
your mower. Always use fresh
gasoline and thoroughly clean the
underside of the deck and external
engine components after each
mowing.

On a periodic basis, clean the air
filter, service the spark plug,
change the oil and lubricate and
grease all mower parts.

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