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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2004-05-06, Page 18John McKercher orMother 's may NO reat Gi t Ideas -One Time Only- Free Gift with Table Set Order Super Savings one time only Over-stocked Clearance Sale Located West of Molesworth on Hwy. 86 • 335-3228 Mon. - Fri. 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. Saturdays 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. DJ's Zolid Oak a Pin FURNITURE PAGE 18 THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2004. Local businessman makes your lawn his work • Licensed Septic Installations • Screened & Field Topsoil • Bark Mulch • Sand • Gravel • Fill • Backhoeing • Bulldozing • Excavating • Loading & Hauling Give us a call 887-9061 Fax 887-8734 C onstruction Ltd. Ceill(.7t1o7B13u5e7v-a61. 47 '1 Into„ On your turf Brian Hubbell has begun a busy season of integrated turf management for commercial and agricultural enterprises. He also advises residential owners. (Bonnie Gropp photo) Experienced, friendly, knowledgeable staff to help you with ideas & problem solving "i" A pleasant balance of new plant introductions and old reliable ones A relaxing atmosphere where you can browse at your leisure ' VISA By Bonnie Gropp Citizen editor When it comes to turf manage- ment the best rule is a simple one. Don't cut the grass too short. Brian Hubbell of Hubbell Turf Management said that cutting the grass too short is a common prob- lem. "If you leave it between 2 1/2 to 3 inches it forms a canopy that allows for a better root system. The grass has more Foliage and can reap nutrients. It also blOcks out weeds." Longer grass is also a benefit in the hot, dry days of August, said Hubbell."It takes it long to dry out when it's longer." And as the season ends the grass will overwinter better and green-up better in the spring, he adds. Certainly the majority of Hubbell's work is on farms, munici- pal or commercial land. "I can't real- ly compete against the kid with Dad's gas and the lawn mower. I can't undercut him." However, he will advise residential owners. The environmentally-friendly way to a nice lawn, he said is to let the grass grow. fertilize properly and water one inch a week. Another rule in lawn mowing is that one-third of the length be cut. "So if you're cutting it to three inch- es then let it grow to four before you cut it." "You won't believe how much bet- ter it will be. For people who don't like pesticides and chemicals this is the best advice I can give." When you do cut.'it's important that the blades of the mower are sharp, otherwise the grass is torn and more susceptible to disease. And for the most part, he said, the grass clippings should be left. "As long as they're not too compact, and will shade the grass, leave them. They are a good source of nutrients." Hubbell started his own turf man- agement this year, having worked with another operator for a time. He offers a broad scale of integrated pest and turf managment. "We look at all aspects of turf." Sweeping helps to eliminate the thatch in grass. Thatch is the layer of dead grass that provides the perfect place for cover for bugs. It's impor- tant to wait until dry weather, how- ever, which is often difficult to do. "People get spring fever and when that snow is gone they just want to get things clean immediately. They may start too early though." Hubbell said he is usually busy sweeping right up uhtil the first or second week of May. The de-thatching machine is spe- cially designed to do nothing "but pull out dead grass." Thatch, he said, can be a big prob- lem, particularly over a septic bed. Hubbell can also be called upon to cut, overseed and fertilize, and hopes soon to be offering a complete inte- grated pest management program. Seeding, he said, should be done in the spring and fall. "More so the fall. If you do it then you shouldn't have to in the spring. He recom- mends something that's 99.99 per cent weed free and that the entire lawn be done. Regarding core aeration, Hubbell said, "it's basically fighting yourself. taking the grass out then putting seed in, but it's really the only way to a healthy lawn. That's what golfcours- es do." Core aeration takes plugs of earth out of the lawn in a random pattern. "You want to get the air down there, but get the grass in before the weeds come through." Aeration should be done in the spring, he said, but not necessarily every year. "One time to do core aer- ation that seems strange is when the grass is thick or looks really beauti- ful. You've got the weeds choked out. but you want to thin the grass. so in that case you don't reseed." Fertilizing with proper nutrients should be done three times a year. Mon.- Fri. 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. Sat. - 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Sun. -1 - 5 p.m. *dge 74101 Bronson Line, RR#2 ZURICH Ph: (519) 565-2122 www.huron-ridge.on.ca uron ACRES DIRECT PAYMENT A4r.MQV&W/44'