With the intent of putting out timely information on topdressing and spring cleaning the editorial staff at Topdressing.biz got together with our USA East Coast topdressing professional affiliates to discuss what suggestions we can make to our readership as the snow has melted in most parts of the continental USA and Central Europe.
Our affiliated topdressing professionals and topdresser manufacturers suggested as part of our topdressing and spring cleaning effort, that once the brownish, yellowish looking lawn is gradually turning green to:
Spring clean up your total property
or have one of our topdressing specialists or mulch installers affiliate with us do the work for you
- Cut all dead, dry and grey stalks, stems of last year's perennials growth
- Spruce up shrubs and vines that blossom from past year's growth.
- Some Shrubs need a little pruning each early spring to remove dead or crossing stems and branches.
- In case you protected your planter/garden beds with leaves, you must remove them to the compost pile. Leaves even shredded are the composting material (even if shredded) that takes the longest to totally become digested. During the composting phase leaves can cause the plants to rot during the warmer seasons. The digesting process for leaves can take up to 18 months by the natural aerobic and anaerobic process of microorganisms and worms feeding off of them.
Spring Feeding
- Feeding your plants the natural, organic way to stimulate healthy growth, increased blossoms and higher resistant plants during the high temperatures of summer, is a must.
And here comes in your source of natural, organic plant food - your compost pile. But according o our topdressing specialists: you must ensure your compost has totally decomposed before it is applied around your just burgeoning, delicate new plant growth. No need to buy chemically coded (for slow release purpose) fertiliser/fertilizer nature has that built-in in well seasoned compost and does the same slow release thing for free.
Applying a thin layer of compost as a source topdressing material to flower beds and turf is a smart way to fertilize, as indicated above the crowns of perennials should not be covered. When topdressing the lawn in spring, you should remove all debris, trash, waste and not decomposed whole leaves and start a new compost pile together with the aforementioned winter mulch that you just collected of your planters. If you need to rake, please do it gently as you either disturb or even remove new lawn growth otherwise. Apply the topdressing material thinly as leveling lawns in spring is no recommend. The purpose of spring cleaning and topdressing in spring is to provide nutrition to the young turf grass and relief compaction pressure on the roots. Only overseed areas that are bare and make sure you keep the new growth covered with straw or fabric as spring is not the ideal time to grow grass.
Now that you have finished your garden chores of bed/planter maintenance, light pruning of specific plants, clipping and topdressing all areas of your property, you can take a break ... Not quite yet!
If you desire a sharp edge between your beds/planters and turf area, now is the best time to cut or correct and old dilapidated edges, while the ground is still very soft. Follow these few topdressing and spring cleaning suggestion you will have a nice yard for many months of the growing season to come.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Winter Lawn Care and Topdressing
One of the best ways is topdressing, this ensures that your lawn is beautiful, full, lush lawn when spring arrives. It is essential that you provide good lawn care during the winter months. Some people think that there is really no special care that needs to be given to lawns during this time of dormancy. Following are some simple tips that will help to make sure that your lawn stays healthy, even if you can't see it under the snow, and that will help assure that it thrives when spring returns. One procedure that will help an older or depleted lawn is topdressing.
An essential approach to being sure that you have a beautiful and healthy lawn that springs to life vibrantly once the dormant phase has ended is to make sure that it is given appropriate lawn care at the end of the growing season. People make the mistake of thinking that no special care needs to be given. But there are some simple things you can do that will help you to enjoy a lush and thriving lawn when spring arrives.
If you do live in an area where you have regular snowfalls, then you will want to be sure that your strategy includes making sure that all areas of the lawn are free of debris and clutter before the first big snowfall of the year comes along. Proper lawn maintenance in preparation for winter snow would include raking the leaves, removing sticks, and disposing of any other type of debris that just doesn't belong on your lawns. Once you have completed these chores a good natural lawn care procedure is to top dress your lawn. This can be either done by hand or with machinery, especially if your lawn is bigger in size. You first apply a thin layer of compost, seed if necessary and then aerate. For more detailed information please see the educational website www.topdressing.biz
Even if you are not expecting much in the way of snowfall, it is still important to be sure that the grass isn't left under piles of leaves or other rubbish that can interfere with the grass receiving proper moisture, nutrients and air. While the growth of grass often comes to a halt in the late fall, it can still die if it is buried under any kind of yard debris.
Many people have the mistaken idea that summer is the most important season for controlling weed growth. But the opposite is actually true and it is important to understand this in order to plan good lawn care for the lawns that surround your home and garden. Weeds actually grow much faster than your grass does during the winter, as compared to the summer. If the weeds are allowed to simply grow out of control during the "off season," then there may not be much lawn left to enjoy when spring arrives.
Fortunately, because your grass will be growing so slowly during the fall and winter months, it is rather easy to spot the progress of the weeds during this time. Just make sure that you give a bit of attention to your lawn during these months and get those weeds pulled, or apply weed killer, so that they don't overrun the lawns and ruin the look of your landscape design.
If you like the look of a think, full lawn even through the wintertime, then it is a good idea to plant rye grass, bluegrass or other types of northern grasses which all tend to be heartier and will endure through the colder months of winter. One of the lawn care advantages of using rye grass in your lawns is that it grows well mixed with your current grass and will make your lawn look fuller and lusher. However, the rye grass will actually die off and your regular grass will take over as it comes to life in the spring.
An essential approach to being sure that you have a beautiful and healthy lawn that springs to life vibrantly once the dormant phase has ended is to make sure that it is given appropriate lawn care at the end of the growing season. People make the mistake of thinking that no special care needs to be given. But there are some simple things you can do that will help you to enjoy a lush and thriving lawn when spring arrives.
If you do live in an area where you have regular snowfalls, then you will want to be sure that your strategy includes making sure that all areas of the lawn are free of debris and clutter before the first big snowfall of the year comes along. Proper lawn maintenance in preparation for winter snow would include raking the leaves, removing sticks, and disposing of any other type of debris that just doesn't belong on your lawns. Once you have completed these chores a good natural lawn care procedure is to top dress your lawn. This can be either done by hand or with machinery, especially if your lawn is bigger in size. You first apply a thin layer of compost, seed if necessary and then aerate. For more detailed information please see the educational website www.topdressing.biz
Even if you are not expecting much in the way of snowfall, it is still important to be sure that the grass isn't left under piles of leaves or other rubbish that can interfere with the grass receiving proper moisture, nutrients and air. While the growth of grass often comes to a halt in the late fall, it can still die if it is buried under any kind of yard debris.
Many people have the mistaken idea that summer is the most important season for controlling weed growth. But the opposite is actually true and it is important to understand this in order to plan good lawn care for the lawns that surround your home and garden. Weeds actually grow much faster than your grass does during the winter, as compared to the summer. If the weeds are allowed to simply grow out of control during the "off season," then there may not be much lawn left to enjoy when spring arrives.
Fortunately, because your grass will be growing so slowly during the fall and winter months, it is rather easy to spot the progress of the weeds during this time. Just make sure that you give a bit of attention to your lawn during these months and get those weeds pulled, or apply weed killer, so that they don't overrun the lawns and ruin the look of your landscape design.
If you like the look of a think, full lawn even through the wintertime, then it is a good idea to plant rye grass, bluegrass or other types of northern grasses which all tend to be heartier and will endure through the colder months of winter. One of the lawn care advantages of using rye grass in your lawns is that it grows well mixed with your current grass and will make your lawn look fuller and lusher. However, the rye grass will actually die off and your regular grass will take over as it comes to life in the spring.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Compost a vital ingridiant for successfull topdressing
A series of pointers to start and maintain a compost pile taken from the www.topdressing.biz topdressing educational web pages.
Compost consists mainly of dead organic matter and is used as a natural source of nutrition for plants and gardens. Organic compost can revamp most problems you have with your soil such as soil acidity, the addition of compost will aid to neutralize and adjust it to proper pH level. If your soil is too alkaline, the same reaction will occur. Compost will balance the alkalinity of your soil. Don't just add lime if your compost is used for plants that need more acid soils. Here are a few examples that need acid soils: mountain laurel, blueberries, azaleas, rhododendrons and potatoes, just to mention a few. Compost additives such as lime should only be used as an option (depending on the requirements of the plant stocks needs) rather than mandatory.
Pile
Too small of a compost piles will slow down the the favorable decomposition. A pile must consist of a minimum amount of organic material before rapid decomposition can occur. You will need at least 3-4 feet-by-3-4 feet and 4-5 feet tall. The amount of rain or a drought will greatly affect the necessary decomposition results of your new compost pile. If you have a too dry pile, you can help it along with the garden hose to moisten pile. On the other hand due not apply too much water. A too wet of a pile will not decompose properly either and could create many undesirable odors.
Compost consists mainly of dead organic matter and is used as a natural source of nutrition for plants and gardens. Organic compost can revamp most problems you have with your soil such as soil acidity, the addition of compost will aid to neutralize and adjust it to proper pH level. If your soil is too alkaline, the same reaction will occur. Compost will balance the alkalinity of your soil. Don't just add lime if your compost is used for plants that need more acid soils. Here are a few examples that need acid soils: mountain laurel, blueberries, azaleas, rhododendrons and potatoes, just to mention a few. Compost additives such as lime should only be used as an option (depending on the requirements of the plant stocks needs) rather than mandatory.
Pile
Too small of a compost piles will slow down the the favorable decomposition. A pile must consist of a minimum amount of organic material before rapid decomposition can occur. You will need at least 3-4 feet-by-3-4 feet and 4-5 feet tall. The amount of rain or a drought will greatly affect the necessary decomposition results of your new compost pile. If you have a too dry pile, you can help it along with the garden hose to moisten pile. On the other hand due not apply too much water. A too wet of a pile will not decompose properly either and could create many undesirable odors.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Topdressing News or Tips
Topdressing, what is this? For a detailed education see www.topdressing.biz.
Well over the next few weeks we will explore this natural lawn care process. Topdressing is one of the most important, yet most neglected practices in greens maintenance, sports fields, turf race tracks and just in regular lawn maintenance as a whole. Topdressing is a process by which we apply a very thin (but no less than 1/8" – 1-2”) layer of sand, compost or topsoil to a lawn without having to completely re-seed the area. Topdressing also is adding a layer of compatible soil over the thatch, which adds microorganisms to help in breakdown. If the thatch is higher than 2” we recommend to remove it and add it to your compost pile, for future topdressing needs.
Soil
Soil testing labs can perform a particle size analysis to determine what type of soil composition you have and what you need to improve the soil structure via the topdressing process. Soil test should be performed (for P, K, Ca, Mg and lime needs) at least once yearly on any natural lawn care maintained lawn surface, commercially or home turf . Your installer of the topdressing procedure will determine www.i-cut-large-lawns.com the soil type, type of grass, management level, frequency of rain, temperatures, wind and humidity all affect the amount of water needed for your lawn surface. Desired topdress gradations for a specific annual program varies depending upon the existing soil texture, climate zone and specific topdressing project requirements.
Lawn
Topdressing alone does not suffice; here are some other aspects to consider. Lawn mower blades should be kept razor sharp, even the home owner should sharpen the blade more than once a year. Lawn Rolling does more damage than good by rolling a healthy, established lawn, because it adds to the compactation effect. A thick naturally maintained healthy lawn: Creates large quantities of oxygen. This improves the Removal of dioxides and emissions from the air and helps Reduce noise pollution. Can reduce ground temperature and air temperature by up to 7o F. The well topdressed lawn reduces soil erosion. The healthy lawn surface can filter out most groundwater pollutants and discourages broad leafs weeds growth and insects. A sharp blade also reduces early deterioration of your lawn mower engine and will increase your mowers (especially the prices are going upright now) gas efficiency.
Mowing
Mowing practices and of other practices such as frequency of mowing, is required for a well maintained topdressed lawn surface. Proper mowing (blade hight) will have tremendous effect on the appearance of a lawn. During mid-summer heat stress the blades should be raised to 3/16- or 1/4-inch mowing heights. If you don't have the time to do it contact www.do-it-now-landscaping.com
Fertilizer
The "art" of topdressing seems to have been lost since the widespread use of commercial fertilizers, pesticides and mechanical aerifiers. Topdressing for warm weather grass types consists of coarse sand, inert organic humus and if necessary some inorganic fertilizer.
Material
The sand, soil or compost that is selected for topdressing should be of the similar particle size or slightly coarser than the lawn area to be topdressed. The proper topdressing material for any given application is often dependent upon the drainage design and available materials but if ever possible add some organic originated soil enhancement; such as humus.
For the areas of the world, in the absence of snow heavy winter topdressing is the next best choice for preventing winter desiccation. The results of this study indicate that light monthly topdressing is preferable to semiannual topdressing for maintaining quality turf. Topdressing is a with crumb rubber products must be taken under the loop because Zinc is used in the original manufacturing of tires and can leave toxic levels in the soil. Proceed with caution.
Well over the next few weeks we will explore this natural lawn care process. Topdressing is one of the most important, yet most neglected practices in greens maintenance, sports fields, turf race tracks and just in regular lawn maintenance as a whole. Topdressing is a process by which we apply a very thin (but no less than 1/8" – 1-2”) layer of sand, compost or topsoil to a lawn without having to completely re-seed the area. Topdressing also is adding a layer of compatible soil over the thatch, which adds microorganisms to help in breakdown. If the thatch is higher than 2” we recommend to remove it and add it to your compost pile, for future topdressing needs.
Soil
Soil testing labs can perform a particle size analysis to determine what type of soil composition you have and what you need to improve the soil structure via the topdressing process. Soil test should be performed (for P, K, Ca, Mg and lime needs) at least once yearly on any natural lawn care maintained lawn surface, commercially or home turf . Your installer of the topdressing procedure will determine www.i-cut-large-lawns.com the soil type, type of grass, management level, frequency of rain, temperatures, wind and humidity all affect the amount of water needed for your lawn surface. Desired topdress gradations for a specific annual program varies depending upon the existing soil texture, climate zone and specific topdressing project requirements.
Lawn
Topdressing alone does not suffice; here are some other aspects to consider. Lawn mower blades should be kept razor sharp, even the home owner should sharpen the blade more than once a year. Lawn Rolling does more damage than good by rolling a healthy, established lawn, because it adds to the compactation effect. A thick naturally maintained healthy lawn: Creates large quantities of oxygen. This improves the Removal of dioxides and emissions from the air and helps Reduce noise pollution. Can reduce ground temperature and air temperature by up to 7o F. The well topdressed lawn reduces soil erosion. The healthy lawn surface can filter out most groundwater pollutants and discourages broad leafs weeds growth and insects. A sharp blade also reduces early deterioration of your lawn mower engine and will increase your mowers (especially the prices are going upright now) gas efficiency.
Mowing
Mowing practices and of other practices such as frequency of mowing, is required for a well maintained topdressed lawn surface. Proper mowing (blade hight) will have tremendous effect on the appearance of a lawn. During mid-summer heat stress the blades should be raised to 3/16- or 1/4-inch mowing heights. If you don't have the time to do it contact www.do-it-now-landscaping.com
Fertilizer
The "art" of topdressing seems to have been lost since the widespread use of commercial fertilizers, pesticides and mechanical aerifiers. Topdressing for warm weather grass types consists of coarse sand, inert organic humus and if necessary some inorganic fertilizer.
Material
The sand, soil or compost that is selected for topdressing should be of the similar particle size or slightly coarser than the lawn area to be topdressed. The proper topdressing material for any given application is often dependent upon the drainage design and available materials but if ever possible add some organic originated soil enhancement; such as humus.
For the areas of the world, in the absence of snow heavy winter topdressing is the next best choice for preventing winter desiccation. The results of this study indicate that light monthly topdressing is preferable to semiannual topdressing for maintaining quality turf. Topdressing is a with crumb rubber products must be taken under the loop because Zinc is used in the original manufacturing of tires and can leave toxic levels in the soil. Proceed with caution.
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