Perfection in Verticutting

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www.verticutting.com 

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Verticutting versus Aeration on St. Augustine Lawns

Just imagine you saw an ad on TV for aeration? It was claiming how wonderful this process could be for your lawn? Lets be specific your St. Augustine lawn.

Lets discuss aeration, in the photos below?

This photo  St.Augustine is what you commonality find here in Central Florida.
Over 90% of these lawns are growing on sand.
I have some questions for those advocating aeration on these lawns?

1. The coring machine below appears to have a tine of about 4". Fig 1
2. If the lawn has a matting of 4" or more,  then what value does the process have?
3. Answer: The plugger may barely penetrate the soil, 
4. If the lawn is growing on sand why does it need aeration at all?
5. Answer: Sand does not need aeration.
6. What stops the small hole in the sand from closing back up? Does that not question the promise of fig 2?
7. Answer: You get lucky?  There is no evidence anything in fig 2  is happening.
8. If you remove this core, which will contain thatch, are you removing it from the lawn?
9. If you don't remove the core (clean-up), then you are leaving the thatch back were you found it?
10. What does aeration/coring do to control the matting problem, or improve mowing?
11. Answer: nothing

Please let me know if you find any photos of aeration on a St. Augustine lawn?

In fig 5 you can see how verticutting, thin cleans and aerates, all grasses.

Fig 1

Fig 2

Fig 3

Fig 5

More info: Call York 727-455-7337
york.ysta@gmail.com
www.verticutting.com

Advise as to why not visit Florida

Wow, the weather here in central Florida is crazy! It's almost time to put away the snow blowers, and tune-up our lawn mowers.
Friends if you live in the white north I offer some advise as to why not visit Florida.

• We dream of snow
• These 52  degree mornings are hard to take
• It may warm to 72 eke!
• We are concerned that visitors will bring to much money
• You may have to mow grass in the winter, what?

But the questions are what's happening to our lawns? Why now do we have to mow all winter?

• Since the wonderful people who claim to be saving the environment here in Pinellas County stopped the use of some fertilizers in the warm months see why  http://www.pinellascounty.org/environment/watershed/fertilizer.htm
• Personally I am not sure this solves any problem? 

Reasons:

1. Now the lawn spray contractor is applying  more nitrogen fertilizer in the cooler months, thus forcing unnecessary growth.
2. Now the poor lawn contractor now has to work harder, and the homeowner has to mow more.
3. Have we really improved the environment/watershed, I wonder? 
4. We do know that everything our wonderful government does improves our lives, and always cost less!

Why I am happy?

• More lawns need Verticutting
• See all the past blogs on why

More info: 727-455-7337

york.ysta@gmail.com

Insurance for your lawn

Almost Verticutting Time

With the Verticutting season almost here I decided to build a completely new Verticutter. The old Ryan machine well over thirty years old died. The newer version of the Ryan Mataway, was never designed for St. Augustine grasses. We had to modify them to keep them from destroying a  St. Augustine lawn. Personally, I have never seen a Verticutter designed for St. Augustine grasses.

So then why not build a Verticutter to do a faster more efficient job?  With years of experience in landscape maintenance and Verticutting, you collect all kinds of stuff. Enough stuff to build a bran new machine, more powerful, more versatile, and capable of Verticutting soccer and ball fields faster, and of course St. Augustine grasses, more efficiently.

WHY VERTICUTTING

Like many plants, grass has a below ground root system topped by a living, above ground shoot that’s green and growing. In between lies a layer known as thatch. Some thatch is natural and good for a lawn, but too much can usher in problems.

Comprised of leaves, stems and roots – some living, some dead – thatch forms as a natural part of turf’s growing process. It lies on top of the soil, a tightly woven layer beneath the visible grass blades. As long as it doesn't get thicker than 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch, thatch actually contributes to lawn health in these ways:

• Mulching soil and slowing water loss
• Cushioning soil and decreasing compaction
• Insulating grass crowns from soil temperature swings
• Improving turf tolerance to foot and mower traffic

A problem arises when thatch develops into a thicker layer and forms a wedge between grass and soil. Too-thick thatch diminishes lawn health by:

Thatch

• Forming an impervious layer that prevents water, fertilizer, and insect or disease controls from reaching soil
• Blocking sunlight from reaching lower grass blades
• Holding moisture against grass blades, which can foster disease
• Blocking soil so that grass roots grow into nutrient-lacking thatch, which forms a shallow-rooted lawn
• Creating an uneven lawn, which leads to uneven mowing and scalping

What Causes Thatch?

Although thatch forms naturally, some situations promote rapid thatch formation:

• Over fertilizing with too much nitrogen
• Over watering
• Always mowing too high

Certain grasses tend to form thicker thatch layers. Creeping turf types that spread by above- and underground stems often rapidly form thatch; this includes St. Augustine grass, Bermuda grass and zoysia grass. Cool-season grasses, such as bent grass and aggressive Kentucky bluegrass varieties, also can quickly form thatch, especially if soil is compacted and turf hasn't been properly fertilized for a few years.

If you use a mulching mower and leave grass clippings on the lawn, that does not lead to thatch formation. Those are healthy practices that can help prevent thatch formation. Typically grass clippings decompose readily. Thatch arises from grass stems and roots in the top inches of soil that die and don’t fully decompose. http://www.bayeradvanced.com/

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Free estimates: york.ysta@gmail.com
727 455 7337