Lawn Disease Awareness: Leaf Spot and Melting Out

Been a while since there has been time for a post... this is the busy season for us lawn care providers and our families!

Today's quick post is to give a little bit of insight into a common disease type: Leaf Spot and Melting Out Disease.

According to American Lawns (see link: http://www.american-lawns.com/problems/diseases/leaf_spot.html), "Leaf spot and melting out are among the most frequent and destructive lawn diseases of common bluegrass... Excess thatch, heavy nitrogen fertilization, excess shade, mowing too close, and broadleaf herbicides promote these diseases." Leaf spots cause the death of the blade tips and move their way down. Melting out then occurs as the disease spreads to the crown and the root.

You can read on Turf Files (http://www.turffiles.ncsu.edu/diseases/Melting_Out.aspx): "Leaf spot symptoms initially appear as small, brown or black spots or flecks on the leaves or sheaths. As the lesions expand, the center of the lesions becomes tan with a dark brown or black border. The lesions may also be surrounded by a yellow halo. As the lesions expand, they coalesce and cause dieback of entire leaves or plants. Melting out symptoms appear as a reddish brown rotting of the sheaths, crowns, rhizomes, or stolons which initially leads to wilting, yellowing, or death of the foliage."

University of Rhode Island has some great steps listed to solve the problem from Leaf Spot and Melting Out- you can read them here: http://www.uri.edu/ce/factsheets/sheets/leafspotsetc.html. You can find advice for how to manage as well as eliminate the disease by avoiding excessive nitrogen treatments and using fungicides for treatment.

I hope this info was helpful! If you see this occuring in your lawn- give me a call. I'll be happy to help see what I can do for your situation!

Goats: Naturally Fuelled Field Mowers

Meet our new naturally fuelled field mowers- literally! These little goats, we are hoping, will grow to get bigger and keep the back fields mowed down of all the brush and annoying weeds. I only say we are hoping because although we have read a lot on how goats should help clear vegetation- we want to really see it to believe it.

One website states that goats can "be used for clearing brush, when properly managed. Large counties and cities are finding that "hiring" a herd of goats to clear unwanted vegetation can be both cost effective as well as environmentally much more acceptable." See http://eventsatthefarm.com/whygoats.htm.  

I also read on hobbyfarms.com that: "Weeds are tasty to most goats, which are natural browsers. This makes goats an excellent method to control unwanted vegetation without the use of herbicides or heavy equipment.This method of keeping weeds to a minimum, called “mitigation,” helps reduce the risk of brush fires."

You'll find this list on www.goattrimmers.com (a site advertising goats for hire) on why goats as brush control are a great idea:

"Goats are the ideal weed control and brush clearing solution for:
• New development
• Removing invasive species and restoring native plants
• Fire prevention
• Landscape maintenance"

Of course, there will be the negatives our family will have to consider now that we have more animals to take care of- such as:
- Making sure the goats don't eat poisonous plants
- Feeding the goats in the wintertime when there is no brush available
- Keeping the goats in the fenced area (we've had a couple escapes so far and the goats are pretty tricky!)
- Keeping predators away.
- And being prepared to take care of the goats if they are sick.

Those negatives are hard to think of though when looking at the cute little faces of our field mowers! We're looking forward to having an extended clear area on the property- We hope it works!

Do you use goats or animals to keep your brush down? We'd love to hear your thoughts, stories, and experiences!

Edible Garden Decor

The anxiousness for growth in our garden area has my wife thinking of how "lovely" the whole space will look once everything finally starts taking off. She really was amazed last year at what a pleasant sight the fruits and vegetables were in the garden spot with the varying heights, colors, and leaf types. As of right now the ground is pretty much bare thanks to all of the rain storms we have had, but there is still hope that the view will be up and running here in the next few weeks.

It is incredible to know that such delicious plants can have such an aesthetic affect too. Here are a few examples of what will be found in our garden this year (if everything grows right) that will be great foods as well as eye pleasers. Feel free to share your ideas or share how you've incorporated these edibles into your landscaping decor!

Sunflowers: Yes- the seeds are edible when roasted and salted! These come in varying sizes and colors and can be great house wall covers or fence borders. My wife loves how they seem to stay in bloom for so long.

Various Herbs:
- Chives: A great pot plant with tall, skinny, onion green type leaves that also bloom pretty purple or white flowers when completely maturing. Great to mix in dips, soups, or your breakfast eggs.
- Basil: From small to large bold green leaves, these are a great italian flavor and the dark green is great contrast to a light colored pot.
- Oregano: Little bushy plant- another pot plant or perhaps to be used for border bunches. Another italian favorite!
- Rosemary: Mimics a "shrub" with the thin long leaf types. A good soup and stuffing flavoring.
- Mint: Bright green leaves that spread. A wonderful smelling ground cover. Good garnish for ice cream, drinks, or to make jelly out of (my wife's specialty).

Raspberries and/or Blueberries: Instead of bushes that do nothing- get some floral and fruitful ones that are great for attraction of butterflies and birds- as well as small children who love to nibble on the bright blue or red berries.

Rhubarb: Instead of ornamental showy leaf plants- use rhubarb! Then pies can be made.

Strawberry plants: Another great ground cover with floral and fruitful aspects.

Pumpkins: It will be easy to decorate your front garden area with pumpkins for Halloween if you just plant the viny plants directly there! Train the vines to wind around trellaces, around porch beams, or stakes you've set up. Beautiful broad leaves, orang flowers through the summer, then bright big fruits during the fall.

Hopefully all of these plants will work out for us this year and the weather will cooperate. We're looking forward to the look and flavor!

Have a good week!

Pros and Cons of Multiple Rainy Days

Pros for the few rainy days IN A ROW that we've had in or area (trying to think on the positive here):

1. Soaked flower beds make pulling weeds a little easier (see above).
2. No need to water the lawn or the garden when it's being naturally watered!
3. OK... Need a little help here. Share your pros!

Cons (can't help but think the negative too):

1. The garden is OVERWATERED and the cold weather is killing things! (Poor Tomato Baby!)
2. No sunshine means it's difficult to get to work outside on the lawn and my wife can't finish planting anything else that needs to be put in the garden.
3. The kids are inside the house all weekend making you crazy! :)
4. The darkness is dreary.
5. The lawn is oversoaked and waterlogged.
6. Share why else you think too much rain is bad...

I guess we're supposed to have sunshine soon... I hope! Looking forward to being back outside again without getting soaked to the bone!

Have a good week!

Summer Lawn Memories

Just want to take a moment to dedicate a post to all those wonderful memories we build and cherish that are associated with our lawns during the summer season of our beautiful northwest area.

Do you remember as a kid- running through the sprinklers in your shorts and slipping all over the wet and slippery grass?

Did you have a dog that couldn't wait for you to get home and when you did he'd knock you down onto the grass and lick your face with doggy slobber love?

Did you ever kick around a soccer ball as soon as the sun started coming out and end up falling and staining those jeans your mom just bought you?

Did you play tag with your friends and get tagged to hard that you fell- but got right back up after hitting the soft lawn laughing and running right back after everyone who yelled that you were "it"?

Do you still have all your crazy family members from around the states come up for a reunion of love, laughter, and arguing while lounging in lawn chairs?

Do you reminisce times laying there under the stars with thoughts of summer love floating through your mind?

Do you remember lying a towel down and falling asleep tanning only to be awakened by your younger sibling tickling your nose with the grass blades?

Are 4th of July barbecues with a blanket on the grass watching the fireworks at the neighbors still a tradition (and legal) in your area?

Do memories of bouncing on a trampoline before hopping off and resting on the grass bring back those same feelings of thrill?

My point is- there are so many memories associated with a lawn that we don't even realize and perhaps take for granted. So take care of your grass so you can enjoy the peaceful "being a kid" feeling when standing in your lawn and looking back at what you loved about your green yard when you were growing up.

PS: Please share any other specific memories you may have that are associated with a nice and green lawn. We'd love to see them

Lawn and Garden Decor Ideas

When you take pride in your lawn, you may occasionally want to add your own personality to it as well. You can speak through your lawn with the detailed decor you choose to add in your flowerbeds, garden, or lawn areas. Sometimes it can take years to build a style that you're looking for, but everything starts somewhere. Here are just some examples we have begun in our own gardening areas that you can creatively take and make your own. We'd love to hear about your examples so please share in a comment!

A Humble Gardener's Resting Place

Simple themed flowerbed decor using "here and there" items: Small bench from a family member, small watering can filled with rocks so it doesn't blow away, large planter (hopefully soon to be blooming with flowers), rocks from around the property, and a children's toy shovel, rake, and hoe leaning up against the wall. My wife's creative talent at work.

Natural Attraction

This is self explanatory. Floral shrubs- such as these gorgeous Lilacs- are an easy addition to any yard area to lighten it up and show off good taste. We were blessed to have these already here at the house when we moved in last year and they are full of sweet smelling blossoms!

Redneck Upcycled Berry Patch

This past year has been difficult in terms of windstorms. We had both a gazebo and small greenhouse destroyed due to wind blow overs. The pieces to each still serve as useful, however, in the building blocks of this bird an deer repelling berry patch. Note the tall black "poles" of sorts holding up some berry netting- those are from our once nice gazebo. See the small green poles stuck in the ground? Those, topped with some brown bottles, keep the berry netting lower to the ground in those areas for the strawberries. Again, my wife's thought processes on this one!

Flower Beds not Grass Beds!

This Memorial Day Weekend is one of outdoor accomplishment at our household. The garden is getting finished up, the lawn is being taken care of, areas are being set aside for farm animals, etc. There are those things that need done, however, that seem like just a nuisance and a waste of time. One such chore that has been very frustrating for my wife this weekend was going through the flowerbeds and clearing all the overgrown grass.

It has been a little while since the flowerbeds have really had some good attention due to other household and garden duties taking priority. So, with time taking its toll and allowing the grass to grow, having to get down and dirty with pulling the LONG blades and roots of grass was backbreaking and time consuming work.

My wife then began to ask the question- how can this be avoided?

Various resources being read in a Google search for "keeping grass out of flower beds" mentioned these ideas:

- Invest in some good edging.

- Have raised flower beds.

- Mulch around your plants after killing and pulling the grass/weeds out.

- Take a foam paintbrush soaked in "Round-Up" and brush it on the grass/weeds you want gone (careful not to get it on your wanted plants).

- Kill the grass while it is young and remove root systems before starting fresh on worked up and mulched soil.

- Get on your hands and knees and pull everything- though this is the most tedious.

All of these seem like great ideas (with the exception of the last one!)- and we'd love to hear if you have any other advice. Please leave a comment with your thoughts for the future work that will inevitably need to be done again in our flower beds- we'd love to hear your "tricks" on keeping your flower beds instead of grass beds!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!