(* Waldo Whitman, long distance third cousin of renown poet Walt Whitman, was a noted turf-ologist and local laureate to the Bronxville, NY organic lawn movement.)
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Peeves of Grass
They gird their loins upon mechanical beasts.
Concern for your Lawn? Not in the least …
Their job is but the turf to mow,
On swaths of green in an endless row.
The call to them is “Mow it short!”
Should Weather their next visit abort.
Of consequence is the Heat of Summer
Working to render your backyard a bummer,
Baking grass roots to the color of Lumber.
Another lawn threat is an obscure little pest,
Whose potential for damage to grass – no jest.
Existing in stealth and snug as a bug,
Sheltered all Winter by your grass turf rug.
Spring brings cravings for roots to devour,
Leaving your Lawn unfit for a Schnauzer.
To know Milky Spore, you need not worry.
But if beetles you see, best move in a hurry.
For the future of dear lawn could become quite gory!
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Nothing brings a tear to the eye like a good Ode to Lawn!
And though Waldo’s words paint a moving portrait, his flowery expressions have more simple, straight-forward messages. For one, the guys and gals riding those professional lawn mowing services prefer to leave your lawn short as a Masters Tournament fairway. If they miss an appointment for weather, the lawn less cumbersome to mow quickly the next time out.
And a lot of homeowners like that close-cropped fairway look …
But that’s not good for strong, sustained grass growth as the following pictures illustrate.
Tale of Two Lawns: Can you tell the difference between the professional short-cut vs. Cranky Man’s pillowy mow?
Analysis (above): Verdant greenery on the left, roughly at least 2-2.5 inches longer. Note browning already occurring on the right despite rather moderate temps and plenty of rain! What will it look like in August???
Which side looks healthier, richer, more likely to survive the Summer?
Remember the words passed down to us from past generations …
A Lawn that looks like a country club fairway in June will resemble an airport runway in August!
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BEWARE THE BEETLE!
In southeast Pennsylvania we tend to see the mighty ugly grub beetles around the 4th of July. I usually see my first ones (and lately the only ones) on a golf course … while conducting turf research of course!
You can pre-treat in March (Too late now …) or wait until you see beetles. But don’t lolligag once you do see them. Grub treatments are intended to keep grubs from entering the lawn. Once they get in there, it may be too late to keep them out!
If you want to live grub-worry-free, get to know the milky spore. Yeah, it’s a pain in the hinterlands to apply; but it will give you up to 10 years of grub coverage!
Read more here:
Let’s play microbiological warfare!
Cranky Man's Lawn 