blade of grass growth

Discussion in 'HortForum' started by Roger Hawkes, Apr 26, 2013.

  1. Roger Hawkes

    Roger Hawkes Active Member

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    My neighbour had her grass cut and then I heard the sound of a blower. I saw that the grass blades were being blown off of a small cement divider I had built to seperate the lawn from a freshly seed planted area.

    I thought before I make a fool of myself and ask her to avoid blowing grass clippings onto the planted area I would check and see if blades of grass will root or just compost.

    I wouldn't bother but I just planted Lupins .Originally a foot apart, then I realized I had soaked a couple of hundred picked from last years growth and they were already germinating. I made a couple of small 30' trenchs and deposited all the seeds in two rows.

    I have cast other seeds in the same area so who knows what will develop?

    Thanks,
    Roger
     
  2. Sundrop

    Sundrop Well-Known Member

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    Blades of grass will never root, they will decompose.
     
  3. Roger Hawkes

    Roger Hawkes Active Member

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    Thanks Sundrop,
    We just cut the grass and my wife used her favorite small push power mower while I used my more manly rear drive quadra cut bagger with a fixed transmission in another area.

    I had made another box to scatter the lupins in and lo and behold grass clippings all over the seeded area.

    Not much of a comment was made other than ?? I guess it is the thought that counts.

    Good to know.
    Roger
     
  4. Sundrop

    Sundrop Well-Known Member

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    Grass clippings from not treated with herbicides or pesticides lawn are great for mulching flower and vegetable beds.
    Little seedlings will easily push through a not-too-thick layer of fresh clippings (~ 1 cm), though it is not a good idea to cover the freshly seeded area with a thicker layer.
    Adding clippings in small amounts (~ 2 cm) every time you mow your lawn in-between the already sprouted plants is very beneficial.
     
  5. Roger Hawkes

    Roger Hawkes Active Member

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    I have not thought of spreading the grass clippings over garden or flower beds. In the past I have put them in the compost.

    I have stopped putting grass into the compost now as Creeping Buttercup is taking over the lawn at such a rate that I cannot keep up to it . It seems to be spreading everywhere.

    I'm not sure how well buttercup composts and whether it would come back again once the compost is used for gardening.

    Other than using chemicals the only solution I can think of is to dig up the heavily concentrated areas and replant grass seed.The roots go pretty deep.

    I'll look on the forum and see if any other questions have been asked of creeping buttercup.

    Last year a farmer picked up the clippings to feed his chickens.

    Roger
     
  6. Lysichiton

    Lysichiton Active Member

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    I hope you are better than I am at spotting when there are grass seeds present in the clippings. They are there already (April)! I managed to turn perennial beds into lawn, much to my wife's distress, on a few occassions. I gave up collecting the clippings a few years back, so that cut down on work in several different ways.
     
  7. Roger Hawkes

    Roger Hawkes Active Member

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    Thanks for the reply.
    When I checked the forum I noticed I asked the same question last year re the Creeping Buttercup.
    If it stayed on the lawn it would keep my wife happy but it manages to creep everywhere, flowered and garden area.

    I'll have to try and tell the difference between the grass and lupin seed. Should be a no brainer except I have cast other seed types.
     
  8. Sundrop

    Sundrop Well-Known Member

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    Like with many other (all?) activities what is most important is not what you do but rather how you do it.

    Of course using grass clippings with ripe seeds in them is not the best idea, although there are people who don't pay too much attention to that, they just smother germinating weeds with new layers of clippings. Personally I don't follow this kind of approach, but many good gardeners do - I am not, of course, talking about very bad seeds, like those of Creeping Butterfly, here.
     
  9. GoGreen123

    GoGreen123 New Member

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    Cutting your grass frequently so that the thatch that is created is in smaller (shorter) pieces makes it easier for your lawn to decompost and assimilate the nutrients, is best. If you cut more than 1/3 of the grass blade length in one cutting, it can result in so much thatch that it prevents the lawn from getting enough sun.

    Also, overseeding your lawn can be a great practice if your lawn has worn places. Before overseeding, it is a good plan to cut, rake and aerate your lawn so that the seed has a better opportunity to take root.

    Highland Turf Farm

    604-465-9812
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 19, 2015
  10. Roger Hawkes

    Roger Hawkes Active Member

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    Thanks for the reply.
    What I did with the Buttercup problem was to use a Buttercup weed control. I originally sprayed it on while in bloom in different areas. One area I sprayed I dropped a blue plastic tarp on top. We have cats and I was afraid they might get poisoned so I covered it and left it there for a few weeks.

    When I checked it everything had died.The directions on the container said the grass would recover in time.The grass did recover.

    This year I will do the same for an even larger area if we are still here. the house is for sale.

    Our lawn area should be dug up and reseeded. It was originally part of a field.

    Another problem is the amount of moss that is growing everywhere. The asphalt driveway will get a treatment of Tide powder containing bleach when the rain stops for awhile.
     
  11. GoGreen123

    GoGreen123 New Member

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    Tide is not eco-friendly. I would not use Tide on my laundry, let alone put it on my lawn. There are more eco-friendly ways to address moss. Moss grows when the ph of your soil is incorrect. I found this article which explains and gives some eco-friendly ways of addressing your problem. http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf/Gardening/Lawn/Getting-Rid-of-Moss-in-Your-Lawn.html Ivory soap, or better yet, baking soda are not going to harm your pets, or the environment.

    Highland Turf Farm:
    Sod your Lawn: Choose Highland Turf Farms
    Overseeding your Lawn: Highland sells seed.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 21, 2015
  12. Sundrop

    Sundrop Well-Known Member

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    I like the advice at the bottom of the article in your link GoGreen123:
     
  13. Roger Hawkes

    Roger Hawkes Active Member

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    The lawn is not the present concern and the moss is acceptable. It is the moss taking over the ashphalt driveway and white picket fence. The picket fence was supposed to keep the deer out. They didn't give it a second thought as we watched them leap right over it.

    This year the growth has been very noticeable.
    Thanks for your suggestions
     

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