We’re often testing products at odd times over at ShopSmart, like snow blowers during the summer (we use special sawdust that acts just like snow!) and lawn mowers in the winter. Peter Sawchuk leads the lawn testing down in Florida for six weeks where they grow a special annual rye grass, which is typical of the grass you can find throughout much of the country. They even pre-mow the testing areas because the grass has to be exactly 4.5” before they test mowers. But Peter told me it’s definitely not a vacation—they mow for four hours a day for at least five days a week!
Here are a few of Peter’s tips on how to save a little money when it comes time to fix up your lawn this spring:
Q: Any tips on how to keep your lawn in tip-top shape?
A: Don’t over-fertilize or over-water your green patch of pride. I used to make the mistake of fertilizing four or five times a year, but you really only need to do it three times a year. The most important time to fertilize is toward the end of June, and then Labor Day, and finally around Columbus Day or Election Day. You can skip fertilizing in the spring. And apply about 1 inch of water every other or third day since over watering can cause fungus.
Here’s an easy way to figure out how long you need to water: Place an empty tuna can on your lawn and time how many minutes it takes to reach the top, which is about an inch of water. That’s how long you should set your timer.
And those brown spots you see after a week of rain? They can be caused by fungus from too much wet weather, but you can prevent them by putting down fungicide before your region’s rainy season.Q: Does Mother Nature make your job difficult since you need to be outside so much?
A: Yes, it rained a lot in Florida this winter, which is a big problem since we can’t cut the grass when it’s wet. And all of the rain caused a fungus, which killed some of our grass.
Q: So, do you have the greenest grass on your block?
A: Well, I must confess that I started recently using a lawn service because I like to race sailboats and bike ride on the weekends! But I still seed and fertilize my own lawn. My neighbors thought I was watering my lawn during a drought a few years ago because my grass stayed so green but the trick to green grass during dry and hot weather is keeping your grass height a little longer by raising the blade one setting on the mower since taller grass reduces the amount of evaporation and has deeper roots (talk about the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence!).
For more tips from Peter, check out our May issue, which hits newsstands on April 13. Here are some tips from Peter on buying a lawn mower.
Subscribe to ShopSmart today!
