ENVIRONMENTAL AND GARDENING FOOLISHNESS A SKETCH

FOR QUITE some time I have declared my absolute opposition to hedges, turf and palms. It is not a problem of ignorance, since ALL botanical gardens, keep them. Not only that, they offer courses in TURF maintenance, as if the world really need to spend billions of dollars in research in places like RUTGERS University to develop TURF seeds for shade, sun, resistant to this or that. Oh, almost forgot no Dandy lions or any other wild/natural weeds need to apply.

I will be more specific and request
some patience, if you do not
plant anything and drop by for entertainment only.

Turf is selected according to the following: to play and heavy traffic,
maintenance and infrequent water, limited water availability, salt tolerant
light foot traffic, mixed seeds for sun/shade.

You have to prepare the soil accordingly, will need a rototiller, drop spreaders,
lawn rollers if planting seeds, and irrigate twice daily.

If you want, planting plugs is another option. These spread by runners and used
where grasses can not be started from seed.

Another way is laying sod, more expensive but quick if you have that great
urge to have a lawn. With this method one can walk in a few weeks on the
surface, contrary to the first two. There will be less weeding, but the soil has to
be prepared and irrigated in the same way.
Intelligent, educated people with or without money, with or without
the time, will consider the difficulty, waste of energy of all this adventure,
except Puertorican agronomists and landscape architects.
But we are just starting.

After this pain in the ass, absurd shore is done, MAINTENANCE follows. Each blade of grass is a food factory that needs to stand straight and tall in order to maintain itself and stay healthy. Tall grass cut at a uniform height will appear just as even as grass cut short.

There are at least 15 types of grasses used with the intentions mentioned above, but if you research, one finds over a hundred of varieties are offered with different qualities and resistance.

With the happy grass on, removing weeds will be part of the fun by pulling or with herbicide. Pre
emergent or post emergent herbicides. Thatch is also part of the picture. Dry leaves accumulate not allowing
oxygen/water to reach the grass roots. Soil compaction, low soil fertility, unbalanced pH and improper mowing will help to have all these problems in your turf.

I am bored to hell with this story. But lets finish for know. To all these silly, wasteful practices,
add the correct mowing. The blades should be balanced and sharpened, otherwise you get
the high and low look. Also a problem if the ground is not leveled.

If you cut with trimmer instead of a lawn mower the tip of the grass blades will be smashed, not
properly cut. They look like shit, to be honest. If you do not rake every once in a while, using a blower as 9 out of 10 weed whackers squads do, you will get thatch. If you cut when the grass when it is too tall, without mulching/raking you get thatch.

Add the C02, from trimmers, blowers, lawn mowers, irritating, disturbing noise, use of propane, the gas, oil, diesel spills polluting soil and water.

Still doubting? What about the wasteful irrigation? The other pollution with fertilizers, herbicides, fungicides and insecticides. Going to all water streams eventually. Think of the greatest environmental criminals with such an innocent sport GOLF!

If you still insist, then, forget about helping the environment unless you CHANGE,
the maintenance practices. If you have the time, money and energy to continue, you may check:
eartheasy.com/grow. Or going the ecologically correct way...However you may have to get goats,
sheep, or a push mower to reach that goal. Forgive me lord because, I have also sinned. Time to go...