The History of Lawns in America

We didn't always have a love affair with our lawns. In fact it wasn't until the industrial revolution that lawns became practical for most Americans. Lawns were seen as a luxury expense for only the wealthy who could afford grounds keepers to maintain the fine bladed plants using scythes. Not everyone wanted cattle or sheep grazing in the front yard to keep the green stuff at a manageable height as did Woodrow Wilson while occupying the White House.

Sheep on the White House lawn?

Actually, it was an effort to draw attention to what could be done to free up men to fight and help with shortages of wool during World War I. The wool was auctioned off for $100,000 and given to the Red Cross. Speaking of presidents, early Presidents Washington and Jefferson both used sheep to keep their home lawns at manageable heights.

Green, weed-free lawns so common today didn't exist in America until the late 18th century. Instead, the area just outside the front door of a typical rural home was typically packed dirt or perhaps a cottage garden that contained a mix of flowers, herbs, and vegetables.

In England, however, many of the wealthy had sweeping green lawns across their estates. Americans with enough money to travel overseas returned to the U.S. with images of the English lawn firmly planted in their imaginations. Try as we might, it wasn't as easy to reproduce a beautiful English lawn. After all, they couldn't just run down to their local hardware store and pick up a bag of grass seed. Grasses native to America proved unsuitable for a tidy and well-controlled lawn, and our extreme climate was less than hospitable to the English grass seeds.

By 1915, the U.S. Department of Agriculture was collaborating with the U.S. Golf Association to find the right grass—or combination of grasses—that would create a durable, attractive lawn suitable to the variety of climates found in America. Included in the testing were Bermuda grass from Africa, blue grass from Europe, and a mix of Fescues and bent grass. Fifteen years later, the USDA had discovered several grass combinations that would work in our climate. We were off and running, to find the most suitable pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers that would protect and serve newly blended mix of grasses. After all, now that we had a good grass blend, we couldn't let it starve or be eaten alive by some hungry pest, or succumb to some nasty disease.

The right grass and the right treatments weren't the only problems facing homeowners wanting the perfect lawn, however. There was also the challenge of providing sufficient water to keep the grass green in summer. It wasn't easy hauling a bucket of water out to the yard during the summer droughts. Cutting the grass was a challenge, as well. English lawns were trimmed with scythes, an expensive process that required a certain amount of finesse, or by grazing livestock on the greens.


Mechanical mowing came about early in the 19th century and there is a general agreement that an Englishman, Edwin Budding, an engineer at a textile mill, developed a cylinder, or reel-type mower. It was a series of blades arranged around a cylinder with a push handle patterned after a machine used in a cloth factory for shearing the nap on velvet. In 1870, Elwood McGuire of Richmond, Indiana designed a machine that basically brought push mowing to the masses. By 1885, America was building 50,000 lawnmowers a year and shipping them to every country on the globe.

For the average American, the invention of the garden hose and the rotary mower made the lawn a more realistic option. Until then, lawns were just too much bother for most families. When most of the necessary tools and types of grass seeds became readily available, the average homeowner was now able to grow a lawn of their own if they wanted. As of yet, there wasn't a real big demand for green lawns in the front yard. It wasn't until The American Garden Club stepped in. Through contests and other forms of publicity, they convinced home owners that it was their civic duty to maintain a beautiful and healthy lawn. So effective was the club's campaign that lawns were soon the accepted form of landscaping. The garden club further stipulated that the appropriate type of lawn was "a plot with a single type of grass with no intruding weeds, kept mown at a height of an inch and a half, uniformly green, and neatly edged." America thus entered the age of lawn care.

Today, U.S. homeowners spend over $17 billion on outdoor home improvements. More than 26 million households hired a green professional, according to a 2000 Gallup survey and this number is expected to grow. Your little patch of green has become a big business and for good reason.

Fall Fertilization Builds Strength For A Stronger Greener Spring Lawn

“The last application of fertilizer is the most important of the year” states John Steiner, central regional manager of NaturaLawn of America.  Fall fertilization is not for the above ground aspect of the lawn.  Steiner notes the application is for building up the food reserves so the grass will go into winter strong and “green up faster in the spring.”  The stored nutrients will also enable the roots of cool-season grasses, like Kentucky bluegrass, Fescue and bentgrass, to get off to a good start.  One suggestion is to not to use the slow release fertilizers that are recommended in spring and summer applications.  Steiner says “it’s important to use a quick-release fertilizer.  At this time of year, the soil is cooler and consequently there’s a lower  level of microbial activity in the soil to break down the fertilizer to enable plants to take in the nutrients.  You want to make the nutrients available the grass right away.”  It is suggested to provide one pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet and quick release fertilizers are usually applied at a higher rate.  Always follow the manufacturer’s instruction and application rates.  Time the nutrient boost just before the lawn goes dormant.  In the northwest region that could be as late as mid- to late November.

Time to Aerate...you know punch little holes in the lawn.

Lawn aeration is done generally with a machine that basically looks something like a rotary mower. Lawn aerators are run over the surface of the grass, like a lawn mower but instead of cutting the grass the aerator removes small cylinder like pieces of soil and grass. The cylinders generally are referred to as soil plugs. The removed cores can be left on the surface of the lawn and will act as a fertilizer as they decompose.

Lawns that are heavily compacted or that contain a thick layer of thatch need to be aerated more frequently than other lawns. For the average lawns, aeration once each year, usually in the fall, is adequate. For heavily compacted or thatched lawns, aeration should probably occur twice a year once in the spring and once in the fall.

The benefits of aeration are numerous. Aeration will help eliminate thatch. It will also help combat the effects of soil compaction and improve soil quality in poor soil lawns. Aeration will also help your lawn to establish a good, strong root system. Properly rooted lawns are healthier, stay green with less water and survive the winters better. Aeration also lessens the effects of water run-off during irrigation times, which means you’ll save money and water.
Finally, with all those holes from aerating, re-seeding is ideal. The seed is able to fill the voids left by aeration and help thicken or introduce more grass plants to the lawn. For warm climates, those who seed cool season grasses find re-seeding following aeration the idea time. Simple actions produce those desirable lawns that are the envy of the neighborhood.

Next Week: Fall Fertilization

FALL IS TIME TO PLANT OR RE-SEED A LAWN

Can you believe summer is over? The cooler temperatures are noticeable apparent in the mornings with cooler day time temperatures too. Looking around the landscape which dots the horizon we see leaves taking on the remarkable colors of fall! The beauty of the changing season is here. Like a new snow fall, the first buding leaves, or the warmth of summer the changing seasons brings another milestones of life's renewal.

Autumn Fires

Robert Louis Stevenson

In the other gardens

And all up the vale,

From the autum bonfires

See the smoke trail!

Pleasant summer over

And all the summer flowers,

The red fires blazes,

The grey smoke towers.

Sing a song of seasons!

Something bright in all!

Flowers in the summer,

Fires in the Fall!

Fall is a time of preparation. In times past, and for some fortunate people, bring in the harvest meant putting up the labors of summer for subsistence during the winter months. Preparing for next years growing season is what fall is all about. Robert Louis Stevenson's poem Autumn Fires highlights the change of seasons and preparation. Prepare your landscaping and lawn for winter and prepare it for the next year's growing season by re-seeding now. There are may ornamentals planted in the fall for spring and summer blazing glory. According to Rick Seymour, CT says, "where you live throughout much of the northern half of the U.S., early fall is the best time for sowing grass. The soil is warm, but day time temperatures are moderate, making watering less of a problem, and the weeds won't grow." This also give the new grass longer period of time before foot traffic impacts the grass. Begin today to re-seed, plant a new lawn or add ornamentals to your landscape.

Old pastures can cost the producer money!

Here is a typical "pasture scenario" that I have witnessed time and time again. Farmer Joe has a "pasture" that is more then 10 years old and seems to produce some green forage. It just doesn't seem to holding up to grazing conditions or produce forage for very long. It is critical to note that pastures do decline in their effectiveness over time, and it is a process that can be avoided. So the question continues to come up, "How can we make our pastures better?" followed by the question "Is it worth it?" Yes, but only if you want to make more money. Pasture renovation can be defined as a process to improve species composition and extend the productive life of pastures. The first step in recommending pasture renovations is to take a complete soil sample in order to analyze what you've got to work with. I like to think of good soil test results as my roadmap for the trip I am planning. My father once told me that if you don't care where you're going, it doesn't matter which way you go. On this trip, I want to make sure and optimize my existing pastures, without spending every dime to do it! Without proper soil tests, all we are doing is guessing (at best), and probably not providing the proper fertility requirements for the crop we are about to grow. So, let's live by this motto: "Don't guess, soil test!" Inter-seeding and no-till pasture renovations have doubled and tripled the production of low yielding pastures. While we understand the importance of adding soil amendments to improve forage production, we also should consider introducing new species and varieties to our pasture conditions to improve productivity and quality to our grazing systems. Improved varieties of legumes and grasses like Kopu II, Starfire, Quartet PRg, and Feast II have been University tested to show significant benefits compared to many "old" legumes and grasses. Starfire red clover and Kopu II white clover have been shown to not only offset some of the nitrogen requirements of pasture, but also help improve forage quality, digestibility, and palatability to grazing systems. This means as a producer you save money on your fertilizer bill and your animals will be more productive. Quartet and Feast II ryegrass both are "low aftermath seed heading" varieties. This means that when at maturity instead of continuously trying to produce seed heads (like most other forage grasses) Quartet and Feast II will return to vegetative forage production after one flush of seed heads. What does all of this mean to the producer? Quartet and Feast II will produce high quality forages longer then most other forage grasses resulting in better animal performance. Sometimes existing pasture situations are so poor, the best recommendation is for a complete renovation of the site. This process will include tillage or the use of herbicides to eliminate existing vegetation, adding soil amendments (fertilizer and lime), and reseeding. Complete renovation will also allow for improvements in soil conditioning such as irrigation or soil drainage improvements if needed. An idea that is gaining in popularity is the use of a "break crop" before establishing a totally new pasture. One such type of "break crop" is using an annual such as Perfect FitTM Forage Brassicas. Most producers do not want to have any "down" time between taking out their old pasture and establishing a new one. Perfect FitTM Forage Brassicas offer an excellent forage source, in a relatively quick amount of time. By no-till drilling or by broadcasting on to a lightly disked pasture ground you can establish a productive, high quality forage source in 50-60 days (depending on climatic conditions and fertility kevels). Perfect FitTM Forage Brassicas will allow for the opportunity to "break" the current cycle of available forages, and allow for the reintroduction for improved varieties in the upcoming season. For example, a producer in the Midwest could spray out his old pasture in May. Then no-till Pasja Forage Brassica into it and have a forage source in 40-60 days until mid August. In mid August the producer would once again spray the pasture with a non-selective herbicide. Following a "good kill" the producer would seed the pasture to a Pasture Perfect® seed mixture for a productive permanent pasture. Benefits of renovating pastures include:
Greater Return on Investment (yes, pasture land is an investment!)
Improved Animal Performance and Productivity
Improved Feed Quality
Improve Pasture Growth throughout the year to help regulate growth curves
Introduction of Improved Pasture Genetics
Removal of undesirable traits (weeds, endophyte infected species)
Improve soil drainage and aeration
As you prepare to renovate pasture conditions, choosing what to reseed is always part of the equation. Check with local seed dealer or university extension agent to determine which Pasture Perfect® seed mixture is right for your particular growing conditions.
As a producer, be patient and use good management practices to help new forage seedlings become established. Avoid close grazing of newly emerged seedlings. Maintain fertility levels, and schedule routine rest periods between grazings. Weed control is critical, but beware of broad leaf herbicides when clovers and other broad leaf desirable species are present.
Start with a plan, not just an idea, but a written plan. Write it down and refer to it often. Keep good records and take pictures. If you are like me, it's hard to remember how things looked before changes were made, and it's good to look back and see the progress you've made. Remember, like an artist, when you first start renovating your pasture, it is a work in progress! Continue perusing www.pastureperfect.com for more detailed information and remember, a poor pasture may be costing you money!!!

By: Jeff Medlin--Ampac Seed Company

When Putting Your Horse on Lush Grass Go Slowly

Introducing Your Horse to Pasture

If your horse has been eating very sparse pasture or has been eating hay all winter it will need to be introduced to lush pastures very gradually. An abrupt change in the feed can cause colic, laminitis or founder. Ponies, over weight horses, older horses and some draft breeds or draft crosses seem to be particularly susceptible although any horse can be affected. A pony can founder on rich grass in less than an hour of grazing time. If your horse or pony is grazing a pasture from the time the ground thaws in early spring, he will be introduced to the new growth of grass naturally. Many people keep herds of ponies this way without problem. However, if you make the switch from a hay diet to lush growing grass problems can occur.

Allow ponies a few minutes of grazing, gradually building the time spent. You may find that you have to restrict the grazing time of ponies because they gain weight so easily. Obesity can also lead to problems. So leaving your pony out on lush pasture all the time may not be possible. Let your pony graze for very short periods of time and then leave them in an area with very sparse grazing.

Introduce your horse gradually as well, starting with a half hour and adding about ten minutes every day until you can leave the horse for a few hours. You can also feed hay before the horse is turned out to prevent him gorging himself because he feels hungry.
It’s tempting to turn your horse out in the spring and watch him enjoy that beautiful green grass. But doing so may endanger his health, or be fatal, error on the side of caution when introducing pasture.

MANAGING HORSE PASTURE

By Randall Holman

A major part of a horse's diet is hay or pasture. A horse weighing 1000 pounds will eat about 500 pounds each month. A horse needs roughly 28 acres of non-irrigated, dryland pasture a year if that is the only source of forage. However, a pasture that is irrigated will grow more forage than dryland pasture, requiring less acreage. The amount of irrigated pasture needed for one horse is roughly 1 to 2 acres.Two acres of pasture for each horse are recommended. One acre of pasture will provide adequate grazing, but requires more pasture management. Manage your pasture as you would with any crop with soil testing, fertilizing, and managing manure. Horses will not eat trampled grass or grass with manure on it. Horses will also overgraze smaller areas very quickly. Therefore, a combination of pasture and small lot or barn is needed to help minimize overgrazing.Do not let horses overgraze the pasture as this can cause grass to no longer grow. Keep pasture grass healthy--overgrazed pasture may never recover. To allow for re-growth, leave about 1/3 of the grass uneaten at any given time. The horse can be confined to the lot or barn and only allowed to graze for a few hours a day, reducing damage to a small pasture. Rotational pasture lots are one key to using small acreage pasture space to the fullest potential. Portable electric fencing provides an efficient and economic way to partition you pasture. Over-supplementing your horse with hay and grain will not prevent your horse from overgrazing.Pasture grazing is not absolutely necessary for a horse. A nice green pasture is not always a reality. Horses can be properly fed without pasture. However, pasture has several advantages as it is the natural feed for horses, reduces the cost of feeding, provides your horse with exercise, and generally speaking, horses are usually healthier when kept outside on pasture. Establishing and maintaining a productive pasture is not too difficult. A few dollars spent on soil nutrients for your pasture is a good investment. Fertilizer will help your pasture to become more productive and produce more forage. Fertilizer costs will generally be offset from good pasture rotating and from savings in feed costs for hay and grain supplements. Mowing is also important of pasture management. It minimizes the spread of weeds to help maintain higher quality forage. Mowing weeds before seed heads are produced limits the spread of weeds. Grass should be mowed to 3-4 inches.No matter how well you manage your pasture, it will most likely thin. To help ensure pasture continues to produce good grass, new forage seed should be spread every year. It is recommended re-seeding be done in the spring or fall. In the spring, wet conditions will allow for germination and growth, but only if it is not too wet or muddy. In the fall, there will be less competition from weeds. Grazing should not be allowed on new grass seedlings for approximately 6 to 8 weeks after emerging from the ground to allow for proper root growth.Caution! Turning your horse out on green lush pasture before conditioning him to a change in diet is dangerous and can result in sickness or possibly death. Start your horse out slowly by letting him graze for few minutes each day and gradually increase to a few hours each day. About the Author Randall Holman, site owner of Front Range Frenzy and horse enthusiast, is the author of this article. You will find other easy and practical basic horse care information on his website: http://www.FrontRangeFrenzy.com.

Dryland Forage Establishment

Establishing dryland pasture grasses is often tricky. It’s really a matter of timing; getting the seed into the ground at the right depth at the right time to take advantage of spring rain or snowmelt. In the mountain west, dryland grasses can be planted either in the fall or spring. If you choose to plant in the fall, ensure that the temperatures have cooled to below 40 degrees F to prevent seed germination too soon. The idea is to get the seed in before the snow falls, and take advantage of moisture from the spring thaw to hydrate the seeds for germination. If you plan to plant in the spring, it’s best to pick a time after spring thaw and before early summer. Summer in the mountain west often finds dry periods in June and July, depending on your area. If grasses are planted too late they may not have enough moisture to get established. For best results coincide your plantings with spring rains.

Dryland grasses can be directly seeded into the soil by seed drilling. This is often the preferred method in the spring as tillage quickly depletes soil moisture and organic matter. Fall tillage and planting would be appropriate if winter snow supplies moisture for soil hydration and seed germination in the spring.

The 'Best' of Grass!

Featured this week, while the weather is cold outside and staying inside sounds good, are the smooth pipes of Tom Jones and Joan Baez each performing a rendition of "The Green Green Grass of Home."

Wow! It is times like these that make me feel proud to be a graduate of Boise State University. Last night, the Broncos were able to capitalized on an early game turnover. The momentum was established and the Broncos were savvy enough to maintain the advantage till the last seconds of the game were another turnover sealed the 2010 Fiesta bowl. Good job Broncos and coach Peterson! Proud to be a Bronco!