TestDIYOrganic

Because I was planning on killing and reseeding parts of my lawn last year I didn't take as good care of those areas as I should have. I didn't do anything about the weeds and didn't water regularly. As a result the lawn in one section in particular has gotten very bad and it wasn't great to begin with.



Three sections will be renovated in total. Two are in decent shape but one of the sections requires a bit of regrading and I might as well reseed the other since they're in close proximity and I feel the grass should match.



For the past few weeks I've been gathering all the tools I'll need for a lawn renovation as well as finalizing the supplies and methods I'll be using.



Below you'll find my lawn renovation plan as well as pictures of my existing lawn and description of some of the issues I'm having.

Why Kill The Existing Lawn?

The lawn is old and over the years different types of grass seeds have been used which give the lawn an uneven appearance. Some of the grasses grow very fast while others hardly grow at all and there are a bunch of weeds in one section. There are also sections with depressions as well as bumps that need to be smoothed out. Additionally the soil is a little low in organic matter and the soil structure could use some improvement by adding compost.



It's easier to tackle all the issues by starting fresh with some new grass seed.

The Plan

Day 1

Tomorrow I start killing my existing lawn. I'll be using two different organic herbicides instead of RoundUp/Glyphosate which is normally used in this step. Each of my three sections will be split in half and so that I can compare the effectiveness of each in this process under different conditions.



I'll be using BurnOut II from St Gabriel Organics and Nature's Avenger from Cutting Edge Formulations.



These products work best with full sun and temperatures above 80 degrees. I was going to start today but tomorrow will be even hotter as will the rest of the weekend.

Day2

The weed killers start working within hours. Any areas that I had missed on Day 1 should be apparent and I can spot treat using the appropriate herbicide for that area.

Day 7

Unlike glyphosate based herbicides like RoundUp, these organic alternatives are not systemic and will not kill the roots. They only kill the leaves of the plant but without the leaves the rest of the plant is susceptible. If there is enough stored energy in the roots for some of the weeds and grasses to grow back I will re-spray with herbicide to kill any new growth as suggested by St Gabriel Labs.

Day 8-9

At this point the existing lawn should be sufficiently damaged and if necessary I'll mow the grass at my mower's lowest setting and bag the clippings to remove some of the debris and/or use my Ames True Temper Thatch Rake to both clear plant debris and start cultivating the soil.



Using a combination of tools including rakes and a Garden Weasel Cultivator I'll start incorporating compost into the top of the soil, fertilize using an organic lawn fertilizer,correct grade issues and probably reshape the garden beds.



My soil's pH appears to be fine in those areas but since the organic herbicides I'm using contain acids I'll recheck the pH and add some Fast Acting Lime if necessary.

Day 10

On Day 10 of the process I will put down new grass seed. My initial plan was to plant a good Kentucky Bluegrass mix but I've changed my mind and will be going with a Turf-Type Tall Fescue mix. Unless anything changes I'll be using Jonathan Green Black Beauty grass seed. There might be some better TTTF grass blends out there but there were a number of reasons why I decided to go with Black Beauty. One of the primary ones was that it's something I can find locally. TTTF doesn't spread like KBG does so every 2-4 years it might need to be overseeded if thin or bare spots develop. I decided it would be more convenient to use a seed I could find locally.



After seeding I'll follow an appropriate watering schedule. Depending on the weather the first week I might have to water lightly twice a day to keep the seeds moist for good germination. The second week I can probably cut down to once a day. After that I can slowly increase the watering times and decrease the watering frequency.

Existing Lawn Condition

Section 1

Section 1 is the largest as well as the worst section of the three. The soil structure is very poor, there is a wide mix of grasses including everything from fine fescue to tall fescue. This section is in full sun and gets little to no foot traffic.



Section 1 also has the worst weed problem. Weeds in this portion of the lawn include dutch white clover, wild violet, either purslane or prostrate pigweed, some dandelions, crabgrass, some veronica speedwell, something that looks like nimblewill and possibly goosegrass.



This section of lawn also has some issues with what I believe is red thread or some other type of disease which I've been able to successfully control with corn meal.



It gets little traffic and requires more water than I've been applying, especially this year, which caused the grass to suffer.

Section 2

Section 2 receives partial sun. It is shaded by a large tree for about 1/2 the day. The grass here is more consistent. I've been overseeding here regularly with a Kentucky Bluegrass Mix (Jonathan Green Sod Maker) and it normally looks good. There is a bit of crab grass at the edges but that's about it.

The area needs some serious regrading. Some areas are uneven and if I'm not careful get scalped by the mower.

The grass looks much better than the photo indicates but not as great as it usually because I haven't watered or fertilized as regularly as I normally would because of the renovation.

Section 3

This section was regraded and planted with a fine fescue mix because it receives little sun throughout the day. It has been slightly neglected because of the renovation plan but otherwise looks pretty good. The photo also doesn't look that great because of the mix of sun and shade throwing off the colors and brightness. (See my post on how to take great lawn photos for more info.) As with Section 2, Section 3 looks pretty good and just a little bit of care and a little reseeding would make it look great but because these sections can be seen at the same time I'd like more consistency. I also feel Black Beauty might do better in shade than fine fescues.



I'm excited to finally get this process started and will be posting updates as I go.

Linda asks:



I think I need to add something to the lawn to help dethatch naturally.and maybe help the soil.  Would spreading a commercial packaged manure mixture be helpful?  At 98 cents a bag I could cover the lawn with 30 bags.



Also would you suggest an application of ammonia sulfate in the Fall to help balance the ph from years of chemicals?



thanks! ;-)




There are a few different questions here and I'll answer them one at a time. This is general advice when converting to organic lawn care.

Naturally Dethatching

First, thatch isn't a bad thing to have in your lawn. It's when you have more than a 1/2" of thatch that it can be a problem. Take a spade or shovel and cut out a square of your lawn to inspect the profile and measure the thatch layer. If it's more than 1/2" then you'll want to do something about it.



The problem with thatch is that it can prevent air, water and nutrients from going down into the roots. There are two ways to resolve this problem. One is to mechanically dethatch, the other is to core aerate. I discussed aerating vs dethatching previously. Basically dethatching removes the thatch layer and aerating creates holes in the lawn that allow air, water, etc to penetrate into the root zone.



Soil microbes and other organisms in your soil such as earthworms will help break down the thatch but lawns that have had years of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides applied will have poor soil biology and likely soil compaction. Adding compost to the lawn will improve the soil biology as well as add organic matter in the soil.

Adding Compost

Compost does a lot of great things to the lawn. It improves the soil structure, adds organic matter, helps relieve compaction, adds nutrients and enhances soil biology. It is the best thing you can add to your soil when converting from synthetics to organics. Some microbes found in soil and compost help break down the chemicals in the lawn from synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.



The EPA has published this information sheet on compost describing it's use for bioremediation, disease control and other issues. Compost was even effective in remediating soil that had explosives in it!



From what I've learned it's best to use a mix of compost from different sources. Compost from plant material and composted manure. I would personally go heavier with the plant based compost because if the composted manure is not composted completely it can cause problems.



30 bags of compost at I'm assuming 2 cubic feet per bag is 60 cu ft is over 2 yards. I think you'll be better off having that compost delivered in bulk. Find a local source of plant based compost that will deliver. Lay a tarp on your driveway for them to deposit it on so it doesn't create a mess. I haven't used one but I've been thinking a Bagster Dumpster in a Bag might be good to use. Buy a few bags of composted manure and mix it in. A pitch fork works well but you can do it with a shovel too.



If you don't have a wheelbarrow, borrow, rent or buy one to help you distribute the compost and use a rake to spread it in. The Ames True Temper Kodiak Forged Level Head Rake is a good rake for this purpose.



To figure out how much compost you'll need determine the square feet of your lawn area and how many inches of compost you'd like to apply. Use the following formula.



(square ft of lawn) X (inches of compost) / 12 / 27 = Yards of compost.



If you had 5000 sq ft of lawn area and you wanted to apply 1/2" of compost it would be:



5000 X .5 / 12 / 27 = 7.7 cubic yards of compost.



It's roughly 3/4 of a yard of compost per 1000 sq ft for every 1/4" of compost you want to apply.



To determine the square footage of your lawn you can use the property survey that's likely attached to your mortgage (or you can get it from your local tax assessor I think) and use that as a guide. You can even try downloading Google Earth and using the satellite images and measuring tools to measure your lawn but going out and taking direct measurements would be the best.

Soil PH

I wouldn't add anything to the soil to adjust the pH unless I knew what the pH was. Don't guess. Send a sample of your soil to get tested by your local university cooperative extension for analysis and use that information to adjust the pH of your soil. Most likely you'll need to add lime.



The soil report you receive will give you recommendations on nutrients in your soil but will most likely recommend synthetic fertilizer applications. You can use organics instead but will need to calculate how much fertilizer to apply. For example if they tell you your soil needs 1.5 lbs of potassium per 1,000 sq ft then you need to figure out how much of your organic fertilizer to apply to give you 1.5 lbs per 1k sq ft.

What I Would Do If I Were You

Right now is the best time to start the process.



1. Determine your soil pH either by sending a soil sample to your extension office or by using a consumer soil pH tester like the Luster Leaf Rapitest Mini Soil pH/Moisture Tester. If you use the soil tester it's important that the soil is moist to get an accurate reading and you should test different locations and take an average.



2. If you have more than 1/2" of thatch I would dethatch the lawn. I don't have a large lawn so I use a manual dethatcher that also helps remove ground ivy and gives a good workout. :) If you have a larger area rent a gas powered dethatcher.



3. Whether you dethatch or not I would core aerate the lawn. Again, I have a small lawn and like to sweat so I use a Turf Hound manual aerator. Based on how much compost you're thinking of getting I assume you'd want to rent a core aerator. Many rental places will carry them. Make sure it's a core aerator and not a spike aerator. You'll want to run the aerator over your lawn multiple times in different directions. How many times you go over your lawn will depend on your model. You want to get at least 9 holes per sq ft but as many as 20 holes per square foot if your soil is very compacted or heavy clay. I'd shoot for at least 16. Leave the plugs on your lawn, don't rake them up.



4. Apply lime and organic fertilizer as needed. I've had good results with Espoma Bio-Tone Organic Starter Fertilizer. It has a good ratio of nutrients and contains beneficial microbes. Do not use corn gluten meal at this point if you plan on overseeding which I would.



5. Spread compost on your lawn. Get bulk compost delivered. If you can get a mix of composted plant material and composted manure that's your best bet. If not get the composted plant material and mix in some composted manure. Plain composted plant material is fine too. Because of the core aerating I would shoot for 1/2" of compost.



6. Spread a good quality grass seed over the lawn and water it as recommended to get good germination.



Starting next Spring use organic lawn fertilizers 3-4 times a year. Corn gluten meal in the early spring and late summer, Ringer Lawn Restore in late spring and mid fall would be a good star. Also using a pump sprayer (I like the Smith 2-Gallon Max Contractor Sprayer)  to apply soluable kelp and humic acid in late spring and a one or two times during the summer would be great. You can mix the kelp and humic acid and apply them at the same time.



Also read my mowing tips for a healthier lawn.



Hope this helps!

I tried to grow two containers of grass indoors. The first was Jonathan Green Dense Shade grass seed which I was hoping would do well with the limited light on my desk. The second was Jonathan Green Black Beauty grass seed mix that I'm considering using if I do a lawn renovation. I had both containers sitting on my desk and created a time lapse video of the Black Beauty Grass seed germinating as well as some of the Dense Shade I replanted because the old seed I used didn't germinate very well.



The video covers 15 days starting from the 2nd day of planting the Black Beauty grass seed.



I was surprised that Black Beauty appeared to do better in these low light conditions compared to the Dense Shade mix but the Dense Shade also had a number of issues going against it.









Black Beauty is on the left and Dense Shade on the right. Under these conditions where I could easily keep the soil moist and no direct sun was hitting the seeds to dry them out the seeds started to germinate very quickly. I used a homemade guide and a pair of scissors to cut the grass evenly a few times during the video.



I used to move the Dense Shade container onto a sunny window sill every couple of days so it could get some direct sunlight. After starting the time lapse video I had to keep the container in the same spot (more or less). At some point I started using a small desk to illuminate part of the containers to give the video a more even appearance. The side of the Dense Shade container that had direct light on it 24 hours a day from a very low wattage desk lamp did much better than the other side of the container that only had some indirect sunlight through North facing windows. The Black Beauty container on the other hand did well all over.



There were a few things going against the Dense Shade mix. First I used grass seed that was over 2 years old that gave me poor germination. Second, the potting mix was infested with fungus gnats. I used neem oil to kill them but I saw the larvae crawling around in the video a few times.



The Black Beauty didn't seem to have the same issues with the fungus gnats or at least not as bad. In the video it looks like there might have been some but the grass had grown in very thick and it was hard to see the potting mix. I did see some fungus gnats landing on the blades of grass but they may have come from the other container.



Black Beauty, as some other TTTF grass varieties are infected with endophytes (a beneficial fungus) that helps control insects. That might be the reason that there wasn't a problem but another reason might be because I didn't plant them both at the same time. I used Jungle Growth's Organic Potting Mix and I've seen other complaints about fungus gnat infestation but from what I also read this is a problem with many different potting mixes. I planted the Dense Shade as soon as I opened the bag of potting mix while it was still moist. Black Beauty on the other hand was planted weeks later and I had already filled the container with the potting mix. During those weeks the mix had dried out. This might have killed off any eggs or larvae in that container.



I chose to plant the grass in a container because it was the middle of summer and way too hot to plant the grass outdoors in a test plot and I wanted to get at least some sense of what Black Beauty might look like. So far it seems like a pretty decent grass mix with very good germination and nice color. It's also a little cheaper and more readily available than what some consider elite grass seed.



You can also read more of my thoughts on Black Beauty as well as why I'm considering Turft-Type Tall Fescue instead of Kentucky Bluegrass..

The leaf blower, an odd name considering I hardly ever use it to blow leaves. It's the last tool used after edging, mowing and trimming my lawn. Until recently it was my least favorite part lawn care because I used an old corded blower. The last few weeks however I've been using a Ryobi 40V Cordless Blower which has made cleaning up after mowing is a lot easier than it used to be.



Sometimes I was lazy and leave the clippings alone and let the wind and rain eventually take care of them. This left the property looking unkempt for a couple of days but the cordless blower is such a joy to use I don't think I'll ever have that problem again.



Included in my review of the Ryobi 40V Blower is a video demonstrating how well it works in different applications.



When it's time to use a blower I've already been out in the heat for a considerable amount of time and all I want to do is get out of the sun and jump in the shower. Wrapping and unwrapping a long extension cord and avoiding getting it tangled up may not seem like a big deal but when you're tired, hot, sweaty and thirsty it seems like forever.



One way or another I needed to cut the cord either by getting a gas powered blower or a cordless leaf blower. When selecting a blower I was looking for one that would:

• blow grass cuttings, dirt and other debris from mowing off my driveway and sidewalks and back onto my lawn.


• blow dirt and clippings out of the slit created from my edger so I have a clean, well-defined edge.


• blow leaves, seed pods, needles and other debris off my hardscapes and onto my lawn.


• blow debris and leaves out of garden beds.


• be relatively quiet.


• be easy to handle.


• be durable.


• quick and easy to use.


• have enough run time to get the job done.

You'll notice that almost everything I do with a blower involves blowing grass clippings, dirt and leaves off of hard surfaces and onto my lawn. I don't use a leaf blower to blow leaves off my lawn in the fall. Instead I mulch mow fall leaves into the lawn because it provides nutrients and organic matter which helps the grass and improves the soil.



A cordless blower should be enough for my needs and it will be quieter and easier to maintain than a gas powered blower. The Ryobi 40V Cordless Blower seems to be the best cordless blower currently on the market.



The following video shows the Ryobi RY40410 Cordless Blower in action cleaning up after mowing and trimming my lawn.

Ryobi 40V Cordless Blower Features

There were a few key features that made the Ryobi Blower stand out among other cordless blowers:

40V Li-Ion Battery

The higher the battery voltage, the more efficient the use of battery power so a larger voltage battery allows you to use a more powerful motor. Assume a 1amp motor on a 20V battery and you'd get 20 Watts of power output. If connected to a 1 amp hour battery the motor could run for 1 hour. Same setup except battery and motor are at 40 volts and you'll get 40 watts of power and the same run time. Or you can get twice the run time using the same power motor. Ryobi seems to have struck a good balance between power and run time and the RY40410 could be a good alternative to gas mowers for some commercial landscapers.



The lithium ion battery technology also offers a lot of benefits over the older nicad batteries. Self discharge is less so you don't have to keep the battery on the charger. There's a more even power curve so the tool doesn't slowly get weaker as the battery drains and li-ion batteries are lighter than their ni-cad equivalents and don't suffer from memory issues that can reduce usable life. Li-ion batteries also charge much faster than nicads and the Ryobi 40V battery can be fully recharged in 90 minutes using the quick charger.




One cool feature of the OP4026 Battery is that there's a built in charge indicator. Press the question mark (?) button and 4 LED's will let you know how much power is left in the battery without having to insert the battery in the charger.



The quick charger that comes with the Ryobi 40V Blower Kit is the type of smart charger you would expect to get with a lithium ion cordless tool. It's smart enough to know if the battery is too hot or too cold and will wait for it to get to the correct temperature range before it begins charging and will monitor the charge level as it goes to prevent damaging the battery. The charger can sit on a workbench or it can be mounted on a wall using 2 screws.



To extend the battery's life at the end of the season try and leave the battery in about a 1/2 charged state and store ot in a cool dry place.

Long Run Time

The battery also lasts a long time. I tried to run the Ryobi Cordless Blower until the battery fully discharged. It took me about 10 minutes to blow my walks, driveway and other hardscaped areas after mowing and trimming, then I kept going for another 5 minutes going over the same areas to try and run the battery more. I spent just over 15 minutes outside using the blower before I got tired of being out in the sun so I moved indoors and continued to run the blower for another 10 minutes.



When I placed the battery in the charger 2 LED lights lit up and the third was blinking indicating I hadn't even discharged half the battery after over 25 minutes of on and off use using the blower and simulating how I would use it with 50 seconds on, 10 seconds off.

Quiet

Leaf blowers are notoriously loud. When I happen to be home when one of my neighbor's landscapers comes to mow the lawn it's not the gas mower, or trimmers that are a problem, it's the leaf blower. I can't leave my windows open when they start blowing because it's so loud and annoying. Unfortunately blowers are the most efficient way to clean up the landscape after mowing.



The Ryobi 40V Blower, unlike it's gas powered big brothers, is much quieter. According to the specs it operates at 65dB which is somewhere between a normal conversation and an upright vacuum cleaner. All I know is that holding the Ryobi blower a few feet from my ears during operation wasn't a problem while listening to gas powered blowers over 100 feet away is so loud and irritating I want to astroturf the whole block.



Since I mow my lawn on the weekends when my neighbors are more likely to home it's nice to know that I'm not ticking anyone off by using my blower.

Powerful Enough

Ryobi claims that air comes out of the blower at 155 MPH when using the removable high velocity tip. It has enough power to do all the jobs I need it to do adequately. I won't be able to efficiently blow a sidewalk clear of leaves from 50' away or roll a bowling ball up a hill like I might be able to do with a super high powered gas blower but I'd never have a need for that and don't have to worry about annoying the neighbors or damaging my hearing.



Based on how much run time I got I think Ryobi chose to use the extra power from the 40V battery to extend the run time rather than increase blower power compared to their older models. With a couple of extra batteries and possibly a 12V inverter to power the charger from a truck battery I think the Ryobi RY40410 cordless blower will be an attractive alternative to commercial landscapers that want to reduce noise pollution. This would be particularly important in municipalities that have banned or are considering a ban on gas leaf blowers.



The Ryobi blower has enough power to get the job done with a traditional edge, mow, trim and blow service without kicking up as much dust or creating as much noise as a gas blower and it's much quicker than using a rake or broom.

Comfortable Handle With Variable Speed Trigger

The rubber coated handle on the blower is very comfortable and easy to hold. It's symmetrical and will work well if you're lefty or righty.



The positioning of the variable speed trigger is in just the right spot and operates very smoothly. Reducing the power output of the blower makes it easy to clear out more delicate areas like gravel or mulch beds.



Even with the battery the tool is very light and the size and handle design make it easy to position the end of the blower where you need it without straining yourself. I never felt my arm or hand get tired or cramped even when I used it for the extended period where I made the video and tried to drain as much of the battery as I could.

Long Blower Tube

The design of the Ryobi blower, including the length of the blower tube with high velocity tip is such that when holding the blower in a normal straight-arm fashion the end of the tube is very close to the surface you're clearing. I'm about 6' tall and I didn't have to bend over or twist the handle in an awkward way to get the nozzle down closer to the ground.



The closer the end of the tube is to the objects you're blowing the more effective the blower will be. This seems to be a problem with some of the other cordless blowers I've seen that have shorter tubes.



The design of the handle makes it easy to adjust the pitch of the blower to adjust for your height or the height of the area you're blowing without feeling any strain.

Solid Construction

The blower comes in 4 pieces (plus the charger) that are easy to snap together without any tools. The housing and blower tubes are all pretty thick plastic that looks like it can stand up to a decent amount of abuse. At one point I bumped the end of the blower up against a wall which knocked the high velocity tip off the tube but it survived the impact without damage and popped right back on.

Ryobi 40V Blower Uses

The Ryobi Cordless Blower works best on hard surfaces but is powerful enough to move some debris from within the lawn but that's not something I normally do. Anything that falls on my lawn and decomposes quickly I keep on my lawn because as it decomposes it provides nutrients (including nitrogen) to the lawn and adds organic material to the soil. In fact I use the blower to get any clippings and leaves that are on my walkways or driveway back onto the lawn.

Clearing Debris from Walkways/Driveway

After mowing and edging a lot of grass clippings and grass wind up on the concrete surrounding the lawn. In addtion, this time of year a lot of seed pods fall from a maple tree which litter the area along with some small twigs. The Ryobi blower had ample power to blow all of this material back onto the lawn where it can decompose and enrich my soil while leaving my driveway and walkways looking clean.



The blower had some problems getting some of the seed pods past the edge of the lawn. My corded blower has the same problem. It's more of an problem getting the right angle to get the seed pods to jump up past the edge of the lawn since it's higher than the concrete. A little up and down motion with the nozzle and the seed pods cleared the taller grass. The design and balance of the blower made this easy to do without causing any strain to my arm or hand.

Clearing Lawn Edge

One of the nicest things about edging a lawn is getting that small little groove between the lawn and the concrete. Using a blower clears out the loose dirt and grass clippings which makes this effect more pronounced. Unfortunately it rained the day before the video and there was a lot of rain in the forecast so I wouldn't be able to edge the whole lawn but I did a small section and found the Ryobi blower had no problem cleaning out the fresh cut groove in the edge.

Clearing Debris From Concrete Joints

A lot of dirt and plant material collects in the stress cracks that are put in concrete as well as clippings from weeds that sometimes grow there. The blower was able to get these cleaned out without a problem.

Clearing Stone Patio

A lot of debris winds up on my patio. Things like plant cuttings, dropped blooms from plants, needles from nearby trees, the occasional dried up weed I toss there after pulling, dead bugs and bits of mulch. These blew off without any issue.

Needles and Other Dirt from Gravel

A small section of my property uses 3/8" pea gravel instead of the cedar mulch I use elsewhere. It looked great when first put in but there are a lot of evergreens in that area and over the years they've dropped a lot of needles that just collect on the gravel. It can't be raked, hosing it down doesn't wash the needles away and my old blower would blow the pebbles away with the needles.



The variable control of the Ryobi 40V blower as well as adjusting the angle and distance to the gravel allowed me greater control and I was ale to clear much of the dead needles out of the gravel bed without blowing rocks everywhere. The blower is powerful enough to knock the stones away at full power and a different angle but with a little more practice I think I can get better control.

Wet Clumps of Grass and Weeds

Where my driveway apron meets the asphalt street a small gap has formed where some weeds grow. When it rained the day before some grass clippings from my neighbor got caught in the weeds and when I used my trimmer to cut back the weeds I wound up with heavy, wet clumps of vegetation.



I thought the cordless blower might have some trouble here but I was surprised to see it clear the area quickly.

Leaves On Grass

It's too early in the year so there were only a few fallen leaves on my lawn that blew off the grass easily even though it had rained the day before.  I don't know if it can blow away soggy, wet, matted down leaves from the lawn but it can help blow leaves around and distribute them more evenly before mulch mowing.



The maple seed pods however were harder to blow out of the lawn as were some petals from a hibiscus that dropped it's blooms. That didn't bother me as these are things I like to keep on the lawn to feed the soil and I've never tried blowing them off with another blower.

Basically Any Hard Surface

Any hard surface outdoors you'd normally use a broom or a hose to clear off you can use the blower instead. Things like your garage, your pick-up bed, boat, etc. It'll be easier and quicker than a broom or hose and won't waste water. It will kick up some dust but not as much as a gas blower.

Conclusion

The Ryobi 40V Cordless Blower saves me a few minutes and a bit of bending over each week versus using a corded blower but it does it at the end of my weekly mowing when I'm already exhausted and want to get out of the heat. Those few minutes saved are very much appreciated.



The lithium ion battery retains it's charge longer and the blower has a long run time so even if I forget to charge the battery from the week before there's enough juice left in the battery clear my walkways. If not it only takes about 90 minutes to go from a drained battery to a fully charged one.



It's light and extremely comfortable to use. Best of all it has enough power to clear my property without making me deaf or scaring every animal in a 2 block radius.



The only drawback of the Ryobi 40V cordless trimmer is that it's more expensive than other cordless blowers but if you use other Ryobi 40V cordless tools you can share batteries and buy tools without the battery. The battery is the most expensive part of this kit. The long run time of these batteries makes sharing batteries easier than other brands. Price is comparable to some of the lower end, but still good quality gas power leaf blowers and offers the benefits of not having the hassle of gas, oil, spark plugs and so much noise.

Where To Buy

Currently the Ryobi 40V Cordless Blower is only available from The Home Depot. I couldn't find it in my local stores but it is available online.

If you're searching the web for the best grass seed to plant in your lawn you undoubtedly came across references to elite grass in lawn and gardening forums, marketing and even university turf trial documents.



 It seems like people are giving a lot of weight to this term and it almost seems as if you don't use elite seed while renovating your lawn your lawn won't be as nice, it will have tons of problems, your neighbors will hate you and your kids won't get into a good school. Might as well save money and just plant hay if you're not using elite grass seed. So let's go out and buy a bag of elite grass seed so we don't ruin little Johnny's future! But what makes one grass seed elite and another not elite?

There's No Such Thing As Elite Grass!

So you go to your local garden center and check all the bags and none of them contain the word "elite".  After searching online you see that it's not a brand or a variety of grass and it seems like most people are special ordering it online from places like SeedSuperStore.com but you go there and there are no grass seeds labeled elite. Maybe you need to call someone and give them a special codeword so they know you're cool and let you in on the good stuff?



The truth is there is no such thing as elite grass. At least not in any official capacity anyway and even unofficially it's somewhat meaningless. There is no particular grass variety, cultivar or official designation or even official criteria for grass which allows one grass to be considered elite and another not. It's not even that descriptive like "delicious" that one might use for food. Even though taste is subjective it does give you some idea about what quality is being described whereas elite tells you nothing.



For years I've been trying to find a good definition for elite grass because some grass cultivars people were recommending and calling elite didn't seem to do as great in my area as other grasses which weren't considered elite.

The best definition I received was from Kevin Morris, Executive Director of the National Turfgrass Evaluation Program (NTEP):

There really are no criteria for the elite designation. The company [or breeder] may have a variety that is superior in one or more ways....Kevin Morris, Executive Director NTEP

Does that particular grass cultivar have exceptional disease resistance? Does it have a very dark color? Does it have great texture? It could be called elite if any of those are true even if those characteristics only appear under specific conditions.



I have a little bit of a problem whith grass being referred to as elite because it's usually used along with other data that is a little more concrete and it makes the elite designation sound more official than it is.

Official Seed Certifications

Sod Quality

Turf Trials

As you can see the Jonathan Green Black Beauty Grass I'm growing indoors in a container had gotten over 3" tall and was starting to look a bit ragged so I thought today would be a good time to trim my indoor lawn.



Obviously I can't use my lawn mower so I needed to come up with another way to get a nice, even, level cut for my indoor lawn.



I created a cutting guide and I'm using a pair of scissors to mow my indoor grass. I'll describe how I made the mowing guide and how I used it below.

Indoor Grass Cutting Guide

I wanted to cut my indoor grass at about 2.5". This would keep it at a height where it should be able to stand up on it's own, even when it starts getting thicker, and it would also be tall enough to give visual interest.



I cut 2.5" wide strips out of a hanging file folder. You could use other similar thin cardboard material. I then folded the cardboard at 90 degrees at the corners and sized it so it would rest along the rim of my container. I used staples to connect the pieces.






This gave me a guide all the way around the grass container that I could use to get a nice even cut and I could rest the scissors gently on the edge to establish my height.

Fiskars Cuts+More Scissors

Having a long pair of scissors makes it easy to get an even cut but I couldn't find an old pair of scissors I had that were long enough. Okay, maybe I just needed an excuse to by a new toy and the Fiskars Cuts+More Titanium Shear looked like a great pair of scissors that would not only be work well at cutting my indoor lawn but also be useful in the garden in many other ways.



The total length of the scissors is 9" but the cutting blades are only about 3.75" long. The titanium blades are sharp right out of the package and to help keep the blades sharp so they don't damage the grass tips there's an easy to use ceramic sharpening rod built into the plastic sheath that's included with the scissors. The scissors are backed by Fiskars Lifetime Warranty.



As the name implies, this is more than just a pair of scissors. The sheath also includes a tape cutting tool which can be used to open boxes. The back end of the scissors can be used to cut thin wire.



There is a sharp notch on the outside edge of one of the blades that is used to cut thin twine and larger rope can be cut with the scissors by placing it all the way down into the curved area near the joint.



When the scissors are closed the protruding tip is rounded over to keep you from poking things that don't want to be poked with sharp things but the other blade contains a sharp awl tip. By opening the scissors all the way you can separate the blades and use the black blade, with the awl tip, as a knife. It even has a small set of teeth (like one of those Rambo survival knives without the compass, matches, fishing line and hooks) that could be used for some very light duty sawing.



The plastic handles appear to be durable and firmly attached to the titanium blades anre are very comfortable. The scissors are designed for a right-handed person. They're usable if you're a lefty but the way the curves in the handles don't feel as comfortable. When using the scissors with my left hand my knuckles were hitting the top of the finger hole in a way that they weren't when using my right hand.



When you're done working on your landscape there's even a bottle opener to crack open a nice cold one while you relax.

Mowing The Indoor Lawn

Using my Fiskars Cuts+More scissors lightly resting on the cardboard cutting guide I worked my way around the grass to even out the height. Since the cardboard is thin I was careful to not distort it too much or push it so that it falls off the rim.






After the majority of the grass was cut I removed the guide and inspected the grass from a lawn from a low angle to see if there were any blades that were missed and I cut them freehand.



The Fiskars scissors gave a nice clean cut like a reel mower would give. Reel mowers are great for young grass and they seem to be recommended especially for tall fescue because the wider blades and stiffer plant appear to be damaged by rotary mower blades more easily. Jonathan Green claims their Black Beauty grass isn't ass susceptible as other tall fescues.



After I was done cutting I brushed the blades of the grass back and forth with my fingers to work the clipping down to the soil where it will eventually break down and return nitrogen to the grass. Fresh, new, healthy grass feels great. It almost feels like rubber.



The end result was a more uniform looking desk lawn :)