Twin Honda Harmony 2013 riding mowers

Check out our latest editions to the fleet. Two Honda Harmony tractors. It just so happened that these two identical tractors came up for sale in the same week. UPDATE: I finished the electric start conversion on the first Honda. I left the pull start top on for backup, which was good because the baterry I picked out for it was dead!

AMP Rider by Ariens Electric Riding Lawn Mower

AMP Rider by Ariens, an all-electric riding lawn mower, which delivers as much drive and cutting power as a conventional gas-powered riding mower without the emissions, oil, belts or noise associated with gasoline-powered mowers. The AMPTM Rider was designed to meet a growing market need for all-electric riding mowers that can match the power, cutting precision and reliability of gas-powered riding mowers offered by Ariens. Ariens is the first company to offer a riding electric mower in …

1993 14hp Murray riding mower

I love it!

Grass Seed Varieties for a New Lawn

When you are preparing a new lawn you will need to select between grass seed or laying turf. Making use of grass seed is very much cheaper than turf and has the benefit that you have a wider range of different kinds of lawn seed to pick from. The best time to seed your lawn is in the Spring or early fall as you require damp and reasonably warm conditions. The summer isn’t an ideal time to begin a lawn as you will have to water two or three times a day and too hot conditions aren’t ideal for the young seedlings to develop.

Different sorts of grasses mature at diverse rates so how long it takes for your new grass to be mature enough to use will be dependant on the species and the combination of grass seed that you use. You will also want to consider what type of grass seed you need. There are specific shade grass seed for areas that don’t get lots of sunshine, sunny grass seed for spots that do! An exceptionally well-liked product is Scotts grass seed.

Preparing The Area

In advance of seeding the lawn you need to prepare the site correctly. The area you have chosen must be dug carefully and all stones taken out and sizeable clods broken up. Rake over the section and compact lightly with your heels. The surface should then be scraped lightly to make furrows for the seeds.

Seeding the Lawn

There are two techniques used for seeding a lawn, by hand and by the use of a machine. To use a machine, weigh out the amount of seed mixture required for your area then place half into the machine and seed by working up and down the section in strips. When you reach end of each strip, to avoid over-seeding, either cover the ground with some plastic or shut off the holes in the machine. You could use canes set into the ground or twine to guide you. At this point place the remainder of the seeds in the machine and, walking perpendicular to the initial rows, complete sowing the lawn.

If you are seeding the lawn by hand it’s a good idea to partition the area into pieces of a square meter using cord and canes. Work out how much lawn seed you need for each segment, weight this out and place in a small container. Make a note of approximately how much this is so that you will not need to repeat the weighing each time. Evenly sow the first section, setting the seeds in both directions to make sure that they’re spread evenly. Now restock the pot to around the same height as before and sow the next segment. Carry on until the whole area is finished.

Once the entire area has been sown rake over gently and water completely.Through the following seven days to fourteen days make sure that you water consistently if it doesn’t rain. The seedlings will begin to come through during this time.

When to Mow a New Lawn

As soon as the grass seedlings are in the region of 4 cm high you can mow the grass for the first time by using a rotary lawn mower. Take care to collect grass trimmings or use a rake and be careful not to disturb the young seedlings.

For more information see Lawn Care Grass Information

Looking After Your Lawn in Winter

During winter you should ensure that there is no new leaf growth on your lawn as this may make it more likely to succumb to diseases and pests. To do this gradually, decrease the height of the cutting blade of your lawnmower until you are practically shaving the lawn. Do this in stages over the course of a few weeks as you do not want to suddenly remove all the leaf tissue or inflict extra damage to the turf. You should not let the grass grow longer than 2 inches during the cold weather.

Apply top dressing to the lawn in the late fall. Although it will not be used by the lawn over the cold weather it will be stored in the roots and be instantly usable by the grass in the Spring as new growth starts again. Bare or brown areas can be reseeded in the Fall. During the colder weather the grass seeds will germinate.

Remove any rubbish from the lawn before the first snowfall. This may include branches, logs, children’s toys, pots etc. If not removed when it begins to snow they will smother the grass underneath the blanket of snow and may cause damage which can make the lawn vulnerable to disease. During the cold season, although the lawn grass grows more slowly weeds will thrive so you need to weekly take out weeds to keep them from harming the turf.

Also you need to water the lawn through the cold season, although less than you would during the warmer weather. For most grass varieties watering every week should be sufficient. Some species, such as rye grass, Kentucky Bluegrass and tall Fescue grow well in the colder weather and should benefit from watering and fertilising at this time.

Should you use a sprinkler system remove all the water to prevent damage when the temperature drops to below freezing. You do not want to get it out in the Spring only to find damaged pipes.

With care your grass will survive the cold weather in excellent shape and be healthy when it starts to grow again in the Spring.  Winter lawn care is not difficult if you stick to our guidelines. You’ll find more information on lawn mowers and lawn care at lawn mower reviews.

Cub Cadet Riding Mower Being Driven Around Our Farm

A video of my wife driving a really nice Cub Cadet model 1030 riding mower around our farm.