8 tips for a show-off lawn

What’s the key to growing and maintaining a great lawn? According to animated Texan Hank Hill, it’s “communication.” The propane-promoting protagonist on Fox’s “King of the Hill,” Hill is dedicated to the pursuit of perfectly manicured grass. As he said in one episode, “I've poured my whole life into this lawn. My heart, my soul, the tender feelings I've held back from my family.”

Most people don’t possess this cartoon character’s ability to “communicate” with a lawn. In the real world, great grass is the result of research and some practice. Consumer Reports asked more than 6,000 online subscribers and horticulutural experts (excluding Hill) to tell us what works and what doesn’t to achieve a lawn that's the envy of the neighborhood. Here are a few of the tips from the survey, which appears in the May 2007 issue of Consumer Reports.

• Mow high and regularly.
• Mulch when you mow.
• Water early in the day, and water deeply.
• Fertilize as scheduled throughout the growing season.
• Test your soil.
• Don’t let leaves pile up.
• Consider using a local lawn service and not a national company.
• Supervise the lawn company you hire—you’ll get better results.—Helen A.S. Popkin

Essential information: For more information on repairing your lawn, read “Fixing common lawn problems.” And don’t miss our special yard section in the May 2007 issue—you’ll find 10 ways to make your yard look its best and our latest reports on lawn mowers and tractor. Finally, see our Complete Lawn & Yard Guide; it’s filled with expert advice that will enhance your outdoor space.

Comments

[joy]

The May 2007 article in Consumer Reports about "Lawn Problems" made me think of this, one of my favorite internet "jokes" of all time. Why are you encouraging members to take part in poisoning the planet in order to have a boring, unnatural environment that is as alive as astroturf? joy

"Winterize your lawn," the big sign outside the garden store
commanded. I've fed it, watered it, mowed it, raked it and watched a lot of
it die anyway. Now I'm supposed to winterize it? I hope it's too late. Grass
lawns have to be the stupidest thing we've come up with outside of thong
swimsuits! We constantly battle dandelions, Queen Anne's lace, thistle,
violets, chicory and clover that thrive naturally, so we can grow grass that
must be nursed through an annual four-step chemical dependency. Imagine the conversation The Creator might have with St. Francis about this:

"Frank, you know all about gardens and nature. What in the world is
going on down there ? What happened to the dandelions,
violets, thistle and stuff I started eons ago? I had a perfect,
no-maintenance garden plan. Those plants grow in any type of soil, withstand drought and multiply with abandon. The nectar from the long-lasting blossoms attracted butterflies, honey bees and flocks of songbirds. I expected to see a vast garden of colors by now. But all I see are these green rectangles."
"It's the tribes that settled there, Lord. The Suburbanites. They
started calling your flowers 'weeds' and went to great extent to kill them
and replace them with grass."
"Grass? But it's so boring. It's not colorful. It doesn't attract
butterflies, birds and bees, only grubs and sod worms. It's temperamental
with temperatures. Do these Suburbanites really want all that grass growing
there?"
"Apparently so, Lord. They go to great pains to grow it and keep it
green. They begin each spring by fertilizing grass and poisoning any other
plant that crops up in the lawn."
"The spring rains and cool weather probably make grass grow really
fast. That must make the Suburbanites happy."
"Apparently not, Lord. As soon as it grows a little, they cut it -
sometimes twice a week."
"They cut it? Do they then bale it like hay?"
"Not exactly, Lord. Most of them rake it up and put it in bags."
"They bag it? Why? Is it a cash crop? Do they sell it?"
"No, sir. Just the opposite. They pay to throw it away."
"Now let me get this straight. They fertilize grass so it will grow.
And when it does grow, they cut it off and pay to throw it away?"
"Yes, sir."
"These Suburbanites must be relieved in the summer when we cut back on the rain and turn up the heat. That surely slows the growth and saves them a lot of work."
"You aren't going believe this Lord. When the grass stops growing so
fast, they drag out hoses and pay more money to water it so they can
continue to mow it and pay to get rid of it."
"What nonsense! At least they kept some of the trees. That was a
sheer stroke of genius, if I do say so myself. The trees grow leaves in the
spring to provide beauty and shade in the summer. In the autumn they fall to
the ground and form a natural blanket to keep moisture in the soil and
protect the trees and bushes. Plus, as they rot, the leaves form compost to
enhance the soil. It's a natural circle of life."
"You better sit down, Lord. The Suburbanites have drawn a new
circle. As soon as the leaves fall, they rake them into great piles and have
them hauled away."
"No! What do they do to protect the shrub and tree roots in the
winter and keep the soil moist and loose?"
"After throwing away your leaves, they go out and buy something they
call mulch. They haul it home and spread it around in place of the leaves."
"And where do they get this mulch?"
"They cut down trees and grind them up."
"Enough! I don't want to think about this anymore. Saint Catherine,
you're in charge of the arts. What movie have you scheduled for us tonight?"
"Dumb and Dumber, Lord. It's a real stupid movie about..."
"Never mind. I think I just heard the whole story!!"

[michael and christine brooks]

looking for best buy on composter for garden. Can't find a report on this item.