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Mowing the Lawn, Part 2

I stepped out of my car yesterday and smiled at Thelma.  "It's a good grass day," I said.  She just laughed.  She humors my obsession with—and general failure at—trying to maintain a healthy lawn.

There are two growing seasons around here.  From late Spring to early Fall the grass is usually growing.  The rest of the year the moss is growing.  (The weeds, of course, grow year round.)  We're in the thick of moss season now, but the weather has been unseasonably warm.  Already the primroses are in bloom, the tulips and hyacinths are peeking out of the ground and the grass is growing again.  

Saturday, I dusted off the lawn mower and gave our yard its first clip of the year.  The air was too cool for the scent of fresh cut grass to linger, but I did get to stare and soak in the beauty of an evenly trimmed lawn.  I know my 2o1o grass growing adventure will be full of the inevitable frustration and fretting, but for a few days at least everything is perfect.

I've decided to give my poor grass a sporting chance this year by tackling the moss that chokes out the lawn.  A few weeks ago I put down some Scotts Turf Builder with Moss Control fertilizer.  Normally, I use a hand spreader to apply the fertilizer, but I borrowed my mom's rotary spreader so I could get the application rate just right.  I've been disappointed.  The fertilizer may have some effect still, but the moss killer did next to nothing.  It was a waste of money for more expensive fertilizer.

Thankfully, I went back to Lowes and picked up a bag of NuLife Rid Moss based on the recommendation of a salesman there who said that moss in his yard was turning black within an hour of application and it greened up his lawn.  Sure enough, Braeden and I spread some on the lawn.  The next day (after a fortunate evening rain shower) the moss was already turning black and the lawn looked greener.  There was a distinct transition line to green in the front yard we share with our neighbor.  

I'm so excited, maybe I'll pick up a few more bags and put them on my mom's lawn.  This lawn is too small to contain all my enthusiasm.
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Comments

Olivia Cobian said…
I wish you could spread your enthusiasm over here to us--although moss is never our problem. Our lawn is still covered in snow. Good to know spring is coming--somewhere.
February 13, 2010 at 6:56 PM
Geri said…
Thank you for fertilizing my yard. I have now had to mow it twice which is good for exercise but a horrible reminder of what is to come.
February 21, 2010 at 9:35 PM
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