Help Me Take Care Of My Lawn!

Spring has sprung!  Of course, living in Utah, we can never be 100% sure that one last snowstorm will sneak up on us, but for all intents and purposes, we are on the eve of a summer of outdoor fun and adventure.  One of the first steps to segue into spring and summer is by taking care of your lawn, which may or may not have been as battered as normal due to our mild winter.

When caring for your lawn, it's important take the appropriate steps to make sure that it is healthy, green, and beautiful.  Follow the basic steps below to ensure that your lawn is ready for summer barbecues, flag football games, and more.

1.     Follow the One-Third Rule – NEVER cut your grass more than one-third of its current height.  Taking more than that one-third is traumatizing on the grass plant and will lead to unhealthy, dying grass that is hard to treat.  If your lawn needs to be cut by more than this one-third rule of thumb, you can do it in stages over a few days.

2.     Cut Your Grass to the Highest Acceptable Height – By cutting your grass a little longer, you are ensuring that it retains water more than if it were short.  More retained water means greener grass.  While a short lawn may hold some visual appeal, your lawn will brown and the soil will quickly dry and lose crucial nutrients.

3.     Sharpen Your Mower Blades – Unsharpened mower blades take a toll on your grass, as that hack at the grass rather than cut it cleanly.  Grass that has been hacked at is damaged and more prone to not growing healthily.  Blades can be easily sharpened, and should be sharpened at least twice a season.

4.     Fertilize – Fertilizing your lawn ensures that your grass is given the appropriate nutrients to stay healthy and green.  Fertilizer is readily available at any home and garden center, and is easily applied to your lawn.  It's best practice to treat your lawn with fertilizer every 4-6 weeks to keep it looking beautiful and green.

5.     Treat Weeds and Disease – If you have some unsightly brown spots or dandelions, you may have a problem with your lawn.  Insects, disease, and weeds can undermine a dedicated lawn care effort.  There is treatment through various products such as weed and feed, but the best course of action is to consult a lawn care professional for further advice and treatment.

6.     Watering Your Lawn – Deep watering is  When watering, it's more effective to water every few days than for a little bit every day.  Having said that, you will want to give your lawn at least 1 ½ inches of water a week.  Make sure to water it in the mornings to make sure the water doesn't quickly get burned off by the scintillating summer sun.

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Crowell's Flying Wrench is a full-service mobile repair company that comes to you and services your equipment at your convenience.  Our lawn mower repair service in Draper, Utah provides years of experience and friendly service that will leave a lasting impression upon you.  In addition to Draper, we service all of the Salt Lake Valley.  Give us a call today to see how we can help you!

By: Kyson Crowell

How To Care For Your Lawn

It’s easy to look at many of the beautifully manicured yards that exist throughout our neighborhoods and communities and wonder just how they do it.  Pristine lawns and perfect flower beds perfectly complement houses, and it all can make us a little jealous.  Believe it or not, most of these horticultural masterminds were once in our shoes and had to hone their craft through years of trial and error. 

In order to really get your yard looking swell, the main tools for success you will need are a lawn mower and a string trimmer, which is more commonly known as a weed whacker.  It’s more than likely that you already have at least a lawn mower, and you can buy a weed whacker quite affordably. 

When mowing your lawn, it’s important to remember the following steps:

• -        Remember to mow your lawn when the grass is dry
• -        Be sure to adjust the blades to ensure that the grass cut no shorter than least 3 inches
• -        Mow in a distinguished pattern, and change the mowing pattern each time you mow
• -        Always mow with the mower in front of you
• -        Avoid mowing in the heat of the day to prevent heat stress on the grass (and on yourself)
• -        Keep your mower blades sharp and balanced

When trying your hand at weed whacking, remember the following steps:

• -        Hold the weed whacker as close to the ground as possible, then start it
• -        Use a steady side to side motion, walking forward
• -        Make sure to not run the weed whacker on rocks, as they will wear down the line more quickly.
• -        If weeds aren’t being cut immediately, turn the weed whacker off and pull more thread out.

As you hone your craft, mowing will become more easy and enjoyable.  Caring for your lawn mower can seem overwhelming, but as long as you are adding the right kind of fuel and are sharpening the blades regularly (experts agree that blades should be sharpened every 8-12 hours of use), you’ll be ok.  Caring for a weed whacker is fairly simple as well, as you will need to make sure that you have enough line to get the job done, as well as the right kind of fuel, if your weed whacker is gas-powered. 

If you need further repairs, Crowell’s Flying Wrench offers affordable, convenient mobile small engine repair.  Our lawn mower repair in Herriman, UT will come right to you and make sure that your mower or weed whacker is always running like new.  Give us a call at (801) 860-3605 or schedule an appointment on www.crowellsflyingwrench.com today.  We look forward to serving you!

How Long Should Your Grass Be When You Mow It?

Now that spring has sprung, it’s nearly time to dust off your lawn mower and get your yard looking immaculate.  Mowing a lawn is considered an art form by many people, as you will often see various patterns and trims as you head through your neighborhood.  One question that is often asked is regarding the length of cut grass.  The length of grass is vital to keeping a beautiful, green, weed-free yard.

When dealing with grass height, there are several considerations to be taken into account.  By keeping grass at least 3 inches tall until the autumn, you are ensuring that weed seeds from germinating and taking over your yard.  Those nasty crabgrass seeds need light to germinate, and by keeping your grass long, you ensure that doesn’t happen.  Certain species of grass, including bentgrass, Bermudagrass, and seasore paspalum can be cut down as low as one inch, but these are the exception, rather than the rule. 

Also, by keeping it at least 3 inches in length, you are ensuring that your soil doesn’t dry out, which leads to brown grass and overwatering.  Overwatering has become a problem in our Utah communities in the summer, especially with the water conservation acts that have become vital as our population continues to grow. 

It is also important to remember the rule of thirds.  What this means is that when you cut your grass, no more than one-third of the grass plant should be cut at any one time.  Then, after trimming the grass, you will need to wait at least 48 hours before trimming again.  The grass plant is sensitive, while resilient, and cutting it affects the plant, necessitating a 48-hour period to heal.  After these 48 hours have passed, the grass has had an ample opportunity to fully heal, so it can again be trimmed, by that same one-third ratio.

In order to ensure a freshly cut lawn, it’s vital to make sure that your lawn mower is in tip top condition.  If it is in need of service, Crowell’s Flying Wrench will help you get it running like new.  Crowell’s Flying Wrench is a full-service mobile repair company that specializes in small engines.  Our lawnmower repair in Sandy, UT will come to you and get your lawn mower running like new in no time.  Give Crowell’s Flying Wrench a call at (801) 860-3605, or visit our website at www.crowellsflyingwrench.com to schedule an appointment today!

Tips and Tricks for Finding the Perfect Lawnmower for Your Lawn

When it comes time to trim the grass and perform some upkeep on the lawn, the key to making this a hassle-free chore is finding the perfect lawnmower. Just as with any other major project, attempting to tackle this job with the wrong tools means an unnecessary amount of time and energy being spent. For those that have recently begun the process of purchasing their first lawnmower or are simply looking to upgrade, here are some tips to keep in mind to get the most out of every penny invested.



Picking the Right Size

For the vast majority of property owners, a traditional push lawnmower will be sufficient for the weekly or monthly mowing sessions. This style is relatively easy to maneuver in smaller spaces and will stand up to quite a few years of use with the proper maintenance. For those that have larger years in the range of 1 or more acres, it may be best to focus on riding lawnmowers which are more expensive, but will also cut a much larger swath of grass at a quicker rate. The only thing to consider for those with a larger lawn is the amount of room there is to maneuver. If natural or man-made objects such as swimming pools or trees are in the way, a riding lawnmower could still be impractical.



A Closer Look at Blades

Modern lawnmowers have to primary blade setups, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. Much more common is the rotary mower in which a series of blades move in a circle while protected in a metal, plastic, or fiberglass housing. The blades will last quite some time, but there may also be less consistency with the length of the grass. The other style is the reel mower which is generally a little more expensive. Reel mowers have a fixed blade and spinning blades that sheer off grass when stuck between the two types of blades. This style is a good option for those that would like more control over the height of their grass or need to cut their lawn shorter.



Electric or Gas?

It often seems as if almost every landscaping specialist has their own opinion on which type of lawnmower is best when it comes to gasoline powered models or electric models. The advantages of electric models include much less noise while running, less maintenance, and lower running costs over time. The owner will not have to constantly change out spark plugs, oil filters, and many other components of gas mowers. Unfortunately, electric mowers are typically less powerful than gas mowers. Those with medium-sized lawns, uneven lawns, or lawns with thicker grass will want to focus on gas mowers. Those with a smaller and relatively well-maintained yard around their home may prefer electric mowers.



Mulching or Discharge Mowers?

The final decision that must be made is a mulching mower or a discharge lawnmower. A discharge lawnmower has a chute on either the back or along the side in which the clippings are propelled through and collected in a bag. A discharge mower, on the other hand, does not collect the clippings and instead discharges them directly back into the lawn. Discharge mowers are a great idea for those with thick or lush grass that might choke out the nutrients before they reach the soil. For sparse or dry grass, a mulching mower should be used to prevent dead grass from killing off the living grass underneath.

Once the buyer has a general idea of the size and style of lawnmower that they want, it is important to get a hands-on feel for different models. Small changes such as the height of the pushing bar or the ability to quickly release the collection bag can make quite a bit of difference over the years, but owners may not notice these nuances until they see the product firsthand.

Conclusion
If you are looking to better your lawn with a great lawn mower than make sure that you pick the right now. There is nothing worse than getting a lawn mower, using it and then figuring out it's not what you wanted. Do your homework because with a great lawn mower repair company in Salt Lake City you can keep it for a very long time.

By: Kyson Crowell