GARDENING
Shorter grass reduces likelihood of mould resulting from matting beneath snow
Cut your lawn shorter before winter
Q I know I shouldn’t be talking about this yet but the question crossed my mind while I was mowing the lawn the other day. Last spring, I noted that my lawn looked very matted and I wondered about the height of the lawn in the fall. I have been making my final cut in the fall the same length as in the summer. What is your opinion on this last cut of the season?
A I always like to reduce the height of my lawn in the fall. If I have been mowing at three inches during the summer then I drop the mower down to two inches in the fall. However, I do that gradually over the last two or three mowings to allow the grass to get accustomed to the shorter height and not get scalped just as the cold weather arrives.
The reason for the shorter length is to avoid the grass getting matted. Matting increases mould growth, and the weight of the snow compacts the matted lawn further, and the lack of air can actually cause the lawn to rot in the spring. Check your lawn for signs of mould in the spring if you are seeing matting already.
Q I love lobelia and try to grow them every year, but I never have much success. They start out looking great and then seem to fizzle as the season goes on. Can you tell me what I’m doing wrong?
A You may not be doing anything wrong. Lobelia are notorious for not liking heat and they also do not like having their feet wet. So this is a bit of a catch-22. You water extra because of the heat and the double whammy of heat plus too much water just exacerbates the problem.
I am speaking here from first-hand experience. This year I bought a stunning hanging basket chocked full of white petunias, lobelia, and at least six other varieties of annuals. It was beautiful! Yes, I do buy hanging baskets made by someone else when it looks as good as this one did. Within a month the lobelia looked terrible. I had been using ultrabloom fertilizer regularly as well. Too much water and too much heat and bye bye lobelia.
I have learned my lesson and will be making my own baskets, or at least buying ones readymade that have the techno heat varieties of lobelia. This variety is much more tolerant of the heat than other types.
Q Is it really necessary to roll sod? I seem to remember a pamphlet from the University of Alberta on lawn building, which said that it was of no benefit to use a lawn roller when installing sod. Also, do I need to make sure the edges are touching or does that not matter?
A Like so many other topics in gardening, there may be more than one answer to the question. Personally, I have always rolled my sod and will continue to do so. My reasoning is that I feel that I get better root-to-soil contact with rolling. Often sod gets kinked and bent as it is cut and stacked. When you lay it there may be sections that do not touch the soil because the sod section had been bent. Rolling helps press these sections down into the soil.
There is no need to roll with the full weight of the roller. In other words, if you are using a water-filled roller, drain away two-thirds of the water before rolling. You are looking for light pressure only.
The other topic of discussion when installing sod is whether you should be taking the time to butt the edges up by hand ensuring good contact. Years ago when I had my landscape contracting business I used to take the time to butt every edge by hand. I found that these edges never turned yellow like the ones that were just thrown down and not butted by hand.
Good luck and happy gardening!