I like to think of myself as a "Jackson" jack of all trades. Now some would think that I say that in a way that is saying I could be better than some. I say it in a way that I hope that people will ask me about something, anything that might help them out just a little or a lot. I think coming into this business after 15yrs of being a private investor and also a teacher at all levels has given me lots of insight to this life and I just want to share it with everyone. I was taught a long time ago that we didn't invent or come up with some of the great ideas that have helped us along the way. I know when I learn new marketing ideas, gardening ideas, or any ideas I feel could help anyone I like to share it. I would hope all agents feel the same way, but I know better and this business is not that way. My job in this business is to make sure my clients are taken care of from day one until they or I no longer want to continue this relationship with one another. It does happen. You will see that I said "or I" yes. I have no problem ending a relationship with a client if I feel that are trying to take advantage of me or that we just are not seeing eye to eye any longer. Today I'm going to pass along some gardening ideas I feel are helpful and by any-means please do not think these are my ideas. With all of this said my job is to take the information that is out there and pass it along to my clients to save them time, hassle money and to make their life easy. At least that is my goal!
It's easy to keep your lawn green over winter
Cindy McNatt Garden columnist
The Orange County Register
Go to our Online Garden Center
cmcnatt@ocregister.com
One of my favorite winter scenes is a dormant Bermuda lawn that has been over-seeded with annual rye. Rye grass offers that fresh apple-green swath at a time of year when the rest of landscape can look a bit dull.
For the past few years though, annual rye has been hard to find. The big-box stores where I used to buy it now offer only perennial rye. While perennial rye grass grows well in our area, it takes longer to sprout, is darker in color and comes back the following winter patchy at best.
Orange County Farm Supply in Orange sells annual rye seed by the pound. Go in with the approximate square footage of your lawn, and the staff will help you figure out how much you need. The general rule is 1 pound of annual rye seed per 100 square feet of lawn.
Annual rye grass is a cool-season lawn. If kept moist (a challenge during Santa Ana winds), the seed will sprout in seven days. It will keep growing green into early summer or about the time your Bermuda lawn has bounced back from winter dormancy.
The heat that gets your Bermuda lawn up and growing is the heat that will kill back your winter rye.
There are rules floating around about scalping your Bermuda lawn and raking it with a steel rake before you sow the seed. I don't do either.
I do sow seed on the day of my weekly mowing to give it a week to take hold so it doesn't get sucked up by the lawn mower.
If your lawn is very dry you may want to saturate before you sow your seed. Run your sprinklers twice a day for 20 minutes, for about three days.
Right after your lawn has been mowed, scatter a complete fertilizer with numbers like 10-10-10 or 16-16-16 or close to it. Then hold the rye-seed bag in one hand and scatter the seed with the other.
I walk in fairly precise rows sowing the seed lightly and evenly. (If you sow too thick the new rye blades will be clumpy and will eventually turn to mush.) Then I go in the opposite direction, for instance, first north to south, then east to west.
You can lightly cover your seed with manure to ensure contact with the soil. You especially will want to cover seed sown in bare spots.
I don't rake and I don't use a topper. I pull out the hose and wash the seed and fertilizer below the top layer of my Bermuda lawn so that both the seed and fertilizer make contact with the soil below. But be careful when you wash your seed in so that you don't inadvertently wash it away.
This is critical: Keep the seed moist until it sprouts in seven to 10 days. I water at least twice a day, once in mid-morning and again in the evening.
Once your rye lawn is evenly sprouted, water as usual - which could be two to three days a week, depending on your soil type.
Mow your annual rye lawn with the mower set on a 2-inch-high setting so that your green swath grows above your dormant lawn.
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