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Bobcat Introduces TL623 Telehandler
Jessica Schwartz
Best Practices: Raise Your Mowing Game
How often do you mow customer lawns during the spring and fall compared to the summer? What type of equipment do you use? What heights are the blades? If any of the lawns you service are poor shape, and you’ve been watering and fertilizing regularly, examine the mowing practices being used. Following is guidance offered from three university extensions around the United States. As these are specific to the region, keep that in mind. (If you have mowing best practices to share with fellow readers, send an e-mail with a brief overview to Turf at acosgrove@groupc.com.) Colorado State University Extension provides this insight for turf in that region (Lawn Care, Fact Sheet No. 7.202): “The two most important facets of mowing are mowing height and frequency. The minimum height for any lawn is 2″. The preferred mowing height for all Colorado species is 2.5″ to 3″. Mowing to less than 2″ can result in decreased drought and heat tolerance and higher incidence of insects, diseases, and weeds. Mow the turf often enough so no more than one-third of the grass height is removed at any single mowing. If your mowing height is 2″, mow the grass when it is 3″ tall. You may have to mow a bluegrass or fescue lawn every three to four days during the spring when it is actively growing but only once every seven to 10 days when growth is slowed by heat, drought, or cold. Buffalograss lawns may require mowing once every 10 ...
Mowing With Martha Stewart
“As landscape professionals, we are on a constant quest to create that picturesque and sustainable lawn. Juggling the expected (events and deadlines) with the unexpected (weather, staffing, pests) is simply our way of life. As property foreman for Martha Stewart’s residential farm, I don’t just work for Martha, I often work with her. “People are often surprised as to how hands-on Martha Stewart is on her farm; she works the land and gets her hands dirty. Of course, she’s also juggling a full schedule of appearances and media events, so that’s where I come in, to help keep everything running,” says Chhiring Sherpa, property foreman. “Martha and I work side-by-side to maintain her farm—it’s a 152-acre constant work-in-progress.” Stewart’s Bedford, NY farm spans varying terrain, from the well-manicured to undeveloped meadows and woodlands. It includes horse paddocks, a fruit orchard, gardens, and the infamous soccer lawn for her grandson that doubles as a “party lawn” for social gatherings. A fleet of four orange mowers and a Kubota M Series tractor stay busy year-round. “We have been using Kubota zero-turn mowers for 15 years on my farm—the reliability and durability is second to none for homeowners and professionals looking for a sleek, comfortable ride and professional results,” Stewart says. “Plus, they are easy and fun to operate.” The approach at the farm is simply to schedule everything, then “roll with it” when changes, events, and Martha herself, want to shake things up. Sherpa took us through his general operating procedures at ...
More Than Just Mowing
As turf contractors begin gearing up for a new season, they are continually looking for ways to boost efficiency and in turn ramp-up productivity. This is where mower attachments and accessories can really shine. Greg Franklin, director of fleet and facilities for Ruppert Landscape, headquartered in Laytonsville, MD, says the right attachments can have valuable benefits. “Our goal is always to be as efficient as possible,” he says. “Mower attachments allow us to have multiple tools available to utilize our equipment to their highest capacity while also maximizing on our capital expenditures.” Joseph Barnes, marketing director for Yellowstone Landscape, headquartered in Bunnell, FL, says that attachments can help maximize the use of a single piece of equipment. And these days, there are attachments for nearly every task. Of course, it boils down to choosing the best options. “Choosing the right attachment or accessory for a mower can be essential to enhancing operation, ride quality, and productivity on certain jobs,” says Chase Tew, John Deere Commercial Mowing. “Select attachments can help the operator to simplify tasks and get through jobs more quickly.” Turf spoke to several mower manufacturers to find out what’s new in smart attachment choices for a mowing operation in 2021. John Deere According to Tew, John Deere offers two types of material collection systems, including a three-bag option and a dump-from-seat solution. With the three-bag system, materials are placed in the attached bags, which the operator can empty after the job is complete. For its Z900 ZTrak™ Zero-Turn ...
