For years developers have been scraping the topsoil (8-12 inches) from properties and selling it to sod farms. It's another way that land can be monetized and topsoil is a valuable commodity that contains minerals and nutrients from years of plant and animal decomposition.
Nutrient rich topsoil can make or break a lawn or home garden and if you are struggling to keep yours thriving it could be because you are planting in dirt that is deficient of topsoil.
From the developers point of view there is money to be made with topsoil but it is also not the most ideal foundation for a house to be built on. Foundations need to be poured into a solid clay foundation so topsoil needs to be removed but that doesn't mean it should be sold and carted away. It should be redistributed around the property once a home is built to help landscape and lawns grow.
By adding chemicals and overwatering lawns that will never grow we are wasting resources and burning the land. Make sure you check the PH levels of your soil and if you are considering purchasing a home from a developer ask what has happened to the topsoil.
What do you think about the practice of removing topsoil? Is your lawn or garden suffering because of this?
Spring is here which means it's time to get your yard back in shape. Instead of fixing up your old gas trimmer or or dull hedger, enter to Win a new Black & Decker cordless 36V trimmer or hedge trimmer.
Black & Decker invited us to test both tools and we were very impressed. They both pack plenty of power and the battery runtime is more than enough for most homeowner landscapes.
Kicking the gas habit has a lot of advantages. Between clean up, pull cords, storage and making sure you have fuel on hand, you're wasting time you'd rather spend doing other things.
Black & Decker's 36V cordless electric lawn and garden tools are built for performance, speed and convenience. All the power of gas with just the touch of a button and none of the mess. Electric lawn equipment is lighter, cleaner and greener.
HOW TO ENTER
Leave a comment below stating why you want to "Kick Gas".
You can enter once-per-day to increase your odds of winning.
Make sure you provide a working email in the comment form so we can contact the winner.
PRIZE
We will randomly select TWO WINNERS
One winner will receive a Black & Decker 36V Cordless Trimmer and the other will receive a Black & Decker 36V Cordless Hedge Trimmer.
GIVEAWAY DEADLINE
We will select TWO random winners at 12 midnight EST on April 23rd, 2012 and they will be notified immediately.
I knew very little about grass seed before my visit last week to NexGen Turf Research. I've recently laid sod and tried my best to keep it alive and green but unfortunately it has decided not to cooperate and has gone spotty and brown in some areas.
After receiving the invite from Pennington Seed to learn more about how grass seed is developed (a lengthy process), packaged and used, I jumped at the opportunity.
Cutting Edge Plant Seed Science
NexGen Turf Research is located in the Willamette Valley near Albany, Oregon which is called the "Grass Seed Capital of the World", and for good reason. There are very few places in the world that can boast a location as prime for growing grass seed. The combination of mild but wet winters and a flat valley location next to a mountain range separating it from the ocean, makes this part of the world the perfect place to not only grow grass seed but make some of the countries best varietals for wine. We saved the vineyards for our next visit as this trip was all about grass seed.
Pennington Seed began as a family-owned American company that was originally a seed store in Madison, Georgia. It has grown to become a world leader in grass seed manufacturing and acquired NexGen, the largest private grass research facility in the U.S.A., to further their commitment to developing drought-tolerant and superior grass seed.
Our visit started out at NexGen where we were introduced to their research team led by Kenneth Hignight. Most everyone who we met had dedicated their life's work to plant seed research and I had a few moments to chat with almost all of them. They are passionate about creating superior grass seed and we spent a lot of time discussing the environmental impact of lawns and the value of conserving water.
One of the most fascinating stories about how they acquire seeds to start their research is that they will comb cemeteries looking for the little green grass survivors. Cemeteries often times have lawns that are totally unkept and unwatered and if a seedling can survive there it has great drought-resistant genes.
By developing drought resistant grass seed they can reduce the amount of water needed to keep a lawn alive but the single most important lawn care tip I gleaned from this visit was - "Do Your Research".
Exporting Grass Seed
One of the fastest growing segments of Pennington Seed's business is erosion control. You've probably seen roadside hills and cliffs that are covered in grass and this is probably erosional control seed. Pennington has developed grass seed that has a very strong and deep root system that will strengthen the surface of topsoil which will reduce the amount of erosion due to rain.
This erosional control seed is one of Pennington's largest exports, in fact Pennington Seed exports more than 10 million dollars worth of seed with much of it going to China. They are definitely doing their part to keep a trade balance but we don't often hear stories of American made products being shipped overseas. China has overgrazed their land and during the Beijing Olympics they were concerned with dust bowls. Pennington Seed provided China with their erosion control seed which helped limit and reduce the amount of dust during the games.
What the Pro's Know
They often mentioned "the pro's do this", meaning the guys who manage golf courses, sport stadium grass and sod farms. I asked Ronnie Stapp who is the EVP of Seed Operations what separates the pros from the regular Joe's and he said "The pros know what to expect from their grass seed and how to manage it". We are always looking for a quick fix and don't take the time to research what type of grass seed will work best in our area. Some grass seed will go dormant in the winter and no matter how much you water it will always turn brown. If you know the type of soil you are dealing and the most ideal grass seed you will need for your climate, you have won half the battle. Growing grass is a patient endeavor and it can take 2-3 seasons for a lawn to really take root.
We've been optimistic about battery powered OPE gear but much of what we've seen has been underwhelming. There are battery powered products available but they don't really have much power. The exception to this is the STIHL BGA 85 electric leaf blower. It truly rocks and we were excited to review this unit.
These units have been available in Europe for a couple years and they've only recently introduced them to the US. In our opinion this leaf blower will become de rigueur among homeowners who need a solid solution for clearing their yard but also want an environmentally safe solution.
We spoke to a STIHL rep who introduced us to this product and he has also seen this unit make inroads among commercial landscapers who are now dealing with sound ordinances as well as clean air laws. If this leaf blower can withstand daily use then its more than good enough for a homeowner.
Here's a video showing some of the features as well as the unit in action.
Features
We tweeted a photo of this leaf blower last week before this review and received a lot of great comments as its design is unique and almost sci-fi.
It is well balanced with the battery pack that slides into the back and the large blower nozzle in the front. The handle is sturdy and there is a lock so you don't need to pull the trigger while operating (like cruise control). The power is variable speed so in case you don't want to blow away the whole neighborhood you can simply use as much power as you need.
The battery has a handy "fuel gauge" so you know how much juice you have left and the brushless motor is commercial grade and will last years.
We can't overlook the convenience of battery power. No more messing with gas and oil and the maintenance an engine requires. This lithium-ion battery setup is simple, clean and powerful.
We can see this unit being used with some type of strap as it may get heavy after prolonged use. Some women (and men) as well as older people might get fatigued while holding it. It's not heavy at 10.8 lbs (with the larger battery) but a strap might help some.
STIHL claims it produces air flower of 102 mph at the nozzle and at 64 db it's significantly more quiet than most gas models. STIHL still recommends you use hearing protection when using this blower and they also recommend wearing all the proper safety gear such as goggles and gloves.
We highly recommend this product and believe that other manufacturers better step up quickly or else STIHL will continue to dominate yet another OPE category.
