Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, June 6, 1993 TAG: 9306070264
SECTION: HOMES PAGE: E-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: John Arbogast
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
A: Thanks for a question which allows me to present both sides. It does appear that the "jury is still out" on the debate between the mulching mower and the practice of bagging grass clippings.
Consider these facts regarding mulching mowers:
On the plus side: Leaving a fine amount of grass clippings on the lawn does return nutrients naturally back to the soil; a publication from Virginia Tech says that grass clippings can contain as much as 4 percent nitrogen, one-half percent phosphorus, and about 2 percent potassium in addition to smaller amounts of other essential nutrients.
Also, grass clippings do not contribute to thatch, so that old argument that leaving clippings will lead to a thatch problem is not true. The time spent mowing the lawn should be reduced with a mulching mower since the operator does not have to stop periodically to empty a mower bag.
On the negative side: For the mulching mower system to work properly, the lawn will have to be mowed fairly frequently, especially during times of rapid grass growth; and there is the possibility (not proven yet) that continuously leaving a volume of fine clippings on the surface of a well-fertilized lawn might cause the lawn to become less dense several years in the future.
Consider these facts regarding bagging grass clippings:
A plus is that grass clippings make excellent organic mulch around vegetables and flowers if the clippings do not contain residue of lawn weed killers and if the clippings are used in small increments so they don't smell bad. At the end of the growing season, grass clipping mulch can be rototilled into the soil to add more organic matter for the next year's garden or annual flowers. Also, herbicide-free grass clippings are an excellent source of nitrogen to mix with dry, brown matter in a compost pile to make the compost cook.
On the negative side: Bags of grass clippings sent to landfills can rapidly fill up diminishing landfill space. There is a cost to local governments incurred in picking up and disposing of bags of grass clippings; this cost is paid by the consumers in some localities. But it simply takes more time to mow the lawn when the mower operator has to stop frequently and empty the bag.
Q: I hope you can identify the plant given to us that produced bright pink and orange flowers. The flowers were round and looked like a cross between a marigold and a daisy since the center part was yellow. I believe that the flowers close up at night.
The flowers of this plant have a very hard "straw" feel to them. Our landlady's yard man poked them in the soil last summer when they were very small plants. They died and I didn't dig them up.
Also, we had a very large pine tree cut down last August that grew up against the house. I planted three small azalea plants to help fill in the space and am wondering what is the best way to get rid of this huge stump and grow grass/landscape that huge circle where that tree used to grow. That area is mostly dirt and weeds now. M.K.N., Roanoke
A: Your new flowers sound like some member of the daisy family, possibly a variety of the plant known as strawflower. I am familiar with strawflowers as annuals and was unclear from your letter if the plant you have has come back meaning that it self-seeded itself last year or else is a perennial. Ask the yard man, if he is still available, or ask at a greenhouse or seed store for identification.
The method I am familiar with for eliminating a tree stump is by physical means, either with a stump grinder machine if the stump is accessible or by muscle power with an ax, pick, shovel and a lot of time.
A stump can be covered with a mound of soil, planted with annual flowers and kept damp for two years to cause the wood to soften (rot) and thus be easier to chop out. I don't believe that burning a stump out, a method that was formerly used in some areas, would be allowed for a Roanoke address.
In order to grow grass or otherwise landscape that spot, all the big roots, sawdust and wood chips that were part of the former tree should be dug out to a depth of about 12-to-18 inches. This spot would be a circular area a few feet on any side from the former pine center. That hole should then be filled in with top soil that is similar to the surrounding soil.
The purpose of this is to prevent a potential nutrient deficiency problem that could affect new plants as the recently killed wood parts left in the root area of new plants begin to decay. Also, the removal would make it possible to dig proper holes to plant new landscape plants or bedding plants without continually hitting roots from the former tree.
Then, for the rest of the area under the former pine branches where grass just would not grow because of the pine, mix a 1- or 2-inch thick layer of organic matter into that bare soil with a rototiller before planting anything.
This column can't reply to all letters but will try to answer those of wide appeal each week; some Dear John mail will be saved for printing at times of year when reader mail is sparse.
John Arbogast is the agricultural extension agent for Roanoke.
by CNB