Often I've preached lawn care as being a 3 legged stool. You see, first there is us the lawn dudes who come in a timely fashion to fertilize, aerate and apply weed control among other things. Then there is you...the happy home owner who waters the lawn, cuts the lawn and enjoys the lawn. Finally, we have the weather... that...hey, wait a minute.
I think we better take a closer look at this wobbly leg.
Let's see...we had a ridiculously warm March that saw weeds up and running before I started lawn 1 of my applications.
In fact, the forsythia bloomed so early that it rendered corn gluten to a hit and run victim before the second week of April.
So we all got fooled into throwing down seed only to have winter return mid month and delay any germination.
Meanwhile, the recent winter, or lack there of, gave us more grub damage and turf ripped to shreds by raccoons then I could remember. The wonky weather also revealed a staggering leather jacket infestation in some areas where the lawns could not outgrow the damage leaving them patchy and brown.
Throw in an unusually dry April and you have a recipe for lawncare suicide.
So what's next Mother Nature...locusts? Well, actually I saw the first Chinch Bug damage of the season today....IN MAY!
If my hand were a gun I think I might shove that fleshy mitt right in my mouth and pull the trigger.
Don't get me wrong, I really like what I do and the challenges are no exception. But it seems now, year-in-year-out, I get no help what-so-ever from the forces of nature. With no chemical buddies to deal with weeds and insects anymore it often feels like I'm trying to get to shore with nothing more than a spoon for a paddle.
You can sense the frustration from the Lawncare Industry and the customers who understand only that their grass does not meet expectations, so what's the point of paying for it to look that way?
It really has me wondering why I went to all the trouble of getting my pesticide licence when all I can use are organics that don't do the job effectively. Maybe it's time for a new vocation? I guess in terms of this post, I should have been a carpenter.
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