B

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Bagging: process of collecting grass clippings. only bag when the clippings are long and wet, otherwise leave short clippings on the lawn.

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Blade, blades (grass): grass blades grow at the base of the blade and not from elongated stem tips. This low growth point evolved in response to grazing animals and allows grasses to be grazed or mown regularly without severe damage to the plant. The leaf blades of many grasses are hardened with silica phytoliths, which helps discourage grazing animals; some are sharp enough to cut human skin.

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Blade, blades (mower): using sharp mower blades will help produce a crisp, quality of cut and contribute to the ongoing vitality of your lawn – every time you mow.

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Blowers, blower/vacuums: Gas or electric models blow leaves into piles for easier collection. Blowers are available in either hand-held, wheeled, or backpack styles, with the last two types easier for big jobs. Even if you like raking leaves on the lawn, you will appreciate a blower’s help in moving leaves out from under shrubs. Many units convert to vacuums and are quite useful for cleaning up and mulching small quantities of leaves. Electric blowers are quieter and have no emissions.

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C

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Chain saws: an electric saw is great for cutting mall tree limbs and trunks in an average-size yard. If you can keep all cutting within 100 feet of an outdoor electrical outlet, it will handle most chores, even cutting firewood. Electric saws emit no exhaust fumes, are low maintenance, low cost, quiet, and always ready to go. For bigger jobs, you will probably need a heavier gas-powered model.

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Clippings: the part of grass blades that have been cut off and either fall to the ground or are bagged.

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Crabgrass: a coarse grass that grows in warm regions, has creeping stems that root freely, and is considered a weed in lawns and gardens.

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E

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Edging: a shallow trench or physical barrier of metal, wood, brick, or synthetic material used to define the border between lawn turf and another area, such as paving or a flower bed.

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F

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Fertilize: the process of feeding the lawn nutrients for growth or recovery.

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Fertilizer: a substance containing nutrients.

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Fertilizer ratios: tell consumers how many pounds of nutrients are contained in 100 pounds and indicate the relative amounts of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and Potassium (K).

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Foliage: the leaves of a plant or tree.

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Frost: an outdoor temperature below freezing point, resulting in the deposit of ice crystals.

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Full shade: a site that receives no direct sun during the growing season.

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Full sun: a site that receives at least eight hours of direct sun each day during the growing season.

 

G

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Garden rake: the steel-headed type is useful for preparing small areas of soil for the planting of seed, plugs, or sprigs.

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Grass collector: collects grass clippings into a bag rather than dispersing back onto the lawn.

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Grass leaf: grass leaves are alternate, distichous (in one plane) or rarely spiral, and parallel-veined. Each leaf is differentiated into a lower sheath which hugs the stem for a distance and a blade with margins usually entire.

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Grass root, roots: the part of grass that has no leaves or buds and usually spreads underground, anchoring the plant and absorbing water and nutrients from the soil.

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Grass shears: a slow means of clipping grass along the edge of a garden bed, but necessary where prized flowers grow too close to use a mower or string trimmer.

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H

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High-wheel mower: refers to walk-behind mowers with larger wheels (typically 9- to 12-inch diameter) in the rear. Low wheel mowers have the same size wheels front and rear.

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L

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Lawn: an area of closely mowed grass, sometimes part of a yard.

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Lawn-and-leaf rake: useful for collecting lightweight material, such as clippings and leaves. Those made from bamboo are usually the lightest and easiest to use, however, they only last a few seasons. Steel rakes and the modern plastics are more durable.

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Lawn edger: a half-moon-shaped steel cutting head, mounted to a hardwood handle, keeps lawn edges neat. You can use to cleanly separate a lawn from a walkway or other paved surface, such as a concrete sidewalk or asphalt path. Offers a more finished appearance than can be achieved by merely mowing over the border of the lawn and walkway (which frequently permits tufts of low-growing grass to hang over onto the walkway, resulting in an irregular or ragged appearance). You can also use to trim away excess when laying sod along irregular lawn edges.

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M

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Mowing deck: the business end of the cutting machine that houses the blade or blades.

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Mowing strip: a row of bricks or paving stones set flush with the soil around the edge of a lawn area and wide enough to support the wheels on one side of a lawn mower.

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Mulch, mulches: a layer of bark, peat moss, compost, shredded leaves, hay or straw, lawn clippings, gravel, paper, plastic, or other material spread over the soil around the base of plants. During the growing season, mulch can help retard evaporation; inhibit weeds, and moderate soil temperature. In the winter, a mulch of evergreen boughs, coarse hay, or leaves is used to protect plants from freezing.

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Mulching: the process of cutting and re-cutting clippings into fine particles that fall back into the turf, decompose, and restore nutrients and water to the soil.

 

P
 

Pruning saws: use for wood branches up to three inches in diameter.

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Pruning shears: used to cut branches up to ½ inch in diameter.

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R

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Root: the part of a plant that grows under the ground, through which the plant gets water and food

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S

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Stick edger: a half-moon-shaped steel cutting head, mounted to a hardwood handle, keeps lawn edges neat. You can use to cleanly separate a lawn from a walkway or other paved surface, such as a concrete sidewalk or asphalt path. Offers a more finished appearance than can be achieved by merely mowing over the border of the lawn and walkway (which frequently permits tufts of low-growing grass to hang over onto the walkway, resulting in an irregular or ragged appearance). You can also use to trim away excess when laying sod along irregular lawn edges.

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String trimmer: gas-, electric-, or battery-powered models use a plastic line that rotates at a high speed to trim grass or weeds along lawn edges and near fixtures, such as lampposts and fences. The better-balanced and easier-to-use models have the power unit at the top end of a long sharp and an adjustable handle in the middle. Cutting swaths range from 6- to 10-inches for cordless units, 8- to 15-inches for corded electric models, and 15- to 18-inches for gas-powered units.

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W

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Warm-season grasses: grasses that grow best in southern regions, thriving in the heat of summer.

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Weed: any undesirable plant or grass species.

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Weed colonies: a dense group of weeds.

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Weeder: forked steel head on a short, hardwood handle pries weeds from turf.

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Z

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Zero-Turn: a machine that steers using the rear wheels and pivots through 180 degrees without leaving a circle of uncut grass (the radius or diameter of the uncut circle is one measure of a conventional mower’s cutting ability).