The ‘But Why’s’

My nephew has reached the stage in life when everything is interesting and he wants to learn the inner workings from his older and wiser Uncle Carson. We spent an afternoon doing some yard work, and as I showed him all of my fun yard tools and how they worked, he constantly asked “but why?”. I realized afterwards that most homeowners know what they should do when it comes to yard cleanup, but few know the real logic behind it.

Today I’m answering a few “but why’s” in hopes that it will shed a little light on why we do what we do when it comes to our outdoor yard work.

1. String trimmers have always been the handy tool that lets you cut the grass in spots that you can’t easily get to with the mower. Around trees, on steep slopes or near the raised concrete paths, the string trimmer has become a staple in the garage—mostly for its ease of use in problem areas. There is one other very important reason to use a string trimmer. Many homeowners have done a lot of damage to the bark of young trees by trying to get to close with their mowers. This outer layer of bark carries nutrients back and forth between root and leaf. Once an area is damaged, it is never functional again. Using a string trimmer with a proper shield guard will prevent damage to the tree and be safer for the user.
2. Mower height is a big debate with a lot of lawn care maintenance companies. Some argue that shorter is better for the look of the yard, while others feel that longer promotes a healthier lawn. For most of us, the best height is somewhere between 2 1/2 and 3 inches. Setting your mower to 3 inches in the hot summer months helps the grass from drying out, but do you know what height the last cut of the season should be? By going lower than normal, between 2 and 2 1/2 inches, you can take advantage of the cold weather at night to kill off crabgrass, which is a tender annual.
3. Getting the debris off the grass is an annual rite of every lawn owner. Having leaves on the grass once the snow has fallen will smother the lawn below. Not to mention that the wet leaves in the spring look terrible and are twice as hard to remove. Another less commonly known reason for removing the leaves is leaf mold. While great for decomposing matter in the composter, leaf mold is terrible for allergy sufferers. The mold spores cause an allergic reaction similar to pollen in the wet spring, causing many people to incorrectly blame the trees and flowers for their stuffed up noses.

If you’re already doing these chores, don’t stop. When a small child asks “But why”; you now have a little more information and won’t have to resort to the default answer of “Because”.

carson@carsonarthur.com