Eastern Power Equipment 

285 Route 9  PO Box 97  Barrington, NH 03825

Phone 603/664-7776  | Toll Free 866/664-7776 | Fax 603/664-7420  | email chuck@easternpowerequipment.com

Cut lawn care problems down to size

For one-time or occasional jobs, renting can save you money.
Are you putting off lawn-care jobs because they seem too overwhelming to handle? Here's some great information for tackling those common problems you have to deal with once or twice a year.

Cut lawn care problems down to size
For one-time or occasional jobs, renting can save you money.
Are you putting off lawn-care jobs because they seem too overwhelming to handle? Here's some great information for tackling those common problems you have to deal with once or twice a year.

Is Your Yard Dull, Yellowing and Lifeless?

Problem: You probably have an excessive amount of accumulated thatch
Solution: Thatching
Equipment Needed: Dethatcher

Thatch is a layer of dead stems, roots and clippings between the soil's surface and green vegetation. This keeps your lawn from receiving vital nutrients. If there is a layer of a half-inch or more:

Enter the rental dethatcher. It's your best solution for thatch removal. This process:

Here are a few dethatcher options. Some dethatchers are available with an attached bagger that can reduce cleanup time. Other dethatcher options include:

Dethatching may cause temporary damage to the turf or browning for a short time. To speed the recovery of the lawn, it's essential to remove the thatch debris with a hand rake or lawn vacuum, also available from your A.R.A.-affiliated rental professional.

Is Your Lawn Health Deteriorating?

Problem: Your lawn is suffering from turf deterioration due to compaction of the soil caused by heavy foot and mowing traffic
Solution: Aeration
Equipment Needed: Aerator

Lawn traffic can create compaction of the top 2-3 inches of soil. Turf deterioration typically results when compacted soil particles reduce the area where roots can grow.

Aeration can relieve compacted soil through its process of mechanically removing cores or plugs of turf. By removing the cores:

Aerators are available from your area A.R.A.-affiliated rental professional. Aerator styles are either:

Convenience features often include:

For optimal effectiveness, aeration should be performed at least once annually. 

Ideal aeration times for cool-season grasses, such as perennial ryegrass and Kentucky bluegrass:

For warm-season grasses, such as zoysiagrass and bermudagrass:

Does your lawn need some serious renovation?

Problem: Typical problems include winter damage, dryness, excessive rain and/or poor drainage.
Solution: Overseeding
Equipment Needed: Slit seeder

You need to identify and correct your problem before making the decision to replace the lawn or overseed. If a damaged lawn has at least 50-percent healthy turf, consider overseeding.

Overseeding is the process of planting grass seeds over an existing lawn. It is an ideal solution when:

Rent a slit seeder from your A.R.A.-affiliated rental professional. The seeder uses slicing blades that cut through the soil, opening small furrows about 2 inches to deposit the seeds. When overseeding, it is recommended to make two passes at 45-degree angles at half the recommended rate of seed.

A slit seeders offers higher germination than a broadcasting seeder because seeds get deeper into the soil.

After overseeding, delay any herbicide treatments for at least four to six weeks.

Best times to overseed:

At these times, air and soil temperatures are optimal for seed germination.

Are you adding sidewalks, stepping stones, pools, ponds and/or flowerbeds to your lawn?

Problem: A spade is not very productive for the job
Solution: Sod cutting
Equipment Needed: Sod cutter

You'll find that a sod cutter rented from your area A.R.A.-affiliated rental professional is much more productive than using a spade. Sod cutters also can be used to lay irrigation pipes, resulting in a much cleaner, more aesthetically pleasing look.

In addition to cutting soil that needs to be removed or replaced, sod cutters provide a clean way to mark and cut an area for renovation.