Drought Conditions

[mklawnman]

Up here in Wisconsin we haven't had any rain in two weeks. The grass is starting to go dormate in some places. The question i have is some of my accounts have some green grass thats growing that may need to get cut soon, i was wondering if i cut the whole yard will there be any brown spots the next day from driving over the dormate grass?? SOme yards aren't brown they have little brown spots in them and thought maybe its ok to still cut the yards. Or should i just hold off on mowing until we get some rain(which won't be till Sunday) and then cut after the rain hits. I dont want to kill the grass in this dry period but i want to know what other companies do in this time do u still cut?.
Right now i dont have much to do, have some bushes to trim, and put some woodchips down but thats about it.
Waiting for some checks to role in soon:D
Matt aka (Lawn man)

[MATTHEW]

Yeah-very dry here in Ohio. This is the patr of the business that we must plan for. Start selling tree/shrub jobs in may/june so
you have the work booked. You could go out and leave flyers
on homes that need shrub work. If you make a contact, it may
very well get you a new client!
On mowing, I know we need the money, but you really should
keep off the lawn with a heavy mower. The tires will smash the
already stressed crowns and leave marks for weeks. You could
go out there and touch up any areas with a 21" and go ahead and edge it up for a nominal charge.Or you could just go to the ocean for a week and enjoy the fruits of your labor from spring.
That's where I am going next week!!!:blob3:

[mklawnman]

I have had experiance with those marks in the lawn, last week we cut right before we went on a short vaccation, and when i got back i saw on my yard the zero turn marks that i made that u couldn't see when i cut it cause it was green now its brown there. Ya i guess a Turf Tiger is tooo heavy on these dry lawns right now. I probley will wait a few more days until it rains to cut. The areas that r growing r too small for a 21inch mower, but if i show up with the big mower im afraid after i cut a couple days later those brown marks will be there so im planning on waiting till rain, im sure the customers will agree with what im doing, I hope.
MATT

[CLARKE]

WEEK 3 NOW NO RAIN THIS WEEK I WILL BE MOWING 14
OUT OF 50 ACOUNTS NEXT WEEK MAY A FEW MORE IF NO RAIN AFTER THAT WILL TAKE A TRIP TO WISCONSIN TO SEE OLD FREIND
AND VIST HIM CAUSE HIS FATHER JUST PASSED AWAY, AFTER THAT LOOK FOR A NOTHER JOB.:(

[Eric ELM]

We only skipped one lawn today, tomorrow we will be skipping 5, so it isn't looking good in the Chicago area and no rain in sight. :(

I guess I'll have to load up my stuff and head down and work for Homer or who ever else needs help.

[Shawn Burns]

i really feel for you guys! i have sure been there. not to tease tall, but to give you hope, we have had ... lets see... at least 15 inches of rain in the last 30 days. i don't hardly have time to see my 4 month old daughter. by the time i get in and get my stuff ready for the next day she's already asleep! i guess that's the way this biz is.

[Toroguy]

Skipping around 75% of properties here. This ruins my goals for the year, but proves a valuable lesson for all. If you are deep in debt to begin, you will pay a huge price when mother nature tosses these high fast balls at you.

I am taking in the latest movies and spending extra free time with friends and family. I hope the rain comes soon, I'll even take some snow at this point:)

[Eric ELM]

Toroguy, Us northerners can all convoy down yonder and help out them there southern boys and mow some turf. :)

I just saw the next 7 day forecast for here, no rain in sight. :(

This doesn't look good at all for us Yankees. I guess it is our turn to have a dry summer. The weather guessers forecasted a cooler than normal and wetter than normal summer for here. Boy was they wrong again.

[GreenQuest Lawn]

Same story here in west Mi. Mabey a tenth in the last month. I don't know how other parts of the state are doing but I would imagine its dry there too.

[HOMER]

Load em up and bring em on down boys! Let ya'll get a taste of these warm season grasses then you'll know what aggravation really is.

We've had a good year, the last 3 have not been. It's hard to figure this weather thing out. We haven't had any substantial rainfall in a few days but the heat has come on strong. A few more days like today and the green fun will be long gone.:mad:

It's been nice not eating dust, hope it lasts till the leaves start to fall.

[Toroguy]

Eric,
I saw the same long range forecast...last night we had a 40 percent chance of rain for tomorrow, I wake up to find the chance is now zero percent?

The forecasters dont have a clue what is going to happen beyond 12 hours.

I'll put a handle and a luggage tag on my Exmark and meet you down south.

[Charles]

WHEW!!! 97 deg 70% humidity here yesterday. We not dry here yet but these temps will dry it up fast. Grass is still growing like crazy if you can stand the heat and humidity. Which I can.

[lawrence stone]

What drought?

We had a t-storm at about 5pm yesterday that dumped .9" in a half hour.

And about 5am today it rained again also.

Life is good in my part of the commonwealth.

[1MajorTom]

Life is good in our part of the commonwealth too! :)
Been getting good rains, and we have been lucky. They are usually in the evenings or on the weekends. Haven't had to miss work.

[Chip]

In the southeast part of the commonwealth things are still green, but the lawns are showing definite signs of stress I guess they are heading into that dormant period.

[guntruck]

I guess for our first "real" year we have been fortunate, we have had significant rain fall even if it is in the form of every other day t-storms in the evening. The green is growing and keeping us mowing. =)

:cool:

[lawrence stone]

Originally posted by 1MajorTom
. They are usually in the evenings or on the weekends. Haven't had to miss work.

Since we have a town known as Exeter in my area I refer to this situation as a Camelot summer.

Now that humidity has broken and the temps are back in the 70's (the avg. high temp in my area this time of year is only 80) I am tying up some lose ends Thursday and I am heading to Cape May in my motorhome on Friday AM.

I hope you guys will be able to live without me for a few days.

Don't worry lawn dogs I will post the best pics from my camera to a web site so you will be able to live your miserable life vicariously through mine.

[65hoss]

We got rain yesterday. But the heat is wild. Heat index for the last week has been above 113. But everything is green and growing.

[powerreel]

Like 'em brown.... Seattle is just starting to go brown and everything slows down! It's been low 70's which is HOT for here, I love this time of year it gives a mid summer break, we started mowing the first week in Feb. and will mow 'till X-Mas, gives me vaca time!