Archive for the ‘Landscape’ Category
Some issues in landscaping. Not just rumput turf.
Posted by mynormas on January 27, 2015
Kesilapan memilih rumput adalah masalah utama kebanyakkan pemilik tanah, dari sekecil halaman rumah hinggalah ke sebesar padang golf. Rumput yang cantik di padang orang lain, belum tentu cantik di padang kita. Rumput yang cantik di dalam gambar, belum tentu cantik di tempat kita. Rumput yang cantik di nursery belum tentu cantik di laman kita.
Di tiap kawasan atau tanah atau tapak atau padang; redup, cuaca, iklim-mikro, keupayaan penjagaan, kegunaan dan sebagainya tak sama. Jadi jangan lah kita pilih rumput berdasarkan kecantikan atau kebagusan nya di tempat lain dan kita tangkapmuat dia di tempat kita dan berdoa supaya ia padan.
Di dalam slaid-slaid berikut saya cuba memberitahu apa yang saya pertimbangkan ketika saya membantu sebuah stadium membuat pilihan rumput. Saya cuba jadikan pemilihan rumput itu sebagai suatu proses sama seperti memilih pemenang dalam rancangan hiburan. Peserta rancangan hiburan ada menang dalam kategori tertentu dan ada peserta yang menang dalam acara keseluruhan. Begitu juga dalam pemilihan rumput; saya bahagikan proses pemilihan ke dalam tiga ‘kategori’ dan pilih pemenang untuk tiap kategori. Peserta yang paling banyak menang dalam kategori-kategori itu akan memenangi acara keseruhan. Tentunya pemilihan saya bukan muktamad, saya akan memberi ‘ranking’ dan terpulang kepada tuanpunya untuk membuat keputusan terakhir. Kadang-kadang, ada perkara yang berada di luar jangkaan seseorang. Contohnya tuanpunya mahukan rumput yang sama dengan stadium lain sediaada, atau rumput ranking kedua adalah rumput kegemaran boss, atau rumput dalam ranking pertama tiada ‘backup’ atau tiada di jual oleh pembekal/nursery lain. Maka mungkin tuanpunya mahu membuat ‘gamble’ dan memilih rumput dalam ranking kedua atau ketiga.
Menggunakan rumput yang tiada ‘backup’ adalah – pada pendapat saya – suatu keputusan yang berisiko tinggi. Padang kita akan menjadi tebusan pembekal sekarang dan di masa yang sama, jika rumput di padang rosak atau mati seminggu sebelum suatu acara/pertandingan penting, kita tiada sumber untuk mendapat bekalan untuk menampal kawasan yang mati atau rosak.
Sebagai bonus, untuk mengelakkan pemilik padang ini menerima nasihat penjual yang memaksa mereka menggunakan terlalu banyak input sewaktu penanaman, saya telah memasukkan beberapa cadangan untuk proses tanam semula. Saya cadangkan supaya mereka kembali ke basic. Guna pasir kasar sudahlah, tidak perlu lain lain bahan seperti tanah liat, top soil yang terlalu banyak (satu lapis?) ataupun benda-benda ‘canggih’ lain.
Jika anda dalam proses memilih rumput untuk padang anda; silakan guna proses ‘3K’ ini. Jika anda ingin membuat penyampaian kepada boss anda dan anda memilih untuk menggunakan proses 3K, saya hanya minta anda beri kredit kepada saya.
Ataupun, jika anda akan membelanjakan jutaan ringgit untuk menanam padang, mengapa tidak belanja lebih kurang 0.001% dari satu juta untuk membayar seorang pakar yang telah membela rumput selama 20 tahun? Anda boleh tanya soalan ini sekarang atau anda boleh tunggu 3 tahun lagi bila soalan ini di tanya oleh pemberita, Board of Director ataupun pengguna ketika rumput di padang anda mula bermasalah.
Selamat membaca.
Posted in Golf Course, Golf Course Superintendents, Greens, Landscape, Maintenance, Padang, Padang Golf, Rumput halaman rumah, Taman | Tagged: bola, Bukit Jalil, football, football field, golf course, golf course superintendent, grass, green, grounds, Halaman rumah | 6 Comments »
Posted by mynormas on December 8, 2014
I found a tee that was almost completely shaded by trees. I was told this has been the case for a few years.
In my experience, in most cases, the tee would have been in poor condition, but not this tee.
Upon closer inspection and after asking the Superintendent, I was told that the tee – in fact the golf course – was planted with Serangoon grass (I believe its Digitaria didactyla). This strengthens my belief about the shade tolerance of Serangoon. There is a bit of browning and scalping on the surface which I believe are due to Philippine grass (Zoysia tenuifolia?) planted there when they enlarged the tee.
Both grass are a lighter green in colour compared to Bermuda and Cowgrass.
On the left is Serangoon, on the right is Zoysia.
It is a pity that the only nursery I know of that sold Serangoon has replanted it with Bermuda and golf courses that has Serangoon greens are rumoured to be contemplating to change to other grasses. I hope it is not about following a trend. I also hope that, in this context, they think about their shade issues too.
Baru baru ini saya terjumpa sebuah tee (org Malaysia kata tee-box) yg hampir terlindung sepenuhnya oleh pokok. Ini bukan perkara baru tapi selalu nya saya perhatikan rumput di tee yg terlindung akan bermasalah rumput yg terlindung akan kurang makan kerana kurang photosynthesis dan akan memanjangkan daun utk mencari matahari dan memendekkan pertumbuhan akar utk menjimat tenaga.
Tapi di tee ini, rumput ini subur walaupun sudah bertahun tidak di baja.
Saya di beritahu tee ini di tanam dengan rumput Serangoon yg memang di kenali sebagai rumput yg ‘shade tolerant’. Ia juga di campur dengan rumput Philippine sewaktu tee di besar kan saiznya.
Adalah malang sekali jika kita kehilangan species rumput tempatan ini kerana satu satu nya nursery yg menjual Serangoon sudah tidak lagi menjual nya. Dan padang golf yg mempunyai green Serangoon di khabar kan akan menukar kepada rumput lain. Kita memang suka benda benda import ni kan? Rumput, kereta, baja, consultant…
Apa pun saya harap mereka ambil perhatian tentang kawasan terlindung di padang mereka. Jangan menyesal kemudian…
Contoh contoh tee yg rosak akibat teduhan (examples of tees damaged due to shade)
Posted in Fields, Golf Course, Golf Course Superintendents, Greens, Landscape, Lanskap, Maintenance, Padang Golf, Rumput, Rumput halaman rumah, Rumput secara am, Taman | Tagged: golf course, halaman, padang, padang golf, taman | Leave a Comment »
Posted by mynormas on August 26, 2014
In a democracy, majority rules, but in the world of grass keeping, we have something called “the rule of one-third”. Did I make it sound dramatic? Well its one of the main mistake being made by a lot of people. So being dramatic gets me more attention and I think you need to pay attention.
Most Malaysian homeowners, some football fields, municipal councils and even golf courses would be using knapsack brushcutters to cut grass. On top of that, they will use nylon cutting heads and untrained labour. This tends to get the grass to be cut too low. Lower than what it should be which is; no more than one-third of its original height. Irregular or mowing at too long an interval will cause this too. Its one of the reason that I told most golf clubs that are my clients to “never not mow your greens for more than one day”: i.e. Skip mowing greens ONE DAY only.
Terdapat satu peraturan dalam pemotongan rumput yang di namakan “Rule of one-third” atau “Peraturan satu-pertiga”. Ini adalah peraturan paling kerap yang di langgar oleh penjaga rumput di Malaysia. Sebab utamanya ialah kerana tidak tahu; tetapi juga kerana lebih mudah dan murah menggunakan:
Rumput yang di potong sekarang terlalu rendah. Warna keputihan yang kita lihat ialah warna ‘batang’ rumput.
- Mesin galas belakang (atau brushcutter) yang tidak dapat di tentukan ketinggian potongan.
- Menggunakan pisau di perbuat dari tali nylon yang juga merumitkan menentukan ketinggian potongan kerana panjang tali nylon tersebut tidak sama.
- Menggunakan buruh yang tidak terlatih.
- Menunggu masa yang terlalu lama sebelum mengulang potongan.
- Memotong tanpa mengambil kira jadual pemhajaan dan penyiraman.
Peraturan satu-pertiga ini mengatakan bahawa rumput tidak boleh di potong lebih dari satu pertiga dari ketinggian asal nya. Ini untuk mengekalkan jumlah permukaan daun yang cukup untuk melakukan fotosintesis dan juga menjamin masih terdapat cukup rumput untuk tumbesaran seterusnya.
Jangan potong lebih dari satu pertiga ketinggian rumput
Menggunakan brush cutter dan tali nylon akan menyebabkan pekerja menekan pisau ke tanah dan menyebabkan rumput di potong hingga ke batang. Begitu juga amalan memotong selepas membaja dan juga selepas menyiram atau hujan lebat. Rumput akan tumbuh lebih banyak dan lebih banyak daun akan hilang sewaktu memotong.
Jadi jika anda penjaga rumput (atau anda ada rumput yang orang lain jaga):
- Hentikan penggunaan brush cutter dengan nylon head di kawasan terbuka (kita masih perlukan nya di kawasan yang ada perabut atau tebing batu)
- Gunakan mesin yang kita boleh ‘set’ ketinggian potongan. Ini ertinya mesin yang ada tayar.
- Set ketinggian potongan supaya mesin tidak memotong lebih dari satu pertiga dari ketinggian rumput.
- Tentukan jadual pemotongan bergantung kepada pertumbuhan rumput: biasanya rumput yang pendek (3 – 8 mm) di potong setiap hari atau selang sehari; 15 mm (contohnya padang bola atau halaman rumah) di potong seminggu sekali atau dua kali terutamanya lepas hujan atau lepas baja; 25mm dan ke atas, 7 – 10 hari sekali. Kecuali jika di baja atau pada waktu musim hujan yang mana rumput lebih galak tumbuh.
Jika kawasan anda terlalu berbukit dan tidak boleh di potong menggunakan mesin bertayar; cuba gunakan mesin yang mempunyai kipas yang kuat dan akan terapung sedikit sewaktu memotong. Kami panggilnya ‘hover mower’.
Jika anda perlukan nasihat pemotongan, jadual pemotongan atau anda perlukan pembelian mesin untuk memotong rumput: hubungi saya di mynormasATconsultant.com dengan menggantikan AT dengan @
Posted in Fields, Golf Course, Greens, Landscape, Lanskap, Padang, Padang Golf, Rumput halaman rumah, Rumput secara am, Taman | Tagged: football field, gardener, golf course, majlis daerah, municipal council, stadium, taman | Leave a Comment »
Posted by mynormas on April 7, 2014
Just like maintaining turf on golf courses, football field turf also has its share of cultural practices. Last week, I had the privilege of briefing a group of MSN (National Sports Council) staff on football field maintenance. I consider this topic to be one of the most important of the two-day course. So important that I feel that I should share some of the info here. Most of the slides are self explanatory.
Seperti juga penjagaan rumput di padang golf, penjaga rumput di padang bola (ataupun padang padang rumput hiasan lain) perlu melakukan kerja kerja amalan kultura untuk kesihatan rumput. Saya selalu menyamakan ‘amalan kultura’ dengan senaman untuk manusia. Sebagaimana manusia perlukan senaman untuk kesihatan, rumput juga perlukan amalan kultura. Minggu lepas saya berpeluang untuk memberi taklimat kepada kakitangan dari Majlis Sukan Negara tentang penjagaan padang bola. Ini adalah salah satu topik yang paling penting. Saya harap slaid slaid ini dapat membantu orang lain juga dalam penjagaan padang bola.
Posted in Fields, Landscape, Lanskap, Maintenance, Padang, Rumput | Tagged: Lanskap, padang bola, Rumput, stadium, taman | 3 Comments »
Posted by mynormas on February 21, 2014
Siram rumput pada waktu awal pagi. Ini memberi masa untuk air meresap ke bawah dan boleh di ambil oleh akar rumput bila matahari mula panas di waktu tengahari. Bila siram, siram secara banyak dan sekali sekala (deeply and irregularly): ini akan mengajar akar rumput untuk tumbuh panjang ke bawah untuk mencari air. Jangan siram secara berjadual, contohnya setiap pagi tiap tiap pagi. Check sedalam dua inci dan lihat jika tanah masih basah; tak perlu siram.
Untuk penjaga rumput yang di potong pendek dan terdedah kepada matahari seperti green padang golf dan orang yang memotong rumput menggunakan mesin galas belakang: amalkan ‘syringing’ atau siraman ringan pada waktu tengahari. Ini akan menyejukkan permukaan atas tanah. Cukup sekadar dua putaran sprinkler atau satu nyanyian lengkap “Negaraku” sewaktu menyiram.
Penjaga rumput juga patut menggunakan ‘soil wetting agent’ untuk membantu air tembus ke bawah. Ingat: ‘SOIL’ dan bukan ‘leaf wetting agent’ atau ‘plant wetting agent’. Kita boleh juga melakukan penebukkan tanah sedalam seinci dua untuk membantu aliran air terutamanya di kawasan kering. Tapi awas, kalau tak cukup siraman air, kawasan di tebuk itu akan kekeringan di bibir atasnya.
Akhir sekali, Tuhan telah jadikan rumput akan menjadi dorman dan coklat bila cuaca panas berpanjangan dan tak cukup air. Bila air ada, ia akan kembali hijau. Ini untuk rumput sihat dan spesis tertentu Bermuda dan Zoysia serta Cowgrass dan Serangoon.
Water your grass (golf course, field, lawns etc) very early in the morning. This will allow the water to be soaked into the ground before the sun can evaporate the water and the grass has available water when in the heat of the afternoon. Watering in the evening may mean you are watering dead/dying/dormant/suffering grass: You’re too late! Plus water in the ground at night may cause diseases and algae.
The catchphrase for watering grass is “deeply and irregularly”: this will train the grass to grow longer roots to search for water. Watering like clockwork every morning will encourage shorter roots and may waste water, especially for shaded areas. Before watering, poke the ground and check, if the soil is moist; take a chance and skip watering. Another test is if you can see your footprints on the grass, that means there is no moisture in the leaf and you need to water there and then. When you water, water until you judge water has penetrated at least two inches of soil (does NOT mean two inches of water). Newly planted grass will have shorter/no roots and needs to be watered more often, not with more water. For example; newly planted stolons/seeds may need watering every hour with just enough water to ensure the stolons are moist in this weather. Water too much and you have runaway seeds/stolons.
Professional grass managers should look at using soil wetting agents; it will increase water penetration – among other things. For sun-exposed grasses that are cut at low cutting heights such as golf course greens and lawn owners who cut their grass once a month with back pack cutters (especially if you use nylon strings: you guys should try artificial turf) there is this thing called syringing aka very light watering in the afternoon heat. Yes at 12pm. Two full turns of the sprinkler or sing one Negaraku song till finish; complete watering. Forget the theory that the water droplets will act as lens to focus the sun’s rays: the heat will evaporate it before any damage is done. Syringing will help to cool down the top inch of the soil. Hot soil will injure the grass’ roots.
Dried out. But the long-term benefits will outweigh this short term aesthetic issue.
We can also do shallow spiking, slicing or solid tines with small diameter tines just to provide areas for water to penetrate. Or just poking with anything sharp for one or two inches in dry areas, will help. But not enough watering will cause the edges of the slits/holes to dry out.
Lastly, don’t fret that your grass has turned brown. Most healthy grasses will go dormant when faced with prolonged dry weather and will green up again when there is adequate water. This goes for Cowgrass, Serangoon and most hybrids of Bermuda and Zoysia. Yours didn’t last year? That’s what you get when you buy new types of grass you don’t know enough. Your grass is not healthy? Its usually due to poor maintenance. Let it die and switch to artificial grass next year. No I don’t sell artificial grass, I just sympathise with poorly managed living grass.
Posted in Golf Course, Greens, Landscape, Padang, Padang Golf, Rumput halaman rumah, Rumput secara am | 2 Comments »
Posted by mynormas on February 7, 2014
Proses penyiraman padang golf
Menyiram adalah aktiviti ‘instinct’ penggemar rumput ataupun lanskap. Lebih dari membaja atau memotong. Mungkin kerana ia paling mudah atau paling murah atau kerana kita juga boleh merasa dahaga kita boleh empati dengan rumput yang kekurangan air.
Watering is an instinctive activity for most grass or landscape owners; especially in the Malaysian context, 2,500mm of rain notwithstanding. Whether a 200 acre golf course or postage stamp lawn, we water our lawns regularly. Two days of no rain and we would be watering our grass even if looks like it will rain later in the day.
I am arguing that the timing and schedule of watering needs to be examined.
- Lets not water late in the evening. Watering in the evening causes the water to left in the soil when the weather is cool and in Malaysia; humid. Damp and wet soil conditions too often can lead to diseases and algae. Plus, we are watering AFTER the grass have dehydrated! Water in the morning so that there will be water in the soil for the grass when the sun is heating up.
- Don’t water every 24 hours or any other regular schedule. Water deeply and irregularly. Keep in tune with the water needs of the grass, don’t stress them too much but don’t water them too easily too; we want the grass to have deep roots.
- There is another method called ‘syringing’ especially for grass that is cut at a low cutting height. Its about ‘wetting’ the grass when the sun is at its hottest. Don’t worry about what you read that the sun will turn the water droplets into magnifying glass type of concave lens and focus the ray onto the leaf; the water will evaporate before any major damage is done.
Kebanyakkan kita menyiram rumput, terutama nya masa baru tanam. Ini bagus. Tetapi pada pandangan saya, kebanyakkan orang terlalu banyak siram dan ‘timing’ siram juga salah. Saya mempunyai beberapa pendapat.
- Siram di waktu pagi. Dengan cara ini air akan ada di dalam tanah bila tiba tengahari dan matahari terik. Menyiram di waktu petang pada hari panas ibarat memberi air kepada orang yang dah nak mati kehausan. Menyiram di waktu petang juga mengakibatkan tanah basah di waktu malam yang akan menggalakkan penyakit dan lumut.
- Siram ikut keperluan. Bila siram, siram banyak (supaya air masuk jauh ke bawah) dan jangan siram ikut jadual. Menyiram ikut jadual menyebabkan kita siram waktu air masih ada dalam tanah dan ini 1. membazir dan 2. memanjakan rumput. Rumput tidak belajar untuk mencari air. Check tanah, dengan cara memijak ataupun mengorek sedikit dengan jari untuk tengok basah atau tidak.
- ‘Syringe’. Kadang kadang, matahari terlalu terik dan kita kesian kat rumput yang layu. Cahaya matahari juga boleh membakar pasir topdressing kita dan mematikan akar rerambut (root hair) di permukaan atas tanah. Apa yang saya cadangkan – terutamanya rumput yang di potong pendek dan kawasan terdedah – ialah menyejukkan rumput dengan siraman lima minit ataupun dua pusingan penuh sprinkler pada waktu tengahari dan awal petang. Jangan takut pada teori bahawa air akan bertindak sebagai kanta untuk cahaya matahari membakar daun; kalau ia dah panas macam tu, air itu akan melowap.
Jika rumput anda telah kuning akibat kurang siram; kemungkinan besar ia tidak mati, hanya menjadi dorman. Teruskan siram supaya ia tidak mati terus. Bila cuaca dah sesuai, insya Allah ia akan baik semula.
Posted in Fields, Golf Course, Golf Course Superintendents, Greens, Landscape, Lanskap, Maintenance, Padang, Padang Golf, Rumput, Taman | Tagged: golf course, golf course maintenance, golf course superintendents, grass, greens, Halaman rumah, landskap, Lanskap, padang, Rumput, stadium | 4 Comments »
Posted by mynormas on January 27, 2014
This article is not about “what machine to buy”; but about “why you should consider buying a tractor instead of a golf course machine”. In the context of Malaysia; there is just not enough of good mechanics for golf courses especially for golf courses that are further away from KL or major cities where suppliers will have their support teams. And lets face it, most suppliers are pretty stretched in trying to meet demands of after-sales support too.
So why don’t golf courses that don’t have good mechanics and cannot depend on suppliers back-up consider buying tractor mounted mowers to mow their roughs? Or even fairways?
Good fairway from a cheap tractor
I know you will give the answer: a five-gang mower will give a better quality of cut than a tractor mounted/towed reel mower, let alone rotary mower. Really? Maybe in the beginning. MAY. BE.
I’m sure you will agree that a tractor mounted or towed rotary mower that’s out in the field working will give you a better quality rough or fairway than a five-gang mower in the workshop. Never mind the cost of repairs. Never mind the cost of back-lapping or grinding the reels. Never mind the cost of bedknives.
I’ve seen a golf course that don’t know how to set the height on their reel mowers buy a rough mower that sat in the workshop more than it works in the field. And that machine, that only a good golf course mechanic can repair, costs ten times more than a mini-tractor that their current mechanic, or the mechanic at the oil palm plantation next door, or the mechanic at the nearest heavy machinery workshop in town can handle.
The lovegrass just springs back up behind the mower.
I’ve seen a golf course that’s infested with lovegrass (Chrysopogon aciculatus) trying to solve the problem with 11-bladed reels on their fairway mower! No kidding! I was there the day the delivery was made. The delivery guy shrugged and said “that’s what they ordered” when I pointed at the box and looked at him wide-eyed. Months later they asked me how to solve the lovegrass problem: I said, “rotary mowers pulled by mini tractors!” They bought two China-made mini tractors with rotary mowers (they call them slashers) for half the cost of a single five-gang mower, and their fairways looked so much better.
Lets keep this short and to the point. For Malaysian golf courses, football fields, local councils or anyone else that don’t have a good (experienced, trained, qualified) mechanic buy tractors or mini tractors with rotary mowers or slashers or mowas or even reel mowers. You will find them cheaper by a whole lot. Cheaper to buy and cheaper to maintain. Heck, you can even find reliable second-hand tractors good enough! Only problem with that is you may end up with a few brands or models of tractors on your field.
A word of advice; buy four-wheel drive tractors even if your field is flat. It gives better traction when the field is wet without damaging your grass.
The best thing about a tractor is; you can use it for many other things with the right implements; that tractor can help you with transport, spraying, aeration etc. No. That is not the best thing. The best thing is that it is cheap. Much cheap. More-than-half-the-price kinda cheap.
You will find a lot more people to help you maintain it; especially if you are not near KL or other major cities. Especially compared to a purpose-built, single-use five-gang mower.
To my friends who sell golf course machinery; this is about the client. Not your machine, not your brand.
Among the many possible uses of a tractor.
Posted in Golf club, Golf Course, Golf Course Superintendents, Landscape, Lanskap, Maintenance, Padang, Padang Golf, Rumput | Leave a Comment »
Posted by mynormas on January 20, 2014
It is said that there are three important things on a golf course and they are: drainage, drainage and drainage.
In a talk to club managers in an MGA event, I tried to explain the issue especially the part about helping water to get to the drains: the dethatching, the scarifying and especially the aeration part.
Saliran adalah isu penting untuk padang golf, dan sebarang kawasan yang ditanam dengan rumput hiasan. Seorang pemain golf terkenal yang kini menjadi seorang pereka padang golf pernah berkata; “Ada tiga perkara yang paling penting untuk sebuah padang golf, saliran, saliran dan saliran”. Di sini saya cuba untuk menekan kan bahawa ianya bukan sahaja tentang parit dan salir air, tetapi ia juga tentang bagaimana air boleh tembus atau masuk ke dalam tanah. Contohnya melalui proses ‘Pengudaraan‘ ataupun ‘slicing’
Slicing will help with aeration and water penetration.
Posted in Fields, Golf Course, Greens, Landscape, Lanskap, Padang, Padang Golf | 2 Comments »
Posted by mynormas on May 31, 2013
Jika alasan anda ialah kecerunan; cuba cari mesin “hover mower”
The recent case of a child injured by flying debris gave me the impetus to write this letter. I see a lot of people – from local authorities to homeowners to football associations – planting grass but the most common method used to cut the grass is by using the backpack mower called the ‘brush-cutter’; ‘bush-cutter’; ‘whipper-snapper’ or even the ‘helicopter’.
This machine is favoured because it is cheap, portable, simple to use and require almost no maintenance. When the blades are changed to nylon strings heads, there is one added advantage: there is no need for sharpening.
A few observations about this “brush-cutter”:
- The business end of this machine consists of naked rotating blades or nylon strings. These blades/strings would turn at high speed to cut the grass by impact. Needless to say the same impact would fling stones, pebbles, sand particles and other debris on the ground at high speed towards the operator and those around him or her. Its made worse when the operator rests the strings on the ground.
The nylon string head of a brush-cutter
- Due to the weight and vibration of this machine only the tough and hardy are willing to operate it for long periods. Hence we see this work being ‘monopolized’ by foreign employees. If we really want to reduce our dependency on foreign workers, lets reduce our dependency on this machine first, at least in this context.
- This also has the effect of keeping turfgrass and landscape maintenance in the realm of labourers or part-time odd-job workers. This would negate the efforts of the efforts of the Youth and Sports Ministry – among others – that for the past few years has been working on a syllabus to train youths in landscape, stadium and golf course maintenance with the intention of turning this into a career.
- In the hands of the untrained – or the tired – operator, the tendency is to rest the blades or the strings on the grass. This would cause a very low height of cut (think: ground height) Grass needs leaf to do photosynthesis to produce food and cutting at low heights just removes too much leaves. There is a “rule of thumb” of not cutting more than one-third of the grass when mowing. No way can the “brush cutter” maintain a consistent mowing height of one-third of anything.
I call on everyone who has authority over grass cutting (and that includes homeowners) to stop or limit the use of these machines. Homeowners should consider buying their own electric grass mowers (available in most hypermarkets). Local authorities, building and golf course owners should consider renovating their turfed areas so that its more accessible to ride-on mowers. Architects too must design turfed areas with ride-on machines in mind or look at alternatives other than grass for example ground-covers, wild flowers, weeping lovegrass, pebbles or even artificial turf.
Homeowners should mow their grasses more often than the occasional time when the grass cutter knocks on your gate when he sees your grass long. The grass Malaysians call Carpet grass grows very quickly and should be mown as often as at least once a week. Petrol engined mowers are high maintenance so do consider an electric or ground-driven mowers.
Many land owners, football associations, golf courses and even homeowners dream of striping their grass. This can never be achieved with “brush cutters”. And no; contrary to popular belief, you don’t need golf course priced machinery to stripe your grass, any mower with a heavy roller behind it (and this can be modified with a metal or GI pipe) will stripe a field with enough discipline on the part of the operator.
With a brush cutter? All you need is a sneezy operator and you can kiss your beloved grass goodbye.
These poor grass has been mown with a brush cutter – maybe the operator has the flu.
Posted in Fields, Golf Course, Landscape, Lanskap, Padang Golf, Rumput, Rumput halaman rumah, Rumput secara am, Taman | Tagged: halaman, Halaman rumah, padang, Rumput | Leave a Comment »
Posted by mynormas on May 20, 2013
It is time that we give better thought to how we cut grass. Cutting (‘mowing’ sounds so much beter) grass should be one of the most important thing to consider for anyone who is growing grass. Yet most people seem to not give it much thought.
Rumput adalah benda hidup yang sentiasa tumbuh. Jadi kepada orang yang menanam rumput, samada sebagai kerja atau hobi: samada sebagai tempat rekreasi atau aesthetik; samada tempat kecil atau besar: samada rumput import atau tempatan: samada murah atau mahal; kalau tanam rumput, kenalah potong rumput. The only rumput yang tak payah di potong ialah rumput plastik. Atau mingkin rumput mati.
Bila perlu potong?
How often should we mow? Kekerapan memotong bergantung kepada beberapa faktor seperti kesuburan rumput, kegunaan kawasan dan jenis rumput yang akan mempengaruhi kecepatan ia tumbuh panjang. Ada rumput yang lebih cenderung tumbuh melata dari ke atas dan ada rumput yang lebih cepat panjang dari membiak.
Ada rumput yang dipotong seminggu sekali, dan ada rumput yang dipotong setiap hari (contohnya atas green padang golf). Kalau kita nak potong sebulan sekali, saya cadangkan rumput plastik.
Begini, “rule of thumb” untuk memotong rumput ialah memotong hanya satu pertiga dari ketinggian rumput. Ingat: rumput mendapat makanan dari proses fotosintesis di daun, bukan dari baja. Oleh kerana itu, pemotongan yg drastik dan memotong hampir keseluruhan daun akan mencederakan rumput.
Di kebanyakkan halaman dan padang yang ditanam dengan cowgrass yang tidak di baja; memotong satu kali setiap dua minggu MUNGKIN memadai. Tapi musim hujan selalunya memerlukan pemotongan lebih kerap. Kalau.rumput yang seringkali di panggil sebagai rumput karpet: pemotongan seminggu sekali (paling sikit) di perlukan.
Penggunaan Mesin.
Selain itu, penggunaan mesin yang jenis pikul belakang atau dikenali sebagai “brush-cutter” juga memburukkan keadaan.
“Brush cutter”, “bush cutter”, “whipper snapper” ataupun “helicopter”; mesin ini di gemari kerana ia murah, mudah digunakan dan adalah mudah-alih. Ia mempunyai enjin dua lejang ertinya ia mempunyai kekuatan yang lebih berbanding saiznya yang kecil. Tapi ini juga menyebabkan ia tak baik untuk alam sekitar.
sebenarnya rumput tak sekata dan terlalu rendah.
Mesin ini juga sukar di gunakan untuk waktu yang panjang. Ini menyebabkan kerja ini di pikul oleh pekerja yang lasak. Ini menghadkan jenis orang yang mahu menceburi bidang penjagaan rumput.
Saya menyeru kepada tuan rumah, pemilik lanskap, kerajaan tempatan dan sebagainya untuk menghadkan atau menghentikan penggunaan mesin “brush cutter” ini. Ini boleh di lakukan dengan membuat perubahan padang supaya ia menjadi lebih mesra kepada mesin yang boleh di pandu. Untuk kawasan yang tak dapat di ubahsuai: gunakan alternatif yang ‘low-maintenance’ lain kepada rumput seperti ground-cover (Arachis pinto?), bunga (wildflower atau weeping lovegrass), batu hiasan kecil, tile ataupun rumput tiruan.
Tuan rumah seharusnya melabur untuk membeli mesin sendiri yang boleh didapati di supermarket atau hypermarket ataupun di kedai hardware yang besar. Untuk mendapat rumput karpet yang cantik; amalkan pemotongan yang kerap. Sekurangkurangnya satu minggu satu kali.
Posted in Fields, Landscape, Lanskap, Rumput | 13 Comments »
Turf Matters 