Dry cuts mowing firms' work

The Bay of Plenty's hot, dry weather is hitting local lawn mowing companies, with two recording a 20 per cent drop in business as a result of the drought.

Dry, cracked fields are emerging throughout the Western Bay and those in the industry are praying for a bout of rain so grass can begin growing again.

"The farmers are not the only ones who are suffering,'' said Graham Reichardt, regional franchisor of Jim's Mowing. T

"This is having a huge effect on our business and there are people suffering. It's affecting the livelihood of the franchisees. They have a budget they have to stick to and they still have to pay their bills and mortgages, so I'd say the situation we are in at the moment is extremely difficult.''

It was the worst drought he had seen in his nine years in the industry. He said some lawn mower operators would earn on average $2000 a week but now they were lucky to earn $2000 every three weeks.

Mark Fentin, of Oasis Lawns and Property Care, said business was down between 10 and 20 per cent, and Graham Helps of Mount Tauranga Lawnmowing said business was down about 20-30 per cent. "

It's extremely dry and the one ingredient we're missing is the rain,'' Mr Helps said. ``We've got the warmth and the sunlight, and with the rain, grass would be pumping.''

``No one would ever expect there to be a drought. Not here in the Bay of Plenty.''

Mr Fentin said this summer was the driest he had ever seen.

``I don't think I've seen the soil as parched as it is now. It's certainly not suitable for [grass] growth. The only thing we can do is wait for the rain to come. That's what a lot of people are waiting for.''

When the rain does come, Mr Reichardt said it would be more beneficial for the soil if it came on slowly and gradually got heavier. This would allow the grass roots to remain long instead of shrivelled up, close to the surface.

``When a short burst of rain comes it tends to pool on the top of the soil so the roots come up to the surface to get close to the water and when the sun bakes down on the ground, the roots die off.''

He said people should water their lawns twice a week for two hours. This would ensure the water seeped down into the soil. He also urged people not to cut their grass too short because this would also cause the grass roots to shrink.

A spokesman for The Lawn Ranger said the business had been hit by the dry weather but ``people still want their lawns tidied up''.

HOW TO MAINTAIN A HEALTHY LAWN

• 
  Water your lawn deeply and less often. It's better to water your lawn twice a week for at least two hours than daily for 15 minutes.
• 
  Keep the grass at a reasonable length. The roots below the surface are a similar length to the grass blades above the surface. Don't cut the grass too short.
• 
  Mow your lawn every two-three weeks. Don't mow your lawn when it's wet. This will compact the soil so the roots don't breathe.
• 
  Don't go overboard on fertiliser.