At Challenger Irrigation, we know how much value and enjoyment a properly maintained lawn can create for homeowners. Since we love our job of caring for lawns so much, we thought we’d give you ten facts about them that just might make you appreciate them a little more.
- Where did the concept of lawns first start? Closely cut lawns started emerging on the properties of large landowners in 17th century England. Since caring for these lawns required a great deal of work and only those with wealth could afford the upkeep, having a lawn became a symbol of wealth.
- 90 million households do some kind of lawn and gardening activities. A National Gardening survey found that 75% of all U.S. households spend time taking care of their lawn and gardens.
- Longest lawnmower ride: According to the Guiness Book of World Records, the record for longest lawnmower ride is held by Gary Hatter on a Kubota BX2200-60. He started his drive in Portland, Maine on May 31, 2000 and arrived in Daytona Beach, Florida on February 14, 2001. He drove 14,594.5 miles through all 48 contiguous U.S. states, Canada and Mexico. His top speed was 9 miles per hour.
- The average U.S. lawn is one-fifth of an acre. There are over 1.2 million square inches in an average lawn and more than seven million grass plants.
- Why doesn’t grass die when you cut it? Most of the growth of grass occurs in the roots. Since the roots are never cut during lawn mowing, the grass continues to grow.
- Grass allergies: People who are allergic to grass and weeds will have stuffy and runny noses, puffy and itchy eyes, sneezing and other issues due to the pollen grass produces. The most common grasses that cause allergies are Johnsongrass, ryegrass, Bermuda grass, and sweet vernal grass.
- How old is grass? Grass is one of the oldest living organisms, dating back 200,000 years. The oldest known species is a seagrass found in the Mediterranean Sea.
- Oxygen: Grass lawns produce oxygen at a greater rate than the same area of trees. Each acre of grass produces enough oxygen for 64 people a day.
- Lawn games: One of the oldest lawn games in the world is Bocce, also known as Italian lawn bowling.
- Please keep off the grass: The most common sign found on lawns isn’t all that welcoming.
At Challenger Irrigation, we take pride in managing the health of your lawn so you can spend your time enjoying it. Contact us for your lawn irrigation needs in Hernando, Pasco, Pinellas, and Citrus counties.