Tuckahoe Turf

Year: 2021

Tuckahoe TurfTurf Talk2021
September 2, 2021 0 Comments
tuckturf Yard Care

Lawn Aeration As Part Of Your Yard Care Routine

Most people think of lawn care as just mowing and occasionally getting the sprinkler out to let their thirsty garden drink. A few more folk have perhaps give the lawn a meal and feed their lawn once or twice a year. However, we can outline five key steps that you can incorporate in an easy to manage lawn care routine that will save you time, effort and money once you are into the routine and give you a better looking, more organic lawn to boot!

Lawn scarification

Much like painting a room, or moving house, if you don’t clean out the rubbish first it quickly turns into a mess. Lawn scarifiers or power rakes help to remove a lot of the lawn thatch, weeds and moss that plague many a garden. Thatch is the dead organic material that accumulates on the surface of the turf and includes leaves, grass clippings, seeds and other garden waste. Over time this layer can build up and start to form a barrier that stops the soil from getting its essential nutrients of water, air and feed which leads to dehydration, sparse and thin grass cover and potentially a number of lawn diseases.

A scarifier scrapes or rakes out this organic material that is often not rooted to the ground or much less firmly than grass and the keen lawnsmith is able to remove and dispose of the thatch leaving a cleaner, neater turf that the grass can spread into. Once cleared, it is only necessary to clear the thatch once or maybe twice a year and if the grass and turf are cared for correctly it may be that it is needed less frequently than this even.

Lawn aeration

Once the soils surface is free of thatch and exposed to the air, the next phase of this lawn care plan can start. Many lawns suffer from soil compaction, where the grains of the soil are pushed together and the air and moisture expelled leading to a dry, nutrient poor soil that is hard and unyielding to grass roots. This type of compacted soil tends to have a lower concentration of bacteria, fungi and earthworms that help to keep the recently cleared thatch at bay and any grass growing in it will likely have stunted root growth that leaves the grass exposed to dehydration and disease. A compacted turf also struggles to absorb and hold rain water or feed and the nutrient rich topsoil is often washed away in heavy rain as the water has nowhere else to go.

The quick and easy solution to the soil compaction problem is to aerate the lawn. Lawn aeration involves either taking small cores or plugs of soil out of the turf or pressing spikes into it to create holes which allow air, water and nutrients to penetrate the soil and be retained as well as to physically break up the soil where it has become compacted. Lawn aerators come in a few different varieties ranging from lawn aerator shoes through to push along rotating cylinder aerators or the larger tow-behind type for ride-on lawn tractors.

An aerated lawn is a happy lawn and helps to maintain a thick, lush turf that keeps thatch at bay and promotes grass regrowth. Core aeration is potentially an annual job but spiked lawn shoes or blade aerators can be used every time you mow as their holes close up more rapidly.

Watering the lawn

Now that your lawn is clear and can breathe, drink and feed more easily it is time to address the second most frequent of all the lawn tasks – watering. If your lawn dries out quickly or seems thinner or patchier then your neighbors then aerate first so the water can penetrate deeper into the soil. Watering is as simple as waiting for the rain or more likely, getting the sprinkler out. These can be embedded into the turf or free roaming with one or more sprinkler heads attached to a hosepipe.

Watering is best done in the morning before the sun is too high so the water has time to be absorbed by the soil before it evaporates and doesn’t sit on the grass blades with the sun blazing away on them which can cause some scorching due to a magnifying glass effect.

You should water heavily and less frequently if possible. A shallow watering can increase surface moisture levels and help weeds to germinate as well as causing grass roots to remain in the surface layer leading to higher risk of dehydration in the long term. A heavy watering of 15-30m helps the water to soak more deeply into the soil and promotes a more robust root structure as well as cutting down on evaporation from the surface layers.

A well watered lawn should have thick, springy grass that bounces back when you tread on it and shouldn’t wilt or have a blue-grey tinge to it.

Feed your lawn

If your lawn is looking a little dowdy it may be time to give it a feed and top up the essential nutrients in the soil that it needs to be strong and healthy. The best time to feed the lawn is after any frosts have gone and when the soil or warming up and wet during the Springtime. Any earlier than this and you run the risk that newly encouraged growth in the grass gets hit by a late frost and damages it, leaving you in a worse state than when you started. A slow release fertilizer applied during Spring will give a drip feed of nutrients throughout the Summer months.

Depending on your needs and the state of the lawn you need to make a choice between liquid (fast release) and granule (slow release) based feeds as well as different preparations based on the season. In all cases, getting a push along feed spreader is a cheap and easy way to ensure even coverage and to dramatically speed up the work.

Mow the lawn

Your de-thatched, aerated, watered and fed lawn should now be growing voraciously and brings us to the last and most time consuming lawn care task – mowing the lawn.

To keep the grass in tip-top condition and growing back strongly after being mowed, you should aim to cut only the top third of the blade. Almost all mowers have a height adjustment for the blade, usually a screw or screws on the underside of many mowers, which make this easy to adjust. Cutting too little results in a never ending chore every weekend to keep it in check but, conversely, taking too much off in one go reduces the ‘green’ area of the grass blade where the grass converts sunlight into energy via the chlorophyll (which gives it the green color) and can leave the grass weak and unable to bounce back so thickly and quickly.

There are many types of mower and which one you go for will depend on the size of your lawn, budget and the type of ground and slopes you have. For the small lawn owner, a manual push mower may suffice and is good exercise but impractical for anything of reasonable size where an electric or petrol powered mower will come into its own. These can be hover or cylinder mowers. For those with the largest lawns nothing but a ride-on mower will do. These miniature tractors come with a variety of attachments and features, some even with a CD player to keep you singing along as you mow but all are at a price!

Luckily, mowing is usually only required in the Spring-Autumn months as the grass grows more slowly or becomes dormant over the Winter, especially in more Northern climates where frost and potentially snow are regular visitors. During the peak months you may need to mow a vibrant healthy lawn every two weeks, but in many ways this is a great sign of a truly healthy lawn.

Summary

It should be easy to see how aeration could be missed when watering, feeding and mowing can have such an immediate and obvious impact but a solid lawn aeration routine can really pick your lawn up and make it easier to manage and more fun to enjoy. You may have to mow a little more often but with less thatch, fewer weeds and diseases and a full and lush covering of grass you can use it more and spend less time on the other maintenance tasks that could otherwise become a chore.

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Jack_D_Turner/1133195

May 27, 2021 0 Comments
tuckturf Yard Care

Safely Mowing An Overgrown Lawn

There are many reasons why lawns are left to become overgrown, the property may have been left vacant for a long period of time, the property may be rented and the gardens not cared about by either the owner or the tenant, a busy lifestyle may just push our lawn care routines so low to the bottom of our list of priorities that we realize one day we have a real problem with an unsightly overgrown yard that now needs to be dealt with.
No matter the reason our turf may have become overgrown, it is now time to deal with the problem and to bring our lawns back into full health and control once more. However, mowing an overgrown lawn can bring risk of damage to the lawn if we are not careful in how we go about cutting back the excess growth, as mowing an overgrown lawn can result in severely damaging the lawn or perhaps even killing the lawn if the mowing is not done correctly.
Why Mowing an Overgrown Lawn Can Cause Damage?
All growth of lawns comes from a part of the grass called a crown. It is from these crowns which spring forth new runners in warm season grasses, as well as new lawn leaf material in all grasses. If these crowns are damaged or removed during lawn mowing then it becomes impossible for new lawn growth to occur at all, which in turn can kill the grass in any affected turf areas where this occurs.
In cool season grasses, if we kill the crowns the entire affected area of turf will also die as a result. However, for some warm season grasses such as Zoysia and Bermuda grasses, these lawn types also have underground runners which can repair a lawn where the above surface lawn has been killed or had its crowns removed with lawn mowing. Though it is not a guarantee that all warm season lawns will repair when they are severely damaged.
The problem we have with overgrown turf is that these crowns can raise far higher above the soil level whenever the lawn becomes overgrown. Then when we mow the overgrown lawn at our regular lawn mowing heights, we can in fact be removing the now raised crowns in the lawn mowing process, thus severely damaging, or even killing the lawn in the affected area where this has occurred.
We therefore need to adjust our mowing practice whenever we are tackling an overgrown lawn to bring it back into an orderly state.
Mowing An Overgrown Lawn Safely
If we are going to begin to mow our yards more frequently from now on, then the absolute best solution for us in managing an overgrown grass is to slowly reduce lawn mowing heights over time. Not taking too much leaf material off in the first lawn mowing, and then perhaps slowly reducing lawn mowing heights at every third service, until slowly we get our lawns back to their optimal mowing heights.
This method is the safest of all, and while it does take some time to bring our lawns back to their best appearance, it will never risk damaging the turf. What is happening in this process is two-fold: firstly we are never removing these crowns while lawn mowing, so the grass doesn’t die off; secondly, as the turf is slowly being lowered over time, the turf will adjust itself to this new growing environment by continuously growing all its new crowns at the lower heights that we have introduced. Slowly, over time, we have safely lowered the lawn height and safely trained the lawn to grow all new crowns lower and closer to the soil level where they belong.
Mowing An Overgrown Lawn in A Single Lawn Mowing
As already discussed, this will be safer to do with a warm season lawn than with a cool season lawn, so the risk and results of this remain with the lawn owner or whomever is mowing the overgrown lawn.
If this is a single lawn mowing meant to quickly tidy up an overgrown lawn, then it would also be expected that we would not want to kill the lawn in the process. Therefore, the best method of mowing an overgrown lawn which is not going to be regularly mowed thereafter would be to mow the lawn at the highest height possible which is acceptable to the lawn owner.
By mowing at this higher height, we are doing our absolute best not to be damaging or removing too many grass crowns during the lawn mowing process, therefore this will give us our best result to maintain a lawn which remains alive and in the best possible health after this lawn mowing. While the lawn will not look at its best, it is the safest viable option for us in this situation and to ensure the ongoing survival of the lawn.
Final Notes About Mowing Long Grass
There are often hidden obstacles in long overgrown grass, this could be anything from rocks, toys, glass, tools, or any manner of things. Such objects could become dangerous if hit with lawn mower blades, creating a projectile which risks damage to people or property. Therefore, all long grass areas should be carefully checked prior to any lawn mowing taking place.
Finally, whenever we remove a lot of grass leaf material with a single mowing, we are going to be cutting into the brown thatch layer of the turf, and the longer the lawn becomes, so too will the thatch layer increase in height also. Therefore, we should expect a browning off on the grass wherever a lot of green leaf has been removed at once. If the lawn is properly watered and cared for after the lawn mowing, this thatch layer should decrease over a brief period and new green leaf grown by the lawn.

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Roger_Everett/2289727

April 12, 2021 0 Comments
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Athletic Fields: Natural Grass or Synthetic?

Consideration to switch an athletic facility from natural grass to synthetic grass usually boils down to a common goal; less maintenance so it is cost effective. There is an assumption that the man hours and maintenance costs are significantly in favor of synthetic. It is also often assumed that when a field is seeing a lot of use, specifically areas that are considered high traffic for your venue, it can create areas that, especially toward the end of your season, may have a playability impact and require significant maintenance. But is synthetic truly better?

A properly built and maintained natural grass field will still perform even in the areas that appear to be becoming worn. Do not confuse appearance with playability! If the field has been properly developed and maintained, it will continue to perform and restoring the grass in these worn areas does not take much time and effort.

With natural grass, the two most obvious areas that have a financial impact are watering and mowing. To start, many facilities, even if those that have a quality irrigation system in place, overwater their turf, especially in the Spring. This not only will affect the overall water bill, but also will weaken the roots of the grass while promoting the speed of the blade growth. The faster the blades grow, the more the turf must be cut. If the proper turfgrass is in place relative to your sport and environment, for example, a grass that has drought resistance qualities, your water bill can be significantly reduced, even during the high heat/ dry months. Add to that a proper watering schedule specific to the grass type and season, the amount of water required can be significantly reduced. Adding rain sensors to automatically shut off watering during rainy days or rainstorms is impactful on the health of your grass. Less maintenance will be required as well having a positive budgetary impact.

Fertilization programs are essential to the health of turfgrass. Choose the correct fertilizer for the type of grass and the environment. Equally as important is the timing of the applications. If early-stage fertilizer is applied before the rise ground temperature, it will negate its effectiveness. Most fertilizers require moisture following application. However, if the grass if overwatered or the application is too close to a rainstorm, the fertilizer can be washed away or pool causing more damage than benefit. Again, using the correct fertilizer, proper application timing and appropriate volume can have a positive impact on your budget.

One of the biggest advantages of natural grass is the ground-heat impact. Natural grass can absorb and dissipate heat to an extent keeping the mid-day ground temperature very close to the air temperature whereas, on a hot, sunny, low wind day, synthetic turf can elevate surface temperatures as much as 50% higher than natural turfgrass.

Another positive impact of natural turfgrass is the improvement of air quality. Turfgrass, as a green leaf plant, solicits the photosynthesis process producing oxygen while reducing carbon dioxide. Turfgrass is also a natural air and dust filtration system.

Playability may be the largest difference among the two. Potential injuries from direct impact on healthy grass has historically had an advantage over synthetic turf. Players tends to be able to gain a better grip on natural grass. Even healthy but worn, high-trafficked areas still perform extremely well. Just because the area is stressed does not mean it will have a negative impact on the game or practice.

When comparing typical maintenance costs for a well-maintained natural turfgrass field to a synthetic field (post-installation, including typical and often unsightly replacement sections but not including the additional required equipment as there is specialty equipment required), you will find the cost is negligible. However, the proven mental and physical health advantages of a turfgrass field far outweigh that of a synthetic field.

March 19, 2021 0 Comments
tuckturf Ask Tuckahoe Turf, Sod It!

To Sod or to Seed

To sod or to seed is a question that has been asked for many years. There are several factors that must be considered when making this decision for your home; initial budget, size and shape of the lawn, your timeline, and the effort you are willing to put into the job.
Time & Aesthetics
Seed may be initially much less expensive, but it is labor intensive. It often requires knowledge of the seed and soil, including the soil preparation, and has little guarantee of your desired result. It often takes 6 to 12 months for seed to grow into an established lawn and up to 2 years for a newly seeded lawn to grow and fill in to a beautiful, thick lawn. Seeds can blow away in the wind, dry out or be washed away, not to mention just fail to germinate. Weeds also mix well with new seed so weed prevention and maintenance are required.

Sod looks great immediately after it is installed. It requires less soil preparation and will mitigate significantly more potential soil erosion than waiting for seed to germinate. You will often have an established, healthy lawn in about 2 weeks after the sod is installed. Young grass shoots and blades are very delicate and require proper care to mature. Sod is harvested as mature grass that has strong, healthy roots that just need to grow into your existing soil. Lawns with significant slopes are prone to soil erosion and very difficult to seed and properly water.
Value

According to several real estate sources, a well landscaped lawn can add significant value to your home. Sod can add anywhere from an additional 50% over cost to as much as five times the cost depending on the current lawn condition.

Selling

If you are selling your home, your front landscaping is the first thing that is seen. For a lawn that needs considerable attention, sod will provide an instant upgrade to your curb appeal and has proven to gain a return upon sale.

Cost
Initially, Sod and professional sod installation can get expensive, especially if you have a large lawn that needs to be covered. Although sod costs up to about $1.00 – $1.50 per square foot more than seed. You must also consider the cost of the soil preparation, post seed care, special fertilizers, and the time before you have the lawn you desire if you choose to seed your lawn.
Sod Wins

The benefits of professionally installed Sod far outweigh that of seed. The cost of seeding is much less from the start. However, once you consider the additional fertilizer and maintenance required, cost over the next 12 to 24 months is negligible. An instant, lush lawn that requires much less effort is its own reward.

March 5, 2021 0 Comments
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Salicylic Acid – Turfgrass Health Activator and Disease Management

Salicylic acid is a phytohormone and a key component of a plant’s development, growth, photosynthesis, transpiration, and is a part of the natural signaling system as an integral layer in the plant’s pathogen defense mechanism, or Systemic Acquired Resistance (SAR).


In lay terms, it has been discovered that plants’ internal pathways that are vital to healing and plants natural health defense system includes a vital molecule called salicylic acid, or SA. SA is a key component of the plant’s natural healing process and defense mechanism, or SAR (Systemic Acquired Resistance). To put it in simple terms: it helps defend against what could make a plant sick or stressed and helps the healing processes if an infection occurs. SA contributes to the fight of abiotic stresses like heat, cold, wind, drought, and salinity imbalances as well as foreign pathogens.

Plants can recognize pathogens and react in a manner like our immune system, releasing stored SA to the infected cells along with the adjacent cells. Plants exchange gasses (photosynthesis) through pores in the plants leaves and stems. The surrounding guard cells regulate the opening and closing, along with the size of these pores. SA will instigate and assist in the rapid closing of these pores when pathogens are recognized.


Turfgrass possesses neither the ability to recognize potential invading pathogens nor store excess SA therefore leaving it susceptible diseases due to the lack of a built-up immunity. In fact, in turfgrass, it is produced after the plant is infected to battle the disease. The artificial application of SA will assist in the instigation of SAR providing the necessary components to both suppress as well as help fight diseases more efficiently.


Stress from high traffic and low mowing heights on sand-based turfgrass will require certain nutrient supplements to strengthen the leaf tissue. SA applications on Sports turf may provide similar benefits as applying seaweed extracts to increase balance the antioxidant system of the grass. The combination of the two can greatly improve the soil nutrients while increase plant’s tolerances to internal and external stresses and promote post-infection healing.


A fungicide program is standard practice in the health and maintenance of greens. However, adding an SAR booster like a product that contains salicylic acid can significantly improve the health of your green by strengthening its pathogen defenses. The results of numerous tests also concurred that the application including SA will help in the heat stress management of Kentucky Bluegrass, Fine and Tall Fescue.


While golf course turfgrass health is one of the most significant costs involved in course management, building the immune system of your turfgrass can be a cost-efficient way of dealing with the inevitable pathogens and heat stresses – build stronger, healthier shoots and leaves that can fend off potential disease and withstand the summer heatwave, also potentially shortening the disease cycle if they do become infected.


Be certain to check the suggested SA ratio as applications differ based on the type of grass, your climate, and the products you choose as a part of your turfgrass health management program.

March 3, 2021 0 Comments
tuckturf Ask Tuckahoe Turf

The New England Crab Grass Battle

The New England Crab Grass Battle

If you spend time on and take pride in your thick green lawn, or if you are tired of looking out over a thin, unhealthy lawn, you will agree that crab grass is a nuisance. It is aggressive and will spread rapidly if left untreated. So, what is the best course of action to make certain your lawn comes in as crab-grass free as possible this year and beyond?

First, you should understand a little about crab grass. A single crab grass plant can product up to about 150,000 seeds, therefore, they spread extremely fast. You have two opportunities to address the problem; before these seeds germinate in the Spring, and, if they do, before the plant goes to seed in the Fall. Crab grass can tolerate long periods of high heat and dry conditions, ironically when your lawn is at its weakest and in the areas adjacent to your hardscapes (driveways, walkways, stoned areas, etc.) that require special attention as they tend to emit heat and create conditions that are more favorable for crab grass growth.

Pre-emergent herbicides

Like most lawn issues, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Let us start by attacking the seeds before they germinate in the Spring.
Know your lawn. A thick, healthy sod with some shade and a few patches of crabgrass will require a much less aggressive treatment than a thin lawn that receives a heavy dose of sun throughout the day.
A thin lawn is a prime candidate for a pre-emergent treatment. Usually, a single treatment in March or early April will stop the germination of the crab grass seeds. Learning the line between a heavy treatment and too much is important to understand as well. You do not want to suppress the healthy grass seeds from their Fall germination process. The right balance will allow a lawn that needs more attention to still benefit from a good aeration and Spring seeding.

Post emergent herbicides.

If you have hot spots or are working with a thinner, less healthy law that receives uninhibited sunlight and the problem has been persistent for more than a couple of seasons, a one-step program most likely will not fix your lawn’s woes. The crab grass that does sprout will require attention as well, especially near your hardscapes and other hot spots. It is important to address these areas in July and August, You want to spray before these areas of crab grass go to seed for the Fall, with a post emergent spray.

The healthier your lawn, the less work it will require. A thick, healthy lawn can naturally make the conditions unfavorable and suppress the growth of new weeds. Specifically, during the Spring and in the early summer months, while the crab grass seeds are starting to germinate, keeping your lawn slightly longer will create stress by reducing the amount of light these weeds receive. Irrigation or healthy watering habits will keep your lawn stronger and reducing the impact of these weeds during the dry soil season. Make certain you are giving special attention to your lawn areas adjacent to your hardscapes.

*This article was written under the “Ask Tuckahoe Turf” which provides helpful suggestions or tips for the homeowner or residential lawn. If you feel your lawn is beyond repair or if you would like a beautiful, thick, and healthy lawn this season, contact Tuckahoe Turf right away! 800-556-6985 Tuckahoe Turf Farms has been growing turf for the professional for over 40 years!

February 18, 2021 0 Comments
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Will the Mild Fall and Accumulating Snow Cause Snow Mold This Spring?

Ask Tuckahoe Turf

Will the Mild Fall and Accumulating Snow Cause Snow Mold This Spring?

As we are all aware, we have had frequent and a heavy snowfall this winter. We also had a mild late fall that ran right into our first snowstorm of the season. This combination could be a recipe for snow mold this Spring.
The amount of snow does not generally have a negative impact on our lawns. In fact, a frozen ground and the snow works as an insulating blanket that protects the below-ground living turf grass cells. However, if the ground has not completely frozen when the first snow falls, the moisture in the ground is trapped by the blanket of snow keeping the ground moist and humid. Continued snow covering works as an insulator to keep the unfrozen ground conditions consistent throughout the winter and protects it from the freezing cold air. This allows the formation and thriving of fungal diseases known as snow mold.
There are two types of snow mold: Gray Snow Mold and Pink Mold. They will present in patches of apparent dead grass ranging diameter from a couple of inches to a couple of feet.
Gray snow mold has a straw or gray color. It is far less threatening to your lawn than Pink snow mold as it only kills the blades, not the roots. Gray mold generally survives until temperatures are consistently above about 45 degrees. Then the mold dies off and new grass shoots will generally start to grow again.
Pink snow mold appears red, brown, copper or pink among the dead grass. Pink snow mold can cause severe damage to your grass’ roots, killing your turf and typically survives until temperatures raise consistently above 60 degrees.

Treatment

To start, you must remember that snow mold is a fungus and requires moisture to survive. The first step in treatment is to simply give the area a good dethatching with a rake to remove all the dead grass and any leaves that may remain from the previous fall (thatch and leaves trap moisture in the ground helping the fungus to thrive). This will allow sunlight and wind access to the affected area so it may properly dry and giving the living grass the room it needs to grow.
Mow the affected and surrounding areas shorter than usual to aid in the drying process, and shortening the lifespan of the mold, keeping the grass very short until you see growth. Make sure you rake the area thoroughly after each mow to keep the affected area as clean as possible allowing it too efficiently dry.
If your lawn has the Pink snow mold, the mold is significant or your turf just is not returning, you will most likely need to reseed (or even overseed in the late Spring). If snow mold has been a recurring issue to this point, you may want to consider Kentucky bluegrass and fine fescue as they seem to be the most resistant to the fungi. Remember not to fertilize or mow the areas you have seeded until the new grass is growing strong.

Prevention

There are several things you can do to prevent the breeding of snow mold.

  • Removal of loose grass. This includes gathering of clippings, especially late in the summer and into the fall. Dethatching as needed will allow your lawn to grow stronger in the summer months and allow the ground to dry faster before the first snowfall.
  • Keep the grass short and do not overwater in the Fall. Continue to mow your lawn, shorter than usual, if the grass continues to grow, until becoming dormant for the winter. Mold is more likely to form under longer, matted grass.
  • Remove leaves before the first snow. It is extremely important to remove as many of the leaves from the turf as possible. Leaves are a fantastic moisture barrier for your lawn and one of the best ingredients for mold growth.
  • Fertilize at the right time. Fertilizing your lawn too close to the first snow will promote the late growth of your green grass when it should be dormant in preparation for the winter. Try to apply your last lawn fertilization at least six weeks prior to the first expected snowfall.
  • Apply a fungicide if the problem is recurring. Although this is not recommended for home lawns, if you get mold rings every Spring, you may need to apply a fungicide late in the Fall to stunt the growth of the mold. In these extreme cases, a professional fungicide application is recommended.
  • Spread your snow. When shoveling walkways and driveways, try not to make piles too large on your lawn. When there are snow accumulations later in the winter that led right into warmer early Spring weather, the snowbanks from plows, driveway and walkway shoveling take longer to melt. The longer these areas are covered, the more chance there is of developing mold. As the snow is melting, it is a good idea to help break down these remaining piles and spread them out to promote quicker melting.