Happy November! Welcome back to our Potestio Brothers Equipment Newsletter! We are so glad you have joined us, Thank You!
November Holidays
Veterans Day is a U.S. legal holiday dedicated to American veterans of all wars, and Veterans Day 2023 will occur on Saturday, November 11. In 1918, on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, was declared between the Allied nations and Germany in World War I, then known as “the Great War.” 
Commemorated in many countries as Armistice Day the following year, November 11th became a federal holiday in the United States in 1938. In the aftermath of World War II and the Korean War, Armistice Day became known as Veterans Day.
Thanksgiving Day is a national holiday in the United States, and Thanksgiving 2023 occurs on Thursday, November 23. In 1621, the Plymouth colonists from England and the Native American Wampanoag people shared an autumn harvest feast that is acknowledged as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies.
For more than two centuries, days of thanksgiving were celebrated by individual colonies and states. It wasn’t until 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, that President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day to be held each November. 
We are here to help!
Did you miss fall overseeding? No worries!
Dormant seeding is a collective term for overseeding lawns in late fall and winter when soil temperatures are too cold to allow grass seed to germinate. In the mid-west, the opportunity for dormant seeding is best from mid-November through early March, while soil temperatures remain below 50 degrees.
Here’s why you should be dormant seeding. 
When you have missed the fall overseeding window, dormant seeding helps to eliminate bare spots and thickens turf to fight spring weed pressure. Research shows winter dormant overseeding outperforms spring overseeding when using cool-season grasses. Turf-type tall fescue, bluegrass, and ryegrass germinate sooner in cold soils and will have more time to develop than seed sown in spring. Grass seeds sown over densely shaded areas, specifically under trees, will gain an advantage allowing emerging grass plants to establish before spring foliage arrives.
What is Snow Seeding?
Snow seeding is a style of dormant seeding. It requires a light snowfall (up to an inch) that allows bare spots to be seen. Spread seed by hand on areas that need thickening up. As the snow melts, it brings the seed into good contact with the soil.
What is Frost Seeding?
Frost seeding is another style of dormant seeding, overseeding moist soil before freezing weather. The natural freeze and thaw cycle of freezing soils will create small cracks or pockets, perfect for catching and holding grass seeds. As the soil dries, the pockets collapse and cover the seed. This same freeze and thaw cycle are also Mother Nature’s natural soil aeration process.
When is the Best Time to Dormant Seed?
Dormant seeding is the most successful when applied after the last tree leaves have fallen and have been removed. Removing yard debris allows for better seed-to-soil contact. Dormant seeding should occur early enough in winter to avoid the muddy conditions from spring thaw and rain. Once you develop a good dormant seeding plan, you will be surprised at the positive results.
Best Seed for Dormant Seeding?
Cool-season grasses are best for dormant seeding. These cool-season grass seed blends and mixes will perform perfectly for dormant seeding. Cool-season grasses like Kentucky bluegrass, turf-type tall fescue, and perennial rye sown over cold winter soils will germinate sooner than the same grass seed sown in April.
What are the Benefits of Dormant Seeding?
There are many benefits to dormant seeding. The biggest benefit is it allows for more time for overseeding. If your schedule does not line up with the perfect fall overseeding window, you have an extended window for dormant seeding from November to March. Another benefit is under large shade trees. Dormant seeding allows seeds to germinate in early spring before the leaves start to fill in in late spring. And last, but not least, dormant seeding is better than spring seeding. Grass seeds sown during the dormant season will germinate sooner than grass seeds sown in April.
Proper Machine Maintenance
Fall is here and we already got the first snow under our belt!
Do you still need to install your snowblower? We are here to help!
If you are not a DIY'er now is the time to schedule your SWAP!
Let us get your summer mowing equipment removed and get your winter attachments installed and ready for snow removal.

Click HERE to schedule your machine's SWAP today!

John Deere Fun Fact! 

You've read about unethical business practices, but not all companies put profits before customers. Here's why John Deere gave a patented innovation to rivals.


Despite horror stories about automakers cutting corners to save a buck, manufacturers don’t always place profits above consumer safety. Take, for instance, John Deere. After patenting technology for its Roll-Gard rollover protection structures (ROPS), the tractor maker shared the innovation with competitors for free.
 
How effective are ROPS at saving lives?

Farming is a dangerous profession. The National Tractor Safety Coalition reports that approximately 26.7 of 100,000 American farmers die on the job yearly. An enormous industry exists to develop and produce safety equipment that can lower that number.

Side and rear overturns play an outsize role in those deaths. In fact, tractor rolls cause about 96 deaths annually. It’s easy to assume those fatalities result from inexperienced farmers doing dangerous things on tractors, but most are seasoned and have been working at their professions for years. Seven out of 10 farms affected by the death of a farmer due to a tractor rollover shutter their businesses.
Further data reveals that one in seven farmers become permanently disabled. These numbers are tragic, but they don’t have to be.
Rollover protection structures create a shield around the driver. If the tractor flips, the ROPS increases the chances the operator won’t be crushed under the machine’s weight. A ROPS is more effective when the user wears a seat belt. 
ROPS are available on many tractor models. However, according to the National Tractor Safety Coalition, only about half of U.S. tractors have this critical safety feature.

The numbers show that tractors with ROPS are drastically safer than those without this critical safety feature. ROPS are 99% effective at preventing injury and death when used in conjunction with a seat belt. The number drops to 70% when the operator doesn’t wear a seat belt, but that’s still an impressive success rate.

When were John Deere Roll-Gard ROPS invented?

John Deere takes safety seriously, spending considerable resources on researching ways to keep anyone who uses its products safe. The John Deere Roll-Gard ROPS is one example.

The American tractor and lawn mower maker released it patented Roll-Gard in June 1966. Testing dated back to 1963 before John Deere believed the new technology was stable. The company put each tractor with a Roll-Gard through its paces to ensure the bolts and welds could handle over 5,000 pounds falling on them.
Once it became clear this new technology would save lives, John Deere shared it with competitors. The company could have used its innovation as a marketing tool to show its products were far safer than others. That would have doubtless boosted sales, but John Deere was more concerned with keeping farmers safe than raking in more money. 
Interestingly, the company didn’t charge others to use its technology. “In 1971, we even made our Roll-Gard patents available to other companies at no charge,” John Deere’s 2019 Sustainability Report states.

Operating Equipment with ROPS

Use Foldable ROPS and Seat Belt Properly.
If your machine is equipped with a foldable roll-over protective structure (ROPS). Keep the ROPS in the fully extended and locked position.
• USE a seat belt when you operate with a ROPS in the fully extended position.
• If this machine is operated with the ROPS folded (e.g., to enter a low building), drive with extreme caution. DO NOT USE a seat belt with the ROPS folded.
• Return the ROPS to the raised, fully extended position as soon as the machine is operated under normal conditions.

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