We had a great watermelon from the garden last week. You can’t really weed in the garden anymore, as I learned when I broke it off the vine while pulling up a handful of Purslane and volunteer Tomatillo. It was one of those giant oblong melons with dark green stripes – maybe 2 gallons of cubed watermelon in the fridge for the week!

I also tried to weed the hot peppers that day and it was a similar disaster – the Lambs Quarters and Gallant Soldier had root systems that were as big (or bigger) than the Jalapenos.

Fortunately, I bought a new lawnmower this spring, and mulching with grass clippings for the rest of the week seems to be just as effective as pulling weeds. The Menards “Masterforce” battery powered push mower is probably the best gardening implement I’ve ever bought.

This is a perfect late-summer weed control system.

Why does Nathan love his battery powered mower so much? First, the mower doesn’t burn gasoline (and oil!), so the grass clippings, my yard, and my clothing are not coated with a film of unburned fuel from a gas push mower that’s never seen a tune-up. The blue cloud of smoke that came with starting the old mower never appears, and I don’t have to wonder how much gasoline I’m putting on the plants. Running a gas lawn mower for an hour is the air pollution equivalent of a 300 mile drive in a car! Related, if coal burned electricity is charging my mower, it’s probably converted at a 40% efficiency – much better than the less than 20% efficiency of a small engine.

Secondly, the 5Amp-hour battery in my mower lasts for about 45 minutes if the grass isn’t too long or wet. I could buy a second battery and mow continuously all afternoon, but I really don’t want to. A little bit of mowing and garden mulching a few afternoons in a row makes for slightly odd-looking lawn, but I’m not a golfer, and none of the neighbors have had the gall to complain.

Only one of my neighbors (Hi Tom!) has asked why my lawn mowing looks off.

The weeds have mostly taken over, but gasoline free grass clippings are great for my peppers

Finally, electric motors are really, really, really quiet. It’s wonderful to be saving what hearing I’ve got after my earlier years of juggling chainsaws without earplugs.

It’s election season, so of course I should end by asking who we should blame for this wonderful invention. Here’s a guess: cheap lithium-ion batteries are what make this mower possible. Because of geography, California is particularly susceptible to trapped air pollution in populated areas. For nearly 60 years the California Air Resources Board (aka CARB, approved by Ronald Regan!) has done science and set rules to limit air pollution. California’s population is more than 10% of the US, so CARB rules have driven product development nationwide. Government regulation has led to cheaper and better products that rich oligarchs get to make money selling!

Nathan Moore, Winona, Minn.

California Air Resources Board

Carb Lawn Equipment Standards