An eye opener - Suburban vs. agricultural pesticide use

When we think of pesticides, we often think of industrial-grade agricultural pesticides. We think: "They use so much pesticide for farming. Personal or suburban pesticide usage must be lower, right? Right?"

Wrong.

According to a historical National Research Council study, suburban lawns and gardens receive more pesticide applications per acre (3.2-9.8 lbs per acre on average) than agriculture (2.7 lbs per acre on average).(1) That's over 3.5 times the amount!

Definitely a sobering thought. Consider your family, your pets, your environment and your lawn this lawn care season. Make the right choice: go pesticide-free.

Source
1. National Research Council. 1980. Urban Pest Management. National Academy of Sciences; Abrams, R. Attorney General of New York. 1991. "Toxic fairways: Risking groundwater contamination from pesticides on Long Island golf courses," Environmental Protection Bureau; Pimentel, D., et. al. 1991. "Environmental and economic impacts of reducing US agricultural pesticide use." Handbook of Pest Management in Agriculture, 2nd ed. CRC Press, Florida, p.679.

Sparky's Safe Lawn Tip - Aerate your soil to prevent weeds and reduce compaction

OK team, now that we're heading into Spring we need to get down to some real lawn care maintenance. This week's task is core aeration.

What is aeration?
Lawn (or core) aeration helps to reduce compaction by pulling up plugs of soil and then allowing air, water and nutrients to reach the grass roots.


Why you should aerate your lawn
Over the course of the Winter, your soil gets hard and compact. This works when you're trying to ice skate in your backyard; but, not so great for your lawn come Spring. When your lawn gets too compact, the grass might not be getting the vital air and nutrients it needs to reach its full potential.

What's so good about aeration?
Core aeration helps to:
1. Reduce compaction.
2. Strengthen grass roots, allowing them to grow deeper (this also gives you a greener, more beautiful lawn)
3. Reduce weeds.

When and how you should aerate your lawn
Lawn aeration twice per year - at the beginning (March) and at the end (Fall) of the lawn care season is ideal. Aerators can be bought or rented, or a good supply of earthworms will aerate the soil adequately as long as there is no compaction problem. You should always aerate before reseeding.

Natural Turf can help
The Spring lawn care season's upon us! Reach out to a Natural Turf lawn care professional team today for a personal consultation. We look forward to hearing from you!

Five great websites for pesticide info

We all know the dangers of pesticides - bad for your health, your family, your pets and your environment. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) declares: "Pesticides can cause harm to humans, animals and the environment because they are designed to kill or otherwise affect living organisms."

However, Americans continue to spend millions of dollars annually to support their production, distribution and eventual use. Unfortunately, current government regulations concerning the marketing of these dangerous chemicals do little to protect consumers.

So how do you stay up to date on the dangers of, regulation of and safety information on pesticides? Here's five great websites to keep in your e-Rolodex:
1. Grassroots Environmental Education - General information on environmental toxin and their effect on human health. www.grassrootsinfo.org
2. Northwest Center for Alternatives to Pesticides (NCAP) - Publications and detailed information about pesticides. www.pesticide.org
3. NCAMP/Beyond Pesticides - Learn about pesticide action groups around the country. www.beyondpesticides.org
4. Pesticide Action Network North America (PANNA) - A database of pesticide chemicals and scientific information. www.pesticideinfo.org
5. Natural Turf Pro - Professional training course for organic lawn care on DVD. www.naturalturfpro.com

Take advantage of these great resources to educate and empower yourself. Make the right choice for your family, your pets, your health and your lawn: go pesticide-free.

For more information and a personal consultation for your lawn, contact a Natural Turf natural lawn care professional today! We look forward to hearing from you.

Hurray! Spring is (officially) here!

YAY!

It's our favorite time of the year! Spring is here!

Sparky's Safe Lawn Tip - Remove winter debris

Spring's around the corner - time to get real about decluttering your mind and your lawn.

Before you begin your Spring lawn service, be sure to get as clean of a grassy surface as possible. Remove all leaves, sticks and other debris from your grass. Leaves that have been left on top of your lawn prevent proper drainage and can lead to decay. Two things that aren't helpful to a beautiful, healthy lawn.

But, compost leaves and other organic debris allow you to benefit twice:
1. You get a greener, healthier lawn.
2. Your lawn has extra nutrients for the Spring season.

So, time to head out and start collecting!

Wildlife and your pets want you to go organic

At Natural Turf, we care about three things: your lawn, your family and your health. But, one thing that we also always keep in mind is how our products are safer for preserving natural wildlife and their habitats. And so should you.

Beyond Pesticides has a wonderful fact sheet that outlines many of the real dangers of chemical fertilizers and pesticides.

Some highlights:
1. Studies find that dogs exposed to herbicide-treated lawns and gardens can double their chance of developing canine lymphoma and may increase the risk of bladder cancer in certain breeds by 4-7 times.(1)
2. Of the 30 commonly used lawn pesticides: 16 are toxic to birds, 24 are toxic to fish and aquatic organisms and 11 are deadly to bees.(2)
3. Pesticides can be toxic to wildlife and cause food source contamination, behavioral abnormalities that interfere with survival, and death.(3)
4. Lawn and garden pesticides are deadly to non-target species and can harm beneficial insects and soil microorganisms essential to a naturally healthy lawn.(4)

Let's respect wildlife and go natural. The way nature intended.


Sources
1. Glickman, Lawrence, et al. 2004. "Herbicide exposure and the risk of transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder in Scottish Terriers." Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. 224(8):1290-1297; Haynes, H., et al. 1991. "Case-control study of canine malignant lymphoma: positive association with dog owner's use of 2, 4-D acid herbicides." Journal of National Cancer Institute. 83(17): 1226.
2. Beyond Pesticides Factsheet. 2005. Environmental Effects of 30 Commonly Used Lawn Pesticides.
3. Defenders of Wildlife. The Dangers of Pesticides to Wildlife. April 2005.
4. Restmeyer, S. J. 2003. Ecological Pest Management: Embracing the Organic Approach to Landscape Management. Pesticides and You. 23(1): 11-12. Beyond Pesticides. Washington, DC.

Sparky's Safe Lawn Tip - Begin mowing your lawn on a low setting

We're getting there...the sun's peeking through...

Mowing is one of the most important activities in maintaining your lawn. Regardless of whether your lawn is fertilized, irrigated or receives applications of control products, proper mowing practices are essential. Properly mowed lawns will have fewer weed populations, better moisture stress tolerance and generally better quality than improperly mowed lawns. Plus, they look spiffy-er, too.

Low heights have limited leaf area to sustain photosynthesis rates to maintain good plant vigor. In addition, your grass will develop a stronger root system.

For more info, checkout this great fact sheet from The Ohio State University.

How do you mow for a great-looking lawn?

Lawn Fun Fact!

Grass is a great air conditioner in summer and heater in winter. They stay at the nice temperate ranges of 50-75 degrees even when sidewalks and streets are as hot and cold as 100-30 degrees.

Pretty cool (or hot), huh? Happy weekend!

Great lawn series - Central Park, New York, NY USA

Sparky's Safe Lawn Tip - Get a soil test and choose the right fertilizer

OK, OK, the lawn care season is getting closer! :)

So, what now? Get ready for the season by getting a soil test. You should never spend any money on any fertilizer or soil amendment without first checking out the results of a soil test first.

All lawn care fertilizers are comprised of three main ingredients:
1. Nitrogen - Helps keep your grass healthy, vibrant green and helps keep it nice and thick! A healthy lawn can naturally ward of bugs and pests, too.
2. Phosphorous - Nutritionally helps strong roots in your grass.
3. Potassium - It also bolsters the strength of your blades, which helps your lawn weather particularly dry or hot spells.

When choosing the right fertilizer, you want to get the right combination of these three key nutrients to the soil at a rate that's optimal for growth. You also want to mind your budget, personal time investment (like hiring a pro).

Whatever your path, testing your soil first and selecting a fertilizer with the optimal makeup of the three key nutrients will give you the best shot to a more emerald, stronger and fuller lawn you can be proud of.