Sparky's Safe Lawn Tip - 5 Ways to Put Fall Leaves to Work

So, it's Fall. The weather's getting crisper, football is in the air...and your lawn is now covered with fallen leaves.  Normally, we'd just rake them up and get them out.  But, we found another great use for them - 5 in fact - from a great article from Mass Audubon. 

Check them out below - and share your tips!

TIP 1 - LEAVE THEM BE
Why: Leaves act as a home for many different types of beneficial insects (ground and rove beetles, spiders, caterpillars), as well as amphibians such as wood frogs. A layer of leaves also serves as a root protection for trees and shrubs by keeping in moisture and moderating the temperature of the soil. And if that’s not reason enough, you will also attract more birds, which rely on leaves for shelter, nesting material, and water.
How: Leave behind a thin layer of leaves in areas that people don’t walk on (you wouldn’t want anyone slipping). If you’re worried about your grass being smothered, chop the leaves with a lawn mower.
Good to know: Researchers from Michigan State University have found that chopped leaves left on lawns may actually help suppress dandelions.

TIP 2 - MAKE MULCH
Why: A less expensive and taxing option to raking, bagging, and disposing, leaf mulch mimics a natural forest ecosystem, making for excellent nutrient recycling. Plus, it’s more sustainable and you don’t have to buy mulch come planting season.
How: When the leaves begin to fall, mow your lawn as you normally would. This will shred the leaves, making them decompose faster and a bit easier to pack around the bases of plants. In vegetable and perennial gardens, you can keep the leaves whole, and then turn them over come spring. Or, if you like, you could rake them and put them in a shredder.
Good to know: Songbirds love leaf mulch since it harbors lots of nutritious bugs! 

TIP 3 - COMPOST THEM
Why: Any gardener can extol the merits of compost. Good compost requires a mix of high nitrogen (grass clippings, food waste) and high carbon components. The best bet for the latter? Fallen leaves.
How: Scoop them up whole and add them to your compost pile. Not only do they add bulk but leaves make for good aeration. Don’t have a compost pile yet? Leaves are a great way to get started. To speed up the decomposing process, you can shred them a little.
Good to know: Leaves that have been left on the ground for awhile bring useful decomposing microorganisms to the compost pile. A good excuse to put off the yard work!

TIP 4 - HAVE FUN WITH THEM
Why: There’s nothing more thrilling that jumping into a big pile of leaves (and that goes for both kids and adults). Note: Be aware of ticks. Wear light colored clothes and check yourself for ticks after playing outside.
How: In addition to a good old-fashioned leaf pile, you can make a scarecrow, add leaves to vases or window boxes, preserve brightly colored fallen leaves, or make leaf rubbings. For more ideas, visit our Ready Set Go Outside article on leaves.
Good to know: It’s good luck to catch a falling leaf before it touches the ground. Slap the lucky leaf against your forehead, turn around in three complete circles, and then make a wish!

TIP 5 - LEARN MORE ABOUT THEM
Why: Think a leaf is simply just a leaf? Think again. There are compound and simple leaves, broad leaves and needle leaves, leafstalks, leaf teeth, and leaf veins. By learning more about the leaves you see every day, you will gain more appreciation for the natural world around you.
How: Pick up one of the countless books written on the subject. A few of our favorites, which can be found at the Audubon Shop at Drumlin Farm in Lincoln, include: The Sibley Guide to Trees, Fall Color Finder, Why Do Leaves Change Color?, and The Tree Book for Kids and Their Grown Ups. .
Good to know: While we now know science is behind leaves changing color, countless legends have been linked to this fall phenomenon, including Native American lore that said when hunters killed the Great Bear in the sky, the bear’s blood fell on the forests, turning some of the leaves red.

GET READY FOR FALL!
Save 50% on power-seeding now at Natural Turf!  Keep your lawn looking it's best, all year round.  We look forward to hearing from you!

Are Pesticides A Key Driver of Autism Increase?

Forbes Magazine science contributor, Emily Willingham

Here's a thought-provoking article from Forbes' contributing science writer, EmilyWillingham, regarding pesticides and the adverse affects of Autism.  Worth the read - and thought. 

An anti-pesticide manifesto [PDF] from the Pesticide Action Network North America (PANNA) has recently made a few headlines in big papers and nabbed a feature on an NPR member station with claims that “children today are sicker than they were a generation ago” and that pesticides are a “key driver” of the increase in childhood disorders such as “childhood cancers … autism, birth defects, and asthma.” The news reports almost invariably describe the tome in scientific terms without mentioning that it’s self published and not peer reviewed and contains no new data or information. The stories do not fail, however, to mention autism and to mention it early.

The PANNA authors pin their autism claim in part on the much written-about “autism epidemic.” While environmental factors might play some role in a small portion of the increase in autism, as I argue here, the general consensus appears to be that diagnostic substitution and enhanced awareness and recognition are the main drivers. Regardless of whether a genuine increase exists and what environmental factors are key to it, very little published evidence suggests a link between autism diagnoses and pesticide exposures. Yet the two keep popping up together in articles that sensationalize a relationship or posit one from research that doesn’t address autism at all.

Autism, though, sells. It sells stories, it gets attention, it attracts clicks. So let’s take a look at what they’re selling you.

The PANNA report mentions autism 58 times but focuses on it only in one short section of its 40 pages. In this section, called “The Science,” the authors cite a handful of published reports, not all of them studies. One paper is a scientific op-ed of sorts that gained fame for asserting that “10 chemicals”–gotta love numbered lists–need attention in the context of autism, which sounds great except…hardly any of them had been linked to autism in any way. Against the backdrop of this editorial, the authors of the PANNA report then go on to list eight other studies they claim support an autism-pesticide link (I note here that the term “pesticide” is used loosely to encompass herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides). In four of eight cases, they simply mischaracterize the studies they cite.
Among the eight studies, an original research study they reference is a 2006 report assessing links between a pesticide, chlorpyrifos , and developmental delays (not diagnosed autism) in urban-dwelling families. Chlorpyrifos was introduced in 1965 and widely used in households until it was banned in 2001 for home use. It remains in wide use in agriculture. A second study the PANNA authors cite was a 2007 article describing prenatal agricultural exposure to several compounds, including chlorpyrifos. Those investigators found no link between chlorpyrifos and endpoints that were similar to those of 2006 study, but did identify an association between another chemical and pervasive developmental disorders (again, not diagnosed autism). So far, we’ve got two reports with conflicting results that don’t involve diagnosed autism.

The PANNA group then lists what they call a “trio of US studies” from 2012 that “examined links between environmental exposures among parents (including but not limited to pesticides) and the incidence of autism among their children.” The studies in question didn’t examine those links at all and don’t mention pesticides or even environment; the authors of those reports might be surprised to see how their work has been described. All three are genetics studies. One group described finding a greater rate of spontaneous mutations passed along from fathers compared to mothers and that accumulation of these mutations was associated with the dad’s age. Another found an association between an epilepsy-related gene variant and autism. The third identified two other gene variants that are risk factors for autism. These studies weren’t about pesticides and autism and they did not “examine links” in the way described. A fourth study the PANNA authors cite, also from 2012, was another genetics study that confirmed an association between father’s age and accumulated mutations and was not a study of pesticides.

Finally, the PANNA report cites, as its last pillar in its “pesticides as key drivers of autism” argument, a 2012 paper proposing a hazy network between autism and a mishmash of high-fructose corn syrup consumption, mercury, organophosphates, and a host of other chemophobia bugbears. But that paper was a review and contained no new data. At the time of its publication, I analyzed its rationales and conclusions and found that the arguments fell apart from the word go. The authors’ response to that critique and my response to them are here.

In sum, the section from this PANNA report asserting that pesticides are a “key driver” of an autism increase contains eight citations of what they call “The Science.” Two contain no original research, four aren’t related to pesticide assessment at all but are misleadingly described as such, and two address intense pesticide exposure and pervasive developmental disorders and delays but not autism specifically. The case they build to link autism and pesticides is not a compelling one. Why did they build it? I’m guessing because autism gets attention.

They could have built it better, at any rate. They did cite one other relevant research paper in the report, but for some reason, they failed to include it in “The Science.” That 2007 study suggested that maternal residence in the vicinity of pesticide application in the central valley of California might be associated with diagnosed autism, although the work had some pretty significant confounders and limitations that its authors note.

Another citation the PANNA authors included outside of “The Science” was a 2012 review in a peer-reviewed journal, “Tipping the Balance of Autism Risk: Potential Mechanisms Linking Pesticides and Autism.” This review offers up a kitchen sink of animal and cell research–ranging from sea urchins to voles–to weave a plausibility argument associating autism and pesticides. One report its authors highlight describes, ironically, a beneficial effect of chlorpyrifos in “restoring behaviors” in a mouse model (ETA: I don’t know what the specific behaviors were, just that the chlorpyrifos treatment restored them to “normal”). Yet in spite of a host of references, based on a quick assessment, only about seven of the 130+ citations might directly address autism and pesticide exposure, three of them already discussed here.

The authors of the “Tipping the Balance” review argue that we need more studies looking at whether or not our pesticide exposures interact with genes to result in autism, using animals with “autism-like” behaviors and evaluating large numbers of people. That may be the case, although because of the nature of scientific publication, we may not know about negative results researchers have already found. Regardless, current studies–animal or human–showing a link are vanishingly rare, even though six years have passed since the chlorpyrifos/urban families report first appeared. This lack of data again leads to the question: Why bring up autism in the PANNA report at all, much less 58 times, asserting that pesticides are a “key driver” of the condition? And why misrepresent half of the studies cited that pertain to it?

Sparky's Safe Lawn Tip - 3 Must-do Fall Lawn Maintenance Tasks

Hi folks!  Well, the cooler weather is coming.  But, that doesn't mean it time to put our lawn gear to the shed.  Nope!  Let's keep those wheels loose, hoes sharp and garden gloves worked in. 

Here's a great article, 3 Must-Do Fall Lawn Maintenance Tasks, we found from The Northwest Herald, out of McHenry County, IL.  It's a great article and definitely worth the read.  Do you have any great Fall lawn tips?  Be sure to share them with us - we can add to the list!

Here's the list:

1. Fertilize

 

This is the most important time of year to fertilize for cool-season grasses. This last application of slow-release organic fertilizer will provide the grass with the strength it needs to make it through winter. Lay down about 1-4 pounds per 1,000 square feet of grass that gets full sun (shaded areas of your lawn don’t need quite as much). Getting your soil tested first will help you determine any nutrient deficiencies you may then correct by adapting your dosage of fertilizer. (Warm-season grasses need fertilizer in the spring.)

2. Aerate and overseed

In order for cool-season grasses to establish new lawn and build up existing areas, now is the time to plant. The cooler weather helps eliminate the competition from germinating weed seeds, so the grass is able to gain a stronger foothold. Start by aerating your landscape to allow for freer nutrient and water circulation, and to help prevent thatching, then proceed with the overseeding.

3. Eliminate weeds

Take down those dandelions! As broadleaf perennial weeds like dandelion and clover prepare for winter, they pull nutrients (and herbicide applications) from the soil into their roots. Treat problem spots with an herbicide or try an organic alternative, such as a vinegar-based or other acidic product.
In addition to these three tasks, continue your regular lawn care routine. Yes, the weather has cooled and your grass is no longer suffering in the same way it did over the summer. But the landscape still needs a good drink weekly to keep it moist in the drier air of fall and winter. Keep mowing as well, but with a higher setting on your mower — about 2 inches — so you are cutting the blades a little shorter than usual. Do so until you’ve noticed growth has stopped and the lawn has reached dormancy. Finally, as the trees begin to release their leaves, keep your lawn as debris-free as possible by raking often

Good stuff, huh?

Save 50% on your Power-Seeding for Fall with Natural Turf!
We can help with your transition to Fall.  At Natural Turf, we're offering 50% off power-seeding until October 31, 2012.  Keep your lawn looking it's best.  Check it out - we'd love to hear from you!  

Sparky's Safe Lawn Tip - 5 Things You Need to Know About Chemical Lawn Care

At Natural Turf, we're all about The Better Way to Organic and Organic-Based Lawn Care.  We're don't believe in chemicals, pesticides or anything else that's harmful to the environment, your health, your family and your pets.
 
Here's a great article from our friends at GreenerGreenGrass about why we do what we do. 

1. What is Chemical Lawn Care? You know the companies – they’re big and powerful and promise perfect green lawns.  And they can often deliver, but only temporarily.  These lawns are treated with fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides that are made from synthetic chemicals.  I’m not anti-chemical (I’m a chemist, after all), but there is no justifiable reason to be putting this stuff in our outdoor living spaces.
2. Why is Chemical Lawn Care Bad for People and Pets? The biggest culprit is chemical pesticide – this is the really scary stuff.  All chemical lawn pesticides have to be registered with the EPA, not because this qualifies them as safe, but because they are technically poisons.  Many of them contain carcinogens, have been linked to birth defects, reproductive effects, neurotoxicity, liver or kidney damage, and have been shown to be sensitizers and/or irritants.  Yeah, I want to keep off that grass.
3. Why is Chemical Lawn Care Bad for the Planet? We sometimes forget that whatever we apply to the lawn is not all soaked up by the grass.  In fact, when fertilizers are over-applied (as often encouraged by the big chemical lawn care companies) most of it runs off anyway (along with the money you invested).  By the way, this is true of all fertilizers, including natural and organic ones – over-application is unnecessary and not good for the watershed.  Lawn pesticides and herbicides add to the chemical burden of the environment – they can be a quick fix, but the long-term effects are worth considering.
4. Why is Chemical Lawn Care Bad for Your Lawn? While it is true that these products can have very quick, seemingly positive effects on your lawn, these results are short-term.  When a chemical pesticide is applied, it kills off some of the good bugs too, including some of the key bacteria and microorganisms in the soil.  If your soil is unhealthy, it won’t be able to sustain the health of the grass plants, so you’ll have to apply more fertilizer to provide nutrients to the lawn.  It’s a vicious cycle – Just Say No to Lawn Chemicals!
5. What Are the Alternatives to Chemical Lawn Care? Instead of chemical pesticides, there are a lot of DIY options like garlic spray, neem, chili peppers, chrysanthemum tea, castor bean, and mineral oil.  The best way to avoid chemical herbicides is to make your lawn healthy.  Weeds grow because they are stronger than the grass plant; the logical solution is to make your grass stronger.  This starts with healthy soil and the right combination of added nutrients.  Natural lawn fertilizers can be as simple as manure or compost, and you know we love the liquid products because they are more readily absorbed into the grass roots.

Great recap.  We'd love to hear some of your thoughts - what are your reasons for choosing natural-based lawn care?  

Sparky's Safe Lawn Tip - 5 Chemical-Free Fixes for Common Lawn Problems

From OrganicGardeningMagazine.com

Like many problems for which chemicals seem like a quick, easy fix, lawn problems can usually be corrected without nerve-damaging and ecohazardous chemicals like glyphosate (used in Roundup) and 2,4-D (used in products made by Scotts and Weed B Gone).

Here are some of the most common lawn and yard problems you’ll encounter, what they signify, and how to fix them:

1. Clover
Some weeds you can eat, some weeds are pretty, and other weeds are signs of a problem. If you want your lawn to be healthy, clover is a good weed to have in the landscape. It usually appears when your soil is low in nitrogen levels, but it helps fix the problem by bringing nitrogen to the soil. Solution: Leave it alone! When you mow, the clover clippings will add nitrogen to your lawn, helping to fix the problem without fertilizer.

2. Dandelions
Dandelions indicate that your grass isn’t developing healthy roots, or that there are nutrient problems in your soil. The turf may be either low in calcium, too high in potassium, or too acidic. Get a soil test to find out what’s out of whack, and use the results to strategize ways to balance out the nutrients. You can use a spray of undiluted white vinegar to kill the existing weeds (aim carefully so you don’t zap too much nearby grass), or dig out their deep root systems with a dandelion weeder.

3. Crabgrass
It only takes a little bit of sunlight breaking through your grass to allow crabgrass to grow, and usually it appears when you’ve mowed the lawn too short. Dig out the crabgrass, roots and all, and then set your mower’s blade higher. Corn gluten will help prevent crabgrass, too. But, again, it has to be applied in early spring, before the crabgrass has taken root.

4. Bare or ragged patches
Bare spots in your lawn may be a sign of nothing more than heavy traffic or too much dog stuff. If heavy traffic is the culprit, consider replacing grass with a gravel walkway, and make dog-poop cleanup part of your weekly lawn maintenance. However, bare spots may also be caused by armyworms, which you’ll probably be able to see crawling around in the soil. Rather than resort to fertilizers or additional grass seed, kill the armyworms off with beneficial nematodes, which you can buy from online retailers.

5. Brown grass
This is usually a sign of overmowing, which prevents the grass from getting enough water. Set your mower a little higher and mow less frequently. The higher you allow your grass to grow, the better it retains moisture, especially during hot, dry spells. Sometimes brown grass is a sign of nutrient depletion, in which case you may want to plant some clover to help affix nitrogen in the soil. A soil test will tell you if your soil needs added nutrients. Brown grass may also be caused by white grubs, a pest that can be eliminated with the same beneficial nematodes used to fix bare patches.

Do you have any special fixes?  We'd love to hear them!

Sparky's Safe Lawn Tip - 5 Benefits of a Properly Installed Irrigation System

Originally published by GreenerGreenGrass

Today we have a great guest post about irrigation systems – definitely some timely information for all you drought sufferers out there… And these folks really know what they’re talking about – check out this beautiful landscape they did.

Keeping a lush lawn and healthy landscape takes a lot of time and effort – often more than most families can fit into their busy schedules. Standing around with the hose in hand or running outside to move the sprinkler again is just too much hassle. Today’s homeowners want more efficient and effective watering solutions, and they’re increasingly discovering the benefits of professionally installed irrigation systems.

Whether your goal is a greener lawn or a healthier garden (or both), an irrigation system can help you achieve it. Here’s a look at the top five advantages of choosing the right irrigation method for your needs:

1. Save on your water bill.

A proper irrigation system installation is carefully designed to meet the needs of your landscape by delivering water right where it’s needed most. With a programmable controller, you can make sure your landscape receives the proper amount of moisture – and not a drop more. As water costs continue to rise, every drop saved translates into cash that stays in your bank account when the water bill arrives. Many homeowners will see water savings of up to 30 percent when they install a properly designed system using the latest technology.

2. Save time on landscape maintenance.

Modern irrigation systems are easily controlled with set-it-and-forget-it timers so you don’t even have to step outside to water your landscape. Just program the timer so the system waters your lawn and garden at the optimal time of day (or night). Not only can you skip out on the hassle of watering, but you’ll end up with healthier plants that require less attention in the long run.

3. Enjoy a greener landscape.

And we’re not just talking about the color. Up to 70 percent of a household’s water consumption goes to outdoor use. Fortunately, today’s professional irrigation systems are finely tuned to conserve water, resulting in a more eco-friendly yard. For example, by choosing a system with built-in soil moisture sensors, a rain shutoff device and a weather sensor, you can program your system to take into account local weather and moisture factors and adjust accordingly. That way, you know your lawn will be watered only when truly necessary.

4. Improve plant growth.

Both over-watering and under-watering can prove harmful to your plants. By choosing the right irrigation system for your needs, you can control the amount of water each area of your landscape receives. For example, using a drip irrigation system in your garden will help plants develop deeper, healthier root systems.

5. Spend less time weeding.

The precision of a properly installed irrigation system allows you to water only the areas of your landscape that need hydrating – without accidentally nourishing thirsty weeds in the process. Consequently, you’ll spend less time pulling weeds from obscure places, such as the concrete seams in a driveway.

For help choosing and customizing the right irrigation system for your needs, consult a landscaping or irrigation specialist. Then sit back and enjoy the benefits of a lush, healthy landscape without all of the work.

Article provided by Landscape East & West, an award winning full-service landscaping and irrigation systems installation and repair company based in Portland, OR.

Sparky's Safe Lawn Tip - A Guide to Animal Pest Control

Mother Earth News has a great, comprehensive post about controlling those furry critters from devouring your hard-earned lawn.

Worth the read, right!?

They've got great tips for:

• Moles and gophers
• Deer
• Raccoons and skunks
• Dogs and cats
• Rabbits

Check out the full guide to animal pest control here.

Sparky's Safe Lawn Tip - Why it makes a difference what kind of lawn seed you plant

Here's a great article from our friends at LawnCareService.net:

Now is the time of year when lawn bare spots tend to appear, especially if you live in one of the many areas that hasn’t had much rainfall this year.  If you’re thinking of buying grass seed to help fill in those spots, or if you’re planning a new lawn for next year, read this article from LawnCareService.net to make the right choice.  There are some great tips, and a couple of them I wouldn’t not have thought of, so even if you think you know what grass seed to purchase, take a look at this list before you buy.

Whether you’re filling in a small patch in your lawn or seeding a whole new landscape, the grass seed you choose for your project will make a difference in the results. That’s why it is important to understand the different factors that should influence your choice of a grass seed for your project.

• Climate. Grass seed companies create their seed mixtures based on what grows best in different regions of the country. Grasses are first distinguished as being Northern or Southern grass. In addition to these geographical divisions, the grass is further classified by climate, such as: humid, tropical, semi-arid and transitional. If you are buying your grass seed locally, you should not need to be concerned with this, as the seed companies will only be shipping the type of seed into your area that fits the region. Should you choose to order seed from outside your area, you will want to make sure that you select the correct seed for your region and climate.

• Sunlight. All grass types need several hours of sun or partial sun each day, but there are some types that can survive better in partial shade than others. If you have areas that are full sun and others that only receive partial sun, you will want to take this into consideration when choosing your grass seed. If you have some areas that are always heavily shaded by trees, you may want to increase the sunlight by removing some of the lower tree branches. Or you may also consider planting another type of ground cover that will thrive better in the shade.

• Patching. There are a couple of considerations in this area. If you are patching, what is planted in the area around the patch? It would be preferable to use a similar mixture. If you are unsure of what was used for the lawn, select your seed based on the amount of sun and the amount of traffic expected for that area.

• Lawn wear. Is the area of the lawn that you are seeding going to experience heavy foot traffic, or will it be more of an untouched carpet? Some types of grass, such as Kentucky Bluegrass, will not hold up as well under traffic, but are great for low traffic area, like a front lawn. It would not be the best choice for a play area or near the edge of a patio.

• Lawn care. Some seed handles drought conditions better than others. If you have a large lawn and your lawn does not have an irrigation system, this can be an important consideration for you. Will you be able to provide the moisture needed for the lawn if the summer months get especially dry?

• Choices. Most grass seed will come labeled as a ‘mixture’ or a ‘blend’. The two terms both indicate that there is more than one type of grass seed included, but there is a difference. A Kentucky Bluegrass mixture will have mostly Kentucky Bluegrass seed, along with a variety of other types of grass seed. Kentucky Bluegrass blend will have only Kentucky Bluegrass, but contain a blend of different Bluegrass varieties. If you are looking for the highest consistency in the look of your lawn, the blend will provide that. The mixture is generally considered to be the stronger choice because of the variety of types.

• Cost. Grass seed is often on sale, but as shown in this article, price should not be your only consideration. Look for the proper mixture and a high quality seed. The highest quality grass seeds will be labeled as such by the Lawn Institute.

Following these basic guidelines will help you choose a grass seed that will provide you good coverage, when planted in good soil.

Sparky's Safe Lawn Tip - Lazy Compost Recipe

From our friends at Compost Junkie. 

Easy composting is a lazy gardener's dream come true. That's right, I said it..."L-A-Z-Y gardener". I never thought those two words would come out of my mouth in the same sentence, but something changed recently...

In the last week or so, I've had several conversations with the folks in our Compost Tribe and they each said the same thing...

"Dave, if you want to motivate more people to compost, you have to start tailoring your message and material to the 'Average Joe'". That is, the person who has little to no experience in gardening, and perhaps a deficiency of time, but still wants to do his part to be GREEN.

For instance, maybe Average Joe won't turn his compost, but he will save his kitchen scraps and dump them into a backyard compost pile. Maybe Average Joe doesn't have the time to shred his compost ingredients, but he will throw everything into a compost tumbler and flip it every couple days.

So Average Joe, let's make a deal...

Every couple pages that I write from now on will be catered directly to you! I'll do my absolute best to simplify, refine, and condense everything I know into a set of what we'll call the easy steps to composting.

To get started let's review what I consider to be the the ultimate recipe for easy composting...

Easy Composting 101

Step 1
Pick an area in your yard where you will build your compost pile.

Step 2
This step is optional but highly recommended.
Grab some old wire fencing, or welded wire (12.5 gauge is preferable) and wrap it into a circle. Make sure it's at least 3' across from one side of the circle to the other and approx. 4' high. Secure the ends of the fence together with zip-ties, shoe strings, concrete ties, etc.

Step 3
Start filling your new compost bin.
When doing this try to remember the following - For every 6" of brown material (e.g. dried leaves, newspaper) you add to your pile, you also want to add 2" of green material (e.g. fresh grass clippings, kitchen scraps).  Continue layering until your bin is full.

Step 4
Sit back and wait.

Depending on your climate and season, the majority of this pile will breakdown into usable compost within 6-12 months. If you want the compost more quickly, you can always turn it, but that wouldn't be very easy now, would it?

By the way Average Joe, I was only kidding when I said "sit back and wait". This is actually the perfect time to revisit Step 2 and build a second compost bin. If you time it properly and build your piles right, you can rotate between these two (or three) bins and always have a ready supply of compost to feed your garden.

Now that's my idea of easy composting! Don't you agree Average Joe?

As I bring this article to a close, I need you to lean in so I can tell you a little secret...
Pssssst...the truth is, we all have an Average Joe inside us, so why not slow down, take a deep breath and take a lesson from the easy composting steps above. Remember - Life's too short to try and garden quickly.

Would love to hear some of your other lazy - but green! - composting tips!

Sparky's Safe Lawn Tip - Winter Worm Composting

Checkout this great article from Mother Earth News about Winter worm composting:



Even in the heat of summer, it's not to early to consider ways to keep our garden friends, our composting worms, fully employed over the winter months. For now, use that vermicompost for some worm "compost teas" to help your gardens with the stress of this summer’s heat. When cold weather comes, gather your materials and try overwintering your worms outside.  

Cold weather (remember that?) will definitely slow the activity of a worm colony. Although my experience is that worms can be incredibly hardy, there’s no reason to miss a beat over the winter. The two key factors are shelter and heat.

Last winter I chose had to replace my compost bins cause they were rotten. They were oak pallets and they had lasted about seven years. I took the old pallets out, but wanted to level the site, so I started digging. What I found was a very rich layer of vermicompost between and under the pallets. Remember, I’ve been filling my bins with worms and managing for their happiness for the whole seven years.

I ended up with a level site and nine wheelbarrows full of vermicompost! As I shoveled the black gold aside, I tried to put the material with the most worms farthest from the compost bin pad. I spread the vermicompost on my garden and mulched it for the winter.

What was left over was perhaps three wheelbarrows of finished vermicompost and most of my worms. I covered the pile with some clear plastic greenhouse glazing. I never stopped putting my household food scraps on the south side of the pile. I simply came outside, lifted the plastic and a layer of straw and threw the scraps into the pile. What happened was that I started an active composting pile. There was enough food coming in, getting mixed in and covered to get hot and keep the whole area well above freezing. The winter sun helped warm the pile through the clear plastic. On cold nights there was condensed moisture on the inside of the plastic but the pile was plenty warm enough to keep going.  

The worms were hanging out at the edges of the pile, staying warm and well fed. Although last winter was mild, this strategy will work well as far north as Minnesota, as I found out on a tour of compost education programs to St. Cloud in 1993. I visited Compost Guru, Jim McNelly (founding board member of the U.S. Composting Council) as he brought me in to educate in the schools there. He had a busy worm colony in a small black plastic compost unit outside his house in a tough winter.

Cool article, huh?  What are your experiences with our friendly creepy crawler?  


Top photo: On the left is the windrow full of vermicompost that I harvested from the dark flat area on the right. Notice the clear plastic covering the pile, the pallets that will become the next bin and the stored bags of leaves. 
Lower photo: The worms are hard at work under the clear plastic and the straw layer. The 2 x 4's are not a part of the system, just left overs from the compost bin being built in the background.

Natural Compost for Rose Bushes & Tomato Plants

Checkout this great article from Mother Earth News about natural compost for rose bushes and tomato plants.

This story is from Michelle Corbett and submitted as part of our Wisdom From Our Elders collection of self-sufficient tales from yesteryear. 

My grandmother and great grandmother taught me to put ground-up eggshells and coffee grounds under rose bushes and tomato plants which will make them grow strong and true. Also, you get twice the blooms and fruit from them. It is a great natural compost.

Read more: http://www.motherearthnews.com/homestead-skills-from-days-gone-by/natural-compost-zb0z1207zjma.aspx#ixzz20QEjnqIG

What's some of your compost recipes? 

Sparky's Safe Lawn Tip - Drought Tips for a Greener Lawn

Seems like the last week's news has been filled with unfortunate stories of HEAT, HEAT, HEAT for a good part of our country.  So what does that mean for keeping your lawn healthy?  Well, an Illinois-based paper, The Journal-News has some great tips for protecting your lawn in the extreme summer heat. Though they're not described as purely organic methods, these do qualify.

The main tips they highlight include:

• Mow high – Longer grass blades mean longer roots, which can access deeper water sources.
• Water deeply – When you water frequently and not deeply, grass roots will come toward the surface of the soil, which means the plants will be more susceptible drought.
• Leave clippings on the lawn – Grass clippings are a natural source of nitrogen. Leaving them on the lawn allows you to use less fertilizer. When you do use a fertilizer, make sure it is a summer fertilizer so your lawn won’t burn.
• Use smart landscaping – Some areas of your property may not be suitable for grass. In these cases, put in plants that are suitable and save on both water and time. You can also use mulch around plants to help keep moisture in the soil.

Check out the full article for more great summer lawn tips:

Lawns are another matter. Whether climate change is rearing its ugly head or maybe Old Ma Nature’s just on another rampage, there’s a simple way to lessen lawn damage without watering. Just let it grow a little longer! Grass roots tend to be approximately the same depth as the above-ground blades so are more able to absorb deeper moisture.

Following are hints for a healthier lawn from Susan Littlefield, horticultural editor for the National Gardening Association, who writes:”…you won’t have that putting green look, but the grass stays healthier, and shades out germinating weeds.”

I mow my lawn at four inches, and have friends who keep theirs at five inches. Yes, it takes a little getting used to, but it’s worth it.Will you mow less? No, because you should never take more than a third of the grass blades each time you mow. It will take a bit to get used to longer grass, and it may not have that manicured look many homeowners prize, but it will be much healthier.

And unless you water deeply, don’t water at all. Surface moisture lures tender grass roots toward the surface, making them more susceptible to drought damage.

Got any good tips during this heat wave?   Love to hear 'em!

Pesticides Linked to Sleep Disorder

From Beyond Pesticides:

(Beyond Pesticides, June 29, 2012) New research from the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) in Montreal suggests that pesticide exposure, as well as smoking, head injury, farming, and less education, may be a risk factor for a rare sleep disorder that causes people to kick or punch during sleep, according to a study entitled “Environmental risk factors for REM sleep behavior disorder: A multicenter case-control study” published in the June 27, 2012, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

People with the disorder, called REM sleep behavior disorder, do not have the normal lack of muscle tone that occurs during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, causing them to act out their dreams. The movements can sometimes be violent, causing injury to the person or their bed partner. The disorder is estimated to occur in 0.5 percent of adults.

“Until now, we didn’t know much about the risk factors for this disorder, except that it was more common in men and in older people,” said study author Ronald B. Postuma, MD, MSc, with the Research Institute at MUHC and a member of the American Academy of Neurology. “Because it is a rare disorder, it was difficult to gather information about enough patients for a full study. For this study, we worked with 13 institutions in 10 countries to get a full picture of the disorder.”

The disorder can also be a precursor to neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson’s disease and a type of dementia. Studies have shown that more than 50 percent of people with REM sleep behavior disorder go on to develop a neurodegenerative disorder years or even decades later. “Due to this connection, we wanted to investigate whether the risk factors for REM sleep behavior disorder were similar to those for Parkinson’s disease or dementia,” Dr. Postuma said.
The results were mixed. While smoking has been found to be a protective factor for Parkinson’s disease, people who smoked were found to be more likely to develop REM sleep behavior disorder. Pesticide use, on the other hand, is a risk factor for both disorders. Studies have shown that people who drink coffee are less likely to develop Parkinson’s, but this study found no relationship between coffee drinking and REM sleep behavior disorder.

For the study, 347 people with REM sleep behavior disorder were compared to 347 people who did not have the disorder. Of those, 218 had other sleep disorders and 129 had no sleep disorders. Those with REM sleep behavior disorder were 43 percent more likely to be smokers, with 64 percent of those with the disorder having ever smoked, compared to 56 percent of those without the disorder. They were 59 percent more likely to have had a previous head injury with loss of consciousness, 67 percent more likely to have worked as farmers, and more than twice as likely to have been exposed to pesticides through work. Those with the disorder also had fewer years of education, with an average of 11.1 years, compared to 12.7 years for those without the disorder.

For more information on how pesticides affect human health, see Beyond Pesticides’ Pesticide Induced Diseases Database.
Source: American Academy of Neurology

NJ Calls on Tiny Crustaceans to Fight Mosquitoes

From Beyond Pesticides:

Tiny Crustaceans Enlisted to Fight Mosquitoes in New Jersey

(Beyond Pesticides, June 27, 2012) One county in New Jersey is getting serious about combating mosquitoes this season. Instead of relying on pesticide spraying, which has been shown to not be effective, the Cape May County Department of Mosquito Control is employing 10,000 tiny shrimp-like crustaceans that will eat their way through mosquito larvae in the county’s swamps, roadside ditches and small pools.

The latest weapon in the battle against mosquitoes is barely visible. The crustaceans, known as copepods, are cousins to crayfish and water fleas, and do not get much bigger than two millimeters. They are voracious predators of mosquito larvae. New Jersey recently delivered 10,000 of the tiny shrimp-like crustaceans to Cape May County. They are already being used to fight mosquitoes in Bergen, Passaic, and Morris counties. Ocean County is next on the delivery list and six other counties will follow.

“The days of driving a truck down the street and spraying pesticides are long gone. These copepods can pick up where fish leave off,” according to Administrator Robert Kent, of the state Office of Mosquito Control.

Natural Predators as a Solution for Mosquito Control
New Jersey has used mosquitofish, fathead minnows, killifish, bluegill and other fish to combat the blood-sucking pests in larger waterways. Sometimes this involves digging ditches, not to drain the swamp as in the early days of mosquito control, but to give the fish access to the mosquitoes. Copepods, which eat mosquito larvae but not adult mosquitoes, are meant for smaller freshwater applications, such as roadside ditches, small pools, and near schools where there are strict regulations limiting pesticides. The hope is birds and other wildlife will also move the copepods around.

Peter Bozak, Cape May County’s director of Mosquito Control, set up a test plot with six small water holes. Copepods were put in four of them and left two as control plots. How many mosquito larvae are eaten and at what stage in their development is being monitored. Mosquitoes hatch from eggs and then go through several stages toward adulthood.
“We’re trying to use our native species and take pesticides out of the environment,” Mr. Bozak said.

The county also put some of the copepods in water-filled tires to see how they do in one of the smaller mosquito-breeding environments, and a batch has been applied to a scour hole filled with rainwater at Middle Township High School. According to a study by the New Orleans Mosquito and Termite Control Board, copepods have proved more effective for practical mosquito control than any other invertebrate predator of mosquito larvae. The most effective copepod species have the capacity to kill more than 40 mosquito larvae/copepod/day, typically reduce mosquito production by 99-100%, and maintain large populations in habitat for as long as there is water. However, while copepods by themselves may not eliminate Culex pipiens production or other mosquito species that transmit West Nile Virus, they can reinforce and augment control by other methods.

Least-Toxic and Cost-Effective
Reducing the use of pesticides is one of the big selling points. Copepods are natural and native to New Jersey, though this is the farthest north they have ever been used for mosquito control. New Orleans was the first to use copepods, and it taught New Jersey its system of growing them in a laboratory. New Jersey is only the second state to use them. They are also inexpensive to produce at the state Department of Agriculture’s Philip Alampi Beneficial Insect Rearing Laboratory in West Trenton. It takes about six weeks to make a batch using distilled water and wheat seed as a medium, feeding them paramecium.

Pesticide spraying for mosquito management is widely considered by experts to be the least effective and most risky response to this important public health concern. Pesticides typically used in mosquito spray programs are synthetic pyrethroids and in some cases organophosphates, both of which are associated with a host of adverse health effects, including neurological disorders and cancers. The frequency of pesticide applications required for aerial applications to be effective, combined with the public health risk caused as a result of these applications, makes aerial mosquito spraying campaigns ineffective both in terms of cost and public safety. In fact, the CDC and many local mosquito abatement districts emphasize public education and the control of larval populations as the first line of defense against mosquitoes and mosquito-borne diseases. Additionally, there is no credible evidence that spraying pesticides used to kill adult mosquitoes reduce or prevent mosquito-borne incidents or illnesses.

Beyond Pesticides believes the ideal mosquito management strategy comes from an integrated approach emphasizing education, aggressive removal of standing water sources, larval control, monitoring, and surveillance for both mosquito-borne illness and pesticide-related illness. The first step in avoiding mosquitoes around your property is prevention. Remove any standing water where mosquitoes can breed around the home, such as potted plants, leaky hoses, empty buckets, toys, gutters, and old tires. When outdoors in the evening, while mosquitoes are most active, the best way to avoid them is to wear long pants and long sleeves and use natural least-toxic mosquito repellents. Burning citronella candles outside also helps repel mosquitoes. It is important to read labels carefully before buying or spraying repellents.

For more information on safe and effective mosquito management strategies, see Beyond Pesticides’ page on Mosquitoes and Insect Borne Diseases, or contact us at info@Beyondpesticides.org,

Source: San Francisco Chronicle

Sparky's Safe Lawn Tip - Worm Your Way to a Great Lawn

There's many ways to keep your emerald lawn flush, aerated and healthy.  And Mother Nature's provided a friendly little helper for us - the earthworm! 

These friendly little critters provide many benefits, including:

• Dethatching your lawn
• Provide organic fertilizer
• Distribute water to your lawn
• Prevent lawn disease

Our friends at Ecological Lawn Care (via GreenerGreenGrass) posted this spiffy infographic about the earthworm and your lawn:

Have you had any experience with earthworms?  We'd love to hear about 'em!  

Sparky's Safe Lawn Tip - 5 Dishes on Dandelions

The weather's getting nicer, your lawn is looking just terrific, you've got that big weekend lawn party planned, you step out onto your grass...and there's a pesky new inhabitant: dandelions. 

As a kid (and even as adults), we love watching the little helicopter-like blooms float and dance into the air.  But, with your lawn it's a whole different story. 

Our friends at GreenerGreenGrass Organic Lawn Care Blog wrote a great article called "Five Things You Need To Know About Dandelions" - here's the gist:

1. What are dandelions? - There's two types of dandelions in the Taraxacum genus of flowering plants.  The name "dandelion" comes from the French phrase dent-de-lion, which means lion's tooth and describes the plant's ragged leaves. 
2. How do dandelions grow? - After the plant flowers, the head of the flower dries, petals fall off and those pesky seed-bearing parachutes get caught by the wind...and go everywhere. 
3. Why are dandelions considered "bad"? - Actually, this is a bit of a misnomer.  Dandelions are rich in nutrients (yup, you can eat them).  And, they're a beneficial weed, from helping vegetable plants grow and protecting your lawn from certain pests.  Oh yeah, but don't tend to them...and they can take over your lawn.  Not good.  
4. How can you get rid of dandelions organically? - A very time-tested and trusted method: by grabbing hold and pulling 'em out with your hands.  But, be sure to pull it all out - any little bit left can cause it to regenerate!
5. How can you prevent dandelions from growing? - That's easy!  Just be sure your spiffy, emerald-green lawn has a large, deep root network.  This crowds the soil, preventing other plants (and weeds) from growing.

These are good tips.  Do you have any other tips with the lion of the lawn?      

Sparky's Safe Lawn Tip - See insects as messengers

As we near the summer months (we're sure), your lawn is just looking fantastic.  Flush with emerald green, lush grassy roots...and the pitter-patter of 4/6/8-legged friends? 


If you've used synthetic pesticides, chances are you're going to see an influx of predatory insects.  Such visitors, however, are rarely an issue in natural and organic-treated lawns. 

They're just part of the overall balance of your lawn's ecosystem.



Typical predatory insects
Most often, you'll see:

• Rove beetles
• Spiders
• Ants
• Wasps

Plant nutrients
As stated earlier, these beneficial insects and soil microorganisms are essential to the natural breakdown of organic matter into plant available nutrients.  Just a big circle of life. 

The Better Way to Organic- and Organic-Based Lawn Care
At Natural Turf, we understand this precious ecosystem.  Ask us about our natural Pest Control Program - and help you and your lawn realize their natural beauty.  We look forward to hearing from you!  

Scientists call for ban on bee-killing pesticides

From our friends at SafeLawns.org, checkout their post on Harvard University scientists calling for the international ban of synthetic pesticides responsible for colony collapse of bees. 


According tot the study's author, we've got to act now:

“The data, both ours and others, right now merits a global ban,” said Chensheng Li, lead scientist in the Harvard University study that confirmed neonicotinoid pesticides as a primary cause of CCD. “Our study clearly demonstrated that imidacloprid is responsible for causing CCD, and the survival of the control hives that we set up side-by-side to the pesticide-treated hives augments this conclusion.”

Learn more
http://www.naturalnews.com/035652_pesticides_honey_bees_ban.html#ixzz1ssbggZ9l

To sign a petition
http://www.change.org/petitions/help-bees-ban-imidacloprid-and-other-neonicotinoid-pesticides

Sparky's Safe Lawn Tip - Apple nematodes for grub control

 

Hungry, hungry...beetles grubs?

 

A popular feeder of lawns is the Japanese beetle grub: they tend to get down to the roots, causing those not-so-flashy brown patches and causing extensive lawn damage.  Yup, there's a natural defense against 'em: beneficial nematodes. 

What are nematodes? 
Our friendly neighborhood nematodes are microscopic worms that live in the soil.  One of their best skills is to infest and kill invasive grubs by feeding on and reproducing within the grub's body.  Eeesh, kind of a bad way to go.  But, great for your lawn!  :)

Fun fact about nematodes
Over time, your lawn becomes a hatchery for more than 35,000+ fledgling nematodes - all ready, willing and able to do their duty to destroy grubs.  The more grubs in your lawn, the more your nematode population increases. 

So, the next time you need to rid your emerald lawn of those pesky grubs...stay away from those chemicals.  Instead, knock on a nematode's door! 

What's your experience with nematodes? 

The questionable realities of pesticide registration and regulation

Chances are, if you're reading this blog (like us), then you're a believer and practitioner of natural lawn care.  Each of us knows that beautiful, healthy lawns don't need to be a product of dangerous chemicals; but, rather from what Mother Nature intended.  

Unfortunately, we know that the use of dangerous pesticides is a common practice.  But, one thing you might not know is the questionable realities of how private companies and our federal government register and regulate them.  

Here's some sobering facts from Beyond Pesticides, who works with allies in protecting public health and the environment to lead the transition to a world free of toxic pesticides:

The registration system and pesticide regulation

• The health data assessed by EPA for the registration of pesticides comes from the manufacturer of the pesticide. EPA is not obligated under the Federal Insecticide Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) to review peer-reviewed scientific literature.
• The U.S. GAO has told Congress on several occasions that the public is misled on pesticide safety by statements characterizing pesticides as “safe” or “harmless.” EPA states that no pesticide is 100 percent safe. (1)
• Pesticide testing protocol was developed before science fully understood the human immune and hormonal system. EPA still does not evaluate data for several neurological effects or disruption of the endocrine (hormonal) system.
• EPA does not evaluate the health and environmental effects of actual pesticide formulations sold on the shelf. Data submitted to the EPA also does not account for low-dose effects, synergistic effects with inerts or combined exposure to more than one pesticide at a time.
• Most states have preemption laws that prohibit localities from passing local pesticide-related ordinances that are stricter than the state policy. (2)

Stay natural.  Stay above pesticides.  Share your thoughts about how you stay natural.  

Sources

(1) U.S. GAO. 1997. Nonagricultural Pesticides: Risks and Regulations. GAO/RCED-86-97; EPA. 2002. Questions and Answers: Pesticides and Mosquito Control. Department of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances. http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/factsheets/pesticides4mosquitos.htm (accessed 7/2/04).

(2) Beyond Pesticides Factsheet. 2005. State Preemption Laws.