Considering New York's ban on lawn fertilizers and tightening restrictions in other states it seems inevitable that your lawn care will evolve as pesticide applications become more and more limited.
Yet organic lawn care means different things.
The organic reference as it relates to lawn care is not tightly regulated. So making a fair decision between organic services may not always be easy. However there are two main types.
Organic lawn service is a several season effort that take persistence. Controlling weeds means hand-picking and frequent applications of solutions that knock pests off turf. Beneficial microbes and solutions such as insecticidal soap are important.
Planting turf with compost and adding a layer of high quality soil as well as seeding and deep root watering create a dominant ratio of grass that crowds out broadleaf weeds.
Your lawn will respond even better if the lawn species is native to your area and the grass is kept at 2 to 3 inches long with mowers blades sharp and well maintained.
Hybrid (IPM) - A hybrid approach mixes in the above practices but may also include spot spraying of weeds and the use of "bridge" fertilizers (containing urea) to keep the lawn green until organic processes start to take root.
Because a true organic approach is likely a three year process, you may find a hybrid approach a good mix of environmental awareness, results and lower cost. It may not take as many visits from a lawn care company.
Choosing an Organic Lawn Service
So in deciding an organic lawn service to hire, you at least can start to ask how they define organic. Of course knowing what you want in terms of environmental impact and a green healthy lawn, will help you decide.
If your lawn needs to be green quickly and you want to save money then an organic approach may not be right. If you clearly believe organic is better then you will find a more traditional chemical based program not at all what you want.
National lawn franchises have about 2 percent of their customers on an organic program. A local lawn service may offer more expertise about making lawn work in your area. So get several quotes.
Yet organic lawn care means different things.
The organic reference as it relates to lawn care is not tightly regulated. So making a fair decision between organic services may not always be easy. However there are two main types.
Organic lawn service is a several season effort that take persistence. Controlling weeds means hand-picking and frequent applications of solutions that knock pests off turf. Beneficial microbes and solutions such as insecticidal soap are important.
Planting turf with compost and adding a layer of high quality soil as well as seeding and deep root watering create a dominant ratio of grass that crowds out broadleaf weeds.
Your lawn will respond even better if the lawn species is native to your area and the grass is kept at 2 to 3 inches long with mowers blades sharp and well maintained.
Hybrid (IPM) - A hybrid approach mixes in the above practices but may also include spot spraying of weeds and the use of "bridge" fertilizers (containing urea) to keep the lawn green until organic processes start to take root.
Because a true organic approach is likely a three year process, you may find a hybrid approach a good mix of environmental awareness, results and lower cost. It may not take as many visits from a lawn care company.
Choosing an Organic Lawn Service
So in deciding an organic lawn service to hire, you at least can start to ask how they define organic. Of course knowing what you want in terms of environmental impact and a green healthy lawn, will help you decide.
If your lawn needs to be green quickly and you want to save money then an organic approach may not be right. If you clearly believe organic is better then you will find a more traditional chemical based program not at all what you want.
National lawn franchises have about 2 percent of their customers on an organic program. A local lawn service may offer more expertise about making lawn work in your area. So get several quotes.
About the Author:
About the author. David Merriman owns ArborScape, a Denver tree service company, lawn service and he is an ISA Certified Arborist.
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