Alternative Care For Healthier Lawns

Subject: Alternative Care For Healthier Lawns
Date:     Thu, 23 May 2002 08:51:12 -0400
From:      Stephen Tvedten <steve@getipm.com>
Organization:     Get Set Inc. (www.getipm.com)

To: Paul Helliker <phelliker@cdpr.ca.gov>
Director, State of California, Department of Pesticide Regulation

Dear Mr. Helliker, I thought you might like to read an article dated May 22, 2002, from Suffolk Life entitled: Alternative Care For Healthier Lawns By Stephanie Liakakos.

While many worry about pouring chemicals into their lawns in order to care for them, there are many others who are using organic methods and getting good results.

Neighborhood Network, a local environmental group around since 1984, is aware of concerns about lawn chemicals and has sponsored lectures across Long Island promoting "green methods" of lawn care and educating the public in how to implement them.

Chemical lawn care, explained Neil Lewis, executive director of the Neighborhood Network, has one advantage over an organic system: time. Although a chemical fertilizer will show results faster, the long-term effect is not going to be healthy. "For a truly healthy lawn, there is no quick fix. An organic lawn care system provides longer-term results and ultimately lower maintenance. You just have to take the time initially and do it right," Lewis said.

According to the Neighborhood Forum's Four Steps to a Toxic-Free, Organic Lawn, "organic programs are based on a set of strategies that work with nature to create ecological balance. Pesticides and chemical fertilizers end up killing necessary creatures, such as earthworms and microbes, that "make nutrients more available to lawn systems."

The first step to an organic lawn involves maintenance changes. Lewis advises to start using the right grass seed for this region - the tall fescue blend, for example - and make sure that the lawn gets covered completely. One of the biggest mistakes people make is overwatering their lawns, Lewis said. He recommends watering infrequently, but deeply, to encourage deep growth. Light watering encourages shallow root growth, he added. Mowing at around 3", Lewis said, ensures deeper roots. "Always leave the clippings," he added,

The second step is promoting soil life. Compost is key in adding microbes and organic matter to the soil, Lewis said. Compost "should be a rich black color, and should never have a bad odor," he said. Finally, an organic fertilizer is most important, he added, as it releases nitrogen more slowly than chemical fertilizers. Lewis suggests looking for low "N-K-P" ratios, which refer to amounts of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium.

The next step are soil amendments. They add elements such as rock dust materials to the soil. "Kelp adds vitamins, plant growth hormones and trace minerals, which boost plant vitality," Lewis said. Because Long Island soil is acidic, pelletized, calcitic lime could help balance the pH. Another tip is to test your soil pH level.

The last step is organic pest control. "Corn gluten is a weed seed killer and can be spread in a regular spreader." Milky spore and beneficial nematodes are two organic lawn care products that prey on grubs.

Although time-consuming, the transition from chemical to organic lawn care is ultimately better for the environment, people and animals, Lewis said.

Organic lawn care is no longer an out-of-reach method, he added. More than 20 organic landscapers exist on Long Island and there are more than 30 organic products that are sold in local stores. For more information on do-it-yourself organic lawn care, Neighborhood Network can be a reference guide. Call 516-541-4321 to get a list of local organic landscapers or an Organic Lawn Resource Guide.

Local organizations have proven that lawns can be healthier if treated organically, as proven by this lawn in Brookhaven.

I have posted a free pest control book on the web that uses safe and far more effective alternatives, it is entitled: THE BUG STOPS HERE. You can download it for free at: http://www.thebestcontrol.com . Steve

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