Is Your Lawn Addicted to Chemicals?

You want in nice, green lawn, so you head to the Big Box garden store where they have a big sale on fertilizer and weed killer. You pour on the fertilizer and spray the weeds, and a week later your yard looks pretty good. It’s green and the weeds have shriveled. You’re smugly thinking you have the best lawn in the neighborhood. But, you’ve just turned your lawn into an addict!

Soon your lawn starts looking a little distressed, so you start watering it twice a day. But, the more you water the less improvement you see, and the quicker the grass looks poor again. Why is this happening?

It’s happening because you’re giving it a nitrogen-rich formula that is much like eating a candy bar and soda for lunch – the grass gets a quick dose of ‘sugar’, but the 'high' quickly wears off as the commercial fertilizer is absorbed and washed away. Your lawn feels empty and goes into panic mode.

Does this look like your lawn?

So, you water and water in a vain attempt to “save it”. All that extra watering does is wash away whatever beneficial nutrients are left, and enable the grass to be “lazy” and not send down a good root system, since all its 'food' is sitting an inch or so below the surface.

This turns into a vicious cycle as more and more fertilizer applications and more frequent watering bring results that don’t last long, and eventually your lawn just won’t green up. It has overdosed on chemical fertilizers, and the toxins have killed off the helpful little bugs like ladybugs, lacewings and earthworms, which are beneficial to soil health. Your soil is very sick and devoid of nutrients, and your lawn needs rehabilitation.

Another problem with conventional fertilizers is that they do not deliver the full range of nutrients necessary for real plant health. The nitrogen content ensures green grass, but the color is a false indicator of health.

Organic to the Rescue

Hedahl Landscape's spray-on organic fertilizer being applied.

Organic fertilizers, on the other hand, provide a non-water-soluble chemical mix that is like a high-protein meal which takes longer for the plants break down and absorb. Since it isn’t easily dissolved in water, it won’t wash away like conventional fertilizers. It sticks around and is available to your grass longer, instead of draining into the water table.

As if that weren’t enough, chemical fertilizers can directly degrade your soil, thus damaging grass when used over the long-term. Improper application of inorganic fertilizers can create pH imbalances and lead to a build-up of salts and nitrates, which can pollute wells, lakes and streams. These chemicals damage microorganisms in the soil, especially the aerobic ones that help with decomposition.

So, before your lawn is on life support, help it kick the chemical habit with some organic intervention. With the right nutrients and time, your lawn will look green and healthy, and won’t be as high maintenance, either.

Hedahl Landscape has an organic granular fertilizer that is applied two to four times a year, or a liquid spray-on organic fertilizer that is applied six times a year. Both of these products are healthy for the soil and improve the root structure of the grass, and are not toxic to humans or pets. Call us at 360-340-1141 for a free estimate for your lawn, and help it kick the habit!

How to Maintain Your Edible Garden

Edible gardens have become more and more popular, as people want to grow their own organic food for economic and health reasons. But, Mother Nature and all her creatures love a garden full of tasty vegetables, too. How do you protect your plantings from hungry animals or the weather? Here are some tips for keeping your garden in good shape.

Wildlife

Deer, rabbits, raccoons and chipmunks can decimate your garden quickly. The best way of keeping them from your vegetables with a high fence to keep deer out, and a low fence, dug into the ground and with netting, to keep the smaller varmints from attacking your veggies. But, fences can be costly, and they are unsightly in some suburban settings.

There are commercial repellants that you can spray on vegetation, but they're only meant to cut down on the browsing, and are about 60% effective. An animal will ignore the repellant if it's hungry enough.

Choosing plants that are less palatable to the animals helps somewhat, too. "There is no plant that is wildlife-proof," says Stephen M. Vantassel, program coordinator for the Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. "But you can select plants that are less appealing. You could say it's the equivalent of we humans choosing between a hot fudge sundae and broccoli."

Weeds

Weeds can be annual and perennial. Since perennial weeds are spread through seeds and roots, you can dig the weeds up to get rid of them. Be sure to get all of the roots to ensure they will not grow back. Annual weeds should be hand-pulled before they are able to seed. Keep in mind that a garden might have both types of weeds. It's important to weed your garden regularly, as weeds steal nutrients and water from the soil, stunting the growth of vegetables. If left untended, they can overgrow and choke out many of the low-lying plants.

Weather

Every region of the country has a different climate. You should take steps to prevent a garden from getting damaged by the local weather. Have covers and shades available and ready to place over your garden in times of heavy rain or extreme heat and sun. In the Northwest we don't get the extremes in temperatures that some areas of the country do, but too much rain can drown the young plants.

Watering

Understand the watering needs of what you choose to grow and the soil you are using in the garden. Plant roots need oxygen to grow, and if you overwater the soil the plant can become too wet and get stem rot. On the other hand, if plants fail to get enough water, they will not bloom or produce fruits or vegetables.

When it comes to watering gardens and flower beds, you simply can’t beat the efficiency—and convenience -- of low-volume drip irrigation. By delivering water to plant roots where it’s most needed, drip irrigation keeps plants looking their best, reduces water waste through evaporation or runoff and keeps weeds from growing.

Source: www.totallandscapecare.com