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toxic chemicals, a lawn can become what it was intended to be: a carefree patch
of land where we can play, entertain or just relax and observe the beauty of nature. Each
year we use 67 million pounds of herbicides, insecticides and fungicides to keep
our lawns green. Last year more than 900 people were treated for exposure to glyphosate
and 2,4D, the two most common pesticides used in home gardens. Scientists
are concerned about our long-term exposure to these toxic chemicals. Of the 36
most commonly used lawn pesticides, 14 are possible carcinogens, 15 are linked
with birth defects, 21 with liver and kidney damage and 34 can cause skin, eye
and other reactions. The toxic residues from these chemicals can be found in our
soil, our water, the food we eat and in every living tissue that sustains life. Try
organic lawn food blends, such as "Concern" or "Espoma" or
"Ringer Lawn Restorer". Most nitrogen in these products is
water
insoluble and is released slowly, providing nutrition to the plants in small doses.
Apply in mid-spring and again in autumn. Over-seed your lawn in spring with some
tall fescue grass seed. It is extremely disease and insect resistant. Like
fertilizing, watering calls for restraint, daily watering establishes a shallow
root system. Deep watering once per week encourages the lawn to develop stronger
roots and makes it less susceptible to disease. Mow your lawn to a height of three
inches. Tall grass stays greener and shades the soil, keeps the soil moister and
prevents weeds from germinating. The
most effective organic weed control is corn gluten meal. It prevents many grassy
and broadleaf weeds, including crabgrass, from germinating. Apply it early in
spring, before the soil reaches 55 degrees and again in late summer. A
lawn strengthened by organic care does not have many insect problems. But if you
do find grubs feeding on your grass roots, causing large patches of lawn to turn
brown and die, you can use milky spore. It is a bacteria that is poisonous to
grubs and only grubs. Apply four ounces per 1,000 square feet in spring or August.
It will colonize the soil and offer long-term coverage. Improve
your existing lawn, nutrients and microorganisms by "top-dressing" your
turf. Using a spreader, apply a quarter-inch deep layer of finely screened compost
over your lawn. Without
toxic chemicals, a lawn can become what it was intended to be: a carefree patch
of land where we can play, entertain or just relax and observe the beauty of nature.
For
environmentally friendly information from Ingrid, call (732) 922-2935.
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