How Safe Is Your Lawn2

How Safe Is Your Lawn

Are you, your children, your pets, and the environment at risk because of the lawn chemicals you use?

Sick Child

Canine Skin Cancer

Fish Kill

Synthetic lawn chemicals i.e. herbicides, pesticides, chemical fertilizers endanger human and animal health and damage the environment.

Scientific studies have found numerous negative health consequences associated with the synthetic chemicals found in traditional lawn care products. A report by the National Academy of Sciences shows that the health of 1 in 7 adults and 1 in 4 children are negatively impacted in some form by lawn pesticides; numerous studies link lawn chemicals to cancers and other long-term diseases.   Children are especially at risk for negative health consequences due to their size, physiological development and proximity to the ground. Studies from Yale University, Mount Sinai Medical Center and several others point to children’s health risks associated with synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.

“Chemicals have replaced bacteria and viruses as the main threat to health. The diseases we’re beginning to see as the major causes of death in the latter part of this century and into the 21st century are diseases of chemical origin.” — Dick Irwin, toxicologist at Texas A&M Universities

Pesticides can be absorbed through the skin, swallowed or inhaled (most toxic). During application, pesticides drift and settle on ponds, laundry, toys, pools and furniture. People and pets track pesticide residue into the house. Only 5% of pesticides reach target weeds. The rest runs off into water or dissipates in the air. Drift from landscaping ranges from 12 feet to 14.5 miles. More serious effects appear to be produced by direct inhalation of pesticide sprays than by absorption or ingestion of toxins.

Pesticide-Induced Diseases Database

Pesticides initiate and propagate multiple chemical sensitivities. About 16 million US citizens are sensitive to pesticides (i.e. they have compromised immune functioning as a result of pesticide exposure).

Health Hazards of Chemical Fertilizers are birth defects, reproduction problems, liver damage, kidney damage, Blue Baby Syndrome, and reduced immune response.

Get the Facts about an Industrial Secret

Fact 1: Industries around the country are disposing of toxic waste by giving it to fertilizer manufacturers.

Fact 2: Some fertilizer has been found to contain dioxin, one of the most dangerous environmental chemicals ever identified, and heavy metals such as lead, cadmium and mercury.

Fact 3: Some plants such as lettuce, corn and potatoes uptake metals.

Fact 4: Common fertilizers used by families on gardens or by farmers on fields of edible crops may contain toxic metals in amounts greater than what the law defines as “hazardous waste.”

Fact 5: The law does not require fertilizer manufacturers to label which fertilizers contain toxic metals or where the hazardous wastes were obtained.

Fact 6: Toxic metals known to have serious health effects are present in fertilizers, yet there is no assessment of the cumulative danger to children, animals and soils resulting from the persistent application of fertilizers containing hazardous waste.

Fact 7: Children are most susceptible to the toxic effects of most metals, especially lead, which has been the subject of intense government efforts to reduce lead exposure to children. Products like fertilizer are of great concern as children spend more time on or near the ground and are often exposed to ground level substances through hand-to-mouth behavior.

TESTED FERTILIZERS CONTAIN HARMFUL TOXIC METALS

California Public Interest Research Group (CALPIRG) Charitable Trust and Washington’s Safe Food and Fertilizer tested 29 fertilizers from 12 states for 22 toxic metals in dangerous quantities (Aluminum (Al), Antimony (Sb), Arsenic (As), Barium (Ba), Beryllium (Be), Cadmium (Cd), Chromium (Cr), Cobalt (Co), Copper (Cu), Iron (Fe), Lead (Pb), Lead (Pb), Mercury (Hg), Nickel (Ni), Selenium (Se), Silver (Ag), Thallium (Tl), Thallium (Tl), Uranium (U), and Zinc (Zn). This report documents the results of these fertilizer samples, demonstrates that the problem of toxic fertilizers is widespread, and details concerns with proposed regulations for the practice.  Add to this list the thousands of hazardous compounds and then think about yourself, your spouse, your children and your pets.

Labeling is inadequate. Because fertilizer labeling laws only require beneficial nutrients, like zinc or phosphate, to be listed, fertilizers are sold directly to the public and farmers without warnings or information that informs consumers about the presence and quantity of toxic metals. Also, there is no indication on fertilizer labels as to whether or not the fertilizers we tested have been further treated to meet federal land disposal standards.

Each of these metals is suspected or known to be toxic to humans and the environment by the U.S. EPA. Nine metals, like arsenic and lead, are known or suspected to cause cancer and ten metals, like mercury, are linked to developmental effects. Three of the tested metals – lead, cadmium and mercury – are also persistent bioaccumulative toxins (PBTs). PBTs persist for long periods of time in the environment – some indefinitely – and they can accumulate in the tissues of humans and wildlife, increasing the long-term health risks at even low levels of exposure. These three metals cause cancer, birth defects, or reproductive problems.

Existing standards for toxic metals in fertilizers are inadequate for protecting our soils, crops, plants, water, air and health. All commercial fertilizers made from recycled materials, such as hazardous wastes, and produced for the public’s use are subject to the federal Land Disposal Restrictions. The U.S. EPA’s federal Land Disposal Restrictions, which are applied to zinc fertilizers that contain toxic waste, are intended to ensure that toxic substances are properly treated before the waste is disposed of in heavily regulated, lined landfills. Land Disposal Restriction standards are technology-based standards, which mean that they are designed to predict the ability of a hazardous waste to leach from these landfills.

Unfortunately, the recycling of hazardous wastes into fertilizer products does not always include the process of treatment or cleaning of hazardous waste, but rather dilution of the waste. Dilution involves adding substances to a waste to reduce the concentration of toxic substances that are present in the waste. Dilution does not reduce the toxicity of the hazardous constituents.

Several studies also link exposure to synthetic lawn chemicals to an increased risk of cancer and other health problems in pets.

According to Beyond Pesticides, Of 30 commonly used lawn chemicals, 23 (are linked with cancer or carcinogenicity, 13 are linked with birth defects, 21 with reproductive effects, 26 with liver or kidney damage, 15 with neurotoxicity, and 11 with disruption of the endocrine (hormonal) system.  Of those same17 are detected in groundwater, 23 have the ability to leach into drinking water sources, 24 are toxic to fish and other aquatic organisms vital to our ecosystem, 11 are toxic to bees, and 16 are toxic to birds.

Almost daily reports of contaminated rivers, streams, lakes and water supplies are published.  Canada and eleven US States have banned synthetic lawn care products.

Why should you switch to organic lawn care?

What are the Benefits?

• It is safer for humans, pets and the environment than synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.
• It improves the quality of the soil, which will have an increased ability to retain water and nutrients.
• You will enjoy significant financial savings by transitioning from synthetic to organic lawn care, especially after the first year of use.
• Organic products will significantly reduce pests by restoring balance to your lawn’s ecosystem. You will benefit from reduced maintenance in mowing, watering and fertilizing because you will have a naturally stronger and healthier lawn.
• A report by the National Academy of Sciences shows that the health of 1 in 7 people is negatively impacted in some form by lawn pesticides.
• Numerous studies link lawn chemicals to cancers and other long-term diseases.
• Several studies also link exposure to artificial lawn chemicals to an increased risk of cancer and other health problems in pets.
• Children are especially at risk for negative health consequences due to their size, physiological development and proximity to the ground.
• Synthetic pesticides and fertilizers destroy the naturally present beneficial organisms in a healthy lawn’s ecosystem. This destruction then transforms your lawn into an increasingly needy “junkie,” requiring more and more chemicals to sustain it.
• Organic lawn care focuses instead on soil management techniques and long-term results, building up the nutrients and organisms in the soil in order to make your lawn better able to withstand drought, pests, and other common problems.
• Organic lawn care also eliminates damage to the environment and to human and animal health caused by synthetic lawn care products.
• Organic products function by building up “life in the soil,” or soil biology, their payoff is more long-term and lasting.
• Synthetic products, by their nature, are instantaneous and must be frequently reapplied in greater amounts to maintain the appearance of the grass. Due to the need for frequent reapplications and the reduced effectiveness of synthetic chemicals.
• The user of organic products will spend considerably less money on lawn care over a two-year period than the user of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.

Safe, inexpensive, Do-It-Yourself Organic Lawn Care Products

No expensive, difficult to use equipment needed.

The Organic Lawn Care Store

D-I-Y Organic Lawn Care Benefits

D-I-Y Organic Lawn Care Benefits

We will guide you through the D-I-Y (Do It Yourself) concepts of, problem solving, planning and organizing in a very cost-effective manner.  Conventional dethatching and aerating require heavy, expensive, and hard to use equipment that is available from rental centers or provided by commercial service contractors.  Our bio-enhanced organic lawn care products are safe and easy to use and vary cost effective.

Additional benefits:

• It builds patience and self-esteem.
• A Gallup survey reported the 62% of all US homeowners felt investment in lawns and landscaping were as good or better than other home improvements.  Proper and well maintained landscaping adds 15% to a home’s value.  The investment recovery rate is actually 100 – 200% for landscape improvement.

Non-Organic lawn care product Health Issues.

Decades of doing lawn care, the same way has produced many dangers to people, pets and the environment.  Its extraordinary how many health issues have been associated with pesticides.  Cancers, neurological problems, and birth defects are some of the most dramatic, but increased asthma attacks and skin disorders take a huge toll on the people affected. Pesticides are also increasingly suspected of being endocrine disrupters, a nasty category of chemicals that can cause a wide array of disorders from cancer to miscarriage to immune system problems.  Pesticide-Induced Diseases Database

• A report by the National Academy of Sciences shows that the health of 1 in 7 adults and 1 in 4 children are negatively impacted in some form by lawn pesticides.
• Children are especially at risk for negative health consequences due to their size, physiological development and proximity to the ground.  Children and Pesticides DON’T MIX
• Numerous studies link synthetic lawn chemicals to cancers and other long-term diseases
• The decades old use of chemical and synthetic fertilizers, insecticides, herbicides have nearly killed off the biolife in the soil.  Remember, soil is the soul of the lawn!  We stress the natural or organic lawn.  And how to develop and maintain it in a manner that is safe for you, your children, your pets, wildlife and the environment.

The Organic (Natural) Advantage

POSITIVE ASPECTS of the organic approach:

• Water insolubility provides for slow release
• Lawn benefits FULLY from each biological fertilizer application
• A biological fertilizer is a natural fertilizer
• No rapid growth spurt to deplete carbohydrate reserves
• Lawns remain more independent with strong root system
• Rate of aeration & decomposition is enhanced by adding beneficial micro-organisms.
• Little or no change in pH (no acidity increase)
• Earthworms and micro-organisms remain to maintain soil
• No health hazard to you, your family, your friends, your pets, or your lawn
• Bioactivates both clay and sandy soils and increases Organic Matter
• Buffers harsh chemical salts or chlorides left over from many commercial chemical fertilizers
• Provides carbon which feeds beneficial soil microbes
• Improves soil structure, soil biology and aeration
• Stimulates root growth and supports most plant functions
• Relieves soil compaction and breaks up clay soil improving drainage
• Unlocks and chelates major and minor nutrients. Reduces fertilizer needs.
• Improves plant’s ability to capture (fix) atmospheric nitrogen
• Prevents Thatch buildup and helps stimulate the decomposition of existing thatch
• Increases earthworm activity
• Makes iron and other nutrients more available to your lawn
• Improves plant resistance to drought, disease, insects and other stress
• Increases nutrient density in grasses
• Works as a catalyst for both soil regeneration and plant growth
• Liquid fertilizer, liquid aeration, liquid dethatcher and other organic products require no expensive, complicated equipment to apply.

Optimize your Soil for Your Grass

Adjust Soil pH

The soil pH should be adjusted during the lawns dormant time.  Soil amendments such as Aerify and Nature’s Magic tend to buffer pH so adjustment should be performed first.  For best overall results, adjust to your lawn turfs ideal pH. The Ideal pH is the level optimum for the beneficial microorganisms necessary for the particular turf. You can obtain an electronic pH tester at Lowe’s for under $10.00

Grass pH Ranges	pH Low	pH High	Ideal
BAHIAGRASS ARGENTINE, PENSACOLA, TIFTON	6.0	7.5	6.7 – 6.8
BENTGRASS COLONIAL & CREEPING	5.6	7.0	6.3
BERMUDA HYBRIDS & COMMON	5.6	7.0	6.3
BLUEGRASS	5.7	7.4	6.5 – 6.6
BUFFALO	5.6	7.0	6.3
CARPETGRASS	4.5	5.5	5.3
CENTIPEDE	4.3	5.8	5.0 – 5.1
FESCUE RED & CREEPING	5.6	6.8	6.2
FESCUE TALL	5.6	7.0	6.3
ST. AUGUSTINE	6.3	7.8	7.0 – 7.1
ZOYSIA	5.5	7.0	6.2 – 6.3

If your soil pH is grater then the ideal soil pH for your particular turf, apply chelated liquid lawn sulfur.  Liquid iron prevents iron chlorosis. Iron chlorosis is found where soils are highly alkaline. The high pH of the soil ties up the iron in the soil, making it unavailable to the plants. Iron is required for the formation of chlorophyll in plant cells and serves as an activator for respiration and photosynthesis.

An additional benefit of lower soil pH is in weed control. Most broad leaf weeds such as crabgrass do poorly in soil with a pH lower than 6.8.

If you want to lower soil pH, apply liquid sulfur. 5 ounce per 1,000 sq. ft. at 1 ounce per gallon hose end sprayer rate will lower pH by 0.6.

A healthy organic lawn is weed free, harmful insect free, less expensive to maintain, and healthier for you, your family, and the environment.

D-I-Y projects do provide you with many side benefits, but they often go unseen.

• Liquid lawn care products can be applied with a hose end sprayer. If you can water your lawn, you can aerate, dethatch, fertilize, adjust pH, treat weed and insect infestations and fight lawn diseases without expensive, heavy and complicated special equipment.
• Planning- Every successful DIY project is well planned. By performing D-I-Y projects, you inadvertently become a better planner in all aspects of your life.
• Organizing- Another requirement of most successful D-I-Y projects is organization. The skill to organize is a critical one in all walks of life and is gleaned from many a D-I-Y project.
• Problem solving- One of the greatest skills in life is the ability to solve problems. The end result of a D-I-Y project is a problem solved. The real gem of D-I-Y is the ability to tackle problems from different directions and develop multiple solutions to the challenge at hand.
• Frugality- Just doing-it-yourself is frugal, but the element of frugality goes deeper. In D-I-Y projects, one also learns to be frugal with materials, time, and effort.
• Patience- Most D-I-Y projects require a degree of patience. Patience is a virtue that can impact one’s life in many ways.
• Self-Esteem- Successful completion of a D-I-Y project build self-esteem, a natural rivaled by few other things in life. That feeling can be replicated in many parts of one’s life – personally and professionally a “Can-do!” attitude takes you far.

Therefore, the next time you tackle a D-I-Y project, remember, you are building more than just the project at hand, but your character as well.

Sue Stout

The Organic Lawn Care Store Tips, tricks, information and products

The organically maintained landscape

In natural systems, organic matter generally cycles in place, added to the soil through root and stem decay of winter killed annuals and leaf decay. A thriving microbial community digests and breaks down this organic matter to release nutrients back to the soil. Organic soil amendments may be needed to help balance the soils chemistry, stimulate its biology, and restore its physical composition. Such amendments may also be needed to feed turfgrass in a lawn, which has extraordinary nutrient needs because it is grown in an unnatural way, perpetually mowed and kept green as long as possible.

NPK and Inorganic Fertilizers

Lawn and landscape care methods, which directly feed the plant with synthetic nitrogen-phosphorous-potassium (NPK) lead to damage to the soil and a weak root system, making the turfgrass or plants in the landscape more susceptible to insects, disease and drought. Over fertilizing the turfgrass or plant will also inhibit the development of mycorrhizae, a symbiotic fungi growing on or around the plant roots that help gather nutrients beyond the range of the root themselves. Eventually the soil structure collapses and becomes infertile.

Leaching

Like the negative end of a magnet, nitrogen in the form of nitrate is negatively charged and is not attracted to soil’s negatively charged clay and humus. Negatively charged clay repels negatively charged nitrite (NO2) and nitrate (NO3) so they will not be absorbed by the clay and are left to move down through the soil and into the groundwater, where streams and drinking water can become contaminated.

Reviving collapsed soil structure

To revive dead, compacted soil, it will necessary to apply compost and compost tea to improve and build soil life.

A well balanced soil fertility program that increases humus content, organic matter and beneficial microorganisms recycles nutrients, improves water retention, balances minerals and buffers PH. In addition to compost, organic matter (manure) and compost tea other amendments may be indicated based on soil test results. These include natural surfactants to aerate soil, root stimulants and developers, rock dust, secondary and micronutrients, flocculants, vitamins, beneficial microbes, enzymes, organic humus, fulvic acid, kelp or dextrose (Nature’s Magic, Aerify, 1-2-3 Instant Compost Tea, Super Compost Tea, Bio-Enhanced Liquid Dethatcher)

What is nitrogen (N)

Nitrogen is an essential macronutrient because it is required to create amino acids and proteins, genetic material, chlorophyll and other important biochemical molecules. Nitrogen is the most abundant gas in the atmosphere (78%) but the gaseous form (N2) is inert and unavailable for use by animals and most plants. Turning N2 into available nitrogen or “fixing” it, requires breaking the bond between the nitrogen atoms which requires energy. Under natural conditions nitrogen is fixed by lightning strikes through the atmosphere and by the work of a few species of symbiotic bacteria and some free-living bacteria and fungi in the soil or water. As part of the symbiotic relationship, the plant subsequently converts the ammonium ion to nitrogen oxides and amino acids to form proteins and other biologically useful molecules, such as alkaloids. In return for the usable (fixed) nitrogen, the plant secretes sugars to the symbiotic bacteria.

What is Phosphorous? (P)

Phosphorous, in the form of phosphate, is an essential macronutrient – it is a vital part of the cellular energy transfer. Phosphorous is added to soils in natural systems by rock weathering. Leaching and runoff removes phosphorous from the soils, where it is carried to aquatic systems like aquifers, streams, lakes and bays. In fresh water aquatic systems excess phosphorous can substantially increase plant productivity and lead to eutrophic conditions (lack of oxygen), causing increased phytoplankton and bacterial growth, loss of dissolved oxygen and loss of animal life in the system.

What is Potassium? (K)

It is primarily used in fertilizers as either the chloride, sulfate or carbonate – not as the oxide. Potassium is an essential component needed in plant growth and is found in most soil types. Potassium has two roles in the functioning of plant cells. First, it has an irreplaceable part to play in the activation of enzymes which are fundamental to metabolic processes, especially the production of proteins and sugars. Only small amounts of potassium are required for this biochemical function.

Second, potassium is the “plant-preferred” ion for maintaining the water content and hence the turgor (rigidity) of each cell, a biophysical role. A large concentration of potassium in the cell sap creates conditions that cause water to move into the cell (osmosis) through the porous cell wall. Turgid cells maintain the leaf’s vigor so that photosynthesis proceeds efficiently.

Plants are apparently unable to regulate the uptake of potassium; and if the soil supply is high enough, so-called luxury consumption may result. Under such conditions, the high potassium content in the grass plant may cause an excessive amount of stiffness in the stems and leaves as well as other undesirable or harmful effects.

NPK note: Commercial preparations of fertilizers have a somewhat misleading labeling system. It is often said that the three main numbers listed is the amount of Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium in the product. This is NOT the case. You must read the label carefully. If you read carefully, you will find that the last number is the percentage of Soluble Potash – NOT Potassium – expressed as K2O.

THE MYSTERY RATIO by Paul Tukey — Here’s something you won’t hear from most soil testing agencies outside of the Soil Food Web: The relationship between calcium and magnesium is among the most important in lawn care.

For years, especially in the East where soils are inherently acidic, folks have applied limestone to raise the pH. Often times, that limestone has been dolomitic in nature, meaning it contains a high percentage of the heavy metal magnesium. Although soils do need magnesium to grow grass, too much magnesium will leave soils overly compacted. The result is often a high percentage of weeds.

If your soil test result from the Cooperative Extension Service tells you to add limestone at a specific rate, you will usually be better off adding high-calcium or “calcitic” limestone rather than dolomitic limestone. In soil, the ideal ratio is seven times more calcium than magnesium. Since calcium moves through the soil slowly, it is almost impossible to add too much

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Chinch Bug Control

Chinch Bug Control

Adult chinch bugs are almost 3/16-inch long, have black bodies and fully developed wings that appear frosty-white except for distinctive triangular black patch-like markings at the middles of the outer margins. Adults appear as either long-winged or short-winged forms. Newly hatched nymphs appear orange red with a pale whitish band across their abdomens. As they molt through five growth stages (instars), nymphs gradually change color from red to orange to black and develop wing pads as they develop.

Size Compared to a common pin head

Chinch bugs are most damaging to St. Augustine grass. You may see them on grasses such as Zoysia, Bermuda, and centipede, but infestations usually occur where high populations have built up on St. Augustine grass.

Chinch bug activity occurs from March through November in warm season grasses and is year-round in deep south areas. It is estimated that 3 to 10 generations with overlapping life stages develop each year depending on winter temperatures.  New damage may appear by May or June, depending on spring temperatures, and any damage that existed in late fall will become apparent in the spring. Chinch bugs have become immune to almost every pesticide used to control them. They were even resistant to DDT in the early 1950s.  The newer insecticides chinch bugs have not yet developed immunity to will likely kill most nymphs and adults, but the eggs will survive, nymphs will hatch, and the infestation will continue. Thus, damage may become visible again within 2 -3 months of treatment. Encroachment from neighboring lawns is also a possibility.

Moderate Damage

Intermediate Damage

Extreme Damage

In turfgrass areas, injury typically appears as yellow or dead drought-stressed or heat-stressed spots in the yard, most commonly in July and August. Infestations are usually initially localized because chinch bugs feed in mass. Injured plants occur in spots or patches that enlarge as the population increases and spreads. When infested host plants die, high numbers of chinch bugs migrate by walking to neighboring lawns or turf areas in search of suitable host plants.

Detection

A flotation technique can be used to detect infestations. Cut both ends out of a metal can and push one end 2-3 inches into the soil on green or yellowing grass (not dead grass). Slowly fill with water and count the number of chinch bugs that float to the top within 5 minutes. Keep the water level above the grass surface. If nothing emerges in the first area, examine at least 3 or 4 other areas.

Cultural Control

Cultural practices may influence the susceptibility of St. Augustine grass to chinch bug damage Rapid growth resulting from frequent applications of water soluble nitrogen fertilizers may increase southern chinch bug survival, development time, and the number of eggs that can be laid rather than help plants outgrow any damage. Responsible use of organic slow-release nitrogen fertilizers may help reduce pest population build-up.

Excessive watering, fertilizing, and/or fungicide use can cause lawn grasses to develop a thick thatch layer. Insecticide treatments can also bind to the thatch layer, instead of reaching soil-dwelling pests.

The biggest mistake someone can make is to assume that the turf is hungry and needs fertilizer or thirsty and needs water. Water and fertilizer intensifies the attack of the chinch bug.

Organic Chinch Bug Control

Chemical pesticides have proven ineffective for the control of chinch bugs due to their propensity to become quickly immune to them.  Organic or natural control is nature’s way.

Encourage natural chinch bug predators such as birds by placing a bird bath on the property.  Other beneficial insects such a the preying mantis, the paper wasp and ants greatly reduce chinch bug populations.

Increase the Brix value of the turf.  The higher the Brix value, the higher the sugar content. Therefore, the higher the Brix value of your grass, the more likely it is that insects will not be feasting on your lawn (if they do, they will die trying). In fact, a Brix value of 12 or higher is all it takes to eliminate most insect infestations of any plant, including a lawn. Brix values for many grasses can reach values well over 30. A liver is necessary to digest sugar. If an insect, which does not have a liver, ingests sugar, that sugar will eventually turn to alcohol and kill the insect. Insects instinctively know this, and plants with high Brix value (and, as a result, high sugar content) will emit different UV light patterns and electrical charges which communicate to insects that they should stay away.

Regular applications of Nature’s Magic will rapidly increase your turf’s Brix value.

Essential oils are the volatile biochemicals that are responsible for the odors of aromatic plants. Most of them belong to a class of compounds known as terpenes. They have been used as fragrances and flavors in the perfume and foods for ages, and informally as grain protectants and insect repellents. Few formal studies on their insect-repelling qualities had been conducted until the last 10 years.

WIPEOUT

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Natural Horticultural Oil

A Triple Action Safe and Natural Product

Dormant Oil Spray for overwintering insects
An All-Seasons Oil Spray from numerous insect pests (see list below)
Disease Control for four common plant & turf diseases

WIPEOUT Natural Horticultural Oil is a pesticide-free spray made from three natural (non-petroleum) oils. It is exempt from EPA Registration and can be sprayed on edible plants at any time up to harvest.

WIPEOUT controls smaller insects and scales by coating and suffocating them with natural oils (sesame seed, castor and fish oil). It works on all stages — eggs, larvae, nymphs and adults- of the target pest. It also has an insect preventing effect since it coats plants with a fine oil film that repels egg-laying insects.

For Chinch Bugs in lawns: Treat affected area heavily at 3-4 gallons of solution per 1000 sq. ft.  Water lightly to get the oil off the blades and onto the soil. Repeat in 7 days if necessary.  Using just 1-2 oz per gallon, a little WIPEOUT goes a long way.

Visit our website for more tips, techniques and organic products.

 

Early Spring Lawn Tips

Early Spring Lawn Tips

Now you can get professional organic results without the high costs associated with lawn care service’s or the equipment.

Start the season with a sharp blade.  Dull mower blades tear the grass instead of giving a nice clean cut. Ripped grass blades lose moisture at a much greater rate and promote disease.

Use a mulching blade. Mulching puts nutrients and organic matter back into the soil, reducing fertilizer and amendment needs.

Remove branches, twigs and other large debris. Give the lawn a light raking if there are leaves left over from the fall and lift up matted grass. Use your mulching blade to mulch the leaves into the soil. This ads brown organic matter (carbon), your C/N ratio should be 20:1 to develop quality soil. If (in the North) snow mold damage is present fluff up the affected areas.  Snow mold, a lawn disease, occurs on most Northern grasses, especially the creeping grass types.  It is worse when there has been alternating snow cover and warm periods.  Most snow mold will disappear by mid spring if you fluff it up a bit so air and sunlight can get to the soil.  Try to stay off the lawn as much as possible if the ground is soggy.

Severe snow mold

Seed any bare and thin areas early. You want the grass thick before the weeds start sprouting. Use the correct seed type for your area and your particular lawn.

Make your first mowing short – as low as you can mow without scalping the lawn- perhaps 1 – 1 ½ inches high. Do this only when the grass is just starting to grow – not if it is already growing vigorously.  This short mowing, cuts away some of the dead grass left over from the previous season (if you left it too high).  It also helps warm up the soil faster, stimulates growth, and allows more sunlight to reach the newly forming grass blades.  Gradually raise the mowing height after the first cut.

Get your soil tested. A balanced soil promotes a healthier lawn. Hidden problems like missing basic nutrients or poor pH can be affecting your lawn adversely. It can even prevent your fertilizer from working well.  Every state has an agricultural college that does soil testing. Many nurseries and lawn care companies will send samples out for you too. On the other hand, just Google soil testsonline and takes your pick.  Make sure you get a complete test, not just the pH.

Aerate and bioactivate the soil. Instead of poking holes in your compacted lawn with a coring machine, and exposing weed seeds to sunlight, try liquid aeration with ourNature’s Magic +Aerify for compacted soil or if you have clay soil, our Nature’s Magic with Aerify for Clay Soil

Organic gardeners and horticultural professionals know that one of the secrets to having great lawns and gardens is having great soil. And that means a porous, well aerated soil where roots can grow deeply and where biolife can thrive.

Compacted soils cause unhealthy plants, lawns and trees. They stay soggy when wet, and turn rock hard when they dry out in the summer. When soils are “tight”, necessary air, water and nutrients cannot move through the soil. Disease occurs. Roots are stunted. Beneficial micro-organisms can’t survive. Plants are stressed and weakened. When you are doing everything else right, soil compaction will ruin all your efforts. This is the Ultimate Soil Conditioner. It loosens compacted and clay soils, and puts in organic ingredients that can help create humus, soil structure and soil bioactivity. Additionally, it improves the health of all plants by providing Humic Acids and Kelp and an assortment of trace elements and micro-nutrients not found in common fertilizers. It can be used on lawns, trees, flowers and all garden areas.

Here are just some of the many benefits of premixed Nature’s Magic and Aerify.

• Helps loosen clay and reduce compaction
• Eliminates the need for mechanical aeration
• Bioactivates both clay and sandy soils and increases Organic Matter
• Buffers harsh chemical salts or chlorides found in many commercial fertilizers
• Bio-activates the soil and detoxifies
• Provides carbon which feeds beneficial soil microbes
• Improves soil structure and aeration
• Stimulates root growth and supports most plant functions
• Unlocks and chelates major and minor nutrients. Reduces fertilizer needs
• Improves plant’s ability to capture (fix) atmospheric nitrogen
• Prevents Thatch buildup and helps stimulate the decomposition of existing Thatch
• Increases earthworm activity
• Makes iron and other nutrients more available in poor pH soils
• Improves plant resistance to disease, insects and other stress
• Supplies over 30 micro-nutrients and vitamins
• Increases nutrient density in grasses
• Works as a catalyst for both soil regenerationand plant growth
• Improves water retention during drought
• Helps wet soils drain faster
• It is safe and environmentally friendly
• Maximizes fertilizer benefits
• Safe around sprinklers and trees

Compacted SoilMixture: 74.9% Nature’s Magic, 25% Aerify, .01% De-chlorinator

Clay SoilMixture: 49.99% Nature’s Magic, 50% Aerify, .01% De-chlorinator

Coverage:     Quart 8,000 sq. ft.

Bio-Enhanced Liquid Dethatcher   

Biological Dethatcher is a liquid solution that has been formulated to generate and accelerate the decomposition of thatch in lawns. To fuel this process, our product contains high levels of thatch digesting Bacteria and Enzymes. These, along with naturally occurring soil organisms, will break down thatch and turn it into valuable humus.

Thatch is a tightly woven mat of both dead and living grass parts -roots, stems, blades, runners and clippings -that forms on top of the soil. Thatch soaks up water like a sponge and prevents the water from getting into the ground. The grass roots are found to be more in the thatch layer than in the soil, which means the lawn is more susceptible to heat and drought damage. A thatch condition means a weak, insect and disease prone lawn.

This    This    Or This 

Mixture: Bio-Enhanced Liquid Dethatcher 99.9000%, De-Chlorinator 0.100%

Coverage:     Quart     8,000 sq. ft.

Nature’s Magic

Nature’s Magic is a blend of two of the best organic soil activators and plant health products in the world: Humic Acid(often called liquid humus) and Seaweed (kelp).

It serves three major functions that result in better soil and plant health:

1. It helps detoxify and buffer chemicals and salts that prevent bioactivity in the soil.
2. It helps generate the soil-improving microbes necessary for good soil structure, bioactivity and plant health.
3. It provides numerous plant trace nutrients and bio stimulants.

The Humic Acid in Nature’s Magic is a full 17% solution, the highest level we know of. If you check other liquid Humic acid products, you’ll find they won’t exceed 12% strength.

Here are just some of the many benefits of Nature’s Magic.,

• Bioactivates both clay and sandy soils and increases Organic Matter
• Buffers harsh chemical salts or chlorides found in many commercial fertilizers
• Provides carbon which feeds beneficial soil microbes
• Improves soil structure and aeration
• Stimulates root growth and supports most plant functions
• Unlocks and chelates major and minor nutrients. Reduces fertilizer needs
• Improves plant’s ability to capture (fix) atmospheric nitrogen
• Prevents Thatch buildup and helps stimulate the decomposition of existing Thatch
• Increases earthworm activity
• Makes iron and other nutrients more available in poor pH soils
• Improves plant resistance to disease, insects and other stress
• Supplies over 30 micro-nutrients and vitamins
• Increases nutrient density in grasses
• Works as a catalyst for both soil regenerationand plant growth
• Contains 58.2% Humic Acid and 41.8% Seaweed
• It is safe and environmentally friendly

Using a proprietary process, our Humic Acid is turned into a 40% stronger solution than the typical Humic Acids sold elsewhere. One gallon of our Humic Acid is equivalent to 7 tons of manure in terms of soil bioactivation.We also use a superior grade Seaweed – Ascophylum Nodosum, grown and harvested off the coast of Norway. We also add some Blackstrap Molasses as an energy source for biolife. We believe this is the best soil activator on the market.

Nature’s Magic

Coverage:    Quart – 8,000 sq. ft.

Liquid Organic Lawn Amendments

Although Northern lawns may have to wait two or three months to get back on their lawns, gardeners in the South, the Transitional States and Pacific NW can use this time to their advantage by working on their soils. This you can do even if the grass and gardens are not actively growing right now. As long as daytime temperatures are generally not close to freezing, soils you can be treat your soil with beneficial amendments. Though your lawn, trees and plants may be dormant, the soil is still very much alive. Moreover, it is very capable of improving in structure, aeration and beneficial microbial growth. When the grass and other plants start to re-grow in the spring, they will get off to a much better start in an improved soil.

Characteristics of good quality soil

Appearance– Few recognizable components of original material remain. Structure is light and crumbly.

Color – Dark brown to black

Texture or particle size– Fine texture, particles smaller than 1/2 inch for incorporation, smaller than 1/8 for topdressing.

Odor– Earthy aroma, no smell of ammonia or sulfur.

Temperature– Not warm to the touch.

Moisture content– 30 to 50%

Carbon to nitrogen ratio (C:N ratio)– 15:1 to 20:1

Soil pH

Adjust pH.  The soil pH should be adjusted during the lawns dormant time.  Soil amendments such as Aerify and Nature’s Magic tend to buffer pH so adjustment should be performed first.  For best overall results, adjust to your lawn turfs ideal pH.

Grass pH Ranges	pH Low	pH High	Ideal
BAHIAGRASS ARGENTINE, PENSACOLA, TIFTON	6.0	7.5	6.7 – 6.8
BENTGRASS COLONIAL & CREEPING	5.6	7.0	6.3
BERMUDA HYBRIDS & COMMON	5.6	7.0	6.3
BLUEGRASS	5.7	7.4	6.5 – 6.6
BUFFALO	5.6	7.0	6.3
CARPETGRASS	4.5	5.5	5.3
CENTIPEDE	4.3	5.8	5.0 – 5.1
FESCUE RED & CREEPING	5.6	6.8	6.2
FESCUE TALL	5.6	7.0	6.3
ST. AUGUSTINE	6.3	7.8	7.0 – 7.1
ZOYSIA	5.5	7.0	6.2 – 6.3

pH Control Products

Liquid Lawn Sulfur

Liquid Lawn Lime

Pelletized lawn or garden sulfur and lime can take as long as two years to lower soil pH. Liquid lawn sulfur and liquid lawn lime can do the job in a few weeks.

Liquid Sulfur can be used both as a plant food to provide the nutrient sulfur that restores dark green color to plants and as a soil amendment to correct the problem of alkaline soil (it lowers soil pH). The lower pH of the soil helps make the iron naturally in the soil more available to the grass as a nutrient. Iron helps provide a deep green color. It also improves water penetration and retention. An additional benefit is control of most mites as well as common fungus problems such as powdery mildew, blackspot, scab, brown rot, brown canker, leaf spot and rust. Sulfur is also an excellent moss controller.

Note: Most broadleaf weeds like soil pH above 7.0.  With the exception of St. Augustine grass, ideal pH is a deterrent to broadleaf weeds such as crabgrass. Weed Alert

Organic Matter %

Natural organic material is classified into two categories according to their carbon and nitrogen content: Green organic material and Brown organic material.

· “Green” materials, such as fresh grass clippings, manure and other living plants (weeds) and plant products contain large amounts of nitrogen.

· “Brown” materials such as dried leaves and plants, branches, and woody materials (leaf stems) have high carbon content but are relatively low in nitrogen.

Basically, “Green” materials supply food for the biolife (bacteria, fungi, and small invertebrates such as worms) which intern manufacture, supply, and facilitate nutrient uptake for the plants.  The “Brown” materials provide a home for the “Green” material biolife. When both “Green” and “Brown” organic materials decompose they become organic matter or “Humus”

Table 1. Organic matter in native and cultivated soils (per cent)

Soil zone	Virgin	Cultivated
Brown	3-4	2-3
Dark Brown	4-5	3-4
Black	6-10	4-6
Dark Gray	4-5	2-3
Gray	1-2	1-2

Most turfs will do well with organic matter of 4 – 5%. Higher percentages offer little improvement to turf nutrition but will aid in moisture retention.

Chemical Components of soil

Chemical	Function	Ideal Median Range PPM
Nitrogen	Nitrogen is always listed first in the fertilizer grade (or N-P-K ratio) on nutrient product bags, boxes, and bottles because it is one of the biggies. (For example, if the ratio on your nutrient package reads “11-13-3″, that means it contains 11 percent nitrogen.) Plants use nitrogen to produce new, green growth.  Different turf grasses have different nitrogen requirements.  Gor example, Centipede should not get more then 9% nitrogen more than twice a year; Zoysia should not get nitrogen more than 16% twice a year.
Prosperous P2O5	Phosphorus is listed second in the N-P-K ratio. (That nutrient package with the “11-13-3″ ratio contains 13 percent phosphorus.) Phosphorus is essential to turf grass root growth. When you supplement the amount of phosphorus, you’ll likely notice more vigorous growth overall.	535
Potassium Oxide K2O	Potassium takes up the last spot in the N-P-K ratio. (So an “11-13-3″ nutrient ratio contains 3 percent potassium.) Because grasses use potassium to build cells and tissue, supplementing this nutrient contributes to overall grass hardiness. Stronger, more durable plants are usually more tolerant of temperature extremes and are more pest- and disease-resistant.	100
Calcium	As with sulfur, grasses also need calcium to make proteins. Calcium promotes new root growth and facilitates overall plant vigor.	1,250
Magnesium	In short, manganese makes things happen. Manganese is necessary for chlorophyll formation, and without it, grasses would not be able to carry out essential cellular functions.	2.5
Sodium	Soils that contain high levels of sodium coupled with low levels of soluble salts produce a condition known as sodic soil. Sodic soil can negatively impact the growth of your plants and be toxic to sodium-sensitive vegetation.	100
Sulfur	One of the secondary macronutrients, sulfur helps plants maintain their dark green color. Mainly, plants use sulfur to create essential proteins.  In grasses, sulfur is essential for nitrogen-fixing nodules, and necessary in the formation of chlorophyll. Plants use sulfur in the processes of producing proteins, amino acids, enzymes and vitamins. Sulfur also helps the plant’s resistance to disease, aids in growth, and in seed formation.	50
Aluminum	Aluminum is not a plant nutrient however high concentrations in soil with a pH of less than 6.5 is toxic to turf roots.	<100
Iron	Iron makes for healthy, dark green growth. As with magnesium, iron is essential for photosynthesis.  Iron is necessary for chlorophyll formation, and without it, plants wouldn’t be able to carry out essential cellular functions.	6
Manganese	In short, manganese makes things happen. Manganese is necessary for chlorophyll formation, and without it, grasses would not be able to carry out essential cellular functions.	7.5
Copper	Copper contributes too many natural processes including plant metabolism and reproduction.	.5
Zinc	Plants use zinc in conjunction with other elements to carry out many natural processes including forming chlorophyll.	7
Boron	Grasses don’t need much of it, but boron does facilitate nutrient uptake and it helps plants to grow new tissue.	1.5
Nitrate		50
Molybdenum	Grasses need molybdenum to produce essential proteins.  Make sure the nutrient solution is well aerated and not too hot or too cold. A good temperature range for most solutions is 60 to 65 degrees F.
Base Saturation		%
K		2 – 5%
Na		0.70%
Ca		60 – 70%
Mg		10 – 20%
Exchangeable Hydrogen H+		10 – 15%

Lawn Soil and the Importance of Biolife

Most soils are teeming with life — microbial life — that is as important to our lives as the more visible flora and fauna we see around us. Just imagine if there were no decomposers in the soil. In a matter of years, we would be buried in organic debris that no longer breaks down. Nutrient cycles would grind to a halt and plants would not survive without our constant feeding. And soil microbes have been the source of life-saving compounds such as antibiotics (e.g. penicillin) that we have come to rely on.

As small as they are, soil microorganisms are the real giants in your lawn, and your lawn soil is swarming with millions of these microorganisms. This “living-soil-life” helps keep your soil healthy, decompose organic matter, replenish soil nutrients, form humus, store and regulate water, promote root growth, increase nutrient uptake, and (over time) the breakdown of herbicides and pesticides. These microorganisms include bacteria, fungi, and protozoa.

Bacteria –What bacteria lack in size, they make up in numbers. They are tiny, one-celled organisms. A teaspoon of productive soil generally contains between 100 million and 1 billion bacteria.

Bacteria have four functional groups.

1. Most are decomposers that consume simple carbon compounds. By this process, they convert energy in soil organic matter into forms useful to the rest of the organisms. A number of decomposers, over time, can break down pesticides and pollutants in soil. Decomposers are especially important in stopping or retaining, nutrients in their cells, thus preventing the loss of nutrients, such as nitrogen, from the rooting zone.

2. A second group is the mutualists that form partnerships with plants. The most well-known of these are the nitrogen-fixing bacteria.

3. The third group is the pathogens.

4. A fourth group, called lithotrophs (literally meaning rock eaters) or chemoautotrophs (which are able to synthesize all of the organic compounds they need from inorganic raw materials in the absence of sunlight), obtains its energy from compounds of nitrogen, sulfur, iron or hydrogen instead of from carbon compounds.

Functions

· They perform important services related to water dynamics.

· nutrient cycling

· Disease suppression.

· Many organisms will compete with disease-causing organisms in roots and on aboveground surfaces of plants.

Important Bacteria

Nitrogen-fixing– The plant supplies simple carbon compounds to the bacteria, and it converts nitrogen (N2) from air into a form the plant host can use. When leaves or roots from the host plant decompose, soil nitrogen increases in the surrounding area.

Nitrifying– change ammonium to nitrite then to nitrate – a preferred form of nitrogen for grasses and most row crops.

Denitrifying– convert nitrate to nitrogen (N2) or nitrous oxide (N2O) gas. Denitrifiers are anaerobic, meaning they are active where oxygen is absent, such as in saturated soils or inside soil aggregates.

Actinomycetes– are a large group of bacteria that grow as hyphae like fungi. They are responsible for the characteristically “earthy” smell of freshly turned, healthy soil. Actinomycetes decompose a wide array of hard-to-decompose compounds and are active at high pH levels. A number of antibiotics are produced by Actinomycetes such as Streptomyces.

Fungi – Basically there are two types of fungi – Mycorrhizal and normal. Fungi thrive in well-drained, neutral to acidic, aerated soils. Normal fungi help decompose the organic matter in litter and soil but play less of an overall role. Mycorrhizal fungi help develop healthy root systems by growing on plant roots. The fungus is actually a network of filaments that grow in and around the plant root cells, forming a mass that extends considerably beyond the plant’s root system. This essentially extends the plant’s reach to water and nutrients, allowing it to utilize more of the soil’s resources.

Protozoa These microorganisms are present in almost all soils. They feed on bacteria and other protozoa. Protozoa are classified into three types based on their mobility: Amoebae, Flagellates, and Ciliates. Good protozoa feed on bacteria and release nitrogen and other nutrients to the soil. Since they live in and around roots the plants benefit from this supply of food.

Protozoa are a major part of the living soil.

· Protozoa are single-celled animals that feed on bacteria, other protozoa, organic matter, and sometimes fungi.

· They are several times larger than bacteria.

· The numbers of protozoa in the soil vary – from a 1,000 per teaspoon in unfertile soils to a 1,000,000 per teaspoon in some fertile soils.

Protozoa are divided into three groups based on their shape:

1. Ciliates

· Are the largest of the protozoa and are mobile by means of hair-like cilia.

· They eat the other two types of protozoa, also bacteria.

· They eat up to 10,000 bacteria per day, and make nitrogen available to plants.

· Ciliates are least numerous of the 3 groups.

· Ciliates move rapidly through soil using the cilias like boat oars.

2. Amoebae

· They can be large and they move by means of a pseudopod.

· Amoebae are divided into testate amoebae and naked amoebae.

· One group of amoebae, like vampires, eat fungi and root pathogens.

3. Flagellates

· They are the smallest of the protozoa and use whip-like flagella to propel or pull its way through soil.

Functions of Protozoa

1. Protozoa help mineralize nutrients, which make them available for use by plants and other soil organisms.

2. Protozoa regulate bacteria populations as they graze on bacteria and it seems to stimulate growth of that bacterial population.
3. Protozoa is a food source for other soil organisms.

4. They help to suppress disease by feeding on pathogens.

5. Protozoa release excess nitrogen as they eat bacteria that will then be used by plants and other members of the food web.

Fungi

A gram of garden soil can contain around one million fungi, such as yeasts and molds. Fungi have no chlorophyll, and are not able to photosynthesize; besides, they can’t use atmospheric carbon dioxide as a source of carbon, therefore they are chemo-heterotrophic, meaning that, like animals, they require a chemical source of energy rather than being able to use light as an energy source, as well as organic substrates to get carbon for growth and development.

Many fungi are parasitic, often causing disease to their living host plant, although some have beneficial relationships with living plants as we shall see below. In terms of soil and humus creation, the most important fungi tend to be saprotrophic, that is, they live on dead or decaying organic matter, thus breaking it down and converting it to forms that are available to the higher plants. A succession of fungi species will colonize the dead matter, beginning with those that use sugars and starches, which are succeeded by those that are able to break down cellulose and lignin’s.

Fungi spread underground by sending long thin threads known as mycelium throughout the soil; these threads can be observed throughout many soils and compost heaps. From the mycelia the fungi is able to throw up its fruiting bodies, the visible part above the soil (e.g., mushrooms, toadstools and puffballs), which may contain millions of spores. When the fruiting body bursts, these spores are dispersed through the air to settle in fresh environments, and are able to lie dormant for years until the right conditions for their activation arise or the right food is made available.

Liquid Organic Soil Amendments

All of our products are packaged in 32 oz. hose end applicators. If you can water your lawn with a garden hose, you can greatly improve your soil. Amendment coverage is posted on every sprayer.

Liquid Lawn Sulfur

Liquid Lawn Iron

Liquid Lawn Lime

Nature’s Magic

Bio Enhanced Liquid Dethatcher

Aerify

Liquid Iron with Nature’s Magic

Liquid Lawn Sulfur with Nature’s Magic

Bio Enhanced Liquid Dethatcher with Fish Emulsion

Nature’s Magic Aerify for Compacted Soil

Nature’s Magic with Aerify for Clay Soil

Super Compost Tea

Super Compost Tea

Components found in our Super Compost Tea transition your lawn to a true organic lawn instantly. Using this as a lawn winterizer will detoxify, aerate, dethatch, control insects, control weeds, supplement, and actually build healthy, living, soil ready for your total organic conversion next season.

What’s in it?

Biological	Function
B. Subtilis	Plant growth promoting soil inoculant
Bacillus licheniformis	A bio-fertilizer
Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)	a naturally occurring bacterial disease of insects
Bacillus polymyxa	Growth Promoting, nitrogen fixing
Enzymes	Protein catalysts
Vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizae (VAM)	Improves drought resistance
Auxins	Growth hormones
Cytokinins	Growth hormones
Gibberellins	Growth hormones
Vitamin B	Growth Regulator
Amino acids	Function as chemical messengers and as intermediates in metabolism
Folic acids	Also known as vitamin B9
Humic acid	Also known as liquid humus
Neem oil	Insect Controller
Garlic oil	Insect Controller
Fungi	Ectomycorrhizal fungi also have the potential to positively affect plant growth. Ectomycorrhizal fungi can change the growth form of plant roots by promoting root branching and restricting root extension. Ectomycorrhizal fungi can increase the uptake of phophorus by plant roots and some species of fungi also improve nitrogen uptake. They can decrease the susceptibility of the plant to disease and drought.
Fish Emulsion	Our Fish Emulsion is derived from ocean fish that feed on mineral rich plankton. The result is a 5-1-1 fertilizer loaded with Trace Minerals, Macro and Micro-nutrients. There are over forty supplements in our Fish Emulsion, such as iron, boron, zinc, calcium, manganese, vitamins B1, B2 to name just a few. Most of these are in a chelated form, meaning they are readily available to the plant or turf which increases plant brix levels.
Seaweed	Provides numerous trace elements and growth stimulants. Helps generate and feed soil building microbes. Adds both “Green” and “Brown” organic material.
Macro Nutrients	Function
Nitrogen	New, green growth
Phosphorus	Essential to turf grass root growth and vigorous growth overall
Potassium	Builds cells and tissue for more durable plants that are usually more tolerant of temperature extremes and are more pest- and disease-resistant
Organics	Function
Black strap sugar cane molasses	Food for microorganism colonies, brix value increaser
Complex corn sugars	Food for microorganism colonies, brix value increaser
Micro nutrients and trace elements	Function
Boron (B)	Facilitates nutrient uptake and it helps plants to grow new tissue
Calcium (Ca)	Promotes new root growth and facilitates overall plant vigor
Copper (Cu)	Contributes too many natural processes including plant metabolism and reproduction
Iron (Fe)	healthy, dark green growth, essential for photosynthesis and chlorophyll formation
Magnesium (Mg)	Allows food production thru photosynthesis, necessary for seed production
Manganese (Mn)	Necessary for chlorophyll formation
Molybdenum (Mo)	Grasses need molybdenum to produce essential proteins
Sulfur (S)	Creates essential proteins, produces dark green color, essential for nitrogen-fixing nodules, aids in the production proteins, amino acids, enzymes and vitamins, helps the plant’s resistance to disease, aids in growth, and in seed formation
Zinc (Zn)	Plants use zinc in conjunction with other elements to carry out many natural processes including forming chlorophyll.

Nitrogen enters the soil in organic forms such as plant roots, leaves, and other plant materials, in addition to dead animals, insects, and microorganisms, manure, and compost. As these decompose, the once recognizable plant and animal materials are transformed into soil organic matter called humus which contains organic nitrogen. Living plants cannot use these organic forms of N. This is why microbes living in the soil are so important, because they convert organic N into forms of N that plants can then use.

There are typically 40 million bacterial cells in a gram of soil Bacteria are vital in recycling nutrients, and many important steps in nutrient cycles depend on bacteria, such as the fixation of nitrogen from the atmosphere. Beneficial bacteria and fungi are needed in the soil to make nutrients available to the plants. Bacteria occupy most of the leaf and/or root surface and thus are effective at consuming the food resource that the disease causing organisms would otherwise consume. In soil, bacteria have additional function beyond consuming; they also retain nutrients (N, P, S, Ca, Fe, etc.) in their bio-mass. Bacteria also decompose plant-toxic materials and plant residues and build soil structure. The smallest building blocks of soil structure are built by beneficial bacteria. Without these bacteria, the bricks to make the “soil house” will not occur and further development of soil structure will not happen. If the organisms are not present, water holding capacity cannot be improved. Most of the bacteria in the compost tea will not be the right ones at the moment you apply the tea, so they go to sleep in the soil, and wait for the right conditions that will allow them to wake up, suppress their competitors, retain nutrients, decompose residues and build soil aggregate structure.

As you apply these, immediately plant available, nutrients to the soil, they melt and drop into the top soil. If you ever dig in your yard you will notice that the roots really do not go down that far. Why would they? All of the nutrients are in the top 2 inches of soil. During times of low moisture and high heat, which is known around here as SUMMER, the roots do not penetrate far enough into the soil to be able to reach cooler wetter soils and suffer the consequences. Mechanical or “Core” aeration removes a 3” plug every 6 inches while our liquid aerator in the Tea penetrates several inches over 100% of the lawn. If you begin a program that encourages increased root mass and penetration into the soil you dramatically increase drought resistance and overall health for turf.

No complicated, expensive equipment to buy or rent. All you need is a garden hose.  One quart has a 10,000 sq. ft. coverage.

Do-It-Yourself and save big. 

One quart of Super Compost Tea packaged in a pre-calibrated dispenser has coverage of 10,000 sq. ft. Because it is 100% organic, you have ZERO chance of “burning” the turf.

The Organic Lawn Care Store

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How Grass Grows

How Grass Grows

Grass growth is opposite from most other plants, the old growth of the grass is at the top of the plant while the new growth is at the bottom where the key growth point for grass is the crown.

The crown sits at the soil line and it is also where the shoot section and the root section of the grass meet. The crown is a highly active growing point that pushes stems (and the leaf blades that form around them) upward.

A lawn is an area of land covered by many individual turfgrass plants. In fact, a lawn may be considered a garden area comprised of many individual grass plants rather than just a few flower or vegetable plants. It has been reported that in a typical 1,000 square feet of lawn there are about 1 million grass plants.

The part of the plant that the homeowner is most concerned with is the leaf blade. That is the most visible part and the part that tells you how good your lawn looks. Upon closer inspection you can see that the leaf blades grow out from the leaf sheath, which is wrapped around the grass stem.

The stem and sheath are formed in the crown and are continually pushed upwards as new cells are created. The point where the sheath turns into the blade is called the collar. Grass blades do grow out from their tips a bit and can continue growing after being cut. However, when you mow the grass blade below the collar point, the blade is no longer capable of new growth. But, inside the sheath there are other immature leaf blades that can emerge to form new sheaths and blades when the grass is mowed below the collar.

Leaf 1 is oldest and leaf 8 is just being exerted. The enlarged area of the crown shows the apical meristem that produces the leaves.

Root growth.

The crown is also responsible for initiating the roots, but the roots then grow in a more typical fashion.  New growth cells form at the tips of the roots instead of the crown.  The roots elongate in search of water and nutrients and form a very extensive and fibrous network, most of it being invisible to the naked eye.

According to a lawn site at Purdue, one researcher, who examined the root system of Kentucky bluegrass, found that in one cubic inch of soil there were 2,000 roots with 1,000,000 roots hairs. Poor root growth, for whatever reason, means a grass plant that suffers from poor water and nutrient absorption.

How Grass Spreads

Some grass types can spread rapidly while others will hardly thicken at all.  The way your grass spreads actually depends on the particular type of grass you have. Bluegrass is different from ryegrass which is different from bentgrass and so on.  And the ability to spread is also influenced by how well you care for the grass as well.

There are just four methods lawn grass plants normally use to reproduce or extend out from the mother plant. Most grass species are capable of spreading by two or more of these methods.

1. Going to Seed

Dropping seeds is one of the ways all lawn grasses can spread and fill in, but please don’t depend on this method.  Because we mow the grass before seed heads develop, you rarely see much in the way of seeds on a lawn. If you did not mow your lawn at all, eventually you would see seed heads developing at the top of the stem, extending above the grass blades, like the bluegrass in this image.

Some grasses types, including a few bluegrass varieties, have adapted to mowing and form seeds closer to the ground, below the mower blade.

With all the hybrid grasses today, there is also the possibility that the seed may be sterile too. I wouldn’t count on the lawn going to seed as a good method of your grass spreading if it is thin.

2. Tillering A tiller is a new shoot (a new stem with more leaf blades) that forms off to the side of the main plant. It grows out from the crown and essentially makes the mother plant into a thicker or wider plant.

Most lawn grasses will send out tillers.  Some grasses use this method exclusively for spreading out or thickening. These grasses are called bunchgrasses or clumpgrasses.

The only way this would fill in the bare area would be to get thicker and thicker over time, and that might take a while. Tall Fescueis also a bunchgrass, and most varieties of this are very wide bladed.  When you get a spot of this in an otherwise fine bladed lawn, it sticks out like a sore thumb.

Rhizomes

Rhizomes are underground runners (or stems) that pop out of the ground a distance from the mother plant, forming completely new plants capable of sending out its own rhizomes. You can see a rhisome in the blue picture above on the left. Rhizomes are a great way for grass to spread, and typically grasses with rhizomes also thicken by tillering as well.  Kentucky bluegrass and fine fescue spread by rhizomes.  The rhizomes can spread quite far to find an open spot in the lawn.  They will also pop up in your garden beds, like it or not, if bluegrass borders the beds. Good soils make it easy for rhizomes to grow, while dense clay soils can make it very difficult.

Stolons

Stolons are somewhat the opposite of rhizomes in that they are above ground runners.(or stems)  that travel on top of the soil. They travel a long or short distance from the mother plant and then form independent grass plants as they go along.  You see a stolon on the right side of the blue image up above.  Creeping bentgrass, St. Augustine and Zoysia grass spread by stolons and they will spread rapidly on top of the soil, especially if the soil is easy to root in and not hard or claylike. They can weave their way through other grass types in a lawn and eventually take over the lawn.  Here is an illustration of Zoysia grass.

Grass Plant Growth and its Relationship to Lawn Care

The first step in any lawn care plan should be to provide an ideal environment for growth and function of grass plants. A healthy, vigorous lawn is the best defense against attack or invasion of various pests. Also, a healthy lawn is much more capable of quickly recovering from modest damage caused by insects, diseases, or physical wear and tear.

Creating a healthy lawn environment is like any other type of gardening. The same good practices used in vegetable and flower gardens are just as appropriate for growing grass plants. The means to achieve those conditions are somewhat different for lawns than gardens, but are just as important for healthy grass plants as for healthy tomatoes.

As with other garden plants, knowledge about the plant and how it grows is often the key to successful growing. Large juicy tomatoes, fresh crisp lettuce, and colorful marigolds are the result of applying knowledge about those plants to growing them in the garden. Likewise, similar knowledge about the grass plant will be very helpful in successfully growing it and creating a healthy attractive lawn.

Grass Plant Structure and Growth

The major grass parts are shown in Fig. 1. The part of the grass plant familiar to most people is the leaf. The leaf is composed of two parts: the leaf blade and the leaf sheath. Looking at the grass plant closely will reveal that the leaf rolls itself around the stem (or shoot) forming the leaf sheath.

The leaves, stems, and roots all originate from the crown area of the plant. The crown is a very tightly compressed stem or growing point that pushes the new leaves upward as they are formed and grow. This is a different growth habit than found in other garden plants such as tomatoes, marigolds, trees, and shrubs. In those instances, the outward growth extends from the tips of the branches or shoots. The location of the grass crown near the base of the plant and usually at, or slightly below, the soil line allows us to mow our lawns regularly and have continued growth.

A common growth characteristic of grass plants is their ability to spread out from a parent plant. Growth habit describes the type of shoot growth present in particular grass plants and is directly related to their ability to spread out from the parent plant and ultimately form a lawn. There are three general classifications of growth habit present in grasses: bunch-type, Rhizomatous, and Stoloniferous. The specific type of growth habit along with the rate of shoot growth will determine how quickly and easily these grasses will establish a lawn area or fill in bare spots.

Figure 2

Bunch-type grasses spread primarily or entirely by the production of tillers. As illustrated in Fig. 2, tillers originate from the crown area and grow upward from the base of the plant. It is this type of continuous shoot production by means of tillers that gives the plant a clumpy appearance; hence the name bunch-typegrass (Fig.2). Seeding rates need to be higher when bunch-type grasses are a significant portion of the seed mixture or blend. When seeding rates are too low or where growth develops from individual isolated plants, small clumps are formed creating a non-uniform lawn surface. Common cool season lawn grasses associated with this type of growth habit are perennial ryegrass, tall fescue, hard fescue, and chewing fescue.

Stoloniferous grasses spread by lateral stems, called stolons that creep over the ground and give rise to new shoots periodically along the length of the stolon (Fig.2). Lawns formed from these type of grasses appear to have their aerial shoots growing laterally along the ground rather than upright as in bunch or rhizomatous grasses. Creeping bentgrass is a good example of this type of growth. When it is mowed at heights greater than 3/4 inch, it forms a relatively loose mat of grass with most aerial shoots growing horizontally. In bluegrass lawns, creeping bentgrass is usually considered a weed. Creeping bentgrass is considered very desirable on putting greens, croquet courts and other fine turf areas as it will adapt to very low mowing heights (i.e., about 1/4 inch or slightly less) and create a very smooth playing surface.

Rhizomatous grasses spread below ground stems known as rhizomes (Fig. 2). These rhizomes terminate in a shoot that emerges some distance from the mother plant. As these new shoots mature they will also produce rhizomes that eventually produce new shoots thus creating a lawn. Healthy, vigorous rhizome type grasses such as Kentucky bluegrass tend to form dense, uniform lawns with shoots oriented in an upright position.

Root growth also originates at the crown. However, roots continue to lengthen and grow from the root tip as opposed to the growth of shoots and leaves which are pushed upward and outward from the crown at the base of the plant. Roots are naturally sloughed-off and new ones regrow as a normal part of grass plant growth. Also, adverse environmental conditions can significantly shorten the life of grass plant roots. For example, weather and soil stresses associated with drought conditions or excessive rainfall can cause significant root injury or loss and inhibit growth.

How Grass Gets Its Food

The commonly held, but incorrect belief is that grass plants get their food from the soil, and if the soil is fertilized the grass has more food. The fact is, when you buy plant food (fertilizer) for your lawn, you’re technically not really buying “food “at all. What you are buying is some of the raw materialsthat can be used to make food for the grass.

A grass plant manufactures its own food in its leaf blades.

Do you remember learning about photosynthesisin grade school?  Well, now is when we are going to finally put that knowledge into practical, lawn improving use.

PHOTOSYNTHESIS  

All green plants use sunlight to make their own food in their leaves. Photo means “light”; synthesis means “putting together”.  Here is the simple version of how it works.

Direct sunlight helps the leaves turn carbon dioxide (from the air) and water (inside the leaf) into sugars (food) and exhale oxygen – 0₂. The plant can then use this food to create proteins, fats, cellulose and all the other necessary building blocks – everything it needs to make leaves, stems, crowns, roots, seeds, runners, tillers and so on. Unused sugars are stored as starch in the roots and leaf blades. In the absence of direct sunlight oxygen is inhaled and carbon dioxide – C0₂ is exhaled

So what does the plant get from the soil?   It gets water, and dissolved minerals (nitrogen, magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, potassium etc…) and trace elements.  These are considered the raw materialsthat plants need to convert, using the energy from the sugars, into the other building mentioned above.  Fertilizers and organic matter supply raw materials, but by themselves are not food.

Once again:

1. In the leaf blades of the grass, sunlight is used to convert carbon dioxide and water into sugar (food).
2. The sugars are then turned into proteins, fats, cellulose and all the other  building blocks needed for plant health. Most of these building blocks are formed by combining the sugar with other minerals or raw materials in the leaf blades.
3. The roots of the grass take up the water and dissolved minerals and send them up to the leaf.

EVERY TIME YOU MOW YOUR LAWN YOU ARE CUTTING OFF SOME OF THE FOOD FACTORY OF THE GRASS.

You need to know how to mow the lawn in a way that will optimize the food production in the grass, while keeping the lawn looking good.  If you regularly mow the wrong way, you can severely affect the normal food production process. The result will be, at the very least, an unhealthy, stunted, and off-color lawn. It could get worse. Proper mowing will be covered later.

 

Winterizing Flower Beds

 

As winter approaches and nature begins to settle in for a long nap, your flower beds will need a little attention if you want them to produce beautiful, hearty plants in the spring. With just a few basic steps you can winterize your beds and encourage healthy plant growth.

Step 1

First make a plan. Plan where you will put the plants that you will be dividing before you do it.

Step 2

Remove all annuals roots and all. It is rare that seeds from them can survive the winter so it is best to remove them from beds. Put these in your compost pile to use next year.

Step 3

Cut back all of your perennials right down to the ground. Those perennials that have become too crowded need to be divided. To do this, just dig the plants out of the ground. Gently knock off the soil that clings to the roots. I usually break the roots apart by hand, but sometimes you will need to cut them with a knife. This is especially true with plants like irises that have rhizomes that are very hard to separate. Make sure each section has a section of leaves attached to it. If there are any roots or bulbs that are shriveled up or “sick” looking, throw them away. They look that way because they are unhealthy. After you have separated the roots you can transplant them to the new areas you prepared in your garden. If your flower beds are overflowing, share some of your plants with family and friends. It’s important to thin your plants so they can grow stronger and healthier.

Step 4

Fall is an excellent time to plant bulbs. Start with healthy bulbs and plant them according to directions. Remember, many bulb plants spread so you may want to allow for that when planting them.

Step 5

Rake back any old mulch from around plants and bushes. Spread an even layer of rich topsoil over the entire bed, using a rake to get an even covering. Put extra soil around the base of young perennials. Put back the old mulch and add new mulch evenly over the bed. Again, add additional mulch to the base of young plantings. Be careful not to over-cover your bulbs!

More Tips to Get Your Flower Garden Ready for Winter

• Remember to keep watering your plants and shrubs until the ground freezes. Just because there isn’t visible growth going on doesn’t mean your plants don’t need assistance.
• If you want to relocate any shrubs or small trees, do it when the leaves have fallen off most of the trees. You can also plant new trees and shrubs now.
• If you don’t have a compost pile already, now is the perfect time to start one. Compost is a wonderful addition to your beds, making the soil and the plants healthier while promoting beneficial insects. Just add some green stuff (grass clippings, vegetable matter) to some brown stuff (leaves, dried plants), stir regularly and you’ll have black gold of your own.
• Usually, ornament grasses can be left untrimmed, but do remove any dead or brown leaves and stalks.
• Evergreens should be cut back well after the first frost. Again, remove cuttings and dispose or use in compost.
• It is probably best not to add fertilizer at this stage. Flowers need to be allowed to go through their natural wintering process so they can naturally recover as temperatures warm.

There are lots of things you’d rather do in the fall than clean up the garden and get it ready for winter. However, doing these tasks during the beautiful fall days ensures a happy and healthy start to the growing season next year. Remember too, raking leaves, putting down mulch and pulling weeds are all really good exercise, which everyone needs a little more of before the holiday season!

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Fall Shrub Care

This is the time to prepare shrubs for the upcoming winter.

Planting and Transplanting

A properly planted and maintained shrub will grow faster and live longer than one that is incorrectly planted. Shrubs can be planted almost any time of the year as long as the ground is not frozen. Late summer or early fall is the optimum time to plant shrubs in many areas. This gives the shrub a chance to establish new roots before winter arrives and the ground freezes.

Carefully follow the planting instructions that come with your shrub. If specific instructions are not available, follow these tips:

· Dig a hole twice as wide as and slightly shallower than, the root ball. Roughen the sides and bottom of the hole with a pick or shovel so that roots can penetrate the soil.

· With a potted shrub, gently remove the shrub from the container. Lay the shrub on its side with the container end near the planting hole. Hit the bottom and sides of the container until the root ball is loosened. If roots are growing in a circular pattern around the root ball, slice through the roots on a couple of sides of the root ball. With shrubs wrapped in burlap, remove the string or wire that holds the burlap to the root crown. It is unnecessary to completely remove the burlap. Plastic wraps must be completely removed. Gently separate circling roots on the root ball. Shorten exceptionally long roots, and guide the shortened roots downward and outward. Root tips die quickly when exposed to light and air, so don’t waste time.

· Place the root ball in the hole. Leave the top of the root ball (where the roots end and the trunk begin) 1/2 to 1 inch above the surrounding soil, making sure not to cover it unless roots are exposed. For bare root plants, make a mound of soil in the middle of the hole and spread plant roots out evenly over mound. Do not set shrubs too deep. As you add soil to fill in around the shrub, lightly tamp the soil to collapse air pockets, or add water to help settle the soil. Form a temporary water basin around the base of the shrub to encourage water penetration, and water thoroughly after planting. A shrub with a dry root ball cannot absorb water; if the root ball is extremely dry; allow water to trickle into the soil by placing the hose at the base of the shrub.

· Mulch around the base, though not right up to the bark (this will collect moisture, inviting fungus and diseases) to help insulate against winter temperature changes. A 3-foot diameter circle of mulch is common.

· After the hottest part of summer has passed, you can transplant any shrubs you need to move.

Pruning

Fall is a good time to remove branches that may be growing directions that you do not like. However, proceed with caution in spring flowering shrubs – their flower buds for next spring are already formed, and too much pruning may destroy next year’s floral display. Thin instead of shearing.

Before beginning, research what kind of shrub we are working with; what the natural shape of the shrub is, conical, globe, upright, or contorted; and what conditions the plant requires, such as sunlight, shade, wet soil, or dry soil. Good gardeners also typically avoid pruning after it has just rained or when the air is damp, as wetness encourages spore growth.  Pruning tends to bring on new growth, so you should prune after the leaves fall off the shrub to avoid frost damage.

Proper Cuts

Winterizing

The best time to fertilize shrubs is after the leaves have fallen off the nearby trees. This is the best sign of dormancy. During dormancy, the above ground of the shrubs appears to stop growing but underground is a different story. Proper fertilizing with an organic 10-8-8 fertilizer at this time is much more effective and in most cases will last for the entire year! Relieving compaction at this time will stimulate root growth for deeper rooting. I recommend Bio-enhanced Aerify as it will penetrate 12 inches plus and supply the beneficial biolife necessary for healthy nutrient transfer to the roots while increasing water retention in the soil.

Insect and Disease Control

Dormant Oil spraying is done when woody plants are not actively growing, and when (except for evergreens) the leaves are off the plants. For example, in the North, Dormant Oil Spraying is typically done at the end of winter or in very early spring, before trees and plants leaf out. Many insects and disease organisms overwinter on the stems, trunks and branches of plants and trees. Covering the dormant branches and trunks of plants with our WIPEOUT suffocates overwintering insect eggs and fungal spores.

Some of the insects controlled by dormant oil are pine needle scale, oyster shell scale, euonymus scale, aphids, caterpillar (eggs), spider mites and small pine sawfly larvae.

Apply when plants are dry and rain is not expected. Spray when temperatures will not fall below freezing for at least 24 hours. Apply at the end of winter. Coat all branches and trunks, making sure you get the oil into any cracks in the bark where insects may hide. Before you spray make sure to clean up the fallen leaves around your plants and remove any leftover fruit that may be still hanging on your trees.

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