How Organic is Your Lawn Service?

| Sunday, March 27, 2011
By David Merriman


Considering New York's ban on lawn fertilizers and tightening restrictions in other states it seems inevitable that your lawn care will evolve as pesticide applications become more and more limited.

But what is organic lawn care?

The organic reference as it relates to lawn care is not tightly regulated. So making a fair decision between organic services may not always be easy. However there are two main types.

Organic lawn service is a several season effort that take persistence. Controlling weeds means hand-picking and frequent applications of solutions that knock pests off turf. Beneficial microbes and solutions such as insecticidal soap are important.

Enhancing soil with natural fertilizers and speciall mized topsoil as well as thorough seeding and watering give grasses a natural advantage in overcoming broadleafs.

Your lawn will respond even better if the lawn species is native to your area and the grass is kept at 2 to 3 inches long with mowers blades sharp and well maintained.

IPM - This hybrid method includes the techniques mentioned earlier in this article but will include synthetic pesticides and the use of fertilizers that bridge the gap and keep your lawn green until organic cultural practices kick in.

Since using a pure organic fertilizer can be a three season or longer process, you can choose to mix in more traditional products while still being environmentally aware. You may find that you lawn service won't have to visit as many times either to keep your turf looking good.

Choosing an Organic Lawn Service

So in deciding an organic lawn service to hire, you at least can start to ask how they define organic. Of course knowing what you want in terms of environmental impact and a green healthy lawn, will help you decide.

If you want your lawn to turn and stay green more quickly or you don't want to invest too much money, then a hybrid or traditional lawn service might be the right call. If you are passionate about organic products and will like the natural unfolding of your lawn as it becomes healthier, the a true organic program is the best.

National lawn franchises have about 2 percent of their customers on an organic program. A local lawn service may offer more expertise about making lawn work in your area. So get several quotes.




About the Author:



0 comments:

Post a Comment