Healthy Soil, Healthy Lawns, Healthy People
How Does Organic Lawn Care Work?
It’s All In The Soil.
Healthy soil is alive with millions upon millions of beneficial organisms working to break down organic matter in your soil and make nutrients available to your grass. A healthy, living soil is attained by creating an environment where the organisms can flourish.
How is this environment achieved? Just like people, the beneficial microbes and bacteria present in the soil of an organic lawn flourish when they are well fed with a nutritious diet, given plenty of fresh air and provided with the right amount of water. They will continuously work to provide your turf with just the right amount of nutrition exactly when it needs it. An organic program uses natural methods and no synthetic pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers. In 2008 Harvard University started using organic turf care practice on part of their grounds and eventually adopted these practices on their entire campus. The results were spectacular and can be found in the link to the New York Times at the bottom of this page.
By contrast, the chemically maintained lawn uses chemical additives that destroy the naturally occurring ecosystem, producing a “dead” soil. The result is a lawn that becomes progressively more addicted to these chemicals for nutrition, weed control and disease suppression. Chemical lawn maintenance leads to compacted soils with shallow root systems, conditions that cause decreased drought, weed and disease resistance.
Combined with proper cultural practices such as correct mowing height, sharp mower blades and proper watering practices that should be used in any lawn care program, a lawn that is organically maintained can be thick, green and healthy as well as safe and Eco-friendly.
Information On Organics And Pesticide Dangers.
Below you will find links to some great resources on organic lawn care and the dangers of pesticides (Herbicides, pesticides and fungicides).
Organic Links and Lawn Services:
Safelawns: This one speaks for itself.
www.safelawns.org
NOFA (Northeast Organic Farming Association): Another great resource for Organic Info.
www.organiclandcare.net
Beyond Pesticides: A good source for pesticide information.
www.beyondpesticides.org
National Pesticide Information Center: Pesticide research, fact sheets and reports.
www.npic.orst.edu
Pan UK: A great reference for research on synthetic weed controls.
www.pan-uk.org
NY Times: Great article showing how Harvard University went to organic turf care.
www.nytimes.com/2009/09/24/garden/24garden.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
Mother Earth Gardens: The Twin Cities best garden center for
Organic Sustainable gardening and Eco-Friendly products. www.motherearthgarden.com
Oregon State University: How long does weed killer stay in your soil/lawn. Click Here
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources: Info on how much we spend on synthetic fertilizers and chemicals. MNDNR
Organic Skin Care: Great natural skin care products made locally.
