Learn / Ask The Landscape Professional
I have just signed a contract for chemical lawn care from a well-known national company, but I am having second thoughts after looking at the organic lawn care option on your web site. What's the story?
Answer
Get your lawn off of drugs - now!
In this day and age, there is absolutely no reason why anyone
should use chemical lawn care products. Why would you spread
chemical fertilizers, harmful pesticides (to kill insects) and herbicides
(to kill weeds) around your house that are so toxic that you, your family
or pets shouldn't walk on your lawn. If you hired a chemical lawn care
company, they are required by law to post warning signs on treated
areas. Even when these products dry, many chemicals remain active
from a month to over a year, during which time they can release toxic
vapors. Breathing these vapors, even from neighbors lawns or while
playing on or mowing contaminated grass, can cause illness. The bulk
of these mixtures leech into our surrounding lakes, rivers and Long
Island Sound and poison our water supply. Chemical programs feed
the grass plants directly with a high salt, quick release combination of a
high nitrogen fertilizer, herbicide and pesticide mix (i.e., a "Quick Fix"),
that almost immediately kills the microorganism population within the
soil. After a number of years, the lawn becomes stressed and cannot
sustain itself without the 'Fix' of Nitrogen. In time, the lawn starts to
thin, becomes clumpy and disease and insects move in and attack the
damaged lawn.
There is a 100% safe, environmentally-friendly alternative that
produces superior results- Sprigs & Twigs Organic Lawn Care Program.
The pictures below are several randomly selected properties after
one season on our Organic Program. Sprigs & Twigs Organic Lawn
Care Program adapts the principles and methods of organic farming
to the care of lawns.We focus on building healthy soil, feeding with a
slow-release fertilizer, creating a soil environment filled with organic
matter and a diversity of living micro-organisms such as bacteria, fungi,
mycorrhizae and other microbes. As these micro-organisms consume
the organic matter within the soil they release nutrients that feed the
grass plants. This action improves soil structure creating a soil environment
with improved water, air and nutrient holding capabilities that
grow happy, healthy grass plants. Sprigs & Twigs Organic Lawn Care
Program eliminates the unacceptable risk to children, pets and the
environment from chemical pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers. You
can walk on the grass immediately. Sprigs & Twigs has seven (7) NOFA
(National Organic Farmers Association) accredited individuals who
have passed a rigorous qualification program.
The Sprigs & Twigs Organic Lawn Care program is customized for
your lawn.We do an annual soil test to provide the necessary information
to establish an appropriate turf management program.We have a
basic eight step program that uses several different kinds of organic
fertilizers (all of which are perfectly safe) that we can modify based on
soil test results and analysis by our NOFA accredited professionals.We
may recommend additional: organic fertilization, organic soil chemistry
adjustments, aeration, de-thatching and over-seeding.
If you are confused what your lawn care provider is proposing for
your lawn, get a copy of the specifics, call us and we'll advise you. I
have seen "Organic" and "Partially-Organic" plans offered that are not
organic at all – BUYER BEWARE!
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About Linda Lillie
Linda K. Lillie is the President of Sprigs & Twigs, Inc, the premier
landscape design and maintenance, tree care, lawn care, stonework, and carpentry
service provider in southeastern Connecticut since 1997. She is a graduate of
Connecticut College in Botany, a Connecticut Master Gardener and a national
award winning landscape designer for her landscape design and landscape installation work.
