I have heard that Sprigs & Twigs has an Organic Lawn Care Program and I'd like to know more about it. My husband puts down bags of stuff on our lawn and I'm worried he's doing something harmful. Thank you. Kathy (Part 3 of 4)
Answer
Hello Kathy
You ask an extremely important question. This is Part 3 of my answer to your question.
Sprigs & Twigs offers the only legitimate, 100% Organic Lawn Care Program in the area; we would be happy to visit with you and explain it in more detail. While it is fashionable for other companies to claim they do "organic" lawn care, they almost always include synthetic chemicals.
Let's take a closer look at synthetic chemical lawn care programs (continued from last week):
#5 Lawn care product manufacturers have said for years that it's safe for children and pets to go on lawns immediately or "after the product dries" but don't believe it. Many lawn care chemicals are not safe even when they dry. They can remain active for months and release vapors when walked on or when the grass is cut. Airborne dust from these products can blow around the neighborhood from excess fertilization (Think about what you smell when you are in the garden center fertilizer department - it's the airborne product).
#6 "Weed and Feed" products are a combination of herbicides and fertilizers which are intended to kill both weeds and fertilize grass in one "easy" application. There are many on the market, but they all contain toxins that are poisonous to a wide range of living things, including you. Children and pets that play or crawl on lawns treated with weed and feed products can easily absorb the toxins through their skin or by licking their fingers (or paws). Both pets and people track them into the house. In Canada, all combination weed and feed products have been banned.
#7 "Weed and Feed" products apply herbicides and toxins over the entire lawn, including where it is not needed. The combination of fertilizer and herbicides in one bag puts two incompatible products together. Fertilizer is intended for the entire lawn and herbicides are intended to kill weeds that may only be on 5 percent of the lawn, but get spread on the entire lawn anyway, spreading completely unnecessary toxic chemicals.
The major difference between a natural, organic lawn care program and a synthetic, chemical lawn care program is the attention paid to the health of the soil. Chemical programs work directly on the grass plants by overdosing them with frequent, high levels of nitrogen, basically "hooking them on drugs" and sterilizing the soil. Organic lawn care is a sciencebased approach that focuses on building a healthy eco-system in the soil that promotes robust growth of grass plants.
CONTINUED NEXT WEEK...
Sprigs & Twigs is especially proud that eight members of our staff are Accredited Organic Land Care professionals (AOLCPs) who have passed the rigorous NOFA training program. This is the largest staff of NOFA accredited, trained organic professionals in the country.
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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.
