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 - Organic lawn care is a multi year process that takes patience and commitment. Weed control involves hand picking and application of clove oil or citric acid. Insect control may include microbial products and specially formulated insecticidal soap.
Cultural methods with compost and topdressing improve soil and overseeding and appropriate watering provide a good ratio of grass to choke out broadleaf weeds.
Your grass responds much better if the species of turf is acclimated to your town and the grass is kept between 2 and 3 inches and mower blades are consistently sharp.
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.
Picking the Right Organic Lawn Service
Before signing a check for summer lawn service, clarify what they mean by lawn service. Also take time to figure out what you want and what you could live without.
If your lawn needs to be green quickly and you want to save money then an organic approach may not be right. If you clearly believe organic is better then you will find a more traditional chemical based program not at all what you want.
Large national chains have about 2% of their clients on an organic program. There may be a local lawn service with a deeper knowledge of organic practices in your area, so look around and get quotes.
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 - Organic lawn care is a multi year process that takes patience and commitment. Weed control involves hand picking and application of clove oil or citric acid. Insect control may include microbial products and specially formulated insecticidal soap.
Cultural methods with compost and topdressing improve soil and overseeding and appropriate watering provide a good ratio of grass to choke out broadleaf weeds.
Your grass responds much better if the species of turf is acclimated to your town and the grass is kept between 2 and 3 inches and mower blades are consistently sharp.
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.
Picking the Right Organic Lawn Service
Before signing a check for summer lawn service, clarify what they mean by lawn service. Also take time to figure out what you want and what you could live without.
If your lawn needs to be green quickly and you want to save money then an organic approach may not be right. If you clearly believe organic is better then you will find a more traditional chemical based program not at all what you want.
Large national chains have about 2% of their clients on an organic program. There may be a local lawn service with a deeper knowledge of organic practices in your area, so look around and get quotes.
About the Author:
About the author. David Merriman owns ArborScape, a Denver tree service company, lawn service and he is an ISA Certified Arborist.
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