ANTC™ All Natural Turf Care Clippings

Triclosan is used in hundreds of consumer products such as soaps, hand sanitizers, cosmetics, toys, plastics and textiles, is an antibacterial pesticide linked to numerous human health risks and environmental contamination.  Studies have found triclosan in urine, breast milk and umbilical cord blood.  It is detected in large concentrations in surface waters and wastewater treatment sludge, as well as in fish and earthworms.  Triclosan is also an endocrine disruptor, interfering with thyroid hormones, estrogen and androgen receptors.  It is also implicated in the rise of bacterial resistance, which can threaten the integrity of antibacterial and antibiotics in medical settings.  For more information visit Beyond Pesticides.  Source: AcresUSA, August 2010.

The Governor’s Office has declared August – Asian Longhorned Beetle Awareness Month. Increased awareness is called for with the latest find of Asian Longhorned Beetle in Jamaica Plain, MA.  The following is from the UMass Extension Landscape Message #19 of July 23, 2010.

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The triple digit temperatures experienced in the Northeast this past week have quickly turned many formerly green lawns into brown ones.  High temperatures with the accompanying lack of rainfall over the past couple months also has many municipalities contemplating if not already implementing outdoor watering bans.

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The hotter than normal conditions this season is resulting in the appearance of crabgrass earlier than usual in those lawns that are not growing under the most ideal of conditions.

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The organic lawn care movement received another boost recently with the announcement by The New York State Department of Environment Conservation of a new initiative, Be Green Organic Yards NY. The following is from their web site:

“The program is for those that want a beautiful yard using organic practices without conventional pesticides and synthetic fertilizers.
Why Use an Organic Approach? The organic approach focuses on preventing problems before they occur, and building a sustainable landscape that is healthy for all – plants, wildlife, pets, and people.

Be Green landscape services can range from a simple regimen of weeding, mulching and pruning, to all aspects of yard care, including plant selection and tree and lawn installation and maintenance.

Homeowners in many areas of the country are choosing organic yard care management, as a way of reducing their risk of exposure to pesticides and potential hazards for family, pets and the environment.

Be Green businesses sign an agreement with DEC for the right to use the Be Green service mark (logo). In return, businesses agree that, when they provide Be Green services, they will avoid the synthetic pesticides and other materials prohibited by the organic conditions in the agreement. The businesses also take a Be Green training course, before signing the agreement. DEC will maintain a list of Be Green businesses on their website.”

PJC & Company Ecological Land Care, Inc is pleased to announce that its line of Renaissance® All Natural Fertilizers were the first products added to the Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA) Organic Land Care (OLC) organization’s Product List.

The product review was conducted by Baystate Organic Certifiers. Baystate Organic Certifieers has just begun to maintain a list of products in the Northeast that have been carefully reviewed and found to be consistent with the NOFA OLC Standards for Organic Land Care, 5th edition.

Michael Murray of Organic Soil Solutions recently posted an excellent blog entry on his web site regarding Needham Lawns are Filled with Clover.  It is true that clover likes cool damp conditions early in the spring to get its start.  We certainly had that this year in the Northeast.

Yet it is surprising to me that, as Mike commented, it actually appears to be more of a problem in the synthetically treated lawns than in those lawns that have been organic for some time.

Last week the President’s Cancer Panel with the support of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the National Institutes of Health and the National Cancer Institute released its report on Reducing Environmental Cancer Risk.   The findings and comments found in this year’s report should come as little surprise to those concerned about environmental risks of cancer.  In a nutshell there are many potential sources that one should be informed about and aware of.  The current way we test chemicals for possible carcinogenic effect is inadequate.  (more…)

Hard to believe but the window to overseed in the Northeast is closing fast.  This spring has seen temperatures c lose to 10⁰ higher than those experienced last year.  With warmer temperatures and bare soil we will likely experience greater weed pressure earlier in the season.

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