With the summer doldrums upon us now is a great time to take advantage of the fact that the lawns aren’t growing and it’s not a good time for landscape installations and go out and learn something new. A couple of easy things to do for those interested in organic lawn care are to embark on a self study course, take in a seminar, or buy a book and go to the beach and read.
Follow the following for some more specific information: Read the rest of this entry »
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.
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.
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. Read the rest of this entry »
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.
This spring has produced some of the wettest weather on record in the Northeast. This March was notable for its lack of snow. Four of the normally snowiest cities in the region: Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse, NY and Concord, NH, did not see any measurable snow during March. While areas like Boston, MA, Providence, RI and Portland, ME saw their wettest month ever. At the Blue Hills Observatory outside of Boston 18.81 inches of rain were recorded during March. The previous record was 18.78 in August 1955. Read the rest of this entry »
Now is probably a good time to start scouting for white grubs. Certainly the weather we’ve received this season has made it difficult to guess the appropriate time to begin scouting. However, if you’re likely to see grub damage this season they are going to have to start feeding soon.