If the main reason you have not signed on for natural lawn care is that you didn't want to put up with weeds, we have exciting news for you! We now have a natural weed control!
When Urban Arborist started offering natural lawn care, I was adamant about not wanting to use chemical pesticides. Although other companies claim to offer “natural” lawn care, many of them still use chemical weed control. By definition, there is nothing natural about chemical pesticides or synthetic fertilizers.
I drew a “line in the sand” and felt we needed to offer a true alternative to traditional lawn care. We want to show our concern for the environment by not using the poisons prevalent in lawn care. Practically every day I read articles about how children are being affected by pesticides (See http://BeyondPesticides.org). ADHD, autism and asthma have been linked to exposure to pesticides. In older humans, Parkinson’s disease has been shown to be more likely to occur in people exposed to lawn chemicals. Dogs that walk on lawns where chemical pesticides are sprayed develop certain types of cancer at a much higher rate.
I look out my windows to see the birds, rabbits, squirrels and chipmunks at my feeders and feel good that they are not being exposed to poisons. My dog and I can walk barefoot without fear of exposure to harmful chemicals. I don’t mind having weeds.
I admit that I am not typical. Most people don’t like weeds and even if they don’t mind them, they worry about what their neighbors think. A lot of people equate weeds in the grass as meaning the homeowner does not care or put the effort into maintaining their property. Although I don’t agree with this, I do understand. I believe the lack of a quick acting weed control is what keeps a lot of prospective customers from converting to natural lawn care. Most people do not want to wait the years it takes to change the soil chemistry and structure, to increase the health and thickness of the grass, to naturally keep weeds out. Again, I understand.
What this is all leading up to is that I am happy to announce that there is now an all natural, selective weed control available. Its active ingredient is Iron, a naturally occurring element and nutrient necessary to healthy plants. We have tried this product on some of our lawns and like the chemical weed controls; it works best on dandelions and other large leafed weeds.
With the advent of this new product, we will now be offering 3 different natural lawn care plans, 2 of which incorporate this weed control product. We are not abandoning the principles of natural lawn care:
·changing soil chemistry and structure to promote healthy grass
·overseeding to outcompete weeds
·using proper cultural practices
We can now offer a solution to your weed problem while we are waiting for these transitions to take place.
Please contact me if you have any questions or if you are interested in converting to poison free, natural lawn care.
Chris Mest---Certified arborist #IL-1367A---Turf care manager---847-562-6215
We know lawns
At Urban Arborist we are very concerned about the environment, the communities we work in and your property. We love the fact that by helping your trees to be as healthy as possible we are having a positive impact on the environment and your personal eco-system--- your yard.
We realize that our clients take great pride in their lawns as well as their trees. People love their lush, green lawns but these beautiful lawns do not come without a price. For years, as arborists, we have been concerned about the affects synthetic fertilizers and chemical herbicides when applied to our lawns are having on our trees. Today we know that many of these products are counter productive to the natural food web which lives in our soil. In fact, overwhelming scientific evidence shows many of the materials used in common lawn care are not safe for humans, are not good for the environment and in many communities some have been banned from use.
Through my years of experience in working with trees I have learned that healthy soil is the cornerstone to healthy trees. This, I believe, is also the case with lawns. It is possible to have a healthy, lush, sustainable lawn without the use of synthetic fertilizers or chemical weed killers. At Urban Arborist this is exactly the service we are offering beginning with the 2010 season.
Unlike “traditional” lawn care, there is no 1,2,3 or 5 step “program”. Our service starts with a soil test. From there we will develop a plan of action based on nutrient uptake, organic matter content and soil pH levels. Cultural practices will be evaluated and recommendations will then be made. One huge benefit your trees will experience is that we as tree experts will ensure that nothing we do to your lawn will adversely affect your trees.
Natural lawn care is not for everyone. There will be a transition period as your turf is weaned off the chemicals it has grown accustomed to over the years. Your tolerance level will dictate how quickly and to what degree chemical use will be eliminated from your property.
If you are interested in learning more about the Urban Arborist natural lawn care service please contact Chris Mest at 847-562-6215. Chris and I have been working together for many years now. Chris has earned my respect as a certified arborist but he also has a strong background in lawn care.
I appreciate your patronage and confidence you have shown in me in caring for your trees over the years. I now ask that you consider allowing Urban Arborist to care for your lawn care needs as well.
Do it for your children…..do it for your trees…do it for the environment!
Chuck Schiek
Basics of natural lawn care
WEED CONTROL
This is the area of lawn care you can have the most positive impact on your environment, by eliminating harmful pesticides. After years of use, it is now apparent that even the small amount of poisons used in chemical weed control have detrimental effects when used long term. For instance, there are a dozen pesticides approved for home use that could kill birds. One of the goals of natural lawn care is to discontinue the use of these products.
Weeds are a symptom of problems with the soil and cultural habits. They indicate compaction, problems with pH, mowing too low, improper watering, nutrient deficiency and poor drainage. The soil contains millions of weed seeds just waiting for the opportune time to germinate. Chemical herbicides will not change this fact and continually spraying your lawn with these pesticides does not permanently eliminate weeds.
The natural way to get rid of weeds is through improving the health of the soil, proper watering, proper mowing practices and over-seeding to outcompete weeds.
Weeds can be controlled with a natural lawn care system. If you have kept your lawn weed free with synthetic weed control products, you are not likely to get a lawn full of dandelions or chickweed in the year you transition to natural lawn care. Natural lawn care excepts the premise that it is better to put up with a few weeds than to expose yourself, your children and your pets to dangerous poisons.
Most lawn care services, whether they use synthetic or natural products, only address three nutrients with their fertilizers: nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. While these nutrients are needed in high amounts, there are 13 others that are necessary for plant health. There are also other components that go into the makeup of healthy soil; humates, beneficial fungi, bacteria and other micro-organisms. With Urban Arborist’s "Nature’s Way" lawn care we will endeavor to give your turf and soil everything they need to be healthy and sustainable.
Since lawn problems result from nutrient deficiencies, lack of organic matter, improper pH (relative acidity) and other soil problems before we do any treatments on your lawn we perform a soil test. The results from this test tell us what corrections need to be made to achieve the turf you desire. We use products that can increase organic matter, improve soil tilth (structure), change pH, add beneficial micro-organisms and correct nutrient deficiencies.
As you can see, the "Nature’s Way" approach to lawn care differs from what most traditional services offer. Instead of using the same thing on everyone’s yard in a "treat and hope" method, we use science and the natural system to get results. Just like every person in your neighborhood is not the same, every lawn in your neighborhood is not the same and should be dealt with on an individual basis.
Click here for more information on plant nutrition
CULTURAL PRACTICES
WATERING--- Generally, grass requires one inch of water a week, depending on the conditions it is growing in; sun, shade, wind, etc. If we get enough rainfall, this will suffice. If not, you may want to consider supplemental watering. How and when you water is very important. If you have an irrigation system, your service will set the heads to get the maximum turf coverage. You may have to adjust the timer for the proper frequency, duration and time of day that the sprinkler system operates:
The sprinkler system should only come on when we do not get adequate moisture from rainfall. If your system has a sensor, it will turn itself off automatically. Otherwise, you must do this manually. Remember, too much water is as bad as too little.
Your system should only come on once or twice a week and run long enough to deeply soak the soil in each zone. The grass should have a chance to dry between waterings. Light, frequent waterings encourage shallow root systems. This makes them more susceptible to drought, forces you to water more often and makes turf more prone to disease. Long, deep irrigation encourages deep root systems. Grass with deep roots is more resistant to disease and is able to tap into underground water supplies plus the lawn can go longer between waterings.
Water early in the day; this means before noon. This reduces evaporation and the wasting of water. It is also believed that you should avoid having wet grass when it gets dark because a wet lawn in a dark, relatively cool environment can lead to development of certain diseases.
Something to consider is that natural lawns grow slower and require less water.
CORE-AERATION---In the Chicagoland area, the majority of lawns have clay soil. By it’s nature, clay tends to be compacted, that means the soil particles are very small, closely packed together with not much pore space for air and water. Add to that the compaction that occurs due to heavy use and you have an environment that is not conducive to healthy turf.
Core-aeration is one process that is very beneficial in relieving this condition. By removing the 4-6 inch plugs of soil, this creates space for air and water to penetrate the soil. When water can soak deeper into the soil, this allows for deeper root growth which leads to healthier grass. The soil in the plugs that are removed contain micro-organisms that help to break down thatch.
RE-SEEDING and OVERSEEDING---
This is an area that is often forgotten in a traditional lawn care program. While there are millions of weed seeds in the soil, there are not many grass seeds. We mow the grass before it has a chance to form seed-heads. Since the natural way of weed control includes out-competing the weeds, grass seeds must be introduced to the lawn. There are opportunities to do seeding; after core-aeration and de-thatching, in the spring and fall. If you add 5% clover seed to your seed mix, the clover can create up to half it’s own nitrogen for the year. This is because clover can "fix" nitrogen, that is, take it out of the air.
MOWING--- Proper mowing is very important to having a healthy lawn. The first thing that should be done at the beginning of the growing season is to sharper the mower blade. Dull blades tear the grass instead of cutting it and can lead to disease. Another thing to keep in mind is to never remove more than 1/3 of the blade at any mowing. Mowing too low causes shock to the lawn. It is also important not to scalp the grass. Mowing in this manner can lead to various lawn diseases. Except for the first and last mowing of the year, which are done at 2 inches, the mowing height should be 3 inches for cool season grasses. Mowing high leads to deeper roots which makes the turf more drought resistant.
A common misconception is that grass clippings contribute to thatch. This is not correct, in fact, a healthy lawn will break down grass clippings which then add moisture and organic matter back to the soil. Leaving your grass clippings on your lawn will account for ¼ to ½ of your lawn’s fertilizer needs for the year. Usually, the only time to bag your clippings is the first and last mowing of the year.
