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1. How do I help, as a home owner,  keep a healthy lawn ?
2. Why Organic?
3. What is Integrated Pest Management, or IPM?
4. Why Lake Murray Needs Us!?
5. What is the best way to water my lawn and the best time?
6. When is the best time to Aerate?

How do I help as a home owner keep a healthy lawn ?

Mow Often, but Not Too Short.  Giving your lawn a "Marine cut" is not doing it a favor. Surface roots become exposed, the soil dries out faster and surface aeration is reduced. As a general rule, don't cut off more than one-third of the grass at any one time. Most turf grass species are healthiest when kept between 2.5 and 3.5" tall.

A lawn is made up of thousands of individual grass plants. Turf grasses are adapted to growing in dense stands, and are fiercely competitive. If we give them conditions to their liking, they will grow so vigorously that few problems will be able to gain a toehold. You will find some basis guidelines for lawn care below. If you follow these guidelines, most of the effort your expend on your lawn will be to keep it growing vigorously, rather than fight weeds, diseases, and insects.

Mowing
A well-groomed lawn - one that is mowed at the right height when it needs it - is better able to resist insects, diseases, and weeds. Follow these guidelines for proper mowing:
 

- Mow when the grass grows 1/3 times over the recommended height. For example, if the lawn's recommended mowing height is 3 inches, cut it when it is 4 inches high.
- Suggested mowing heights:
Bermuda grass 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 inches
Centipede grass 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 inches
St. Augustine 2 1/2 to 3 inches
Zoysia 1 1/2to 2 1/2 inches

- Sharpen mower blades frequently so they do not tear the grass blades. Torn blades give the lawn a whitish cast.
- Never cut off more than half of the grass blade at a mowing. Mowing too short exposes the shaded lower stems to sunlight, causing them to burn and turn brown. If the grass is much too high, reduce its height a little at a time.
- If the lawn is healthy, it is not necessary to remove grass clippings if the clippings are able to drop into the lawn out of sight. Clippings do not contribute to thatch. But if your lawn is maintained very short, or if the clippings sit on top of the grass, remove them to avoid smothering grass.

- Mow the lawn when the grass is dry.

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Why Organic?

Why should you use an organic approach? Here are a few reasons:

Your Family's health

According to the American Cancer Society and the EPA, "95% of the pesticides used on residential lawns are considered possible or probable carcinogens"

With all the problems associated with synthetic chemical, it makes sense to use the least amount possible, if any at all. Our programs focus on improving plant health so that the need for chemicals is greatly reduced or eliminated.

Your Plant's health

Chemical programs focus on sickness. First they encourage lush growth, which can make the plants more susceptible to pest problems, and then they apply chemicals to solve the pest problems. These chemical sprays can weaken or kill beneficial organisms in addition to killing the target pests. When the pests return, they find a weakened plant and weakened predators. That's when companies apply more chemicals. It's a downward spiral

Organic Lawn Care

Turf managers face a growing challenge to keep fertilizer nutrients in the soil and prevent leaching. Organic fertilizers can help meet this challenge. They use nature’s way of supplying nutrients in turf and plants. Nutrients are released slowly through normal biological activity in the soil. This process allows nutrients to become available at about the same rate they are needed by turf and plants. Organic fertilizers provide a sustainable and natural approach to fertilizing.

Synthetic fertilizers can leach because they dissolve easily and release nutrients faster than plants use them. These excess nitrates and phosphates can pollute our rivers, lakes and wells. The slow release character of organic fertilizers allows plants to use the nutrients before leaching occurs.

Improvements in plant color, growth, and health are long lasting because nutrients are released slowly. Synthetic fertilizers dissolve quickly and give short term improvements.

Organic fertilizers help improve soil humus. This improves soil quality by loosening clay soils to promote deep rooting and allow better penetration of water and nutrients. In sandy soil, our fertilizers can improve nutrient and water holding capacity, thereby reducing the need for excess watering.

No synthetic fertilizer can match the natural benefits you will find in organic fertilizers:

• Produces long-lasting improvements in color, growth and healthy condition
• Will not burn turf or roots
• Safe and easy to handle and apply
• Poses no environmental hazard
• Reduces leaching into ground water

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What is Integrated Pest Management, or IPM?

An IPM program is one designed to create a healthy lawn with sufficient plant strength and density to survive weed, insect and disease attacks with minimum pesticide use. An IPM program must consider your lawn's specific needs and overall condition. An IPM program requires the support of proper cultural practices including:

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Why Lake Murray Need us!?

In a report posted by the Lake Murray Association stating after a water quality monitoring program reporting that in July and August which followed rainfall events, Phosphorus levels exceeded the freshwater standard in many locations.  They noted that it came from several things including fertilizers etc.

Our product uses Natural bone meal and it is water Insoluble.  In addition, since the phosphorus in our 4-3-3 and 0-12-0 formulations is ground so finely, it penetrates the soil profile much more easily.  So, when rainfall comes, any phosphorus containing bone meal which is still sitting at the soil surface is immediately pushed INTO the ground rather than left at the surface and forced to run-off.  Moreover, once the phosphorus from the bone meal penetrates the soil profile, because it is not water soluble, it doesn't just wash through the soil as water soluble phosphorus sources will. 

 Ammonium phosphates, which are the most commonly found phosphorus source in chemical fertilizers, are very water soluble.  Also, when applied in a dry, bagged format, the particle size is too large to easily penetrate the soil profile. So, much of the ammonium phosphate just sits at the soil surface until heavy rainfall dissolves the phosphates and washes much of it away before it penetrates the soil profile.  To compensate for the significant phosphorus wash away that occurs with chemical fertilizers, higher levels of phosphorus are used in order to supply enough phosphorus to actually affect the plants it's being applied to.  Unfortunately, as a result, there is a consequential increase in the amount of phosphorus washed away. 

Because natural bone meal doesn't wash away, less of it is needed to supply the necessary phosphorus to lawns and plants for good health and root, blossom and produce production.  It is entirely possible to get more result from the small amount of phosphorus in our 4-3-3 fertilizer than from a chemical fertilizer containing as much as 12-15% or more phosphorus.  Lake, stream and water table pollution with phosphorus runoff is basically a non-issue when utilizing natural phosphorus sources such as bone meal.

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What is the best way to water my lawn and the best time?

Established lawns should be watered deeply, but infrequently. Deep watering once a week encourages deeper root growth, while frequent, shallow watering produces a limited root system.

Proper watering is essential in maintaining a healthy, vigorous lawn. Follow these guidelines for proper watering:

- For established lawns, apply 1 to 2 inches of water at each irrigation. Water every 3 days (in hot, dry areas) to 4 days if it does not rain. If the lawn wilts, water immediately. Water newly seeded lawns lightly and frequently until the roots are established.
- The lawn will use more water in hotter ears, or where there are tree roots near the surface.
- Water less often during cloudy and cool weather and more often during hot and windy weather.
- Measure the amount of water you apply with several straight-sided cans scattered under the sprinkler.
- Check to see if you are applying enough water by digging a hold with a trowel a couple of hours after watering. The water should penetrate at least 6 inches.
- Apply the water slowly enough that it does not run off. If you cannot change sprinkler heads, turn off the sprinklers for 30 minutes whenever runoff occurs. Continue this cycle until you have applied enough water. Aerating will improve penetration.

Did you know? Rain falls at about 19 miles per hour.

Timing- Ah, timing is everything in life!

People will water their lawns day or night, whenever it is convenient. Some people (and many businesses, apartments, and golf courses) employ automatic sprinklers, and water in the middle of the night or in the wee hours of the morning before dawn when people are not out and about.

The choice of timing is generally a matter of convenience……when are you home to water your lawn? Regardless of the answer, it is important to know the advantages and disadvantages of day versus nighttime watering.

Daybreak or just before dawn is the ideal time to water your lawn. Evaporation is at a minimum, and the rising sun will quickly dry the grass, reducing the likelihood of disease. Unfortunately, many of us have a day job to go to, and find it difficult at best, to go out in morning before work to get the hoses and sprinklers working.

Daytime- Daytime is also a good time to water your lawn. You can pour on generous amounts and allow it to soak in. The blades of grass dry quickly, minimizing the risk of plant disease. The major disadvantage is it takes more water. Evaporation steals a portion of the water you apply, before it can soak in and reach the grass roots.

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When is the best time to Aerate?

When you should aerate typically depends on the type of soil and grass you have. If you have a clay soil, you should generally aerate twice a year. If you have sandy soil, you should typically aerate once a year. Warm season grasses, late-spring to early summer is in most cases the best time to aerate.

Thatch
Thatch is partially decomposed grass stems and roots that accumulate between live grass blades and soil. Check thatch thickness by cutting a plug from the lawn with a knife. Thatch from 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick is normal; when it exceeds 1/2 inch, it is harmful to the lawn. You should know the following about thatch:

Thatch reduces the rooting depth of the grass.
Thatch interferes with the flow of nutrients, water, and air to the roots. Insects and plant diseases live in a thick thatch layer. The thatch also interferes with the action of insecticides and fungicides, making control difficult.
Thatch accumulation makes a lawn spongy. This causes the mower to bounce and scalp the lawn, especially if grass is mowed when wet.
Thatch builds up when the lawn is over fertilized or over watered, or when the soil is too acidic. Grass clippings from mowing do not contribute to thatch.
Thatch accumulates over many years and should not be removed all at once. Remove thatch with a dethatching machine. Dethatch annually until the condition is corrected. The best time to dethatch warm-season grasses is late spring; dethatch cool-season grasses in early fall.

Aeration

Core aeration is a mechanical process where cores of soil are pulled out of the turf and left on the surface to recycle back into the lawn. This process will help to alleviate soil compaction, allow water and nutrients to flow into the root zone more easily and bring up important soil microbes and micronutrients back to the surface of the soil. Putting holes into the thatch layer helps the existing soil microbes to break down the thatch layer by microbial action.

Most lawns will benefit from core aeration once each year. High traffic areas may require two aerations each year.

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