Healthy Soils with help from Compost Tea
Feb. 09, 2012 |
For the past year you have read our articles that described what is happening in the soil and the potential problems that can occur if that “life cycle” is disrupted either chemically or through our own use of the land. Today I would like to talk to you about a tool that homeowners and gardeners [...]
Read the rest of this article »Do I Really Want Fungi in My Yard?
Dec. 08, 2011 |
Many consider “fungi” the distasteful evidence that last week’s leftovers are no longer safe to eat. The impressive work of this “green mold or white fuzz,” however, often goes unappreciated. Yet “breaking down and decomposing sugars, starches, cellulose and lignin” is the primary goal of fungi. As AgriEnergies resources explains, “Biological relatives of these food [...]
Read the rest of this article »Exciting Improvements For 2012
Dec. 01, 2011 |
Very little customization can be done with dry applications (early spring and winter applications), so they will remain the same for 2012. However, I have asked our agronomist to re-evaluate our wet applications in an effort to improve on the effectiveness of the application. The result of his findings and numerous conversations with professionals in [...]
Read the rest of this article »What They Are and A Few Interesting Facts Bacteria are minuscule, one-celled organisms that can only be seen with a powerful light (1000X) or electron microscope (we’re talking TINY). They can be so numerous that a pinch of soil can contain millions of organisms. Bacteria are tough—they occur everywhere on earth and have even been [...]
Read the rest of this article »Balancing Healthy Lawns with Healthy Lifestyles
Oct. 24, 2011 |
This month’s question: A concerned individual recently contacted me with this issue. “My dog lays in our yard all the time. Do I really want to expose her to this [chemical weed treatment]?” I was definitely comfortable offering this individual an emphatic “No.” We shouldn’t expose our family to any chemicals if we can avoid [...]
Read the rest of this article »Controlling Weeds Organically
Oct. 19, 2011 |
Traditional lawn care since the late 1940’s has feasted on a one-size-fits-all approach to weed control that paints every plant with the same broad stroke. However, the EPA estimates that only 2 percent of the active ingredients in synthetic weed killers, called herbicides, ever reach the target plant. The other 98 percent goes into the [...]
Read the rest of this article »Here are some interesting facts that will answer that question. A research project conducted at Michigan State University, using radioactive tagged nutrients, proved that foliar feeding can be 8 to 10 times more effective than soil feeding. Foliar feeding stimulates an increase in chlorophyll production, cellular activity and respiration. It also triggers a plant response [...]
Read the rest of this article »What Can I Do to Prepare My Yard for the Winter?
Oct. 13, 2011 |
A number of our clients have asked this question, so much so, that it was worthy of an article. As temperatures begin to lower here in Wisconsin so does the growth rate of much of our outside plant life, including turf. According to Paul Tukey, founding editor of People, Places and Plants magazine, executive producer [...]
Read the rest of this article »July 2011 Newsletter
Jul. 15, 2011 |
First, I would like to thank each of you for showing your dedication to your family and the environment by providing a safe alternative to chemical lawn care. It’s a rare opportunity to be a part of a purposeful career and after careers as an engineer, manufacturing consultant and a owner of an distribution company, [...]
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