Mother Nature, the raining champion

 

We've had quite a lot of rain this spring and it has been difficult to work around when applying weed control to lawns. In fact, it seemed, every time down pours were expected, we were always the furthest from base on that day.

Working around the weather is not uncommon at this time of the year. However, this season seems different---more challenging. It seems like the rain comes with malicious intent like someone is deliberately trying to sabotage the lawn industry, but as always, those in our occupation will persevere.

On the flip side, the homeowner praised the continuous slop. Rain, meant one more day they didn't have to water there lawns and gardens and Mother Nature began to come across as a gracious host and trusted friend.

Yet, as we turn from one season to another and July is viewable on the horizon, the rain is less so. The false sense of security has lulled many into believing their lawns are healthy and in no need of assistance.

All it takes is a few days without precipitation in higher temperatures, and the cracks begin to appear--- the brown areas become more evident---the insect activity more prolific. Suddenly, your nice, healthy lawn doesn't look so good.

So do yourself a favour and start watering deeply two times a week in the early morning to saturate your soil and give your grass a fighting chance this summer. Very soon, it will be too late and you'll be looking at a sea of brown until it recovers in the fall. 

...and the survey says!

It's climate ties.

While I agree with many of the positions stated in this article, I am disappointed by the omission of how this problem started and how easily we could solve it by amending the pesticide bylaw. 

Early Spring?

 

Wiarton Willie seems to think so, breaking from the ranks of his fellow rodents. He called for an early spring in Ontario.

However, I would rather rely on something else, like the Farmer's Almanac to provide a clearer picture of when we can expect decent weather.

According to Ol' Faithful, we start to run into mild temperatures the second week of March. But expect the battle between winter and all things green to see-saw into April as it does most every other year to be on the safe side. 

To put all your trust in a fury marmot is not an effective strategy. I would suggest to keep an eye on the  weather trends as previously stated, and send the groundhog novelty act back into hibernation.

It's all about that green

 Am I trying to say Happy St. Patrick's Day? Maybe hello to Spring? Perhaps making money or lamenting about inflation and the money it's going to cost us all? Hey, then again, could it be I'm just optimistic about the lawns and their change from winter brown to forest green?

Actually it's all of the above. This will be a year, pleasant in some respects and challenging in others. The rising prices is of concern, and operating a business is definitely more difficult than it was 12 months ago when we enjoyed Covid gas prices, pre-wild fire grass seed, and pre-war fertilizer. Yet, whether you're a home owner or a lawn care provider, one must learn to adapt. That's why Spring is a time to look forward with hope instead of despair, of watching growth, and taking a collective breath. Stop for a moment to appreciate what you have and admire the clover because things can always be worse.

So, Happy St. Patrick's Day.

Tomorrow's a different story.

Smelling "the new."

 Spring, a time of new growth, of possibilities and a chance to begin again. It came on Saturday without bells and whistles. It arrived without much fanfare, or coverage other than a passing blurb "Spring is now here."

One year later after all the uncertainty and confusion surrounding Covid, we have a chance to set things right once again. We have the opportunity to pursue some normalcy and reclaim routine in Lawn Care.

Yet, there are the ugly whispers of 2020 that linger like a fart in the elevator, and brought us the perfect storm of a pandemic surrounded by the hottest and driest summer in seventy years. And with it infestations of chinch bugs, crabgrass and Japanese beetle we haven't seen in some time.

There are scars of it everywhere from large swaths of bare soil to acres of newly-sodded lawns seemingly ubiquitous.

The good news is, The Farmer's Almanac is calling for a more tame Mother Nature in the 2021 season. Combine that with proper mowing, watering and maintenance, and your grass should be much healthier and happier this year.

The one wild card in the deck, however, is the grub population. With the extent of the Japanese beetle reported over last summer, grubs could be problematic moving forward.

Watching for heavy digging activity from skunks and raccoons is key to early detection, and timely treatment before root systems are affected and Sod Growers have another banner year.

But for now, let's just embrace the feeling spring brings us and hope for the best.

No "I" in team

A pitcher in the major leagues has a responsibility to his team...to get as many outs as he can. Yet, without a strong bullpen and run support from his teammates, he is not going to win any games.

Now try to think of your lawn-care provider as that pitcher, Mother Nature is out in the bullpen and the homeowner is the run support.

Let's take a look at Mother Nature's stats this year shall we...second hottest summer on record, driest season in 75 years, 50+ days with humidity over 30 Celsius with several pushing 40 degrees, (awesome for sun worshipers, not so much for lawn care). She's been tossing everything at us from crabgrass, to chinch bug, to sod web-worm and hasn't allowed us to go deep into the game since May. We've had little in our arsenal to answer the onslaught.

We just have to trust in our pitching mechanics and hope we have enough run support to win the close contests going down the stretch.

Some, like the lawn pictured above, are the Josh Donaldson's of our team, with a sprinkler system and cutting the lawn at 3 inches high the grass has not suffered much. With them in our dugout there was little to no damage from the invasion of weeds and insects this year.

Yet, along with the Bautista's, Tulowitzki's, Martin's and Encarnacion's in the field there were those, lower in the batting-order, who refused to water and still felt scalping their lawn while catching knuckle balls day-in-day-out was a sure-fire road to post-season success, (my apologies to Josh Thole).

Now those same homeowners have found, as September rolls around, they are too many games behind their neighbors to make a run at the Pennant.

I'm sure most lawn care providers strive to be the ace of the pitching staff (although some appear to be here to collect the big contract). However, with the team we've had this year it doesn't matter how well we pitched, we might end up being just another hack who can't win games.

Go Jays Go!

Rain, rain

As I write this, we have had one of the driest Mays I can remember. Last year I couldn't buy a sunny day to apply weed control and those cutting lawns were way behind schedule.

There was so much rain I could toss a handful of fertilizer out the window as I drove by and the lawn would still look great.

This year some lawns look like they are already in the middle of August, which just goes to show you, Mother Nature is a fickle beast marching to the beat of her own drum.

When I see one of our lawns lush and green and another right next door that is dry and stressed, it is a tale of two clients, one who waters religiously and one who does not. It might also have to do with proper mowing, with one property raising their mowing height to keep the grass drought tolerant and the other scalping like a putting green.

I could go into the three legged stool analogy again, but when the weather refuses to co-operate and the home owner doesn't hold up their end, there's only so much I can do....there's only so much any lawn service can do.
Water is the fuel that feeds the lawn. Without it...well just look at some of the lawns in the neighborhood.
So far this season, with few exceptions, everyone has had exactly the same applications of fertilizer and weed control, so when there is such a drastic difference between some of them, common sense can lead you to the simple solution.

If you go away, please have someone maintain the lawn for you so you don't come back to a toasty pile of hay....

...or if you simply are too lazy and don't care, don't throw your money away. You certainly don't need me or anyone else attaching their company name to a property that looks like crap. Just get out the fiddle and watch your lawn burn Nero.

Save time and money with the new breed of lawn care

The following is an article I wrote which appears in the April 13th edition of the Metro News.


On April 22, which is Earth Day, the Ontario government will implement a ban on pesticides for cosmetic use.


No more Killex, Par III, Merit for grubs ... the list goes on.


This has left many in the lawn-care industry scrambling to find effective alternatives, or reposition their brand, not to mention the confusion of the homeowner running to stock up on pesticides, but it doesn’t have to be that way.


The best way to keep your lawn weed-free and resistant to disease and insect infestation is a sound maintenance program that begins with soil testing.


By testing your soil and having it evaluated by an accredited lab you can find out what deficiencies your soil may have and treat them organically with a program designed specifically for your lawn.


Sounds expensive, but it’s not. This procedure can be completed for around $40.


Next, whether you’re a do-it-yourselfer, or have a lawn company taking care of your lawn, proper fertilization, aeration (preferably twice a year), watering, cutting and over-seeding are key.


Annual fall over-seeding especially is your golden ticket to success, but be careful. Don’t skimp and buy cheap seed. The less expensive the seed, the more weed seeds you’ll be putting back into your lawn. Likewise, topsoil is just as bad. Remember, we are trying to prevent the germination of weeds, not add to the problem.


One suggestion is a low-maintenance seed blend like Eco-Lawn, which doesn’t require topsoil, has a deep root system (22.86 centimetres in clay-based soils requiring little or no water), performs well in shade as well as full sun, and grows slowly. It is also high in endophyte to help guard against foliar-feeding insects like chinch bugs.


Grass seeds like Eco-Lawn are the most inexpensive and environmentally friendly way to keep your lawn thick and weed-free.


Over time, you won’t need to care as much for your lawn, you will conserve water and cut down on lawn mower emissions, without fertilizer, or weed control.


For too long the lawn-care industry has been feeding the top growth instead of your soil, creating a shallow root system for your grass. Why? Because it’s faster and more cost-effective to do it that way.


Now it’s your turn to save time and money and reduce your carbon footprint at the same time.


Embrace the new breed of lawn care.

Choose wisely

There seems to be some preconceived notions out there about Organic and Natural lawn care: These methods have little or no effect.

While it is true that under the new legislation banning pesticides for cosmetic use, there are no quick miracle cures for a weed infested lawn, alternative eco-friendly methods have been proven to work over time when applied as directed.

The reason the process will be slower is because we've spent years creating super weeds and pesticide resistant bugs, so it only stands to reason turning around and swimming back up stream is going to take a little time and could be difficult.

I believe the best defence to keeping your lawn in a visually-pleasing, weed-free paradigm, is education and following the simple steps that have always worked: Regular intervals of fertilization, yearly aeration and over-seeding, proper cutting and dethatching, efficient watering, and spotting troubled areas before they spread.

It sounds like a lot of work and at times, it can be. That's why it is important to choose a sound lawn maintenance program whether through a Lawn Care professional, or if you're a do-it-yourselfer.

Give eco-friendly a chance. It works if you let it and as far as the Provincial Government is concerned, you really have no other options.

Welcome

Hello and welcome to the Grass is Greener Blog- A place to find tips and information on creating a healthy, pesticide-free lawn.

Here I will try to answer questions and concerns,I feel are on the minds of the homeowner who wants that lush green look to his property while operating under the current provincial standards for cosmetic lawn applications as they apply here in Ontario.

This may not be specific to your area yet, but could at some point be instituted. If and when that happens you'll be better prepared to adapt to your environment.

The problem is, we've dedicated years to the control of weeds and insects by the use of herbicides and pesticides. We've created super weeds and bugs that have a higher tolerance to the chemicals applied and the concern now is, "how can I effectively maintain my lawn in an organic manner without loosing my turf to one infestation, or another?"

The truth is, there are no miracle cures at the moment, or at least, nothing that works as quickly as the tried-true 2-4-D/ Merit, etc.

Yet, although the rules have changed, there are practices you can adopt instead of waving the white flag to grubs and dandelions.

Practices I will explore here, over the coming months.

Together, we can make your world more eco-friendly.