By James Harris
Lush, green weed free lawns - they are the dream of every
homeowner in America, but the price we pay for those
luscious grass carpets may be more than the dollars spent on
fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, and fungicides not to
mention the hours spent on mowing and trimming. The price
may be your health and the health of our children and pets.
A study by Dr. John Peters of the University of Southern
California (July 1987 issue of the Journal of the National
Cancer Institute) showed that children living in houses
where garden pesticide sprays were used on a regular basis
faced a risk of contracting leukemia that is 61/2 times
greater than normal. Another study published in the October
1991 issue of the same publication showed that dogs whose
owners used a herbicide called 2-4-D were twice as likely to
develop lymphatic cancer.
At last there is an alternative to chemical based lawn
treatments. Leo Malantis, President of Millennium Lawns and
a Consultant to the Golf Course Industry states: Fertilizers
or Plant Foods alone cannot provide the biological balance
to the soil and likewise; no biological solution by itself
can maintain a nutritional balance in the soil. The soil is
the stomach for the plant and it needs the the soil based
organisms to break down the nutrients,to make them available
to the plant in a digested form. Since many microbes are
killed by herbicides and pesticides, it stand to reason that
replacing them should be the first consideration of a
fertilization program Malantis states, "The soil can only
hold so much food, after that, the excess nutrients are
wasted or even worse become toxic to the plants itself.
(fertilizer burn) This toxicity will kill the "soil
microbes".
Microbes are necessary in the soil for the bacterial
decomposition of roots and stems that create organic matter.
The whole chain of microorganisms must work in the soil to
break this organic material into humus, which then becomes
nitrogen, phosphorus and potash, which the plant takes up as
food.
That's the life cycle in the soil and too many chemicals can
wipe it out." Once your soil becomes lifeless the grass is
dependent upon nitrogen, phosphorus, and potash from an
outside source - Generally synthetic fertilizers purchased
by the homeowner and/or applied by the lawn service
companies.
Your lawn has become a "Lawn Junkie" dependent upon
chemicals to be green and weed free. These chemicals pose
health hazards to our children and pets. The
over-application of synthetic chemicals also creates other
stress conditions for the turf.
SOIL TOXICITY
All fertilizers and herbicides are water soluble salts.
Grass plants are like sponges and will absorb all nutrients
available until they become saturated. Once saturated, like
a wet sponge, they cannot absorb any more food and the
excess nutrients, as much as 60%, will become nutrient run
off that pollutes our underground water supply, or will
remain tied up in the soil as a salt. This salt build-up
prevents the roots from penetrating the soil begin to feed
at the surface of the lawn causing a compact soil and mat
and thatch.
SOIL COMPACTION
Ideally, a "friable" soil is composed of 45% minerals, 5%
organic matter, 25% air and 25% water. Roots in the soil
decompose to form the organic matter that is the glue that
holds the air and water in the soil. Without organic matter,
the soil readily compacts CORE AERATION MYTH "Core aeration
is not a solution," states Malantis. Soil compaction takes
place deep in the soil as clay, silt, and sand, lacking
organic matter, begins to stratify. When you core aerate you
will bring up soil cores that contain weed seeds. Once
exposed to surface heat and moisture the weed seeds
germinate and grow requiring a chemical herbicide to control
them.
MAT AND THATCH
The compact soil now has forced the roots to feed at the
surface of the lawn. This mass of roots at the surface is
called mat & thatch. Mat & thatch has a number of negative
impacts on lawns. First: Mat and thatch limit the rhizome
growth and result in a thin lawn. Secondly, weed seeds wilL
germinate more readily in a thin sparse lawn, Thirdly: Mat &
thatch becomes a breeding ground for insects and disease,
DETHATCHING MYTH. Dethatching is another myth that Malantis
attacks. "Thatch, as we said before is organic matter.
Thatch should be decomposed with enzymes and returned to the
soil, not removed to a waste dump."
ORGANIC-BASED SOLUTIONS
The Millennium Probiotic Lawn Care program uses
natural-organic and bio-based formulations to accomplish in
three years what it would normally take Mother Nature on
hundred years to accomplish. They consist of: Catalytic
enzymes which reduce and cleanse the soil of Chemicals;
Enzymes that open tight soils and encourage the penetration
of air, water and nutrients to stimulate deeper natural root
growth; Hormones, minerals that will encourage the plant to
heal from wounds and grow aggressively to fill in bare, thin
areas, and form dense grass growth; Microorganisms which
give life back to soil, promote natural decomposition of mat
& thatch, and provide the energy which encourages aggressive
root, foliar and rhizome growth; Balanced nutrients that
encourage strong turf grass growth while creating an
environment not suitable for weed growth.
NATURE'S RHYTHM
"Following Mother Nature's Rhythm is very critical," states
Malantis. "Each season presents a different set of weather
conditions and opportunities that the homeowner should be
aware of.
MOWING
Nutrients are converted to food in the leaf by the sun.
Photosynthesis- Mowing too short reduces the food supply to
the plant. A longer blade also shades and cools the soil,
preventing weed germination. Adjust your lawn mower to its
highest or second highest level and never cut more that 1/3
off of the blade at a time, avoiding the possibility of the
lawn going into shock. It's better to mow more often and
leave the grass clippings on the lawn to decompose and
return to the soil as organic matter. Contrary to popular
belief, grass clippings decompose rapidly, and do not
contribute to mat and thatch.
WATERING
Regular water saturation of the soil is a necessity for deep
root growth. Frequent, light watering will result in shallow
roots. It is recommended to water about one inch on the
surface of the lawn. This can be measured by setting a rain
gauge or coffee can on the lawn and timing how long it takes
to fill to a one inch level. Lawns should be watered once a
week through out the growing season or more frequently if
weather is extremely hot for long periods. During dry spells
if the lawn cannot be watered regularly, it is better to let
lawn go dormant rather than water infrequently.
"The Millennium Probiotic Lawn program will give you a
step-by-step guide to grow your lawn intelligently, and in
harmony with nature," says Malantis.
About the author:
Leo is the owner of
Probiotic Lawn Care Program, by Millennium Lawns.
Natural fertilizers, formulated to provide a balanced
nutritional diet of primary, secondary, micro-nutrients, and
micro-organisms that encourage grass to become stronger,
healthier and more disease resistant. You can learn more by
visiting
http://earthsbalance.com
Article Source:
http://www.Free-Articles-Zone.com