Splendor in the organic grass
Though I don't have a lawn outside my city apartment, the warm weather always makes me want one. Alas, for now I'll have to be green with envy about your lawn. The safe and healthy way to take care of it, of course, is to go organic. I talked to Jim Reinertson, owner of Maine-based Purely Organic Lawncare, Inc. (pure Lyorganiclawncare.com), which opened a location in Boston earlier this year, about how and why to make your grass a whole lot greener.
What's so bad about regular lawn care?
Synthetic fertilizers are made from petroleum, which does long-term damage to plants and soil. Pesticides are potentially carcinogenic, may cause other diseases. They also damage the health of the grass and soil and the groundwater.
If you're not using chemicals, what do you use?
We use things like compost teas, vinegar extracts, corn gluten, cedar oil, and alfalfa meal. We also use cultural techniques like aerating, overseeding, and de- thatching.
How do I know what to use for my lawn?
Do your research. Get a soil test done [a lawn care company or garden center can do this], and take a look at what you've got. Then figure out what you need. Check out Safelawns.org or have a lawn care company custom design a program for you.
But isn't it crazy expensive?
That's not true anymore. The cost of crude oil, which is what synthetics are derived from, has gone up so much that the price of fertilizer has gone up $6 to $7 per bag. Organics now cost the same or less.
To find an organic lawn care professional in your area, visit organiclandcare.net.
Christie Matheson is the author of "Green Chic: Saving the Earth in Style." Send questions or comments to globegreenside@yahoo.com.
