Lawn Care 2012

[GP_Matt]

I tried crop rotation, but found that grass can be a pain to pull up every 7 years and the replanting was no better after the regenerating run of potatoes.

[Canada 02]

Originally Posted by moncton golden flames

i can't believe how many people on here feel the need to have a lush lawn and to what chemical extents some of you will use.

seriously, watering your lawn every 2nd day all summer?

if you have a half million dollar home (about average for Calgary), what is the big deal with spending a few hundred per year to maintain or enhance its appearance and value?

[FLAMESRULE]

Originally Posted by Canada 02

if you have a half million dollar home (about average for Calgary), what is the big deal with spending a few hundred per year to maintain or enhance its appearance and value?

The fact that those fertilizers/chemicals destroy the actual soil you're trying to replenish, excess washes into the Bow and Elbow River + start to pollute it with algae blooms, can cause pest outbreaks by indiscriminately killing bugs+plants, etc.

But hey if that floats your boat have at 'er.

[GP_Matt]

I wonder if they are working on a genetically modified grass that grows better without fertilizer.
Is anyone calling natural fertilizer bad or is it just the chemical stuff?

[Clarkey]

Originally Posted by FLAMESRULE

The fact that those fertilizers/chemicals destroy the actual soil you're trying to replenish, excess washes into the Bow and Elbow River + start to pollute it with algae blooms, can cause pest outbreaks by indiscriminately killing bugs+plants, etc.

But hey if that floats your boat have at 'er.

Can you provide more info on this?

Also, isn't phosphorous the culprit for algae in the water? I assume that's why it's so hard to find fertilizer with this in it.

[FLAMESRULE]

Originally Posted by Clarkey

Can you provide more info on this?

Also, isn't phosphorous the culprit for algae in the water? I assume that's why it's so hard to find fertilizer with this in it.

I've read it in a few books on the organic food movement / industrialization of the food supply / food security. I just googled these, but alot of it has to do with the destruction of the Nitrogen cycle (which some say is more important than the carbon cycle). The books were Omnivore's Dilemma (Michael Pollon) and another one that escapes me right now.

http://grist.org/article/2010-02-23-...on-undermines/

http://www.monroeworks.com/articles/...ertilizers.htm

http://www.goal1.org/archives/2010/0...e-soil-health/

[Ashartus]

Originally Posted by GP_Matt

Is anyone calling natural fertilizer bad or is it just the chemical stuff?

Natural fertilizer is also "chemical stuff". It doesn't matter whether it's "natural" or "synthetic", it matters what the chemical form is and the proportion of the nutrients. Just like the "natural" pesticides used in some organic farming are as bad or worse than synthetic pesticides.

I don't think there's anything wrong with using fertilizer in moderation. You pretty much need to in most gardens, unless you're using a lot of compost, since you generally need some sort of nutrient source.

[FLAMESRULE]

Originally Posted by Ashartus

Natural fertilizer is also "chemical stuff". It doesn't matter whether it's "natural" or "synthetic", it matters what the chemical form is and the proportion of the nutrients. Just like the "natural" pesticides used in some organic farming are as bad or worse than synthetic pesticides.

I don't think there's anything wrong with using fertilizer in moderation. You pretty much need to in most gardens, unless you're using a lot of compost, since you generally need some sort of nutrient source.

Not even close. There is a reason farmers now require much more fertilizer than they used too. There is a reason crops/grass/plants now do NOT grow in soil that has been fertilized with industrial chemicals. There is a reason that naturally fertilized (poop, compost, etc.) out produce industrial fertilized lands. You simply cannot destroy the soils biosphere with "synthetic" fertilizers and expect everything to remain the same.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by return to the red

Quack grass grows much quicker than regular grass so what I do is let it grow out a little and take some roundup in a small container, take a paintbrush (I find the little foam ones work the best) and paint it onto the quack grass blades.

You'll look like an idiot doing it but it works really well.

did anyone try this? Did it work?

[Northendzone]

i have quit using fertilizer - I use grass seed instead. I don't think my lawn is as nice, but it allows me to drive my 8 cylinder SUV without any guilt. And when I water, I turn it on for an hour in the evening or early morning.

Drive me nuts when you see folks watering thier lawn in the middle of the afternoon when the sun is blazing.

[core_upt]

Originally Posted by FLAMESRULE

Not even close. There is a reason farmers now require much more fertilizer than they used too. There is a reason crops/grass/plants now do NOT grow in soil that has been fertilized with industrial chemicals. There is a reason that naturally fertilized (poop, compost, etc.) out produce industrial fertilized lands. You simply cannot destroy the soils biosphere with "synthetic" fertilizers and expect everything to remain the same.

I use this - it's got electrolytes and #####

[moncton golden flames]

Originally Posted by Canada 02

if you have a half million dollar home (about average for Calgary), what is the big deal with spending a few hundred per year to maintain or enhance its appearance and value?

the big deal is the vanity affair with green grass and the chemical soups the ignorant and selfish populace apply regularly, without a thought of anything other than themselves and their misguided sentiment of wanting or 'needing' a nice lawn so their neighbours think more highly of them and their house looks more pretty from the curb.

i never brought up cost, but you did...

the average homeowner look only at the cost of the water and the fertilizer. which speaks again to the ignorance. what about the environmental costs like eutrophication? unhealthy and dangerous leaching of nitrates into the underground aquifers? no matter what we do on this planet, it will always be confined to this planet. it's time to start taking care of it and not treating it like a disposable commodity that somebody else will fix at a later date.

i practice what i preach and i ask that most of you should look in the mirror and ask yourselves what kind of planet you want your children, and their children to grow up in.

[moncton golden flames]

Originally Posted by Ashartus

You pretty much need to in most gardens, unless you're using a lot of compost, since you generally need some sort of nutrient source.

you do not need any chemicals in any garden. compost will do the job just fine on it's own. we can all make our own compost from our food scraps, so using any type of fertilizer is just plain lazy.

[kevman]

Well I'm pretty new to this whole lawn thing but I found the following to work out pretty well for me.

1. Leave your lawn a little longer - it seems to handle the heat a bit better and require less water. In my case I had green grass all summer long last year and didn't water it once (I don't have an outside tap).
2. Don't bag your clippings - why send perfectly good organic material to a land fill when you can leave it on your lawn to help fertilize?

I do however have a few weeds I'm trying to figure out how to take care of with as little effort, money and harm as possible. Suggestions?

[core_upt]

Question to the greenthumbs:
I want to tear up some grass for a veggie garden (tomatoes, squash, zucchini, chives). This is a 10'x4' strip along my garage that gets tons of sun and warmth reflected off the garage - perfect for veggies. We had stuff in this spot in planters before and they did well.
Problem is now there are a few giant ant nests in the lawn right where I want my veggies. I'm hesitant to use any harsh chemicals as this is where I'm going to be growing food. Also, I can't imagine the ants taking well to me digging at their nests
Any ideas on getting them out with minimal chemical warfare?

[moncton golden flames]

Originally Posted by kevman

Well I'm pretty new to this whole lawn thing but I found the following to work out pretty well for me.

1. Leave your lawn a little longer - it seems to handle the heat a bit better and require less water. In my case I had green grass all summer long last year and didn't water it once (I don't have an outside tap).
2. Don't bag your clippings - why send perfectly good organic material to a land fill when you can leave it on your lawn to help fertilize?

I do however have a few weeds I'm trying to figure out how to take care of with as little effort, money and harm as possible. Suggestions?

what type of weeds are they?

most weeds are pioneer species that have a specific job to do. when their job is done, the soil is no longer suitable for them and the next weed will move in to do it's job.

[FLAMESRULE]

Originally Posted by core_upt

Question to the greenthumbs:
I want to tear up some grass for a veggie garden (tomatoes, squash, zucchini, chives). This is a 10'x4' strip along my garage that gets tons of sun and warmth reflected off the garage - perfect for veggies. We had stuff in this spot in planters before and they did well.
Problem is now there are a few giant ant nests in the lawn right where I want my veggies. I'm hesitant to use any harsh chemicals as this is where I'm going to be growing food. Also, I can't imagine the ants taking well to me digging at their nests
Any ideas on getting them out with minimal chemical warfare?

I'd dig them up first...easy + effective. You could also drown them or get a white powder of diatomaceous earth (crushed seashells I think). Basically cuts their bodies and they dehydrate. Works ok on our patio (sand fill, so water isnt the best). The ants arent all bad either. They'll keep some other bugs away.

[moncton golden flames]

Originally Posted by core_upt

Question to the greenthumbs:
I want to tear up some grass for a veggie garden (tomatoes, squash, zucchini, chives). This is a 10'x4' strip along my garage that gets tons of sun and warmth reflected off the garage - perfect for veggies. We had stuff in this spot in planters before and they did well.
Problem is now there are a few giant ant nests in the lawn right where I want my veggies. I'm hesitant to use any harsh chemicals as this is where I'm going to be growing food. Also, I can't imagine the ants taking well to me digging at their nests
Any ideas on getting them out with minimal chemical warfare?

i have heard that spreading cornmeal work well. the ants will eat the cornmeal and it expands and kills them.

i have also heard that coffee grounds work well. the ants do not like the scent of the coffee, nor do cats.

[kevman]

Originally Posted by moncton golden flames

what type of weeds are they?

most weeds are pioneer species that have a specific job to do. when their job is done, the soil is no longer suitable for them and the next weed will move in to do it's job.

Um... no idea! Some are kind of bunchy - almost like parsley? Some are clovers - these don't really bug me. Some are "quack grass" I reckon - the grass that quacks when you blow on it? Some are suckers - coming from the poplar trees in the area? I actually had a good dozen or so poplar suckers that needed a saw/axe for removal since despite being in the middle of a obviously previously neglected lawn had gotten to big for the mower to handle.

[moncton golden flames]

Originally Posted by core_upt

I want to tear up some grass for a veggie garden (tomatoes, squash, zucchini, chives). This is a 10'x4' strip along my garage that gets tons of sun and warmth reflected off the garage - perfect for veggies. We had stuff in this spot in planters before and they did well

you don't need to use all your time and energy to rip up the grass. just build the garden over top of it.

step 1: cut down all grass and weeds and leave in place. this will add nitrogen to the garden when it decomposes.

step 2: cover the garden area with cardboard or thick layers of newspaper. leave no gaps or grass will find a way thru. soak the paper or cardboard with water. this decomposing will add carbon to the garden.

step 3: add layers of grass clippings, food scraps, leaves, yard waste etc.. even adding dandelion leaves and comfrey (both bioaccumulators) can add a lot of nutrients to the soil. this layer is your high nitrogen layer and should be between 6 to 12 inches thick.

step 4: add finished compost, rotted seaweed, manure etc... to a thickness of about 6 inches. this is your carbon layer.

step 5: finish with a thick layer of mulch material. straw works really well.

ideally, this would be done at the end of summer, so the garden can decompose and be ready for spring planting. if you build this in the spring, you have to let is sit for a while (at least a month), as the nitrogen and carbon layers you built will interact and can cause 'burning' of roots from the heat of the decomposing materials.

this method is called 'sheet mulching'. there are many different ways to build it, so find one that works best for you and your situation.

edit: layering carbon and nitrogen layers is what builds the compost (soil)