Organic Lawn Care, Part 2

Weed control seems to be the biggest reason that people use chemicals in their yards and herbicides certainly are needed to combat poison ivy or certain invasives like Japanese Knot Weed.  I've never had a patio made from pavers before, and when all sorts of weeds came up between the cracks this spring, I decided to try a very simple organic solution to kill them. . . vinegar!  The first article I read about it suggested a solution of 1 cup vinegar to 16 oz of water which is what I used in the above dandelion experiment.  The pictures show the dandelion prior to spraying and then 2 days later.  I had planned on taking another pic in two more days but the weed was basically gone!  I also tried using the solution on some dandelions in the lawn but it did brown the grass.  The dandelion grew back and I have resprayed, this time using 100% vinegar.  Each time you attack a weed it will regrow weaker and eventually die.  The really nice thing about the vinegar is that I don't have to wear protective clothes so I tend to do it more often.  I've also read that you can use boiling water.  Oh, the vinegar does not seem to affect garlic mustard, the bane of my existence right now.

Combatting weeds in the lawn requires a long-term strategy:   a top dressing of compost starts microbial action in the soil, mowing your grass at the highest possible setting shades the soil which helps keep it moist and discourages weed seed germination, letting your grass clippings remain on the lawn actually serves as fertilizer because those microbes break them down and produce nitrogen, spreading corn gluten meal also inhibits weed germination and is another source of nitrogen,   and watering infrequently but deeply promotes deep root growth and a thicker lawn.  More in depth information provided by the ML Environmental Commission can be found here.  I've been using organic methods at my previous homes for over 15 years.  My experience is that your yard won't have an overnight transformation--it'll take about three years until your lawn can fight weeds and insects on its own, but your family, pets and our environment will be healthier for your effort.

Home Energy Audit Companies

In a previous entry, I wrote about my very positive experience of having an home energy audit for my home, as part of the Green Community Project. Nicole has provided a list of all the companies the various Mountain Lakes families used for this "experiment". We feel comfortable recommending any of them!

Home Energy Diagnostics
"Residential Energy Audits"
51 Baldwin Street
Bloomfield , NJ 07003
(973) 680-1244 (phone)
TomTesta@comcast.net

Northeast Air Sealing
For a Comfortable and Energy Efficient Homes
P.O. Box 2774
Oak Ridge , NJ 07438
(973) 697-1528 (phone)
jeffb@northeastairsealing.com

GeoGenix
Home Audit Energy Experts
79 East River Road
Rumson , NJ 07760
(732) 895-9550 (phone)
(732) 676-7900 (fax)
thomas@geogenix.com

Green Living Solutions
"Save Energy, $ave Money, Save the Planet"
7 Fox Run Drive
Englewood , NJ 07631
(201) 390-4280 (phone)
contactus@greenlivingsolutionsnj.com

Organic Lawn Care

     This is our first spring here in Mountain Lakes and I'm just starting to learn the quirks of my new yard. I'm told by my neighbors that the previous owner was meticulous about caring for his lawn. I expected to see healthy grass and soil; instead I have thinning grass with shallow roots and dirt devoid of life. This tells me my lawn has been drenched with chemicals for decades. Feeding your lawn chemical fertilizers is like giving your toddler only sweets for every meal--you get a lot of action right away, but there is no nourishment and, ultimately, improper health. For your lawn an improper "diet" just leads to the need for more chemicals and never improves the soil.
     Healthy soil is the basis for organic gardening. When the soil is alive with beneficial microbes and bugs it will feed and protect the plants you want to grow. All we have to do is feed the microbes and they do the rest of the job and these beneficial bacterial and fungi are found in finished compost. For a neglected yard such as mine, it will require approximately 1 cubic yard of finished compost per 1,000 square feet, raked into the lawn no more than 1/4" deep. Unfortunately, this will require burly helpers and an initial expense. The good news is that once those microbes are in place, it's really easy to keep them fed and working their magic in the soil. THAT will be a topic for another day; in the meantime, here is a list of FAQs for those who want to learn more now.

Cow Pots!

If you’re like me, you’ve been chomping at the bit to get some plants into the ground. I know we have to wait until Mother’s Day to reliably put things out, but I always start plants from seed in the early spring. Usually, by Mid March I have to start working on my garden. I have always bought peat pots to start my seeds. They are very convenient, natural, and bio-degradable. Imagine my shock when I heard that they are not the most environmentally friendly option. According to a source I found online, approximately 60% of the world's wetlands are peat. Peatlands cover a total of around 3% of global land mass. About 7% of this total has been exploited for agriculture and forestry, with significant environmental repercussions. I wanted to continue my practice of planting early, but didn’t want to contribute to the demise of peat bogs. I found another option while searching on Organic Gardening, my favorite website for all things gardening. Environmentally-friendly CowPots are dairy fiber pot. CowPots are a 100% American-made product, made from a wholesome, renewable resource – can you guess what that resource is? These pots can be planted directly into soil and they will fully decompose with no throw-away. Cowpots actually attract beneficial earthworms! CowPots grow sturdier, healthier plants and encourage root development while adding soil-conditioning natural nutrients to your garden. They are odor-free and non-toxic. Green benefits of CowPots: reduces non-recyclable plastics, reduces municipal waste, promotes recycling of agricultural waste to horticultural benefit, doesn’t exploit sensitive peatlands. Go to mastergardening.com to buy.

Celebrate Earth Day!

Macy's, J.C. Penney, and other retailers and manufacturers are turning Earth Day into a marketing event.  Let's remember today, that we can't shop this problem away.

Take a minute to become part of the bigger picture: 

Take an evening to learn about the future:

Green Community Project Movie Night

"The Future is Food"

Tuesday, April 29 at 7:30 pm

MLHS Media Center

Take this season to live a green life:

Check out these simple changes from Low Impact Living to reduce your carbon footprint.

Sunscreen Confusion

I've always been active outdoors but have used sunscreen faithfully for at least 10 years now.  I was shocked to find a suspicious spot on my nose last summer and even more shocked that it turned out to be a basal cell carcinoma.  I had it removed & I'm okay, but it got me to wondering about how to better protect myself.  The EPA SunWise page for has recommendations and an UV index forecast for our area.  Since I do these things already, I decided to take a closer look at sunscreen itself.  The Skin Cancer Foundation offers a list of recommended products that meet their criteria for effective UV sun protection products.  Still, since many sunscreens, both chemical-based and organic, contain ingredients that may be harmful, I decided to delve a bit deeper.  The Environmental Working Group offers a sunscreen database which rates sunscreen safety and effectiveness.  It's all quite confusing.  If you see me about town this summer wearing sunglasses, a hat, long pants and a long-sleeved shirt, you'll know why!

Emerald Lawns = Emerald Lakes

     Recently, I attended a Lake Community Meeting where a presentation was made to talk about why our lake was covered with green filamentous algae last summer. I learned so much at this lovely cocktail party. Nutrients such as nitrogen (leaves and branches), and phosphorous (in the soil) were found in our lake at rate limiting concentrations last summer. Also, we had much rain and good sunlight to give algae the growth opportunity in needs to thrive. We learned the source of nutrients that cause algae growth are run-off from the yards (fertilizer), run-off from the Canal , the big lake and the hill area. Also, organic vegetative matter (leaves and twigs) and Canada Geese excrement contribute to algae growth.
     We learned that our town government does much to try to keep our lakes clean. We also talked about what we could do as individuals to make a difference.

Actions Individuals Can Take to Discourage Algae in Our Lakes

- Minimize Fertilizer (compromise on the quality of your lawn)
- Limit Fertilizer to only Once in the Spring
- Discuss with Your Landscaper the Town Ban on Phosphate Fertilizers
- Let Your Landscaper Know that You Can Go without an Emerald Green Lawn
- Attend Lake Management Meetings (2nd Tuesday of the Month)
- Advocate for our Lakes (educate residents about the phosphate fertilizer problem)
- Let Borough Manager Know if Canada Geese are a Problem on Your Property
- Plant a Riparian Buffer ( the bigger the buffer the better)
- Avoid excessive lawn sprinkling
- Allow lawn to go dormant during hottest part of summer (this is a natural part of the lawn life cycle, it will green up again when it cools off)
     We know that many property owners love their lawns and gardens. Yet one of the lovely features in our town are the lakes where everyone can go on hot summer day. If everyone were willing to compromise a bit on lawn quality we would not have to add so many chemicals to our lakes.  For some information on organic (non-phosphate) fertilizers, tips on discussing lakeside lawn management with your landscaper and other healthy lawn ideas, click here.