Month: July 2011

Heat – Drought Affects Health of Lawns, Trees and Shrubs.

Drought Effected Lawn

Drought Effected Lawn

Sprinklers – Irrigation

Ensure sprinkler heads and related water lines are working properly and that the irrigation system provides sufficient coverage. Low water pressure will affect coverage.

Feed
Lawns, trees and shrubs require proper nutrition to encourage healthy growth and the ability to recover from drought damage. Take soil samples, talk to professional, and determine what proper feed is needed to replenish your lawns food.

Adjust Mowing Schedules
Don’t mow unless you need to. Avoid weekly mowing if it is not needed. Cut the grass higher (3″ or more) and if possible try to avoid cutting during the heat of the day.

Return Glass Clippings
Return the grass clippings back to the lawn. Grass clippings return rich nutrients that help feed your lawn. Avoid bagging if possible.

Organic Gardening Solutions – Tips and Tricks

What can I Do about Slugs?
Having problems with slugs? Go on a nightly slug hunt in the spring. Pour a little bit of table salt on the slugs. Keep this up for a few nights and your slug problem should decrease dramatically. Another alternative is to sink a cup of beer into the ground near plants that have been damaged. Slugs love beer, but can’t get out of the cup!

How can I Keep Animals out of my Garden?
Use red pepper spray and many critters won’t come back for seconds. It makes the plants just too spicy for rabbits, mice, birds and squirrels. Mix 3 tablespoons of Tabasco sauce and 1 teaspoon dish soap. Add this to 1 quart of water.

What is an Organic Way to Kill Weeds?
Vinegar can kill most weeds but it can also kill your plants. Do not pour it on weeds in your grass or you’ll end up with dead grass spots. If the weeds are close to other plants, try using a paint brush to brush the vinegar on the weed’s leaves.

Check out our weed control services for more information at www.blaircountylawnservice.com/services/weed-control

Organic Lawn Care – Corn Gluten

Corn Meal Fertilizer

Corn Meal Fertilizer

What is Corn Gluten?

One of the most important discoveries in organic lawn care has been the accident Corn Gluten. Discovered by mistake at Iowa State University researcher Nick Christians, has been a giant breakthrough. This organic product (made from Corn Gluten Meal) is a natural herbicide that has been patented and sold by many companies as an alternative to Weed and Feed products.

Corn Gluten Meal is a powdery byproduct of the corn milling process. Used for years as a supplement in hog feed, this natural protein is very effective for lawns and gardens as a plant food as well as a weed suppressor. Corn gluten meal products offer a non-toxic, yet effective alternative to traditional, chemical-based weed and feed products for weed control in gardens and lawns, paths and driveways.

As a plant food, corn gluten has a N-P-K ratio of 9-1-0, or 10-percent nitrogen by weight. As a weed suppressant, corn gluten acts as a natural “pre-emergent” – it inhibits seed germination by drying out a seed as soon as it cracks open to sprout. These qualities make corn gluten an ideal ‘weed n feed’ product.

11-year-old Chatham boy runs own landscaping business

An 11 year old boy in Chatham Borough seems to be running a pretty successful lawn care business on his own.

“The lawns he works get professional treatment. He goes over every inch of every yard — front and back.”

“I can’t leave something messy when I have my name on it”

A couple years ago, when a tree fell across the street from Robbie’s home and the fire department came because of downed wires, Robbie was there, too.

“He had the turnout gear, the helmet, the whole works,” said Chatham Detective Ed Uranyi. “He helped me put up the crime scene tape. It was really cute.”

But now Robbie is the one giving orders. The landscaping business began in the fall of 2009 when he was 9. Now 11, Robbie runs a full-service operation, taking care of the lawn during the summer, the leaves in the fall and the snow in the winter. He’ll even clean off your car on snowy mornings.

Robbie, his mother Sally said, has always had a serious side to him — the kind of kid who played cops and robbers but insisted on being the cop.
“He only ever wanted to be the good guy,” she said.

Good luck kid!

Read the full article here: nj.com