Tips for a Healthy Lifestyle

By Priscilla Stevens

 

WHAT'S THE FUSS ABOUT FERTILIZER?

(This article first appeared in the October 2000 Lake Barcroft Newsletter)

Our world is full of "how to" books about creating the perfect lawn. Some columnists will tell you the exact weekend for gathering up your tools and lawn chemicals and proclaim that "now is the hour" to apply an assortment of particularly snazzy, no-fail products. Even the "natural lawn" books give so many options, that the average person can only dream about accomplishing but a small portion. Such is the dilemma created this time of year when the question reprises: "Should we, or should we not, fertilize our lawns?"

First we have to consider the safety factors. Reading labels is essential ! Fertilizer products which advertise weed and feed or PLUS capabilities simply mean that herbicides and pesticides have been added to the fertilizer. Organic Gardening (Jan./Feb. 2000) reports that mixtures of common fertilizer and pesticides may cause learning disabilities and aggression in children. (See www.organicgardening.com ). Then comes the news that fertilizers are not regulated and therefore can and do contain waste products. (Waste in Fertilizer Home Page http://www.wa.gov/ecology/hwtr/fertilizer/index.html). As long as any fertilizer contains nitrogen, it can legally be packaged and marketed with "other" ingredients, such as hazardous waste, toxic metals, and sludge.

Consequently, we learn that this "stuff", which could be toxic and for which we paid good dough, once lugged home and spread around, doesn't stay where we put it! Not only does it end up in the lake, we track it indoors, where it can accumulate and last for long periods in the form of dust. (See Dept. of Environmental Protection, Montgomery County Md. Grasscycling www.co.mo.md.us/dep or call 301-590-0046.)

Where does this leave us? We have spent time and resources (or we have paid someone else to seed, mow, water, trim, battle weeds) all for the hope of a picture perfect lawn. Consider that, for the most part, our community spends a great deal to rid itself of grass clippings and leaves, which could be a continuous source of organic mulch, compost, or fertilizer, only to additionally SPEND MORE to "import" bags and/or truckloads of mulch and fertilizer. Nutrients, as the WID tells us, are important for the soil, but we need to keep them out of the lake. If synthetic nutrients get into the lake and other ground water, we can bet it is headed for someone's drinking water. In the end, in our efforts for perfection, we buy into the loop of harmful consumerism. And the question still exists: do we really know what we are introducing to our lawns and our lake?

How do we get off the chemical merry-go-round without culture shock?

  • We can accept the fact that we live in an urban forest of unusually sensitive ecology. The value of our community will increase if we can keep the lake clean.
  • We can be more tolerant of the trees, and the lack of the conditions for a perfect weed-free lawn and learn more about shade gardening and natural ground covers. (See Natural Home Magazine March/April 2000, July/August, 2000 www.naturalhomemagazine.com.)
  • We can apply common sense methods that promote working with nature rather than against it, especially when it comes to enriching the soil. Having the soil tested to see what nutrients are missing may be the first step.

OTHER WAYS TO ADD LAKE- FRIENDLY NITROGEN

By purchasing grass seed mixtures which contain clover, we instantly provide ourselves with 30% of the annual nitrogen needs of lawns, according to some turf researchers. Clover is far more drought-tolerant than most grasses and remains green under droughty conditions that turn grasses brown. (Common Sense Pest Control by Olkowski, Daar, Olkowski).

Leaving the grass clippings on the lawn after mowing adds significant nitrogen. If you still feel the need to fertilize and battle weeds at the same time rather than say relaxing at the lake, 100% corn gluten from Gardens Alive! applied in spring and fall adds 10% nitrogen as it keeps new weeds from germinating. (see www.lakebarcroft.org for resources).

More lake friendly tips will be provided monthly in this column and on the Lake Barcroft website.