5 Ways Organic Differs From Conventional Lawn Care
1. No Pesticides or Synthetic Fertilizers.
This is the pillar of every true organic lawn care program. Hillside Landscaping applies organic fertilizers and soil amendments that encourage the microorganisms in the soil to flourish and feed the soil naturally. A thick healthy lawn is the best defense for weeds, insects and turf disease. The grass can become more self-sustaining and will require much less water than its chemical counterparts.
2. Soil Testing.
This is where the Hillside Landscaping organic lawn care program starts. The soil test tells you if the soil is acidic or alkaline. Improper soil pH can limit the grass plant's ability to absorb nitrogen, making proper pH crucial to lawn performance. A soil test also can determine the amount of organic matter the soil contains. This enables recommendations as to what is applied to your lawn and how much. Our organic lawn care program is based on the need of YOUR lawn, not the needs of every lawn on the block.
3. The Little Yellow Sign.
The warning sign conventional lawn companies are required to post on your lawn indicating pesticide use, and a potential danger to you, your family, and pets. We don’t have to use them. Our products 100% pesticide and petroleum free. No skull and crossbones here.
4. We Seed Your Lawn Twice a Year.
Because we don’t use pre-emergent herbicides we can seed in the spring as well as the fall. A thick, healthy lawn is best natural weed control, and overseeding is how we achieve this. These seedings are part of our base pricing, not an extra charge when your lawn isn’t doing well. We are proactive to bare spots and problem areas.
5. The Heavy Growth Flush.
We’ve all seen it. A high nitrogen fertilizer is applied and within a few days your lawn has grown 6” and you can’t keep up with the mowing until this artificial charge wears out. The nitrogen is immediately absorbed by the grass plant and the rapid growth spurt is the result. The synthetic fertilizer acts as a steroid to the grass plants to the degree they become dependent on the fertilizer for growth.
“In nature there are neither rewards nor punishments; there are consequences”
Stop fertilizing and the grass will die because there is little or no organic matter or beneficial microbes in the soil to sustain a healthy lawn. Our fertilizers and soil conditioners build the organic matter and stimulate the soil biology. The organic nitrogen must be broken down by the soil naturally and then absorbed by the plant.his results in a sustained green color and steady normal growth habits.