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The Apalachee Tortoise
Natural Matters by Ed Deaton
An old blue, white, yellow, green and red van pulls into the drive. A rooster
crows. A husky bearded man, Panama hat at a jaunty angle, alights, smiling.
Howie Lawrence, the "yard bird," is ready to whisk you into his
world of natural organic delights.
Howie Lawrence exudes his Florida Keys/Bahamas past. He talks slowly,
deliberately, smiling, as much philosopher as yard man. His strong hands show
his affection for the soil, for Mother Earth, for growing things. Here is the
gentle guide you need to walk with you down the path of discovery, of
balance, of spiritual integration and a whole lot nicer natural environment
around your home.
"I learned to make soil combining leaf mold and mulch with layers of
compost, fish scraps and seaweed in garden beds chipped out of the cap rock
of the Keys," he tells us. "I had to learn the organic method of
how to make soil because there wasn't much soil in the islands. Building soil
is still the basis of my business, even here in nearly rock-less North
Florida." Howie says.
Howie's business, Natural Matters, is an environmentally responsible
horticultural business based on the idea that humans are the stewards of the
biosphere and must live within nature. It's based on the notion that natural
systems are interconnected; that the health of one will affect the health of
the other. Natural Matter's service is about working with nature,
not in opposition to it.
Natural Matters avoids chemicals, builds soil and cultivates nature to allow
healthy, sustainable ecosystems to flourish. Howie's services are based on
science and years of experience. You're likely to choose Natural Matters'
environmentally friendly yard care if you have a concern for wildlife,
waterways and the environment, raising healthy children, growing luxurious
gardens, husbanding happy animals. His clients include health care and
environmental workers, members of New Leaf Food Co-op, Apalachee Tortoise
readers - people from all walks of life.
Specifically, Natural Matters provides landscaping, yard fertilization and
soil treatment, and integrated pest management services. These yard care and
gardening services are cumulative and interactive. Natural Matters also has
do-it-yourself organic products such as Fertrell, available. Howie suggests
we "use a common sense, wholistic approach to living and earth
stewardship. It saves resources, time and money and helps foster changing
social expectations. It's a healing, spiritual, natural, socially connected
way of life," he testifies.
You can find out more about Natural Matters at www.organicyards.com or
call (850) 671-7270.
The Tallahassee
Red Hills
Independent Media
Center
Business of the Month: Natural Matters
by Apalachee Tortoise
This article was first published in the February 2004 issue of the Apalachee
Tortoise
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Killearn Kloverleaf Magazine
Organic Lawns: It’s Easy Being Green
From one Homeowner to Another
By Bob Ippolito
What is the definition of an “organic” lawn? According to some experts, an
organic lawn is treated and maintained without the use of harmful chemicals
or toxic products. Natural fertilizers, weed control and insect control
products are used in conjunction with nature to maintain and grow a vigorous
and healthy lawn.
We all know that a well maintained yard and attractive lawn would improve the
aesthetic quality of our property; but will also add up to 15% to our home’s
value, as well as, provide environmental benefits. According to the Better
Lawn and Turf Institute, lawns save energy by staying 30 to 40 degrees cooler
than bare soil and 50 degrees or cooler than streets, helping to keep our
homes cool. Grass also produces oxygen, with a 50-by-50 foot patch of lawn
providing enough oxygen for a family of four, the Institute says. Primarily,
how our yards look is important to most of us. How important? Important
enough for many of us to use harmful chemicals products that warn us to keep
off the grass for 24 hours or more, because these chemicals may cause
fatigue, headaches, dizziness, nausea, cancer, birth defects, and
reproductive problems.
If we think about it, keeping our lawn care organic – makes sense, because
pesticides can be harmful to our health and environment. Additionally,
pesticides can reduce the biological activity in the soil, resulting in
slowed natural decomposition and leading to thatch buildup. Our lawns should
be a safe place, free from harmful chemicals for children, pets, and bare
feet.
The steps toward a healthy and attractive lawn are easy to follow.
It is best to let the grass grow by setting the mower blade to 3 inches.
Growing grass taller is an excellent way to reduce the need for herbicide
use, because tall grass is more stress tolerant – important during our
intense summer heat. Tall grass also has a larger root structure, which
increases intake of water and nutrients, as well as, providing shade to the
soil – thereby reducing weed seed germination.
By keeping our mower blades sharp, we can give the grass a cleaner cut. It is
best to mow when the grass is dry, and try to cut off no more than a third of
the grass height. If at all possible, we should mow in the cool part of the
afternoon or evening – cooler for us and better for the lawn. Cutting the
grass during intense heat can cause stress to the plant. Mowing when the
grass is wet or with a dull blade can cause the tip of the grass to shred,
giving the lawn a brown appearance as the tips dry out, and make the grass
more susceptible to disease.
Leaving the grass clippings on the lawn provides mulch, which reduces the
need for additional fertilizer since important plant nutrients are returned
to the soil. A mulching mower circulates the grass clippings in the mower
chamber to produce smaller clippings, which break down more easily.
Proper watering will help a lawn to develop a healthy root system. Unless we
have had no rain, we should water our lawns once a week, using a clay saucer
to ensure that at least an inch of water has been distributed. Watering
during the heat of the day may injure our grass, as well as, waste the water
to evaporation.
Before fertilizing our lawn, it is best have the soil tested. Kits are
available from local garden centers or from our local Cooperative Extension
Service office, at 615 Paul
Russell Road (850-487-3006). It is best to use a
non-synthetic natural slow release fertilizer (see the list of referenced web
sites for ideas, such as: cotton seed meal, blood meal, fish emulsion,
activated sewage sludge). By using non-synthetic fertilizers and eliminating
the use of chemical pesticides, you will encourage beneficial microorganisms
and earthworms to inhabit the soil. The best time to fertilize is in the
spring or fall.
Aerating a lawn allows it to breath. It is best to aerate the lawn in the
spring or early fall, and leave the pulled plugs on the soil surface.
Aeration is the removal of plugs of soil, which allows oxygen to reach the
soil and promote root growth, proper drainage, and loosen the soil.
Control weeds by pulling them by hand, or use a fishtail weeder (great
exercise). A good solution to spot treat weeds is with an equal mix of
vinegar and water. If the lawn is healthy, the grass will overtake the weeds.
Most important, remember – no yard is completely weed free.
To control pests, plant shrubs to attract bug-eating birds, and employ
beneficial insects. Non-toxic pest control products, such as hot pepper and
canola spray oil can be used to rid the yard of pests. These products are
available at some garden stores.
(For a list of commercial suppliers of natural enemies, check the
advertisements in “organic” gardening and other horticultural magazines.)
Using beneficial nematodes in the spring controls grubs in the larvae stage.
Grubs feed on the roots of grass plants and can cause significant damage
leading to brown patches in the lawn. Some insect parasitic nematodes can
also help to control fleas in the yard – it seems to work in our yard (For
more information about the use of Insect Parasitic Nematodes go to the Ohio
State University
site at: http://www2.oardc.ohio-state.edu/nematodes/.
Although there are many products to control lawn disease, generally known as
“fungus”, a good product in properly treating lawn fungus is Scott’s Lawn
Fungus Control. Why Scott’s? Because when a lawn is treated with insect
parasitic nematodes, the use of a fungus control may kill the beneficial
nematodes. The Department of Entomology at Ohio
State University
conducted a study and found that the active ingredient in Scott’s is
Thiophanate-methyl, which had no effect on insect parasitic nematodes.
Therefore, if a lawn must treated, it is best to spot treat it and not cover
the entire lawn -. Unfortunately, we can never cure lawn fungus…control yes,
cure no.
Maintaining a lawn can be very satisfying and rewarding. Some people may
prefer to hire a lawn service to mow on a regular basis, or to fertilize and
rid their lawn of weeds, pests, and control lawn diseases. If you do all or
some of the work yourself…consider that “organic” is safer and better way to
go.
“Lawns probably haven’t risen to the level of a major national environmental
issue – yet,” says, Paul Parker, executive vice president of the Center for
Resource Management in Salt Lake City,
a nonprofit environmental group that encourages collaboration among business
leaders, government, and environmental groups. For the first time,
representatives from fertilizer, lawn equipment, and the pesticide industries
have joined with the Federal Environmental Agency and environmental groups to
form a “Lawn and Environment Coalition”. In March 2004, the coalition
unveiled the first-ever draft for national lawn care practices to help
Americans protect the environment while we green our lawns.
For more information, the following web sites are suggested:
www.organicyards.com (Tallahassee’s Natural Matters)
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/index.jsp
www.dirtworks.net/lawnfert.html
www.planetnatural.com/organiclawncare.html
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USA
Today - Groundwater
Much of U.S.
Ground Water is Tainted
USA Today
Arlington; July 15, 1999, Traci Watson
A wide-ranging
government reports concludes that much of the nation's ground water and many
of its streams are contaminated with pesticides and unhealthy levels of
fertilizer chemicals.
In most cases, the
tested waters pose a risk to aquatic life but don't violate standards
established to protect human health.
At some sites, the shallow ground water - a layer of water 100 feet or
less from the surface - has nitrate levels above federal health standards. Nitrate is a compound in fertilizer and
manure that encourages plant growth but can be harmful to human infants. Shallow ground water is the source of
drinking water for the 80%-90% of rural residents who rely on private wells.
Even more worrisome,
say researchers, is that shallow ground water seep into USA's
deep aquifers, which supply drinking water for millions of people in places
such as Colorado, Kentucky
and Florida. Although these aquifers meet safety
standards now, they contain levels of nitrates and, in some cases,
pesticides, the study finds.
That's an indication,
the study says, that human activity is tainting these pools deep in the
Earth, and scientists fear that such contaminants eventually will leach into
deep aquifers through irrigation wells or natural cracks found in some kinds
of rock.
"(In) most
aquifers we look at, we will find some form of contamination, "says Tim
Miller of the U.S. Geological Survey, the agency that did the study. "What's there now may be an early
indicator." The population that
eventually might be affected, he says, "can be substantial."
Released last month,
the report, "The Quality of Our Nation's Waters," examines 20
important river basins and geological areas.
Many contaminants
were found at levels that could hurt the reproductive ability of aquatic
species, such as fish. That could
lead to smaller populations, but the study didn't measure the pollutants'
impact on species.
Other
findings:
Some of the worst
contamination by insecticides was in urban streams, to researchers'
surprise. Many of the streams that
are most heavily polluted with insecticides were in metropolitan areas such
as those in Dallas-Fort Worth, Denver, Indianapolis,
Las Vegas, Portland,
Tallahassee, and Washington. The chemicals probably came from sources
such as lawns, golf courses, and cemeteries.
Though banned in
1972, DDT turned up in stream sediment and fish in both urban and rural areas
across USA. So did similar insecticides that were
banned years ago.
Most of the test
sites had more than one contaminant.
No one knows how combinations of contaminants, at low levels, affect
human health or wildlife.
Water-quality experts
welcomed the report. Larry Jaworski,
government chair for the Water Environment Federation, an association of
water-quality officials, says the report will help local governments decide
how much their waterways can bear.
“It certainly is based on sound science,” he says.
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