Hello and welcome to the Spring 2011 update. It looks like we had a fairly typical winter, colder than last year, and a bit more snow, but lawns and plants should come out fairly well. I know we are all excited to see the first hint of green on our lawns and plants!
As you are aware, the provincial government has eliminated pratically all the pesticide products used by the lawn care industry to maintain a healthy lawn. These products are still available for any other use in Ontario EXCEPT lawn care.
MAJOR NEWS FOR 2011: We are happy to announce the approval and arrival of a new weed killer product that has met the Government's strict criteria for 'organic'lawn care products. FIESTA is a liquid weed killer containing 4.43% Iron. It is a fast acting product that kills most broadleaf weeds (dandelion, clover, thistle etc.) in about 24 hours. It does this by providing an over abundance of iron which the plants absorb, destroying the leaf tissue, causing the leaves to turn black or brown. Some weeds, such as plantain are semi-resistant to Fiesta. Also, larger weeds with a well established root system may require another treatment to kill off any new leaves which sprout. The product is extremely safe, can be applied in a variety of temperature ranges and is also effective against moss. Grasses do not absorb the iron and simply turn a darker green colour but are not harmed by the product. Due to the 'newness' of this product, there is not much info yet available on the internet. Here is a link to a company which has used the product, showing detailed photos of the results... FIESTA INFO I used a trial sample of this product last fall and was impressed by the results.
As a result of the availability of this new and more effective product ALL CUSTOMERS CURRENTLY RECEIVING CORN GLUTEN WEED CONTROL, WILL NOW RECEIVE FIESTA WEED CONTROL INSTEAD. This treatment will take place AFTER the Spring Fertilizer application, in order to target the weeds when they are actively growing and are most likely to absorb high amounts of the product We will follow this with a second application, later in the year at no extra cost.
I would like to thank all my customers for their patience in these 'trying times' as new products continually come on the market to fill the void left by the change in pesticide legislation.
Hope to see you soon,
Steve
Again I stress the importance of proper lawn maintenance, including INFREQUENT but heavy watering. Frequent, light watering promotes weed seed germination. Infrequent, heavy watering promotes, thick healthy grass with strong roots. DO NOT WATER YOUR LAWN MORE THAN ONCE EVERY 2 WEEKS. When watering a lawn, soak one area for at least 3 hours, this will allow for a deep penetration of water, and encourage deep roots.
Other important steps which will help in maintaining a healthy, weed free lawn include a high mowing height. The less light penetrating to the root zone, means less weed germination, and less watering. We will be raising the height of cut of our mowers this year, please do now ask us to lower them. As well, please consider dethatching, aerating, and overseeding as methods of maintaining a healthy lawn.
We are still able to offer fertilizing services, although I understand that the environmentalists are now targetting fertilizer use. It never ends!
Please consider the following services if you do not currently receive them;
1. Aeration: The removal of cores of soil in the lawn which reduces compaction, aids in root growth, increases water and nutrient absorption. Click here for more info.
2. Dethatching: The removal of the dead layer of grass or thatch, which accumulates above the grass roots. This machine is akin to vigorously raking a lawn in the same spot for about five minutes, it removes an astounding amount of dead grass. Click here for more info.
P.S. For the TRUTH about the use of pesticides in the lawncare industry, I have a page outlining the true facts on the products I use. Just click on the pesticide link.