News & Articles

Friday, July 15, 2011

It has been thought that the decay of past civilizations was due to a decline in soil fertility. If we think of the humus content of the soil as a bank account from which we only withdraw funds you will begin to understand the nature of the problem of soil fertility.

Friday, July 15, 2011

Growing plants take up from the soil certain minerals, which are as essential to their growth as sunlight, air and water. Fortunately, there is a supply of most mineral foods already in the soil. How did they get there?

Friday, July 15, 2011

Either directly or indirectly, all food comes from the soil or the sea. There is little wonder then that from the earliest times of our existence we have wondered how plants transform the lifeless, inert, mineral material of soils into living tissues. It is one of the marvels of plant life that the same land, with the same supplies of moisture, air and sunshine, can support such a great variety of green plants.

Friday, July 15, 2011

Chemical lawn fertilizers work well, for a while. However, the concentrations of chemicals that directly feed the roots bypass the soil biology. These fertilizers also contain salts, that when they come into contact with the soil’s countless number of microbes, cause osmotic shock – that is, water in the cells of these organisms flows to the higher concentration of salts without, literally bursting through the cell walls and killing off the microbes that are responsible for cycling the nutrients in the soil.

Thursday, June 30, 2011

Over the years, we have heard of homeowners struggling to establish newly planted grass seed. If there is grass seed growing in the carpet of my car and in cracks in your sidewalk, why is it not growing where it is supposed to, on your lawn? The natural tendency is to blame the grass seed, but we need to establish some realistic expectations and delve deeper into the reasons why your grass seed did not grow.

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Recently, Jonathan Green met with the Healthy Lawns & Clean Water group in Trenton, New Jersey. We have been working with this group for the last few years helping to shape the new fertilizer laws for lawns that will go into effect in January 2012. This group includes members from New Jersey, the Department of Environmental Protection, Rutgers University, NJ Golf Course Association, NJ Green Industry Council, Save Barnegat Bay and many other “Green Industry” suppliers, associates and environmental groups. The NJ Fertilizer Law A2290, was created to protect New Jersey’s surface and ground waters from impairment by minimizing nitrogen and phosphorous content in lawn fertilizers.

Thursday, May 5, 2011

As I drive around my neighborhood and the country, I see that many people really like their lawn. They are proud of it; compare it to their neighbors to see whose lawn is greener, thicker and weed free. Some complain that the neighbors send their dandelion seeds over to their lawns. When you re-seed your whole lawn it’s like a fresh coat of paint in a room, beautiful, but with a pleasant smell.

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

When was the last time you ran into a mushroom expert? Mushrooms or “toadstools” are reproductive or fruiting structures of some kinds of fungi. Some fungi do not produce these fruiting, visible structures like common lawn fungus diseases. Some fungi in lawns are beneficial like endophytes and mycorrhiza. Most fungi are beneficial because they decompose organic matter which releases nutrients that are then available for plant growth. What we do not like is the presents of nuisance mushrooms in our beautiful lawns even though they do not damage the grass.

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Use the best quality grass seed available when you seed a new lawn or reseed an existing lawn. You need healthy turf grass in order to avoid extra steps in the future due to poor quality grass seed. The best time in all the year to establish turf grass from seed is the time between mid-August and late September. This is true for many reasons. During this time grass seed germinates more quickly because the soil temperature is warm, which allows for more rapid penetration of water through the seed hull that starts the process of germination.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

For the Mid-Atlantic Region of the United States: The four application lawn care program has been the standard for the lawn care industry for decades. Is a four application program all that you need to do to have a nice lawn? Sometimes it is, but oftentimes you need to do more to ensure your lawn’s success. In most cases it is necessary to adjust the soil’s pH, control fungus or fight grubs that can infest your lawn in August and September. But don’t be alarmed, the four application program isn’t rocket science. A little knowledge and proper timing will enhance your chance of having a lawn that you will be proud of.