clovers overpowering the LAWN

[Swimmer]

Originally Posted by PRBuzz

Crabgrass stays nice and green throughout the summer until first frost. Doesn't even need to be watered.

Really tough battle to have no crabgrass, clover, dandelions, etc. and grubs.......

I can tell you how to get rid of Crabgrass. Costs money, but it works.

[PRBuzz]

Originally Posted by Swimmer

I can tell you how to get rid of Crabgrass. Costs money, but it works.

No crabgrass in my lawn (no dandelions or clover either): Scotts HALTS before the ground reaches 65d or lilacs bloom!

[Raven]

Originally Posted by PRBuzz

No crabgrass in my lawn (no dandelions or clover either): Scotts HALTS before the ground reaches 65d or lilacs bloom!

Scott's products might be easy to dump a bag into a spreader and
march back and forth to apply

without really having to think to much about it.... and have a truly perfect lawn....
(without considering the earthworms)

But multiply this by hundreds of thousands of lawns
and or millions of lawns...

then the drainage / run off begins and some of these chemicals get into the WATERSHED
....and into the fish and into the wildlife that eat the fish......
and on an on it goes. not a good practice.

[PRBuzz]

Originally Posted by Raven

without really having to think to much about it.... and have a truly perfect lawn....
(without considering the earthworms)

I have a very healthy population of earth worms in my yard. Key there is I never bag my glass clippings when mowing but as a price I mow more frequently. I return the blades to the ground for recycling. I also never have to aerate it.

[FishermanTim]

Originally Posted by Raven

Scott's products might be easy to dump a bag into a spreader and
march back and forth to apply

without really having to think to much about it.... and have a truly perfect lawn....
(without considering the earthworms)

But multiply this by hundreds of thousands of lawns
and or millions of lawns...

then the drainage / run off begins and some of these chemicals get into the WATERSHED
....and into the fish and into the wildlife that eat the fish......
and on an on it goes. not a good practice.

I hope I am remembering the facts correctly, but isn't the Delaware River suffering from this plight?
The fertilizer and animal waste are running off into the river, and has caused numerous fish kills and bacterial outbreaks in the fish populations where it enters the Chesapeake Bay area.

[Fishpart]

Narragansett Bay as well...

[Raven]

Originally Posted by FishermanTim

I hope I am remembering the facts correctly, but isn't the Delaware River suffering from this plight?
The fertilizer and animal waste are running off into the river, and has caused numerous fish kills and bacterial outbreaks in the fish populations where it enters the Chesapeake Bay area.

========================================
Humus

without sufficient quantities of it (humus) in the soil
it cannot handle heavy rains

this is basically what comes out of the south end of an earthworm in the form of castings...and bacteria make it too...just slower

without the earthworm burrows
there there's no freakin drainage holes

organic matter or humus holds
ten times its weight in water
a virtual sponge...

chemical farming not only depletes the existing organic matter
but creates havoc....|LATER|
especially after the soil gets "mined "of certain minerals that used to be there in abundance...

then weird diseases show up or bugs start finding the vegetation more appetizing due to these mineral deficiencies,,,

so the farmers have to spray even more insecticides or herbicides to get that big product that used to be easy to get originally.
a vicious circle

now, ya take that same patch of ground and ya encourage worm growth and roto till in seaweed and compost and maple leaves real heavy along with grass clippings on top to keep it cool and weed free so that the worms thrive....and no chemical "run %$%$%$%$ fertilizer would even be required.

Run off would be drastically reduced and the soil wouldn't be laced with so many chemicals. Bugs hate seaweed spray and it gives the plants a special resistance to bug infestations.

[FishermanTim]

Originally Posted by Raven

========================================
Humus

without sufficient quantities of it (humus) in the soil
it cannot handle heavy rains

this is basically what comes out of the south end of an earthworm in the form of castings...and bacteria make it too...just slower

without the earthworm burrows
there there's no freakin drainage holes

organic matter or humus holds
ten times its weight in water
a virtual sponge...

chemical farming not only depletes the existing organic matter
but creates havoc....|LATER|
especially after the soil gets "mined "of certain minerals that used to be there in abundance...

then weird diseases show up or bugs start finding the vegetation more appetizing due to these mineral deficiencies,,,

so the farmers have to spray even more insecticides or herbicides to get that big product that used to be easy to get originally.
a vicious circle

now, ya take that same patch of ground and ya encourage worm growth and roto till in seaweed and compost and maple leaves real heavy along with grass clippings on top to keep it cool and weed free so that the worms thrive....and no chemical "run %$%$%$%$ fertilizer would even be required.

Run off would be drastically reduced and the soil wouldn't be laced with so many chemicals. Bugs hate seaweed spray and it gives the plants a special resistance to bug infestations.

Well said!

I used to find it amusing when people would spend tons of money to get a "manicured lawn" that they NEVER set foot on, or play on. I guess the thought is that a "perfect" lawn is like a priceless picture: basically useless except to look at.

I can remember the tug-of-war I had with my parents when I started them on composting. Once it was set up, they couldn't believe how truly clean and simple it really was.
Collect organic kitchen waste: fruit cores and peels, coffee grounds, corn husks and cobs, moldy bread, egg shells (worms LOVE bread and egg shells) even old newspapers if you don't recycle.
I start off by digging a small pit and layering the materials in a brown/green/brown alternating fashion. after a couple of weeks, depending on how "inocculated" your soil is, the bateria and worms will be well on their way to creating some really great organic compost. Think of the best potting soil you can get for virtually nothing. All you need to do is turn the pile, which I do whenever I add new material, and sift whatever you plan on using (to remove large uncomposted pieces).

The only chemicals I use (on RARE occaisions) is to kill poison ivy.
I do make a mean bug spray from chewing tobacco and dish soap, but that's a different post entirely.

[missing link]

White clover is one of the best things to have in your lawn , it is mixed with some of the best seed mixtures just mow it it has so many good things to add to your lawn
DON'T KILL IT I might not know much but you go and kill it say GOODBYE to the rest of the lawn trust me ,
if your on the Cape or SE ma. just GOOGLE //// C.L. FORNARI and ash HER the Question /// 95.1 FM Sat morn. GARDEN TALK
ML

[Swimmer]

Originally Posted by FishermanTim

Well said!

I used to find it amusing when people would spend tons of money to get a "manicured lawn" that they NEVER set foot on, or play on. I guess the thought is that a "perfect" lawn is like a priceless picture: basically useless except to look at.

I can remember the tug-of-war I had with my parents when I started them on composting. Once it was set up, they couldn't believe how truly clean and simple it really was.
Collect organic kitchen waste: fruit cores and peels, coffee grounds, corn husks and cobs, moldy bread, egg shells (worms LOVE bread and egg shells) even old newspapers if you don't recycle.
I start off by digging a small pit and layering the materials in a brown/green/brown alternating fashion. after a couple of weeks, depending on how "inocculated" your soil is, the bateria and worms will be well on their way to creating some really great organic compost. Think of the best potting soil you can get for virtually nothing. All you need to do is turn the pile, which I do whenever I add new material, and sift whatever you plan on using (to remove large uncomposted pieces).

The only chemicals I use (on RARE occaisions) is to kill poison ivy.
I do make a mean bug spray from chewing tobacco and dish soap, but that's a different post entirely.

Doesn't everybody in Hyde Park cover their property in concrete, not grass anyway? The only grass I thougt was located there was on the Golf Course.