Hire a pro: Organic is the way to go

(North Jersey Homes, Saturday, April 3, 2010)

If you're dedicated to "green" landscaping and have a substantial property, but not a lot of time to tend it you'll want to hire a lawn care service that specializes in organic methods.

 

How do these differ from regular lawn care?

 

"Traditional lawn care will feed the grass plant," explained Mark Borst, president of Borst Landscape & Design, Allendale. "Organic lawn care feeds the soil and makes it a better place for the plant."

 

He said his firm uses products that are only commercially available and mixes them to make its own formulations.

 

"We add humate (a granular soil conditioner) and micronutrients to amend and loosen the soil," Borst said. "This allows the grass roots to go deep and encourages microorganisms and beneficial insects to live there.

 

"Healthy soil gets few or no weeds and helps prevent fungus issues. Also, pest insects usually are attracted to weak plants, so if the grass is healthy they won't feed on it."

 

Borst admitted that organic lawn care can be "almost double the cost of what you're used to." On the other hand, he said, it can cut down on certain jobs you would otherwise have to do – or hire someone to do.

 

"You don't need to do core aerations in the fall to get oxygen into the soil," he said, "And you don't need to rake the thatch in spring, because the dead plants turn into organic material. It also can cut your water bill almost in half from what a lawn normally would require. Add those things up, and I'd bet you'll save money in the long run."

 

Borst warned that because green is in these days, some companies provide what he calls "pseudo-organic" lawn care. To be sure of getting the real thing, he recommends asking these questions:

 

• Will you do a soil test to see what mine needs? "Some properties don't need added items," Borst said.
• What will you be doing for my soil? What kinds of nutrients will you be adding? "There are many things that make up the soil structure, including calcium and amino acids," he explained.
• Do you do "blanket" chemical treatments or take an IPM (Integrated Plan Management) approach."

 

Borst noted that, although his company does use some pesticides and herbicides, "We'll treat just the areas that have an issue, rather than spraying the whole property." Because of this, he said, the organic approach is safer for families and their pets who may sit, lie and play on the grass.