
Paul Tukey, one of the top environmental crusaders on the American
landscape, brought his
message to us at the Historical Society of Washington, D.C., and we it was so valuable and inspiring, we just wish you were all there. Next best thing? Read on.
Why is Paul Tukey? In addition to his writing, magazine editing and for several years, his TV show, he heads up the nonprofit foundation SafeLawns.org with these important goals:
- Reduce the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides AND gas mowers.
- Reduce lawn size and offer alternatives to lawn.
- Promote organic lawn care and teach homeowners how to transition to it.
- Engage the green industry, towns, and public gardens in this crusade.
ONE LANDSCAPER'S JOURNEY
So what turns a lawn care company owner
into
an anti-toxin crusader? In Paul's case, winding up in the hospital
with acute toxicity caused by the products he was spreading. (And
acute toxicity doesn't go away; he'll be dealing with it forever.)
Despite all that, Paul hasn't turned against turfgrass itself and
says he loves lawns. Where else ya gonna play volleyball,
badminton and touch football? On his own 3 acres he measured exactly
the space needed for those forms of family fun, and the rest is planted in
trees, shrubs, wildflowers and veggies. 
MURDER ON THE NATIONAL MALL
Remember the demonstration organic lawn that the SafeLawns folks installed on the National Mall last fall? You may remember, too, that it was destroyed
by the tarp laid over it for a private event, which tarp was allowed to
bake in the summer heat for over a week. Never mind, says Paul, he's
still "thrilled" that they did it and will be renovating the 4-acre
plot again this month. That's the spirit.
HERBICIDE HELP ON THE WAY
Paul gave us the good news that two new
selective organic herbicides are on their way - one from Canada and one
from Germany. They work, they're safe, and they'll be on the market in
2009. Overall, Paul predicts a "tsunami" for organics in the next 3 to
4 years.
START YOUR CONVERSION TO ORGANIC
Here's my summary of the fall lawn conversion steps in Paul's talk and his Organic Lawn Care Manual
,
and I hope he and others will chime in to clarify as needed. October's
a great month (at least here in Zone 7) to put your lawn on the road to
health, and here's how:
- Remove weeds, rake up thatch.
- Optional: Add lime IF a soil test indicates it's needed.
- Mow to 1-2".
- Optional: Aeration is helpful but not required in most situations. Hand aerators are fine, as are the larger ones you can rent.
- Apply
½ inch fully decomposed compost. And Paul has a video showing how it's done - using rakes or a
broadcast spreader.
- Apply 1 pound nitrogen per 1,000 square feet, using an organic product only.
- Optional: For fastest results also apply compost tea. DIY brewing
kits are simple, or use the brew at Whole
Foods - he vouches for their DC-area distributor. (Any doubts about
the effectiveness of compost tea are quickly dispelled by Paul's photos
of the side-by-side comparison.)
- Lawns need overseeding every fall, so apply a thin layer over the
whole lawn and a more concentrated dose over bare spots. A mix of
several species of turfgrasses is best. Cover those bare spots with a
thin layer of compost and tamp down with your feet. Water regularly to
keep the seed moist til it's germinated.
If your lawn's still patchy next spring repeat the overseeding, and definitely do another 1/2 inch application
of compost - and every spring forever. If your soil is really bad
(like dead), apply more organic fertilizer and compost tea.
Paul told us he's
not a big fan of mowing leaves and letting them stay on the
lawn as mulch because under snow they can cause winter kill. (Living in Maine, he's no stranger to snow.) In warm
climates the practice may be harmless, assuming there's no more than a thin layer of this leaf-mulch.
OR HIRE SOMEONE
The for-profit part of Paul's crusade (and even crusaders have mortgages) is the Safe Lawns and Landscapes Company,
which is franchising organic lawn-care services nationwide. The first
DC-area franchisees will be open for business next spring, and they'll
all be giving 10% of their proceeds to the nonprofit SafeLawns.org.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
The SafeLawns website has 20 videos and lots of printable resources. For you iPoders, there's a radio show. Also, Beyond Pesticides has compiled good info about landscapes, and has those cool "Pesticide-Free Zone" signs for your yard.
Posted by Susan Harris