A Simple Organic Lawn Maintenance program

We've come up with a simple Lawn Maintenance program for our customers needs.

(There are other things that can be done as well, such as testing the soil Ph level and nutrient content, raking/thatching/aerating in the early spring) (Mulching when cutting, keeping your lawnmower blade sharp and cutting your grass no shorter than 3")

The Following is an all natural and organic program that I believe will give a very nice start to you growing season... The Neptune's Harvest Fish/seaweed can be applied directly through a Fertilizer injector!
I hope this is of some help to you.
Please don't hesitate to contact us with any questions you may have.

Our Best to you and yours for a happy and healthy NEW YEAR !!!

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Corn Gluten Meal ( High in Nitrogen 8-2-4)

This product is designed for use on established turf grass and lawns as a natural pre-emergent herbicide and a slow release fertilizer. It is important that the product is used on established lawns and plants only and is applied early enough to control germinating weed seeds. The product is most effective when applied at a minimum of twice a year, in early spring and in the fall to control germinating annual weeds. The product performs best when an extended drying period follows the initial watering after application.

Iowa State University published its first study on corn gluten meal as a lawn supplement in 1991. Corn gluten meal is high in nitrogen, which promotes a quick green-up on your yard. Corn gluten meal also is effective as a weed preventative. Apply very early in the spring, before weed seeds have
a chance to sprout and again in the fall. Apply 15 lbs. per 1,000 square feet for weed prevention, and nitrogen enrichment. Corn Gluten Meal is available from OrganicGardenGrower.com under the brand name:Concern Corn Gluten Weed Prevention Plus 8-2-4
** Do not Use when seeding or over seeding lawn.

Kelp Meal

Kelp ensures maximum retention of the delicate plant growth compounds found in freshly harvested kelp A multifunctional formulation, which stimulates plant growth, increases stress tolerance and provides a food source for beneficial soil microorganisms.

It will add organic matter to your soil and help it retain moisture. It will also enhance healthy root growth. Kelp Meal will keep your lawn healthy and green, even through drought periods.

APPLICATION: For gardens, till the Kelp Meal in as soon as the soil can be worked in the spring. For perennial crops, apply at the end of dormancy. Mix thoroughly with the soil or growing media, taking care not to apply in concentrated form directly to the roots. To apply as a soil conditioner for fruit groves, ornamental trees, lawns and turf, apply in the early spring directly as a top dressing - Lawns / Turf use 10 lbs per 1000 square feet
available from OrganicGardenGrower.com
under the brand name:Neptune's Harvest Kelp Meal

Neptune's Harvest: Fish/Seaweed Blend (Liquid concentrate)Hydrolysate is stable, non-odorous and rich in nitrogen and phosphorous. The fish hydrolysate is available by itself, but the company also offers it blended with seaweed into a product called "Neptune's Harvest Organic Fish/Seaweed Blend". Apply the blend monthly during the lawn growing season and again late in the fall at a rate of 1 pint per 1,000 or 1 Gallon per 8,000 square feet of turf.

available from OrganicGardenGrower.com
under the brand name:Neptune's Harvest fish-seaweed-fertilizer

This is a fabulous product for keeping your lawn lush and green all season long!!
It will also help maintain a healthy soil nutrient for the life of your lawn. 

Greenhouse kits... which one to choose...

One hallmark of a good structure is that it offers convenience to the end user; and that’s exactly what our Snap and Grow Greenhouse’s SmartLock connector system gives you. Heavy duty aluminum frames assemble quickly without a lot of hardware. Tough crystal-clear SnapGlaspanels lock into place easily, and are virtually unbreakable. Choose from lengths of 8, 12, and 16 feet. They also offer 4’ extension sections, so you can quickly expand your structure. Make any backyard a sanctuary—in a snap!

Snap and Grow Green Houses, structurally the most well made units we could find. The SmartLock connector system makes this quickest and simplest Green houses on the market, while maintaining the aesthetic appearance that owners demand.
For more information click here: Greenhouse kits

EWG’S 2010 Shopper’s Guide Helps Cut Consumer Pesticide Exposure

Washington, DC - Environmental Working Group (EWG) delivers the sixth edition of its Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides with updated information on 49 fruits and vegetables and their total pesticide load. EWG highlights the worst offenders with its “Dirty Dozen” list and the cleanest conventional produce with its “Clean Fifteen” list. http://www.foodnews.org

Analysts at EWG synthesized data collected from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from 2000 to 2008. Produce is ranked based on a composite score, equally weighing six factors that examine how many pesticides are on the produce and at what levels. All samples are washed and peeled prior to being tested for pesticides, so the rankings reflect the amounts of the chemicals likely present on the food when is it eaten.

Notable changes in the new guide include ranking celery as the most contaminated produce, replacing peaches. Included in the guide for the first time are domestic and imported cultivated blueberries, which in previous years lacked sufficient data to be included in the analysis. Wild blueberries, typically packaged as frozen blueberries, are not included in the analysis.

New to EWG’s Clean Fifteen list are cantaloupe, grapefruit and honeydew, while broccoli, tomatoes and papayas fell off. Onions, avocado and sweet corn remains the cleanest produce.

“Though buying organic is always the best choice, we know that sometimes it’s too expensive or just not an option,” says EWG’s Amy Rosenthal. “This unique information is crucial for shoppers looking to decrease their exposure to pesticides while still getting all the health benefits of fruits and vegetables.”

Pesticides can be extremely toxic to human health and the environment. U.S. and international government agencies alike have linked pesticides to nervous system toxicity, cancer, and hormone system disruption. EWG’s Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides helps consumers decide when it is most important to buy organic.

“Pesticides are toxins. They can’t be good for you. The only question is how bad they are,” says Dr. Andrew Weil, renowned medical expert on natural health and wellness. “I think in many cases the answer is pretty bad.”

Consumers can lower their pesticide consumption by nearly four-fifths by avoiding conventionally grown varieties of the 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables. Eating non-organic produce from EWG’s Dirty Dozen list exposes individuals to an average of 10 pesticides a day, versus two per day when eating from the Clean Fifteen list.

The health benefits of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables outweigh the risks of pesticide exposure and EWG strongly recommends that everyone follow USDA’s recommendation to eat five servings of fruits and vegetables per day. EWG’s Shopper’s Guide makes it easy to meet that goal while reducing your exposure to pesticides.

EWG’s Shoppers Guide is available for fee as a PDF download or as an iPhone app at www.foodnews.org. For a small donation, consumers can also have a version of the guide sent to them that can be attached to reusable shopping bags.

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EWG is a nonprofit research organization based in Washington, DC that uses the power of information to protect human health and the environment. http://www.ewg.org

Wet & Forget

is the only product you'll need to solve all your outdoor moss, mold, mildew and algae issues. Not only is it non-caustic and non-acidic, it's also safe for all outdoor surfaces. Wet & Forget is easy to use. Simply apply with a garden sprayer, then sit back and let Mother Nature do the rest. Wet & Forget starts to work gently over time. Results can be seen within days for those less contaminated areas and over several months for more distressed areas

Wet & Forget. Just Apply to Any Exterior Surface and Let Mother Nature Do the Rest.

Wet & Forget is the only product you'll need to solve all your outdoor moss, mold, mildew and algae issues. Not only is it non-caustic and non-acidic, it's also safe for all outdoor surfaces. Wet & Forget is easy to use, simply apply with a garden sprayer, then sit back and let Mother Nature do the rest. Wet & Forget starts to work gently over time. Results can be seen within days for those less contaminated area and over several months for more distressed areas.

Wet & Forget. Non-caustic. Non-acidic. No bleach. No pressure washing. No elbow grease.

For over 30 years, people all over the world with some of the biggest cleaning jobs (and the smallest) have been using Wet & Forget. It has been used on big jobs like the building exteriors at Sea World in Florida and small ones like restoring a historic bungalow. Wet & Forget removes moss, mold, mildew and algae stains gently over time from roofs, concrete, brick, siding, tennis courts, awnings, boat sails and wood decks without scrubbing or pressure washing. For your toughest outdoor cleaning jobs, apply some Wet & Forget...then forget it.

How Wet & Forget Works

Wet & Forget’s gentle cleaning action takes time but won’t damage any exterior surface.
Just apply Wet & Forget to any exterior surface and forget about it. Mother Nature does the rest. The wind and rain gently clean the surface.
With a pH of 8, Wet & Forget is close to neutral. Most moss, mold, mildew and algae removal products are either highly acidic (pH 1) or highly caustic (pH12.) Caustic or acidic products can damage the surface being cleaned. Wet & Forget is very gentle and safe to apply to any surface.
**For example, a product with a pH of 10 would be 100x more caustic than
Wet & Forget.

Where can you use Wet & Forget?

Concrete & Pavement – driveways, patios, retaining walls, sidewalks
Decks – composite, wood (natural, painted, stained), pre-treated lumber
Marine – canvas, fiberglass, inflatable dinghies, marinas, sails, teak decks
Roofs – asphalt & fiberglass shingles, clay & concrete tile, slate, steel
Siding – aluminum, brick, stucco, vinyl, wood

Asphalt (blacktop)	Painted surfaces
Aluminum siding	Patios
Awnings	Patio furniture/Umbrellas
Bricks	Plastic Houses
Brick pavers	Pool surrounds
Concrete	Recreational vehicles
Composite decking	Retaining walls
Driveways	Roofs (all)
Docks	Sails
Fiberglass boats	Sandstone
Fiberglass shingles	Shade sails
Greenhouses	Sidewalks
Gutters	Stucco
Inflatable dinghies	Tennis courts
Limestone	Teak decks
Marble	Textured finishes
Marinas	Tile
Natural Stone	Tombstones
Outdoor furniture	Vinyl siding
Outdoor planters	Wood

Ez-Flo Automated Fertizer system for Lawns & Gardens

EZ-FLO AUTOMATIC FERTILIZING SYSTEM!!

EZ-FLO makes fertilizer and supplement dispensing systems for use with any in-ground irrigation system or sprinkler with a standard water faucet (bib). This Automatic fertilization technique of applying products through the water is called "fertigation" and it saves on water while significantly reducing the risk of fertilizer runoff. Click here for EZ-Flo system retail information.

Fertigation

Fertigation is a Automatic fertilization process in which fertilizer is dissolved and distributed along with water in your drip or spray irrigation system. There is abundant research available that supports the superiority of fertigation as compared to traditional fertilizing techniques.

Examples of End Devices that Can be Used with a Hose and Drip System
There are many end devices that can distribute fertilizer and supplements to your landscape including your favorite hand-held spray nozzles and lawns sprinklers and as well as single zone spray, micro spray and drip emitters.

EZ-FLO now offers a full line of automatic fertilization dispensing systems and landscape solutions for municipal, commercial, school, residential and grower applications.

EZ-FLO was selected to dispense humates (carbon enhanced bio-stimulants) and fertilizers in The Rose Bowl™ during 2007 and on the NFL Practice Field for the recent Pro Bowl in Hawaii in 2008.

Awarded by the National Home Gardening Club and written up in Gardening How-To Magazine (July/Aug 2007)

Click here for EZ-Flo purchase information.

Save Water and Fertilize Responsibly™

At EZ-FLO we concern ourselves with the concept of saving water and fertilizing responsibly. We all face choices in how we live our lives. Twenty years ago, few people recycled their newspapers, cans or bottles. Now most do because we understand that this is the responsible thing to do. In the last decade, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published guidelines setting forth the requirements for clean drinking water and the need to reduce non-point source pollution (NPSP) to keep our waters sources clean.

In the next decade scientists tell us that clean water will become more scarce and expensive to buy. Given the outlook, we need to learn how to save water and how to reduce NPSP.

Despite this, we still want the enjoyment and quality of life that comes from owning a beautiful landscape. We don't want to sacrifice the look of our landscape even though we want to save water and reduce fertilizer runoff that is causing so much damage to our water supplies and waterways.

EZ-FLO and the products we produce embrace a new way of thinking about fertilizing. No longer is it necessary to use broadcast fertilizing techniques when you can get a better result for your landscape-for less money-while virtually eliminating negative environmental impacts. Fertigation (fertilizing through your irrigation system) is a process that is more responsible and a smart way to water and feed your entire landscape.

EZ-FLO has successfully adapted the key delivery aspects required for fertigation to the homeowner, commercial and municipal landscapes. We have incorporated fertigation's proven benefits into an easy to use, reliable and maintenance-free system for automatic fertilization of commercial and residential properties as well as for nurseries and growers.

With EZ-FLO fertigation you can:

• Reduce fertilizer needed by 70-90% which virtually eliminates fertilizer runoff.

• Save from 20-50% on your water usage

• Improve the health and vitality of your landscape, AUTOMATICALLY.

Click here for EZ-Flo Auto Fertilization system sales information.

How Does EZ-FLO Reduce Water Usage?

There are extensive research studies about the water savings that result when fertigation is used to feed plants. It all started in the agricultural sector some fifty years ago. Today farmers use fertigation extensively in growing all types of crops. You also see fertigation when you visit your local nursery. Virtually all plant materials at nurseries have been grown using fertigation.

There have been great advances in the technology for delivering water efficiently. Everything from weather based controllers, to rain gauges to micro-spray heads to drip emitters. All these advances improve the efficiency of water delivered to the landscape--making sure the landscape gets just the right amount of water from the irrigation system.

Unlike these technologies, we don’t deliver the water, we simply help the plants to require less water.

How?

Water is used in the plant’s growing process. The effects of fertigation on the plant’s growth processes are twofold. If water is applied above ground (i.e. through spray heads) , the process of foliar absorption causes nutrient-rich water to reach the chlorophyll producing section of the plant directly without going through the root structure. Extensive studies have shown that foliar absorption is the most efficient way to apply the nutrients in a form that is immediately available to the plant. This comes into play when dealing with turf grass since sprinklers and spray irrigation are the predominant means to water grass.

The second growth process enhanced by fertigation occurs by increasing systemic (root) absorption of fertilizers and nutrients. Root health and root mass are critical to the health of all plants. Increasing the root mass provides more surface area in the soil which in turn increases the plant’s ability to absorb water and nutrients. Larger, deeper roots result in less overall need for water. The result is increased plant health and drought tolerance.

With increased uptake efficiency by the plant, water usage can be reduced 20-50% using fertigation. Not only will an EZ-FLO system pay for itself, it will pay for the ongoing fertilizing costs funded through your water savings.

But water savings isn't automatic if you never adjust the watering times on your irrigation system. When implementing fertigation, you should cut back the watering time in each zone by 10%. After the second fill for the unit, cut back the water another 10%. Finally after the third fill, cut the watering time back another 5%. Further cuts can be made based on how fertile your soil becomes and if you use products that further help to trap water in the root zone.

Click here for EZ-Flo Automated fertilizer system.

Reduced Need for Fertilizer

The objective of fertilizing is to provide nutrients to the plant. Fertigation does that by proportioning low doses of fertilizer into the irrigation water stream. As noted previously, studies have shown that plants can much more efficiently absorb fertilizer nutrients when mixed with the water. Contrast this to bulk broadcast fertilization where excessive amounts of fertilizer are applied topically and only through rainfall or irrigation watering is the fertilizer dissolved into the soils.

Unfortunately plants can only absorb so much fertilizer in a given period of time. The result--excess fertilizer usually leaches into the surrounding environment and into our waterways when it simply runs off. By dramatically reducing the concentration of fertilizers applied, there is a significantly less opportunity that the fertilizers will find their way back into streams, lakes rivers and bays. This is another reason to Fertilize Responsibly™ by reducing the likelihood of NPSP. Have you ever wondered why plants look so good when they are displayed at a nursery? They have been fed every day while grown from seed at the grower before reaching the nursery. Now with EZ-FLO you can continue to provide daily nutrition just like a grower did when he grew your plants.

Do we sit down at the beginning of the month to eat one single meal that is supposed to sustain us for that month? No, we don’t—we eat every day. Plants are living things, too! Why should your landscape be any different?

Because fertilizer is absorbed as needed, and in small doses, EZ-FLO uses far less fertilizer to achieve superior results. Fertigation typically reduces fertilizer usage by 70-90% dramatically helping our environment to remain free from fertilizer runoff and the effects NPSP has on our waterways.

Click here for EZ-Flo Sales information.

Reduced Need for Herbicides and Pesticides

In addition to reducing water and fertilizer needs, the need for herbicides and pesticides is reduced to the higher health level of the entire landscape. Insects attack weak plants so a weak landscape becomes a magnet to pests, increasing the need for pesticides. Thin turf has bare spots that are the perfect home for weed seeds to settle and to germinate. A thick, properly nourished turf fills in the bare spots and crowds out potential homes for weeds.

Finally a 100% organic "Ice Clear" solution for that freezing cold weather

IceClear (SKU: LG8400) 100% organic, biodegrades readily, and contains no toxic materials or corrosive salts. It contains no VOCs, HAPs, heavy metals, or SARA Title III reportable materials, and is low in phosphorus and nitrogen.	More info ››

Click Here for Application

What is IceClear®? IceClear® is one of the safest, most cost-effective and environmentally friendly deicing/anti-icing agents on the market. While IceClear® has excellent ice melting capacity, IceClear® is most effectively used as an anti-icing agent to actually prevent ice formation and accumulation in the first place. In addition to providing obvious safety benefits, IceClear® actually stops ice from bonding to walkway and driveway surfaces, taking the work out of winter snow and ice removal. IceClear® is the ideal material for safe and effective winter maintenance operations in applications where environmental impact and corrosion protection are a concern. How good is IceClear®? IceClear® is a high performance deicing agent: • Freezing point is below -50°F • Excellent ice melting capacity • Less corrosive than distilled water. How safe is IceClear® on the environment? IceClear® is 100% organic, biodegrades readily, and contains no toxic materials or corrosive salts. It contains no VOCs, HAPs, heavy metals, or SARA Title III reportable materials, and is low in phosphorus and nitrogen. How do I use IceClear®? IceClear® is a fast acting liquid that can be applied by conventional spray equipment. For anti-icing, apply IceClear® as a pre-treatment at the rate of 0.5 – 1.0 gallons per 1000 square feet prior to precipitation and IceClear® will prevent ice formation and bonding to concrete. How safe is IceClear® to use? IceClear® is a safe, economic product that will help you protect your equipment, infrastructure and environment from winter snow and ice. IceClear® is a special blend of materials derived from natural resources. It will not harm metals, concrete or paving and it will not damage lawns, shrubs, or vegetation. Unlike other deicers, IceClear® has absolutely no corrosive chlorides, and it will not track or stain your carpets. Furthermore, IceClear® is a stable product that will not settle, ferment or develop any unpleasant odors.

Bagging the Plastic...

Tis’ the season for BYOB

It is time for BYOB. Yes, bring your own shopping bag! As we move into the new year of 2010, it is crazy how much shopping we historically do here in America and world-wide during the coming weeks. Whether it be frequent trips to the grocery store as we keep our kitchen’s stocked for wonderful meals and tasty treats or those sometimes dreaded (yet skillful) “6 bags on each arm” walks through the packed local mall, it all adds up to so much unnecessary waste. One of the most blatant examples of this waste is disposable shopping bags.

An estimated 100 billion plastic shopping bags are consumed each year in the USA, according to the Wall-Street Journal. Most plastic bags end up in landfills and the rest often end up in rivers, ponds, lakes, streams or in the sea, where animals can ingest or become entangled in them. Household waste (shopping bags included) increases by more than 25% on average in November and December. Considering how many shopping bags are consumed and wasted at this time of year, the time is now to spread the word about the positive benefits of eco-friendly reusable shopping bags. After all, the holidays are about giving back to our families, friends and communities.

Adopting a BYOB strategy in our individual shopping habits is a simple way to do just that. (Read The full article here)