Why Summer Is Wrecking Golf Courses

The Wall Street Journal

Brutal heat has greenkeepers fighting to save their courses from ruin

 

 

The sustained record-breaking heat across much of the U.S. this summer, combined with high humidity and occasional heavy rain, is killing the greens on many golf courses. A handful of high-profile courses have already had to close, and if the heat continues, others are likely to follow. Golfers themselves deserve part of the blame for insisting that putting surfaces be mown short and fast even in weather conditions in which such  lawn care is almost certain to ruin them.

Huntingdon Valley Country Club outside Philadelphia, which dates from 1897, shut two of its three nines two weeks ago because of serious turf disease caused by the hot, wet weather. The Philadelphia area in July had 17 days of 90-degree-plus weather, six more than average, mixed with flooding thunderstorms of up to 4 inches.

Members at the Golf Club at Cuscowilla, east of Atlanta, received letters this week that the club's highly regarded Ben Crenshaw-Bill Coore course would be closed for eight to 10 weeks so that the wilted greens can be completely replanted. The Ansley Golf Club broke similar news to members about the club's in-town Atlanta course. "The continued, excessive heat and humidity have put our greens into a critical situation and the possibility of saving many of them is remote," said a letter from the grounds-committee chairman. Even Winged Foot in Mamaroneck, N.Y., the site of five U.S. Opens, is having serious weather-related problems with its turf.

The U.S. Golf Association last week issued a special "turf-loss advisory" to courses in the Mid-Atlantic states, urgently advising greenkeepers and lawn service to institute "defensive maintenance and management programs" until the weather crisis ends. Most of the danger is to greens planted in creeping bentgrass and annual bluegrass (also known as poa annua).

"Physiologically, these are cool-season grasses that do very well when the air temperature is 60 to 75 degrees," said Clark Throssell, director of research for the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America. "They can cope with a few days of 90-degree weather every summer, but when that kind of heat lasts for days at a time, they have extreme difficulty."

Temperatures for weather reports are measured in the shade, but greens baking in the midday sun can reach 120 or 130 degrees. When grass spends too much time in soil that hot, it starts to thin out, turn yellow and wither. Most bentgrass strains will collapse entirely with prolonged exposure to 106-degree soil. The grass doesn't go dormant—it dies.

Grass does have a mechanism to cool itself. It's called evapotranspiration and is analogous to perspiration. The roots draw up water from the soil and it evaporates through the plant's leaves, dissipating heat. But when greens are scalped to a quarter-inch, an eighth of an inch and even shorter, the leaf surface available for transpiration declines.

Prolonged heat causes other problems. One is that root systems shrink, sometimes to within a half-inch of the surface, reducing the amount of water drawn up to the top. Humidity and heavy rain make things even worse. Humidity retards evaporation, while soggy soil stays hot longer than dry soil does. Puddles and saturated soil also create barriers that prevent needed oxygen from getting to the roots.

Even when the combination of these factors doesn't kill bentgrass and poa annua greens outright, it weakens the turf significantly and renders greens more susceptible to fungus and disease despite the best lawn maintenance.

Bermuda grass, by contrast, thrives in temperatures in the 80s and 90s but cannot survive cold winters. That makes Bermuda the logical choice for courses in the Deep South. High-prestige clubs in the so-called transition zone, which includes parts of Georgia, the Carolinas, Tennessee, Texas and the Midwest, have long put a premium on having bentgrass greens because of Bermuda's historic liabilities as a putting surface. Bermuda greens were coarser, bumpier and had problems with excessive "grain," caused by the bristly blades growing in one direction (generally toward the setting sun) instead of vertically and thus unduly influencing the speed and direction of putts. Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas, claims to be the first course south of the Mason-Dixon line to install bentgrass greens, in 1936. Hundreds of clubs have followed since.

But they pay the price, even in years with less brutal summers than this one. Colonial, for instance, has five or six fans around every green, stirring up 25-mile-per-hour breezes around the clock to help keep the greens cool. The club in summer has four full-time employees who do nothing but hand-water the hot spots on the greens every day. "Keeping the greens alive till that first cool spell in September is all we hope for," said the club's head pro, Dow Finsterwald Jr.

When hot weather hits bentgrass courses, course superintendents also raise mowing heights. That yields more leaf surface and improves evapotranspiration but can slow down putts by a foot or more on the Stimpmeter, which measures green speed. "Better slow grass than no grass" is a mantra among greenkeepers, but the pressure from golfers to keep the greens rolling fast is relentless.

During the hot summer of 2007, ground crews at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, home of the PGA Tour's Tour Championship, tried every trick in the book to keep the club's bentgrass greens healthy. They hand-watered each green every 30 minutes during the hottest days, just enough to cool off the grass blades but not enough to add moisture to the soil. They ran fans and cut the greens with walk-behind mowers rather than heavy triplex riding machines, to reduce stress.

But nothing did much good. "It's such a helpless feeling. You watch the greens turn yellow and you know they're going to collapse, but there's just nothing more you can do," said Ralph Kepple, East Lake's superintendent.

For the 2008 season, East Lake replanted its greens in one of the new "ultra dwarf" strains of Bermuda that are hard for most golfers to distinguish from bentgrass, in terms of performance. The club is pleased with the decision, Mr. Kepple said—especially this summer.

Augusta National, the home of the Masters 90 miles east of Atlanta, is in an area that is often 10 degrees hotter in the summer, but it easily maintains bentgrass greens. The main reason: The course is closed for play in the summer. That's a luxury very few courses can even consider.

Going Greener with Lawn Maintenance

9 News Colorado

In spite of the bad rap lawns have had in recent years, they are a productive part of the urban environment.

They help to cool the air, they help clean the air and they are not really water guzzlers, if managed properly.

All of these green benefits just got greener as lawnmower manufacturers have started to develop and are now selling battery-operated lawn mowers.

These mowers are quiet with absolutely no engine noise-you can mow before sun-up and not bother the neighbors. They are energy efficient-costing less than 10 percent of what a gas mower costs to operate.

And there is virtually no maintenance other than sharpening the blade or plugging them into a battery charger. No oil to change, no gas can to fill and no emissions.

While these mowers are newcomers in the marketplace, there are a few walk-behind models available and this year a riding, mulching mower saw its debut.

Cost-wise, battery mowers can be pricier than the conventional models-but the energy and maintenance costs over the life of the equipment can narrow the gap.

According to the manufacturer of the ride-on mower, for example, the extra $1,500 on the price tag is more than made up in savings over the 10-year life of the mower.

That is a reasonable trade-off when you are committed to doing your part to lower emissions and noise pollution and to go green in your own lifestyle.

Reminder: there's more to going green with the lawn than the mower you use!

Whether or not you have a cordless electric lawn mower, you can still be very sustainable in your lawn maintenance program. Reduce, reuse, recycle is the sustainability mantra and it pays off for your lawn when you cut the grass with a mulching mower.

Here are some facts about grass clippings:

- 1,000 square feet of bluegrass lawn generates about 200 pounds of clippings each year.

- Yard waste makes up 20 percent of all debris sent to land fills.

- Hauling yard waste to landfills is labor, energy and emissions intensive.

A mulching mower solves these problems by cutting up all the clippings as you mow and depositing them on top of the lawn. Not only does mulching stop waste, it turns clippings into a green by-product that makes the lawn healthier.

- Clippings left on the grass provide additional shade and green matter that helps keep moisture in the soil. Clippings are actually about 75 percent water - leaving them behind should be part of your lawn care program.

- Mulching is a water-saving process. If you change to a mulching mower, be sure to decrease the amount of water from what you've usually applied to the lawn. In some cases, this can be as much as half the amount. Monitor soil moisture and the weather and adjust accordingly.

- Clippings are nitrogen-rich and will provide 25-30 percent of the nitrogen needs for the lawn. Since nitrogen is the primary ingredient in fertilizer, that means you will need less fertilizer to achieve the same results.

- Clippings break down rather quickly and that process encourages beneficial microorganisms and earthworms which also promote lawn health.

Mowing tip: Unfortunately, many people sharpen their mower blade in the spring and forget about it the rest of the mowing season. Be good to your grass and sharpen the blade about once a month as part of a good lawn maintenance program. A dull blade actually tears the blades of grass and can open the way to disease and other health issues. Keep the blade sharp-and keep mulching!

TruGreen Agrees to $500,000 Fine

TimesUnion.com

ALBANY NY -- A major lawn care company in the Capital Region has been fined $500,000 by the state for misapplying pesticides, keeping inaccurate records and using uncertified or untrained workers.

TruGreen agreed to the penalty from the state Department of Environmental Conservation under an agreement filed this week. The state agreed to suspend $100,000 of the penalty if the company, which paid a hefty state fine in 1999, hires an outside expert to recommend ways for TruGreen to fix its problems.

DEC spokesman Rick Georgeson said there were more than 100 separate violations dating back to 2007. Most were for lawn-care contracts in the Capital Region, he said.

There were further violations cited in DEC Region 1, which includes Long Island, according to a consent order with the DEC signed Tuesday by TruGreen Vice President Joseph Brown.

According to DEC, an investigation into company records for 2007, 2008 and 2009 found "many instances" where pesticides were not applied under label directions. That included cases where pesticides were applied during high winds and near water despite directions against such use.

The state also found the company filed inaccurate annual reports with DEC in 2007 and 2008, failed to keep accurate information on customer invoices from 2007 to 2009, and in two instances, had workers with no record of being trained or certified for the pesticides applied.

And, in July 2009, liquid weed killer was dumped into a floor drain at the company's Albany branch at 23-A Walker Way, Colonie.

TruGreen spokeswoman Susanna Weston said the Tennessee-based company will "evaluate its current internal environmental operations and prepare enhanced environmental protocols." She added TruGreen was "pleased" by the settlement and expected to cooperate further with DEC.

Under the agreement, TruGreen must submit its outside expert plan to DEC within a year, and within six months of that, create an environmental manual describing how changes will be made at the "corporate, department and service" levels. Then, TruGreen will have to give DEC progress reports every three months.

TruGreen is the nation's largest lawn care service, and has about 2.5 million customers served by more than 300 branches located throughout the United States and Canada, the company said.

This is the second time in little more than a decade that the company, which on its Website touts its involvement in upcoming Earth Day events next month, has been hit with a major state fine.

In 1999, DEC fined the company $600,000 -- the largest state fine ever for pesticide violations -- for more than 35 applications of commercial lawn pesticides between 1994 and 1999.

TruGreen agreed to cut its pesticide use by 5 percent and search out environmentally-friendly Eco lawn care  alternatives, a compromise that lowered the penalty by $200,000.

"It's unfortunate that there can be no compensation to the numerous workers and community members that were unduly exposed during the commission of these violations. Nor will they be notified as individuals as to the potential health impacts of that exposure," said Kathleen Curtis, policy director of Clean New York, a Schenectady-based environmental advocacy group. "We need better pesticide laws to protect public health and the environment. Much-needed enforcement will only decrease, given the draconian cuts Governor Paterson is proposing to the essential work of this beleaguered agency"

Pesticide violations

Among pesticide violations at TruGreen, the nation's largest lawn chemical service, found by the state Department of Environmental Conservation:

The lawn services company's 2007 and 2008 annual reports to DEC, which describe amounts and types of lawn chemicals used, contained "numerous instances of inaccurate information." The reports are exempt from public disclosure, and can only been seen by public health researchers examining possible health impacts.

Numerous invoices for lawn care contracts from 2007, 2008 and 2009 failed to provide "required information or provided inaccurate information."

Six weeks of random pesticide application records from 2007, 2008 and 2009 found "many instances" where chemicals were used contrary to written label instructions. For example, pesticides were applied during high winds or near water, despite directions to the contrary.

Scotts Strikes Sponsorship Deal with MLB

Reuters

The No. 1 U.S. lawn care company is staking out new turf by offering baseball fans a chance to replicate the lush, green playing fields of such iconic ballparks as Wrigley Field and Fenway Park in their own yards as part of a sponsorship deal.

ScottsMiracle-Gro Co has signed a multiyear, multimillion-dollar sponsorship with Major League Baseball that includes licensed products such as grass seeds and fertilizers, baseball-themed advertising, in-park signage and partnerships with several teams.

Terms were not disclosed, but a source close to the deal said Scotts' annual commitments are in the high seven figures. The source, who asked not to be identified, said overall annual spending on baseball will be in the eight-figure range.

Baseball trumpets the deal as a move into a new product segment it has been pursuing for the last four to six years in a sponsorship market battered by the weak economy, while Scotts sees it as a move to strengthen its brand and boost sales.

"It's a powerful feeling when you walk through the concourse and see that emerald green field in front of you," Scotts Brand Manager John Price said of entering a ballpark.

"I don't mean to get 'Field of Dreams'-ish, but it's a powerful emotion for consumers and really tapping into that emotion and showing off what Scotts products can do, there's no better product showcase," he told Reuters.

The MLB deal is the largest and most integrated sports sponsorship for the Marysville, Ohio-based company, known for its Miracle-Gro, Ortho and Roundup brands. Scotts also has deals with NASCAR and the University of Florida sports program.

Price said there is a large overlap between Scotts customers and baseball's fan base. He said the sport could even help expand the U.S. lawn-care market, which totaled $9.6 billion in 2008, according to the National Gardening Association.

Sports leagues and teams have been hurt over the past year as corporate sports marketing budgets declined. In 2008, such companies as General Motors Co [GM.UL], Bank of America Corp (BAC.N) and Deutsche Post AG's (DPWGn.DE) DHL unit walked away from some team-level sponsor deals after they expired, but the league stemmed the losses last year.

"The sponsorship environment is flat out tougher than it ever has been in the last 10 years," said Tim Brosnan, MLB's executive vice president of business. "This speaks volumes about the health of our brand."

Brosnan said MLB expects sponsorship revenue this season to rise by double digits on a percentage basis.

Under the deal, Scotts in early April will begin selling grass seed blends and fertilizers featured in such iconic ballparks as Wrigley Field and Fenway Park, the respective homes of the Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox, as well as venues in Cincinnati, Philadelphia and St. Louis.

If the initial products sell well, others like Scotts push reel mowers will be rolled out down the road, Price said.

In addition to licensed products, Scotts also negotiated sponsorship agreements with eight teams -- the ones whose names are on the seed products as well as the Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and Texas Rangers.

Scotts also has made a "significant" media commitment to MLB's national broadcast partners to run TV and radio advertisements around the product launch, while MLB and team logos will be featured prominently on a wide range of the company's in-store marketing materials.

Where the Grass Is Made Greener

By The Wall Street Journal

I'm standing in the midst of a grassy, windswept field holding what could be the next killer app in lawn care. It's a vial of herbicide made from a sustainable, natural source—Canadian thistle fungus—and it's designed to wipe out clover, dandelions and other broadleaf weeds without damaging grass.



If plans stay on track, the product—code-named CBH, for Canadian Bioherbicide—could reach America's lawns as soon as 2011. If so, it will be a pivotal moment in the fast-moving evolution of naturally derived lawn and garden products in the U.S. In no small way, success will hinge on the marketing heft of its formulator, lawn and garden giant Scotts Miracle-Gro Co., whose labs supply much of what the world's homeowners buy each year in a quest to keep their grass green, plants plentiful and homes pest-free.

It's an industry in transition, and Scotts is preparing everything from an insect repellent derived from wild tomatoes to mulch uses automotive-surfactant technology to help water penetrate soil faster. Nearly 40% of the nation's 100 million households with a yard or garden say they are likely to use all-natural methods in the future due largely to environmental and health concerns, says the National Gardening Association.

A key hurdle for Scotts, whose roots lie deep in synthetic chemical products, is meeting that new demand while not sacrificing the effectiveness that keeps sales up and shareholders happy.

Recently I spent time at Scotts's headquarters. Experiments take place on 120 acres of rolling turf and inside an 18,000-square-foot greenhouse that can mimic any environment in North America. In a nearby humid "rearing room," bugs are bred for sacrificial duty and white-coated researchers pepper their speech with phrases like "knockdown time" (how long it takes a bug to stop moving).

Much of the company's $45 million annual research and development budget is devoted to formulating technology to benefit those who partake in green lawn services. What applicator is best? Will it freeze, thaw and still work? While the company manufactures the majority of its products, it often licenses or buys intellectual property from smaller companies and research institutions and then tweaks it—a trickier task with naturals, a broad term for ingredients derived from plants, animals and minerals. There are just not as many people working on green products for lawn care. And the ones that are don't always understand the biology of pests.

This year, for instance, Scotts introduced an insect killer under its new Ecosense label whose active ingredient is soybean oil. Scotts bought the technology from a small North Carolina company and set about speeding up its pest knockdown time, which was clocking in at an uncomfortable one minute. (Under 30 seconds is the goal, and 10 seconds is on par with non-natural solutions). A popular test subject: the hearty American cockroach, which Scotts keeps in large supply and feeds a diet of mostly dog food and apples.

Scotts used the Ecosense insecticide to demonstrate knockdown time of less than 30 seconds on a fat cockroach that jerked about briefly before growing still. (Researchers believe soybean oil thwarts pests' breathing.) The speed is an achievement for scientists, who, through repeated reformulations, halved the number of ingredients needed—making it less expensive to produce—while also improving its efficacy.

The bioherbicide, which interrupts the plants' ability to photosynthesize, is also looking promising. Scotts's researchers point to 3-by-3-foot plots of ailing dandelions and clover treated with the product adjacent to plots treated with Scotts's tried-and-true chemical weapon, Weed-B-Gon. The "injury," as scientists call it, is nearly identical.

Other natural herbicides are sold in the U.S. from well-known brands such as Jonathan Green and Safer, though many must be applied in significant quantities as pre-emergent weed suppressants or are non-selective, meaning they also kill grass. A Montreal-based company sells a fungus-based selective weed killer aimed at dandelions.

Scotts says its bioherbicide will be aimed at a variety of broad-leafed weeds and won't harm grass. It plans to launch the product first in a granular spot-control format to apply after weeds come up and is working on a pre-emergent formulation and a "weed and feed" product with fertilizer.

These new natural weed killers are the holy grail of organic lawn care. It's not about how to grow grass. It's about how not to grow weeds.

Some environmental advocates remain circumspect about Scotts's plans, suggesting a better natural route is to improve soil conditions so grass and plants can fight weeds and disease on their own.

Many environmentalists have been calling to replace lawns with native plants that don't consume as much water or fertilizer—a direct assault on Scotts's core business. Its response? New grass seeds and soils that conserve moisture, and fertilizers that require lower application rates. For instance, its "Water Smart" EZ Seed introduced this year contains coconut-fiber "coir technology" that helps seeds absorb eight times their weight in water.

Also, Americans spend more than three billion hours per year using lawn mowers and garden equipment. Our lineup of Scotts reel mowers, brill reel mowers, sunlawn reel mowers, push reel mowers and classic reel mowers is leading the eco-friendly reel mower movement, making it easy and enjoyable for any individual to eliminate their climate impact and transform lawn mowing to a clean future and more enjoyable experience. Please help us shift the consumer turf care industry towards more sustainable practices with reel lawn mowers and green lawn mowers.

Mow Power, Less Gass
It's gardening season. New eco-tools boast their earth-friendliness but how will they stack up against traditional gas-guzzlers? Wendy Bounds investigates.
Story from the Wall Street Journal

Over the past month, I've trimmed my grass four times, sliced firewood with a chainsaw, torn up lawn to reseed and weed-whacked my overgrown two-acre property.

And I haven't used a single drop of gasoline.

It's shaping up to be the summer of the "alternative energy" outdoor power tools and lawn care machinery. From battery mowers and garden cultivators to a new propane-propelled string trimmer, manufacturers and retailers are rolling out consumer machines that run on gas substitutes and boast lower emissions and fewer maintenance headaches.

Right now, Ariens Co. of Brillion, Wis., is introducing its $3,299 "AMP Rider" electric-motor mower that works off rechargeable lead-acid batteries and never needs an oil-change. Valley City, Ohio-based MTD Products Inc.'s Troy-Bilt brand just launched a $169 seven-pound lithium-ion battery trimmer it says can run up to 45 minutes on a single charge. And Vergennes, Vt.-based Country Home Products Inc., known for its futuristic Neuton brand battery push lawn mowers, just added four new tools with interchangeable nickel-cadmium batteries to its lineup, including a $109 chainsaw.

Meantime, home-improvement retailers are allocating more shelf space for these eco mowers and other eco machines, lured by slowing sales of gas models and robust interest in alternative-fuel models. At Home Depot Inc., 2008 was a record year, with double-digit sales growth, for non-gas outdoor equipment.

Two factors are driving the trend, says Wesley Neece, Home Depot senior merchant for lawn and garden: the greening of America and lingering caution about rising gas prices. Home Depot sells a range of items from corded and battery-powered push mowers to a trimmer just out from Los Angeles-based Lehr Inc. that's fueled by a small 16.4-ounce propane canister. Home Depot is just beginning to sell the Ariens battery AMP Rider online.

"There's a lot of innovation with battery technologies," Mr. Neece says. "There are longer run times, better performance, and then you have prices coming down. Everything is happening at once."

This market may get more heated thanks to newly proposed legislation that would offer consumers a 25% tax credit up to $1,000 toward the purchase of environmentally friendly lawn, garden or forestry power equipment. The "Greener Gardens Act" was introduced late last month by Sen. Patrick Leahy (D., Vt.) and two other U.S. congressional delegates from Vermont. It is designed to provide "immediate incentive for people to purchase clean, alternative fuel engines that ... operate on little or no fossil fuel."

While non-gas, corded and non-corded consumer power equipment has been around for years, the breadth of the offerings is fast-expanding. Towson, Md.-based Black & Decker Corp., which first introduced a battery push mower in 1970, recently has been expanding its line of outdoor tools with interchangeable 18-volt nickel-cadmium battery packs to include everything from a power scrubber for washing boats and cars, to a pruning saw. Marketing focuses on convenience and ease-of-maintenance as much as the environment.

"We now sell more dollars worth of cordless string trimmers than the corded one," says Joe Newland, Black & Decker's product manager for outdoor products. "There are tradeoffs, and what you lose in power, you gain in convenience and weight." He notes that female buyers are a particularly robust audience for gas-less tools. "They don't want to start with filling it. They just want to use it."

But it's the entrance of high-end gas tool makers such as Ariens and Sweden's Husqvarna Group to this consumer niche in the U.S. that signals the most notable strategy shift. This season, Husqvarna is introducing to its U.S. dealers an $899 rugged soil cultivator run off a single large lead-acid battery. The company also just launched an "EcoSmart" marketing campaign highlighting products that lessen their impact on the environment, such as its manual push reel mowers (U.S. sales almost doubled in 2008), and its solar-battery hybrid robot "Automower."

Part of the rush to develop new non-gasoline technologies is driven by increasingly tighter exhaust-emissions standards for outdoor power equipment. Last fall, the Environmental Protection Agency issued new rules requiring a 35% reduction in emissions from new lawn and garden equipment over the next few years. "I would describe the alternative fuel market as emerging and growing," says Kris Kiser, executive vice president of the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute, an Alexandria, Va.-based trade group.

Still, manufacturers express caution about going cold turkey off gas in certain high-demand, heavy-use categories, lest performance suffer and dilute their brands. "A push mower, if it is going to have our name on it, it needs to be more robust than a cultivator," says Gent Simmons, a U.S. product manager for Husqvarna. "We are testing a very powerful premium battery push mower, and we are very close. But before we launch, the quality expectation has to be there."

Likewise Stihl Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of Germany's Stihl International GmbH, is proceeding cautiously with alternative-fuel machines while focusing on getting emissions down in its popular gas-powered chainsaws and blowers and beefing up corded electric equipment offerings. "It's one of those things where we want to be careful," says Roger Phelps, Stihl's promotional communications manager. "One thing customers are demanding is for performance to still be there. It's cool to have a battery-operated mower, but if it only gets halfway across the yard, that's not very cool."

So, just how far can you get on a single charge? For several weeks, I've been testing some of the newest and best-selling players in the category around my property.

The good news: In nearly every case, the batteries' duration was better than advertised. (Notably, these were new batteries.) Despite having a garage full of loyal gas models I mostly love (a Stihl chainsaw, an Echo trimmer and backpack blower, and Honda push mower), I relished not running to the gas station, cleaning a spark arrestor screen (don't ask) or fishing out a fuel filter for replacement this year. In some instances, the eco-tools' performance exceeded my expectations; I'd never have thought a small battery chainsaw could slice through an eight-inch trunk of Cherry tree without getting stuck. (For more on each machine's performance, see accompanying chart, as well as video at WSJ.com.)

Video: Watch Wendy Bounds test out some "green" outdoor power tools.

• Wood-Splitting: April 23, 2009
• Home Future-Proofing: March 5, 2009
• Snowblower Testing: Jan. 15, 2009
• Going Organic With Lawncare: July 7, 2007

The new $3,299 Ariens AMP Rider was the priciest and most ambitious entrant. It cut grass evenly and drove smoothly, save an awkward reverse pedal and some huffing and puffing on certain hills. Its small size was comfortable for a tall woman's frame, and even though its motor had a tinge of whininess, I could hold a conversation without screaming while mowing. That's what I call organic lawn care.

The challenge for the AMP will be cost and winning over heftier gas-rider enthusiasts accustomed to the power of their machines. After three or four years, Ariens says the batteries will need to be replaced -- at a current cost of about $749. However, the company says that price-tag is comparable to the $200 in annual savings users will reap based on not needing gas (based on $3 a gallon), oil, replacement filters, spark plugs and annual maintenance checkups. Chief Executive Dan Ariens says early retail signs for the AMP "are fairly good," given the state of the economy and the unit's price.

Click Image to Enlarge

The battery push mowers I tested are cheaper ($400 to $500). My biggest beef was weight. While the two models, from Neuton and Black & Decker, cut well, didn't spew smelly fumes and started on a dime, at 70 to 76 pounds, respectively, they felt heavy on hilly turf. Neither was self-propelling though there are such models on the market, such as the Solaris brand.

By contrast, a new svelte 27-pound electric model called the "Mow Joe" from Edison, N.J.-based Snow Joe Co. was a breeze to lug around. But it needs a cord, which is cumbersome, and will cut to a Marine-style 2.4 inches. In the end, I still liked the old-school approach to groom my 3,500-square-foot lawn eco-style: a 34-pound push reel mower. It wasn't fancy, and I broke a sweat. Otherwise, it didn't cost a dime in energy.

This eco-tool trend doesn't look to end with summer. Due out for cold weather: a battery-powered snowblower from Ariens that its CEO says hurls snow farther in early tests than comparable gas models. Lehr says it will introduce a propane backpack blower this fall. And later this year, Husqvarna plans to launch a U.S. zero-turn radius mower run off propane, while Hustler Turf Equipment, a division of Hesston, Kan.-based Excel Industries Inc., is readying an all-electric zero-turn riding lawnmower called the "Zeon."

My gas machines are starting to look a little nervous.

Organic Lawn Care Is Changing Our Routines
Story from the Boston Globe

After six months free from the whir of a four-stroke engine, we'll soon hear that herald of spring, the lawnmower. With it comes thoughts of lawn-care programs, watering regimens, and glances over the fence to see if the grass really is greener.

These days, thanks to the growing demand and interest in all things organic, homeowners are rethinking their lawns. Eco-sensitive natural lawn care is, increasingly, in. Conventional chemicals are out. But it's not just that a natural lawn is better for the environment, kids, and pets. In the long run, it's also cheaper, according to Paul Tukey, a spokesman for SafeLawns.org, a nonprofit organization that promotes natural lawn care.

Turns out, a natural lawn maintenance program creates a lush lawn that is more drought resistant, meaning that owners save money by watering less, and mowing frequency also drops by about 50 percent, he added.

"Even if the organic fertilizer in the first transition year might cost you a little more, when you add up the mowing and water savings plus the gas and electricity to run the pumps and motors, you actually do begin to save money," Tukey said. But here's the real question: How does it look? The short answer is pretty good - if you're willing to wait a season or two.

"It's not a miracle, it's a transition," says Peter Mahoney of Mahoney's Garden Centers and the new Mahoney's Safe Lawns and Landscapes natural lawn maintenance company. The 50-year-old family-run garden center recently joined the Safe Lawns franchise system to provide organic lawn care services in Winchester, Woburn, and Tewksbury.

The goal is to develop a dense lawn and that will take some time to create, especially if the lawn has been treated by conventional means for many years.

"It's a gradual improvement," Mahoney said. "It's about developing a thick lawn, because in a thick lawn you're not going to have the weeds, pests, and diseases."

THE TURF BATTLE
The drive for the perfectly weed-free American lawn can be traced back to 1967, Tukey said, when the Masters Golf Tournament was first broadcast in color, and Augusta National Golf Club sparkled like an emerald on televisions nationwide. Before what has been termed "the Augusta Syndrome," American lawns were peppered with "weeds" and homeowners expected it to be that way.

Of course some of those so-called weeds weren't so bad. Clover actually benefits the grass it knocks elbows with, as it fixes nitrogen from the air and makes it available to the plants around it. And true weeds, Tukey added, are Mother Nature's messengers telling us about the soil.

"The only real way to get rid of those weeds," he said, "is to get rid of the soil conditions that make those weeds want to grow, and to modify the soil so that grass does want to grow."

Scientists are doing their part to help homeowners use organic lawn care without having to rely on conventional chemicals. Grass strains such as "low-grow" and "no-grow" mixes have been developed that are naturally shorter, thicker, and more drought resistant.

Michael Sullivan, former professor of turf grass science at the University of Rhode Island and the current director of that state's Department of Environmental Management, says these low-growing grasses get the job done, although they do recover less quickly from the damage doled out by an active family.

Sullivan adds that homeowners can find lots of "green" lawn seed options now. "You don't even have to turn to current science," he said. The first step is the right plant for your need. Sullivan promotes the concept of prescriptive vegetation, or planting based on the lawn's use. Grasses such as fine-leafed fescues naturally require less water and fewer nutrients, and have deeper root systems than perennial rye grass and bluegrass. Fine-leafed fescues, then, would be a good choice for homeowners looking to trim water and fertilizer use.

LAWN CARE BASICS
Before transitioning to a natural or organic lawn care regimen, homeowners need to know some basics. You'll also need patience. Depending on the initial condition of the lawn, the transition from a conventional to a proper organic lawn can take from one to three or more years. Lawns with a healthy soil profile and a solid base of loam of four- to seven-inches deep, can transition to an organic lawn with little change in its appearance in just one growing season.

1. To start with, the soil in an organic system has to be alive to work properly. Repeated applications of chemical fertilizers kill the microorganisms that live in the soil and break down organic matter into the nutrients grass plants require. A lawn's microbial population must be reestablished. Compost and compost tea, which naturally contain these microorganisms, can help replenish those population levels.

2. A soil test is necessary to determine your soil's pH and its subsequent nutrient requirements. Also, determine what type of soil you have (Loam? Hardpan clay?) and how much of it. If you have to improve your soil conditions, you can begin a full-scale renovation right away, or slowly transition your soil profile by raking in one-half inch of compost through the entire lawn twice the first year. This added compost will increase the soil's water holding capacity and add nutrients.

3. Water your lawn deeply (one inch of water) and infrequently (once per week). This encourages roots to grow deep into the ground.

4. Grass clippings are good for the lawn. An Ohio State University study showed that 50 percent of your lawn's fertilizer is returned to the soil when grass clippings are left to biodegrade back into the soil, Tukey said. If you haven't mowed your lawn in a while, it's fine to remove those unsightly clumps and place into a compost pile.

5. Maintain your lawn's height at 3 inches. This is slightly shaggier than today's conventional 2 to 2 1/2 inch lawn. The taller grass shades the soil beneath. In early spring, this shade prevents the seeds of crabgrass and other weeds from germinating. Also, a 3 inch or taller lawn in summer prevents the lawn from drying as quickly as a shorter lawn.

LESS IS MORE
Bruce Wenning, a horticulturist at the Country Club in Chestnut Hill, former Massachusetts Audubon grounds manager, and a board member of the Ecological Landscape Association, suggests homeowners keep their transition to an organic lawn as simple as possible.

"I've known people to put a lot of organic compounds on a lawn, mimicking what a chemical lawn services company would do," Wenning says. "You're not getting any better lawn [with the additional amendments] in my opinion, so beware being sold too many organic products the first year."

What if you're interested in going greener, but you're not quite ready to go all natural when it comes to your lawn? Wenning said you can ease into it.

"Some may want to take the organic approach, but just can't stand the weeds" already present in their lawn, he said. In that case, it's possible in early spring to apply a conventional pre-emergent weed killer to suppress new weed growth, and to proceed organically from that point.

"It's not really organic, but an integrated approach where you have the choice to use the chemical if you'd like," Wenning said. Think of it as a baby step toward a truly organic lawn.

A Top-Notch Summer Lawn Takes Year-Round Effort
As Posted to 27East.com

April may be designated as National Lawn Care Month, but experts who focus on creating and maintaining beautiful and healthy lawns believe that every month is equally important for the goal at hand.

For local professionals such as Dave Greene and Pam Healey, lawn care is a year-round process. Put simply, different times call for specific types of care for the best, most vigorous lawns.

According to Mr. Greene, the owner of Southampton-based Dave Green Estate Care, which is partnered with Southampton-based Ray Smith Landscaping, achieving a vibrant lawn takes knowledge, patience and upkeep throughout the year. Ms. Healey, the manager of Lynch’s Garden Center in Southampton, agrees that lawn maintenance is a four-season job.

But springtime is the time of year when the outdoors come into focus for many East Enders—whether because the weather is more temperate, or in anticipation of the coming months of the Hamptons high season—and lawns become a major priority. Having a lush lawn instantly elevates the perceived value of a property, but there are also more practical reasons for cultivating a thriving carpet of green.

“Of course there are so many benefits of a healthy lawn,” Ms. Healey said in an interview at Lynch’s last week. “There’s a feeling of well-being, it looks better than the neighbors’, personal satisfaction, and it’s important for the environment,” she said.

While looking over a client’s yard in Southampton Village, Mr. Greene echoed Ms. Healey’s thoughts about the environmental significance of healthy organic lawn care: “Lawn is one of nature’s biggest and best sponges; it absorbs nutrients and water and a healthy lawn is extremely beneficial to the environment.”

According to information provided by the Professional Landcare Network (PLANET), an international association for the lawn care industry, healthy lawns produce oxygen, cool the atmosphere, filter out environmental contaminants, protect against erosion, and significantly increase property values.

PLANET estimates that lawns remove 5 percent of the carbon dioxide in the air and that a 50-foot by 50-foot plot of lawn will produce enough oxygen for a family of four. According to data supplied by PLANET, eight healthy lawns provide the same approximate “cooling effect” as 16 homes running their air conditioning.

Additionally, PLANET literature states that healthy lawns trap more than 12 million tons of dust and dirt annually. A dense, robust lawn also slows water runoff— removing contaminants and trapping soil—and returns fresh, filtered water to the underground supply.

“Lawns are not only beautiful, they’re environmentally effective,” PLANET President John Gibson wrote in a press release about the importance of National Lawn Care Month. “Homeowners need to be proactive in April and put together a lawn care program to ensure that their lawns will be healthy and beautiful throughout the year.”

Mr. Greene said he understands the needs of his East End clients, as well as the importance of vigilant lawn care. “Everyone wants green and lush in the heat of the summer, which we kind of force to stay alive and green,” he said. “Our job is trying to find that balance.”

Before undertaking any kind of treatment or maintenance regimen, Mr. Greene said it’s important to know about the makeup of the soil and grass. “We’re very big on soil testing and customized programs,” he said. “Otherwise treating a lawn without that knowledge is sort of like driving a car blindfolded.”

Patience is critical when trying to find the right balance for a healthy and vibrant lawn, Mr. Greene said. “You’re always tweaking the system, you can’t do it all at once,” he said. “It’s like turning a big battleship around: it’s a process.”

According to Ms. Healey, there are two types of soil on the East End, clay and sand, and different treatments are needed for each type of soil. “Clay you need to aerate and sandy you water more often,” she said.

The most popular East End grass types are Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryes and fine fescues, Mr. Greene said, adding that he usually sees a blend of the three.

As for upkeep, Mr. Greene said that he prefers to customize programs to the needs of each specific lawn, but he follows a general schedule of fertilization in September and May, aeration in fall and spring, weed and crabgrass control in April, and broad leaf, dandelion and clover control in October. Summertime, he said, is for monitoring such things as water, disease, fungus, pest control, weed control and grass length.

For the non-professionals tending to lawns, a good rule of thumb for when to start applying herbicides is around April 15, or when the forsythia is in full bloom, Ms. Healey said. She agreed that the best time to seed or fertilize is when the air is cool and the earth is relatively warm in the fall and spring months. She added that new Suffolk County legislation makes it illegal to fertilize between the months of November and April to avoid runoff due to decreased absorption from the cold ground.

Keeping the grass at the healthiest length and controlling the water supply are also key, Mr. Greene reported. He said that though most generally agree that cutting the grass once a week is the routine, the best thing for the grass is never to cut more than 1/3 of the blade during lawn care. Proper watering is also important, which many non-professionals fail to understand.

“Overwatering is one of the biggest things we see ... More plants are killed by overwatering than probably anything else,” he said, adding that excess moisture creates a breeding ground for blight. “Water every day is like putting gas on a fire, it provides more fuel for fungus.”

Lawns should be watered deeply and infrequently, according to both Mr. Greene and Ms. Healey.

Keeping a healthy balance throughout the year is important for everybody, whether they are year-round residents or seasonal visitors, Mr. Greene said. “If you want a good lawn in the summer, you better do the right thing in the spring and fall as well.”

Hiring Pros For A Lusher Lawn

As Originally Posted at The Wall Street Journal

In some parts of the country, patches of lawn are peeking through mounds of snow. So we're preparing for one rite of spring: The quest to turn some noticeable brown spots into lush lawn.

For this task, we turned to professional lawn care companies -- both national and local -- to hear their plans for our yard. We were looking for personal attention and a customized plan to treat a few problem spots in our yard. We also wanted to explore options for organic lawn-care products.

About 25% of Americans pay for professional lawn-care services, according to Bruce Butterfield, research director of the National Gardening Association. These companies specialize in periodic fertilizer applications, along with weed and pest control. Some also offer things like tree pruning, snow removal, mowing and gardening.

Many companies offer organic options to lawn care, but it can be confusing as to what that means. Organic fertilizers are available, but it can be more expensive. The options are fewer for organic weed and insect controls, so some lawn-care customers request a partially organic approach, with organic fertilizers and minimal amounts of synthetic weed and pest controls.

The five companies we contacted -- TruGreen, Lawn Doctor, Scotts LawnService, SavaTree and Second Nature -- said this is a good time for homeowners to research lawn maintenance, because the first treatments in the Northeast are usually applied in late March or early April. Mr. Butterfield of the gardening association advised us to find a company that looks at the "lawn system" holistically, instead of "just doing the treatment, coming back in six weeks, and doing it again." So that's what we set out to do.

First we contacted TruGreen, a company we've used at our Connecticut home for the past seven years. The company has been responsive when we've had particular problems -- like those annoying brown spots, but technicians haven't suggested customized or organic lawn care tailored to our problem areas. This year, our annual contract arrived in the mail with an option to prepay and get a discount. It was a nice option, but we would have liked some personal contact.

TruGreen is a national company based in Memphis, Tenn., with 278 locations across the country -- and more than 3.4 million residential and commercial customers. For our lawn, we were quoted a rate of $71.69 each for six fertilizer applications a year. The annual treatment plan also recommends grub and insect prevention, aeration and seeding to promote new growth, for an additional $448.26. In our area, TruGreen says, the application fee for its organic option is the same as for the non-organic blend, but that in other parts of the country, the organic option can cost as much as 60% more.

The TruGreen spokeswoman said fewer than 5% of its customers use their organic program nationally. "We're beginning to be able to communicate more with our customers on options for lawn care," she added.

The next national chain, Marysville, Ohio-based Scotts LawnService, gave us a proposal over the phone without seeing the property. A Scotts spokeswoman later explained that technicians typically don't visit a home to give quotes for seasonal applications, since the lot-size information is "easily calculated" using Google Earth and other online tools.

Based on Scotts' estimates, our lawn-treatment plan would consist of a first fertilizer treatment at $59.95, then four more at $97, plus a grub preventive at $205. Like TruGreen, Scotts has organic options, but we had to ask about them. Organic fertilizer treatments would start at $59.95, just like the fertilizers with weed control, but then would cost either $170.90 each (which includes pest control) or $143.40 (without pest control) for the four remaining treatments. The company says grub control is a non-organic treatment.

Overall, the company representatives were friendly and seemed informed about local conditions, but the process felt a bit bureaucratic, rather than personal.

The third national chain we spoke with, Lawn Doctor, offered the best combination of service and pricing of all the services we tested. The assistant general manager who came to our house was attentive and promised that his brother would be our technician. He stressed that the company was able to customize its products based on our lawn type and said it could use organic fertilizers for four of the six treatments. (The first two treatments are only partially organic because they include a weed killer.) He also said the treatments would specifically target problem areas for weeds and insects. The price: $70.55 each for six basic fertilizer treatments, with free service calls.

In our region, SavaTree, with 20 branches in eight states along the East Coast, has made a name for being green. Greg Huse, an arborist, came to our home and explained that his company offers fully organic and partially organic lawn services -- in addition to traditional treatments that use weed and insect controls. Mr. Huse was the only lawn-care person we met who specifically raised the idea of treating different parts of our yard differently, pointing out that we should have "shade seeding" under a white pine in our backyard.

SavaTree's proposal was far more expensive than TruGreen's and Scotts', with an application costing $134. Add $476 a year for the aeration and overseeding treatment. But we really liked the personal attention. Mr. Huse also said he would take a free soil sample if we signed up with his company, which would help the company further refine our treatment plan.

Another call went to Stamford, Conn.-based Second Nature. This company's approach initially felt similar to SavaTree's, though they seemed particularly eager to provide a broader range of services, and stressed their scientific approach to the biology of the lawn. The company uses "synthetic control products" -- again non-organic weed and insect controls -- if the homeowner wants them. But the company says its emphasis is on making sure the lawn is healthy down to the roots and not just green on the top. To that end, technicians apply a special "compost tea" that is used to feed the lawn, says company President Jeffrey Thrasher.

We wound up requesting a proposal for Second Nature's basic lawn-care service, as well as its property-management program, which includes everything from lawn care to snow blowing. The fertilizer applications came in at $116 each, less than SavaTree but significantly higher than the national chains. The lawn aeration and overseeding treatment came in at $735.

In the end, we were disappointed with the limited options for a truly organic lawn. And we were equally dismayed that no one who came to look at our lawn took a soil sample before giving us a proposal -- something Mr. Butterfield says would help lawn-care companies figure out what really should be put down on each lawn. Still, two of the companies -- Second Nature and SavaTree -- said technicians always take soil samples before starting to treat lawns. And Lawn Doctor said it takes soil samples when the customer requests it -- or when the lawn looks off to the salesperson or the technician.

COMPANY/WEB SITE	PLAN	ADDITIONAL SERVICES	COMMENT
Second Nature Tree & Landscape Co. secondnaturetlc.com	$696 a year for six applications that are partially organic. (Weed and pest control chemicals are not organic.) Core aeration and overseeding in the autumn is an additional $735.	Tree and shrubs services, some gardening, spring and fall cleanups, gutter cleaning, winter oversight and snow plowing.	A company representative arrived early for our appointment and spent ample time discussing our needs and options. We liked the personal attention. If we bought the whole package, he said he'd come by once a week, just to check on things.
Scotts LawnService scottslawnservice.com	$652.95 with a 5% discount if we prepay; core aeration and overseeding an additional $532.	Tree and shrub services; outdoor flea and tick applications.	We sent an email requesting information and received a quote within an hour -- the company calculated yard dimensions using Web tools. A written plan took a few weeks to arrive and came after we called and asked to have it faxed to us. The company has organic lawn-care services, but representatives didn't mention them.
Lawn Doctor lawndoctor.com	Six fertilizer applications and one grub-prevention application for $627.85. Core aeration and overseeding added another $360.	Tree and shrub care, tick control.	The representative showed up early for his appointment, and then called twice in the days following his visit to see if we had questions and whether we were interested in signing up. His brother would be our technician, so we felt there was strong personal service.
SavaTree and SavaLawn savatree.com	Six fertilizer applications at $134 each; grub control for $162; $178 for lime application; and $476 for core aeration and overseeding. Basic treatments in the fully organic program come in about 30% higher.	General tree and shrub care, but no perennials, annuals or other landscaping.	The arborist who came to our house for a first visit addressed our environmental concerns -- but said that if we skipped the pesticides, our lawn won't look the way we're accustomed to it looking.
TruGreen www.trugreen.com	$877.40 for fertilization, aeration and seeding treatments for the year. We were offered a 5% discount for prepaying in midwinter.	Tree and shrub care, tick treatment.	TruGreen, our current lawn-service company, sent out its price list, but nobody came to see how our lawn weathered the winter. Organic options, while available, have never been raised with us. Still, in past years, the company has sent technicians to our home when we've had questions about our lawn.

Lawn Doctor Offers Top 5 Tips for DIY Lawn Care

Last year, 33 million American households took care of their own lawns rather than hiring professional lawn services. This year, according to a January poll conducted by the National Gardening Association, home gardening is expected to increase by 20 percent. Lawn Doctor, the nation's leading expert in lawn care since 1967, has compiled a Top Five list to help new do-it-yourselfers achieve beautiful results.

"Many homeowners try to save money and tend to lawn care themselves, but end up skipping crucial steps that are routine for us to keep a lawn lush and healthy," said Lawn Doctor Director of Technical Services, John Buechner. "Spring lawns require extra care following harsh winter temperatures and dormant growth." Here are the Top Five Little Known Spring Lawn Maintenance Tips:

1. Grass-cycle: As part of an organic lawn care program, simply allow grass clippings to remain on the lawn after mowing. It saves time on clean-up and allows for nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium to return to the soil as clippings decompose. This can be done easily by removing the lawn mower bag and is the ultimate organic solution in lawn care.

2. Check thatch levels: This is the layer of dead plant material tightly interwoven between the roots and the tops of living grass. Excessive thatch is caused by too much fertilization and over-watering. Use a soil probe or hand shovel to loosen and remove any thatch more than one-half inch thick.

3. Apply pre-emergents: Spring is the ideal time to control undesirable grasses like crabgrass, goosegrass and foxtail before they start to grow and cause problems. Common pre-emergents are available at home repair and hardware stores; be careful to apply as instructed.

4. Optimize pH levels in soil: Soil pH levels reflect nutrients available in the soil to promote healthy lawn growth. A pH level of 6.5 is ideal for most turfgrasses, where readings under 6.0 indicate additional lime is needed and a reading above 7.0 indicates the soil lacks sulfur. An essential part of any complete lawn care program, tests can be conducted by services like Lawn Doctor or by homeowners using kits available at most garden centers.

5. Check for diseases and bugs: Following a winter thaw, a grub-damaged lawn will show large, irregular sections of brown turf that will easily detach from the soil. Replace and re-establish the turf in those areas and then treat with a grub prevention product. Disease can be more difficult to diagnose; professionals should evaluate questionable areas to determine proper treatment.

Prevention is always less expensive than treatment when it comes to lawn care. For homeowners not comfortable or familiar with DIY lawn projects, professionals like Lawn Doctor can treat and maintain a lush green lawn for about the cost of a monthly cable bill.

About Lawn Doctor

For 41 years, Lawn Doctor has been a pioneer in the nation's lawn services industry with innovative equipment, scientifically proven fertilization and horticultural methods and personal attention to each customer's lawn through locally owned and operated franchises. Through its comprehensive Web site, Lawn Doctor is a top resource for lawn care information in the country. For additional information on winter lawn care and mower maintenance visit www.lawndoctor.com .

This press release was issued through 24-7PressRelease.com.

Spring Lawn Care Tips For A Perfect Summer Yard

It's time once again to plan your Spring lawn care regime. A new article from News-Record gives helpful lawn care hints for prepping a perfect yard, including lawn maintenance tips for mowers, fertilizers, weeds, soil testing, and seeding. Starting a natural lawn care program now can ensure many Summer months of backyard barbecues and family get togethers on a healthy green lawn you can be proud of. For more specialized lawn services contact your local lawn professionals and begin making the most of your outdoor environment.

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It won't be long before you hear those lawn mowers being put to work. The arrival of spring is not far away, which means it's time to get that lawn back in shape. The main purpose of spring lawn care is to get the grass through the summer months. Cool-season grasses such as the fescues need to develop a strong root system in order to survive our summer heat and the often dry conditions.

Ideally, the best time to renovate a lawn would be in the fall, giving you 7 to 8 months to encourage strong roots before summer conditions. Starting lawn care in the spring only allows for a couple of months growth before our demanding environmental conditions.

Don't fret -- there are several practices that you can undertake this spring to make sure your lawn has the best chance.

Read Entire Article

The Absentee Lawnlord

After years of pitched battle, a homeowner reaches détente with her grass.

This summer, all has been strangely quiet on my yard's southwestern front.

It's the site where, three years ago, I launched a campaign to convert my lawn to organic care. That meant substituting toxic or synthetic chemicals to combat weeds and foster growth with natural ingredients from plant, animal and mineral sources such as corn gluten meal, seaweed extract and worm waste. In the heat of battle, I tested some wild weapons -- a flamethrower to toast weeds known as plantains and a drill attachment called the Dandelion Terminator that rips out the hearts of those yellow intruders. When weeds fought back my neighbors mocked; more than once, I considered surrendering.

But now, a welcome détente has set in. My grass is holding its own and looks good enough that visitors offer compliments -- a first at my house. I accept, although a bit reluctantly, because the truth is, I've been an absentee lawn warrior this year. All I managed to do this season was to fertilize and toss down some corn gluten to inhibit weed growth. There are still some patches of surly plantains and crabgrass, but nothing that two hours of hand-weeding and some extra grass seed won't fix this fall. And no watering has been necessary -- we've had decent rainfall but organic lawns are also notably drought-resistant -- and I mow about two to three times a month. In short, my lawn regimen has become boring.

This is what the experts promised when I first started chronicling my foray in this newspaper. "Year three, that's your turning point," said Scott Meyer, editor of Organic Gardening magazine, back in 2006. Along the way, readers offered creative solutions to keep spirits high, from dousing weeds with boiling water to eating them.

Today, however, the industry is moving well beyond homespun remedies. By year's end, Home Depot says it will voluntarily stop selling traditional chemical pesticides and herbicides in all its Canadian stores, replacing them with green alternatives as more of that country's communities ban pesticides for residential cosmetic use. Here in the U.S., the retailer says the organic category continues to blossom, with "double-digit" sales increases in organic landscaping products. And industry leader Scotts Miracle-Gro, which already sells an Organic Choice lawn fertilizer, says it will launch a full U.S. line of natural lawn products as soon as next year, complete with weed and pest controls. The company already offers such products in Europe and Canada.

"The emerging technology is increasingly encouraging," says Jim King, Scotts's vice president of corporate affairs.

Just how well new products like Organic Choice work, and how much educational and marketing muscle the company puts behind them, will be critical to taking the organic lawn movement more mainstream. While interest has surged -- today, 12 million households say they use only all-natural products on their lawns and gardens, about double the number in 2004 -- that's still a small fraction of the 100 million U.S. households with yards or gardens, according to the National Gardening Association. Partly, people accustomed to quick fixes with traditional pesticides and fertilizers still don't understand how natural products work. When asked, a mere 14% of people said they felt knowledgeable about organic lawn care, according to a 2008 NGA study.

In fact, organic care is pretty simple: Get soil healthy and pH-balanced using compost and other amendments so it fosters grass growth; the grass then crowds out weeds and doesn't require chemicals. But some skeptical homeowners think going "organic" is the same as doing nothing. I wondered too, and so when I started my quest, I left a large test area of the lawn untouched. Today, it's almost all weeds and there's a noticeable line between where the organically treated lawn begins and ends.

Perhaps the largest hurdle organic proponents face are long-held attitudes about what makes an attractive yard. In Harmony Sustainable Landscapes Inc. in Bothell, Wash., has offered three tiers of service for 10 years: "No Weeds," "Minimum Pesticides" and "Completely Organic." Today, about 60% of customers are still in the middle, wanting to decrease their environmental and health impact but still asking for a spot application of herbicides once a year. While corn gluten inhibits root development of weeds when they are germinating, there currently is no truly effective organic herbicide that can kill existing weeds but not the grass around it. "Weeds drive people crazy," says In Harmony co-owner Ladd Smith.

This perception has pitted neighbor against neighbor, with organic advocates likening pesticide use to second-hand smoke and the other side complaining about dandelion drift from the au naturals' lawns. Unlike Canada, all but nine U.S. states currently forbid local lawmakers from enacting residential pesticides bans because they would pre-empt looser state laws.

But that could change as homeowners become increasingly concerned about the health ramifications of the paint they spread, the countertops they install or the glue in the cabinets they hang. Earlier this year, a bill was introduced in California to restore local communities' rights to ban pesticides. And data from institutions such as the Mayo Clinic and the Harvard School of Public Health linking pesticides to Parkinson's and certain cancers in pets are further fueling the organic movement.

Paul Tukey, founder of SafeLawns.org, has been on the road since 2006 promoting organics. Five years ago, he says, he'd have been "chewed up and spit out." Now, 38 states later, he says audiences "greet me like a hero with answers.'"

And in a growing number of areas, large lawns are simply becoming passé. At In Harmony, an increasing number of clients are requesting lawns be substituted with indigenous plants and vegetable gardens. For my part, that's starting to seem like a more interesting and financially fruitful challenge -- at day's end, I'd be rewarded with something I can consume, as well as gawk at. Talk about impressing the dinner guests.

By: Gwendolyn Bounds
Wall Street Journal; August 23, 2008