Although there is much to be said for the lawn-free garden I still love my lawn. I have much admiration for folks who decide to replace their lawn with a garden but I still like to see an area of rich green dividing and complementing my flowerbeds and borders. And besides, I am yet to discover a plant that is as tough and versatile as the new grass plants available to Ontario gardeners. This is why I have made it my business to find a low maintenance, organic and environmentally friendly method of achieving this goal.
Whether you are establishing a new lawn with fresh sod in a brand new neighbourhood or maintaining an established lawn in order to maintain good colour density and vigour (plus resistance to disease, insects and weeds) one of the most important elements for the growth of grass is nitrogen. Ironically this is the mineral that is frequently in short supply, although most essential to the requirements of grass throughout all growth stages. The secret to a green healthy lawn is to feed it early in the season with a quality slow release nitrogen fertilizer.
Not too fast now! Note that the secret is slow release nitrogen. In many lawn fertilizers nitrogen is released rapidly and the lawn immediately responds with plenty of wonderful rapid green growth. This initial response looks good but doesn't last. It is like feeding your lawn the equivalent of a jelly donut - quick energy, big letdown.
The result of applying a cheap, fast release nitrogen fertilizer is that you need to apply it more often and much of the nitrogen that was intended for your lawn will end up running off during a heavy rainfall into the storm sewer.
I have discovered that one of the solutions to this problem is a product called Nutralene. This has been specially developed to provide a more dependable controlled-release nitrogen source for grass, thus offering a more predictable release of nitrogen sources. When included in lawn fertilizers in this form it provides a more even growth throughout the growing season, rendering enough nitrogen to keep your lawn healthy for up to twelve weeks.
Nitrogen is released in three ways - after the addition of water, as spring time temperatures rise, and when micro-organisms break down the product into simple forms. Consequently when you water your lawn, or after a rain shower, it gives your grass an automatic kick-start at the beginning of the growing season. Thereafter minute soil bacteria gradually get to work, slowly breaking down the product over a sustained period of time.
Another benefit of slow-release nitorgen in this form is that it provides safe nitrogen feeding during hot weather due to the low salt index. Therefore the lawn remains green even during high temperatures because nitrogen continues to be released through microbial action. During cooler temperatures it still provides excellent nitrogen release, as it is not completely weather-dependent.
Another reason why I like this product is the fact that it is environmentally friendly and I don't have to worry about nitrogen leaching into water sources or volatizing into the air. This is something I know you feel strongly about as you try to seek out alternative organic methods to keep your gardens looking great without damage to our vulnerable planet. It is up to us to keep it safe for generations to come.
If you really want that wonderful green garden carpet this year without heavy-duty maintenance, plus more time to sit down with the weekend newspaper, this is an excellent way to tackle the job. For further information on Nutralene and other natural/organic fertilizers for plants, vegetables, trees and shrubs -Tel: 1-800-268-2806 or visit www.cil.nu-gro.com.
Tip:
Be kind to your environment and wherever possible select natural organic methods for garden maintenance.
