FERTILIZER FACTS

FERTILIZER FACTS

FERTILIZER FACTS No matter what the source of fertilizer – be it natural, ‘organic’, synthetic, mineral, or processed – the nutrients and their resulting benefit to the plants are all the same. Following are the three key ingredients in fertilizer formulations.  These major elements are needed by all plants for healthy growth. Nitrogen:  produces green top growth, aids the ability to recover from damage and stress (heat, cold, drought). Phosphorous:  promotes good root growth and is a vital ingredient in the plant’s metabolic process.  It is also necessary for seed development. Potassium:  essential for the growth and development of the plant cells.  Also promotes increased tolerance to foot traffic. The next three nutrients are known as minor elements and are needed in minute quantities.  But their presence is essential for vital plant functions. Calcium is a structural element that is also necessary for cell division and plant growth.  Lawns that are calcium deficient are susceptible to disease. Magnesium is an essential element in the photosynthetic process that allows green leaves to turn carbon dioxide and sunlight into sugar and oxygen. Sulfur is needed to help plant utilize nitrogen.  It also functions to increase the cold tolerance of lawns.  A lack of sulfur results in stunted growth and may increase the occurrence of fungal disease. Regular proper feedings can ensure that your lawn has all the nutrients it needs. Soil Testing may also be a means of determining soil nutrient levels and possible deficiencies. Lawn Care for the well informed. If you have a lawn/tree/shrub that needs some Tender Loving Care- get The KING OF GREEN: Turf King Home Click here to Request a Quote Online - or call us at 905.318.6677 or 1.888.TURFKING (887.3546) If you would like more information, please Contact us Follow us on Twitter  http://twitter.com/turfkingofgreen Join our Facebook page   http://www.bit.ly/FacebookTK Copyright 2010 Turf King-Hamilton. All Rights Reserved.

BENEFITS of NATURAL ORGANIC FERTILIZER

Organic matter is derived from the decomposition of plant and animal residues such as harvested agricultural crops; plant vegetation like grass clippings and leaves; animal manures; or even human food residues such as garbage.  Organic decomposition, carried out by billions of micro-organisms, is all part of nature’s own recycling process.

The result of decomposition is humus, the primary component of soil organic matter.  Humus is a rich source of essential nutrients.  The nutrients are made available slowly as required by plants for vigorous growth, without loss or wastage into the environment.  Humus also contributes to soil quality by improving its physical structure, and its water and nutrient holding capacity.

Soil biological activity requires humus to continue the process of decomposition and recycling of valuable nutrients.  When soil is biologically healthy, it also contributes to the suppression of plant and soil disease.

Because organic matter (humus) is consumed during the growing season to produce lawns, gardens, landscaping and agricultural crops, it must be systematically renewed, hence, the reason for natural organic fertilizers.

Organic matter cannot be manufactured synthetically. Synthesized fertilizers supply nutrients. Organic fertilizers not only supply nutrients, they benefit the soil.

The benefits from natural organic fertilizers in plant response are greater than its value in terms of plant nutrients alone.  Long term effects on soil fertility, physical conditions and soil biology account for the added value attributed to the organic matter.


Adapted from www.bradfieldturf.ca

Weeds on Stones

Weeds have the ability to grow in some unlikely spots. We don't want weeds to grow in our lawns and we go to great lengths to keep them out and away from our tidy green patches of "our turf."

With the new Cosmetic Pesticide Ban now in place in Ontario, people are looking for ways to control weeds not only in their lawns but in other places as well. The shelves of the garden centres and hardware stores had to be empty of any of the banned pesticides by April 22, 2009.

Soon after the ban, I went into one national retailer to see what was on the shelf. No lawn weed killers but a rack with a couple hundred bottles of Roundup which contains glyphosate. Now in Ontario, glyphosate is the only active ingredient that is allowed to be used for "proscribed" uses. This includes uses such as controlling poison ivy, since this would be for health and safety and not cosmetic reasons.

I bought a bottle just to see if anyone would stop to tell me that the only place I could use the Roundup was on poison ivy. Using it to kill weeds on my driveway or on my patio would be illegal. (you wouldn't want to use glyphosate on your lawn as it is non-selective and will kill both weeds and lawn grasses.) No one stopped me or cared that I was buying Roundup. It wasn't until I left that store that I looked at my cash register tape, and there was a small note telling me to go to the provincial website to find out where this product could be used. Fine time to tell me after I bought the product.

You can buy vinegar type products in the stores now. They are basically acetic acids of varying strengths. The ready to use product is about 6% acetic acid, the household vinegar that you buy for your pickling is 5%. The packaged products may also include some citric acid to help with the weed control.

I have tried both vinegar and the packaged eco products. Both work quickly when it is sunny. Acetic acid will quickly blacken the leaves of your plants by removing the protective waxy coating on the leaves. The plant is more likely to have the leaves destroyed on a sunny day.

Acetic acid treatments work very quickly on the top part of the plant. Although grasses are less likely to be damaged, they will turn yellow and the tops will die. Fortunately, the grass will recover in about 2 weeks, 3 at the most.

Unfortunately, the weed roots are rarely destroyed, and many will regrow from the roots.

Similarly, you can use other household products to give similar effects. Household ammonia, another acid, will brown clover leaves, at least temporarily, while the lawn will recover. Baking soda is alkaline, and will create condition in the soil that make it harder to grow plants. Here the lawn is also affected.

In areas where no plants are desired such as along the driveway, a solution of water and salt will also kill off the top of the plants.

Any products that are used in these situations should be used with care and caution. Preparing, storing, and using homemade pesticides could pose risks to your health and the environment.

Please read Health Canada's article on Homemade pesticides.

If you have a lawn/tree/shrub that needs some Tender Loving Care- get The KING OF GREEN, the King of Lawn Care:

Turf King Home

Click here to Request a Quote Online -

or call us at 905.318.6677 or 1.888.TURFKING (887.3546)

If you would like more information, please Contact us

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Copyright 2009 Turf King-Hamilton. All Rights Reserved.

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Fall Lawns Look Great

Fall is a great time for lawns. The flower gardens have grown to their fullest extent and add a bright and cheery spot of colour. The lawns themselves are enjoying the cooler night time temperatures. The soil is cooler so grass roots are able to grow and take up nutrients and moisture easily.

And if your lawn is not looking as good as you like, fall is a excellent season to start the process to a better lawn next year. A lawn program with a top quality lawn fertilizer is an important key to improving your lawn. A fertilizer that is slow release will feed the lawn slowly- a little at a time. Less expensive (cheap) fertilizers are like expecting your lawn to live off a Thanksgiving feast for the next two months. Better fertilizers don't feed the lawn with a lot of nutrients all at once. They dole the nutrients out a little at a time, just as it is needed. This also helps the environment. If the turf is unable to use the nutrients, they will either get washed away or will leach down below the reach of the grass roots. By using slow release fertilizer, nutrients are not wasted.

Turf King currently uses a 75% slow release fertilizer. The components in our fertilizer will feed the lawn for up to 16 weeks or longer. The organic components take even longer for all of their nutrients to release. Organic fertilizers continue to feed plants over a much longer period of time.

Lawns that receive high quality fertilizers, will keep their green colour and remain healthier and thicker than lawns that receive lower quality fertilizers.

Turf King is the King of Green! Call today for a Free Lawn Analysis. 905.318.6677

If you have a lawn/tree/shrub that needs some Tender Loving Care- get The KING OF GREEN, the King of Lawn Care:

Turf King Home

Click here to Request a Quote Online -

or call us at 905.318.6677 or 1.888.TURFKING (887.3546)

If you would like more information, please Contact us

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Copyright 2009 Turf King-Hamilton. All Rights Reserved.

Soil Testing Time

Sometimes a report card is a good thing.

Sometimes a lawn does not appear to be doing as well as it should. There is no evidence of insects or diseases, the soil is not compacted. Even though it appears to be receiving the proper fertilization throughout the year, something seems to be lacking. Sometime taking soil samples and sending them to a professional laboratory for analysis, may uncover areas that can be improved.

Fall is a good time to test your soil. Soil analysis will show which nutrients, if any, are lacking in your turf. By seeing which nutrients are lacking, a plan of action to take corrective action can be implemented.

A pH test will determine if the soil is too acidic or not. In our area, we are sitting on a lot of limestone. Limestone will tend to generally prevent the soil from becoming too acid, but sometimes there are other factors that can influence soil pH.

The testing will also analyze the organic matter content of the soil. Organic matter is an important component of a good, healthy soil.

And a healthy soil will result in happier plants.

If you have a lawn/tree/shrub that needs some Tender Loving Care- get The KING OF GREEN, the King of Lawn Care:

Turf King Home

Click here to Request a Quote Online -

or call us at 905.318.6677 or 1.888.TURFKING (887.3546)

If you would like more information, please Contact us

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Copyright 2009 Turf King-Hamilton. All Rights Reserved.

Rusty Shoes from the Lawn

Walked across a lawn this morning. My shoes come out looking rather "rusty."

Reason: This lawn had a good crop of Rust Disease. Rusts are prevalent on lawns this time of year. Good thing my shoes were dark brown and not white. If they had been white running shoes they would have been really orange in colour. The disease is not sporulating. The grass blades are covered with the spores of the rust. They are getting ready to be blown away to land on some other lawn down stream.

Rust disease is not usually a fatal problem. Often it is due to the weather and other factors. Right now, I would say the dry weather we have been having has caused some stress to grasses. Their growth has slowed down and the Rust has had a opportunity to invade the turf tissue.

Here's another lawn where there is a big patch of Rust disease.

Solutions- Normally this disease will grow out and disappear. In the meantime it does discolour the lawn and give it an unhealthy appearance.

1 Mow the lawn higher to allow the grass to start growing

2 If necessary water the lawn to help it to start growing. Especially this year, as the last few weeks have been extremely dry. Avoid watering in the evening.

3 Depending on when you last applied fertilizer, an application to encourage the grass to grow will help the disease to be "grown" out. Make sure to use a fertilizer that is mostly slow release.

(Turf King uses a 75% slow release product-this is the best, but a 50-60% slow release is adequate for this time of year.)

4 Aerating the lawn will also encourage new roots to form. This will in turn encourage more top growth.

If you have a lawn/tree/shrub that needs some Tender Loving Care- get The KING OF GREEN:

Turf King Home

Click here to Request a Quote Online -

or call us at 905.318.6677 or 1.888.TURFKING (887.3546)

If you would like more information, please Contact us

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Copyright 2009 Turf King-Hamilton. All Rights Reserved.

Hamilton Spectator Readers' Choice Awards Vote Sept 16-25

Thanks to all who nominated us in the Hamilton Spectator 2009 Readers' Choice Awards in the Lawn Service Category. From September 16 through 25 you can vote for us as the Finalists are chosen.

At www.thespec.com Thanks for voting for us.

Still finding lots of Crane Flies. Some call them Daddy long legs. They look like Giant Mosquitoes.

If you are finding a lot of these adults . . . . we recommend treating this fall. Crane Flies females can lay up to 300 eggs. These eggs will hatch in a couple of weeks and start feeding on lawns. They nibble on roots, stems and crowns.

Here is an article from the UK where it is a huge pest. Not all of it applies, but it does give more information.

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September is the time to thicken the lawn with Overseeding . Fall is nature's seeding season for grasses. Spring is also a good time, but is always second best.

There are several ways to seed the lawn. One way is to truck in a lot of soil to topdress the areas you want to seed. After adding the soil, sprinkle the grass seed, then rake lightly. Keep well watered and moist for 2 weeks.

Another method that we generally favour is to do a core aeration first. Then apply high quality grass seed. When grass seed falls in the holes, it has a better chance of growing than seed that just sits on the surface. In the holes, it is less likely to dry out. It is better protected from the birds, too. And aerating and overseeding is a lot less expensive than moving a lot of soil.

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Top dressing is a great way to improve the soil conditions in a lawn. Turf King has a new method of applying a top dressing that is less costly than the traditional way. When you get a load of soil to topdress the lawn, you are paying for a lot of moisture in that soil. It makes the load you get bulkier. Then you need to move the soil plus the moisture to the back yard.

Better to use our Top OM Dry Topdress. This method uses materials that have been dried out. By drying out the material, there is a lot less moisture. It is less water to transport. And it can be applied with a spreader. This keeps the cost down. The lawn gets all the goodness of the OM (organic material) without the weight of the water.

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We are also seeing some Rust Fungus Disease at this time of year. I drove down one street. This lawn (not a customer's) was so heavily infested, the lawn had a big patch of orange in one corner. Maybe it was just the way the sun was facing, but it was very noticeable.

Normally, it is not that noticeable until you have walked across an infected lawn and you notice that your white running shoes are all orange. The spores from the fungus will easily come off onto your shoes.
Thankfully, Rust disease is rarely fatal. The weather conditions have a big part to play in causing this problem. Normally, we recommend raising the mowing height and if needed apply some fertilizer to help the lawn grow past the problem.

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Please call or email if we can be of any help.

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• Gerry Okimi
• Turf King Hamilton
• 95 Hempstead Dr Unit 14, Hamilton ON L8W 2Y6
• 905.318.6677
• Email: hamilton@turfking.ca
• BLOG: www.turfkinghamilton.blogspot.com
• Follow us on twitter at http://twitter.com/turfkingofgreen
• Join the FANS of Turf King Hamilton on Facebook http://bit.ly/dKbDL

See our web site www.hamilton.turfking.ca

September 11

Our thoughts are with all who have been affected by this particular event.

Let us all pause to reflect on the world we live in. How quickly it can change and how to enjoy life in the meantime.

While driving, I saw a big patch of rust fungus disease on a lawn. http://bit.ly/2ieDhE

Another customer reported they won a Pink Trillium Award. more on that another time.

At a potential customers lawn today. Saw a lawn with low nutrients, except for a few nice green spots along the drip line of a large maple. Perhaps, someone had fed the tree with tree spikes or by deep root feeding as normally this would be done at the edge of the tree. Tree fertilizing can also cause the lawn to turn greener where the tree has been fertilized. However, the spacing was rather irregular and not even.

I had noticed a lot of bird droppings along the sidewalk as I arrived. As I was leaving I realized that the 2 were connected. The green spots in the lawn were greener because they had indeed been fertilized. By the birds. The lawn had turned greener due to the nutrients in the bird droppings. The sidewalk, however did not benefit from this at all. In fact it looked rather dirtied.

The birds sitting on the tree branches have fertilized the lawn and caused their natural, organic by product to increase the lawn's green colour

Call Gerry Okimi at Turf King 905.318.6677.

Lawn care at its best. http://bit.ly/3ehXf

Environmentally Friendly Lawn Care

People are afraid that if they switch to an environmentally friendly lawn care method, they will have difficulty having beautiful green grass because of grubs or unwanted weeds. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, if you have done the ground work, you will notice that an environmentally friendly lawn care system is superior to using insecticides/pesticides for many reasons.

First of all, you will notice that once the initial work is done, this innovative lawn care method is more economical than the old-fashion method of having to buy lawn fertilizers and spraying twice or more times during one summer with all kinds of chemicals.

Secondly, using ecological or natural lawn care methods supports the ecosystem in many ways.

1. Your grass keeps getting thicker and thicker which prevents soil erosion

2. Your soil becomes a rich source of worms and other microorganisms which help nourish the soil and keep it healthy. In turn, a healthy soil promotes growth.

3. A soil full of worms provides food for the birds which in turn help you get rid of unwanted insects

4. Grass which is not contaminated can filter contaminants from rainwater and many types of pollutants such as soot and dust from the air

5. And more importantly for us humans, healthy grass, like trees, can absorb the carbon dioxide from the air and give off oxygen back into the air. This exchange helps clean the air. Switching to an environmentally friendly lawn care system is one way to help diminish the effects of global warming.

In order to get good results when using an environmentally friendly lawn care system, you must think "preventative". In other words you must take steps to discourage weeds and insects from taking over your lawn.

If you follow these steps, you can work with nature and avoid using pesticides/herbicides but still have a beautiful lawn:

A. Mow high (up to 3 inches) and often so that you cut no more than a third of the blade length at a time.

B Use a mulching lawn mower and allow the mulched clippings to fall back onto the lawn where they can decompose into rich fertilizer which promotes a slow but steady growth year round. With nutrients being slowly but constantly released, the grass can produce good strong roots which are not as attractive to grubs.

C. If you must fertilize, avoid fertilizers which make the grass grow very quickly. Too much fertilizing or using fertilizers with a high nitrogen or using "green up" liquid fertilizers makes the grass grow fast -- too fast. It cannot develop good firm roots, so you end up with weak roots which grubs just love. Fertilizing once a year is more than enough.

D. As more and more of your clippings continue to fall back onto the lawn, it will accumulate between the grass blades. If you have half an inch or more of this thatch, you may need to dethatch. Otherwise, the water will not get through to the soil.

E. Water sparingly (once or twice a week) and deeply. Keep a small container on your lawn at all times to measure the amount of water your lawn gets when you water or when it rains. When watering, don't stop until there is at least 2 cm of water in the container. In addition make sure the water has penetrated the soil to a depth of 6 to 8 inches minimum.

F. If you need to level your lawn, top dress with topsoil for lawns mixed with compost to prepare it for overseeding

G. When overseeding, use grass varieties which suit the specific location (sunny spot? shady spot?)

H. When the soil becomes compacted, aerate and add soil amendments such as compost or sand to relieve compaction

I. Use an environmentally safe method to control white grub. Put nematodes back into your lawn. Nematodes seek out white grubs, citrus root weevils, the Japanese beetles, the May/June pupa of the beetles, the European/Masked chafer, the black vine weevil, and the sod webworm.

Taking care of the environment begins in our own back yard. We now know how insecticides and herbicides are having huge detrimental effects on both humans and the environment, so why not work with nature to create a healthier, greener environment for ourselves and our children -- the sooner the better. Switching to an environmentally friendly lawn care system is one of the many ways we can all help clean up and save our environment.
About Author Marcie Snyder :

A gardener for years, Marcie has learned that working with the natural laws of nature is by far the best way to do any type of gardening -- even lawns can benefit from it. Get more indepth details re steps to an environmentally friendly lawn care system at http://plantsandgardeningtips.com

Article Source: http://www.BharatBhasha.com
Article Url: http://www.bharatbhasha.com/gardening.php/150801

5 Tips to Remedy Lawn Care Short-Comings

5 Tips to Remedy Lawn Care Short-Comings

July 15, 2009-
With record low mortgage rates, expanded FHA loans and tax credit incentives, many Americans have plunged into first-time home ownership. In fact, the National Association of Realtors reports that first-time buyers accounted for 29 percent of existing home sales in the last month. But while taking advantage of the current incentives, many first-time buyers don’t think of everything that comes along with home ownership - including how to take care of their yard so they remain rightfully proud of their new castle.

Briggs & Stratton Corp., a leading manufacturer of lawn mower engines, offers these lawn care tips for even the most challenged green thumb.

Choose the right mower.
Purchase a mower with a quality engine. Elements to consider are torque, emissions and ease in starting. Briggs & Stratton engines are found in eight of the top 10 selling lawn mowers brands. To understand more about why engines make a difference, visit www.enginesmatter.com.

Never cut more than one-third of the grass blade during any one mowing.
By following this rule, the remaining two-thirds of the plant will develop deep roots and spread out, eventually creating a dense, healthy turf. Using this technique, of course, means shorter intervals between mowings during high growth times, but a healthy lawn is the best medicine for preventing weeds and disease.

Alternate your mowing pattern.
Try not to follow the same path each time you mow. Think of a clock. Start at the 12 o’clock position and mow to the 6 o’clock position. The next time you mow, begin at the 9 o’clock position and mow to the to 3 o’clock position. The third time, mow from 1 o’clock to 7 o’clock, etc. Changing the mowing pattern every time you mow will keep the turf and soil from compacting and prevent wheel patterns in your lawn.

Water early in the day.
Watering between 4 and 9 a.m. helps ensure that the sun won’t rob moisture from your lawn. It also gives your lawn the best chance to dry in the morning. Wet grass at night can lead to disease. Most lawns need about 1-2 inches of water a week to stay healthy.

Avoid a fertilizer overdose.
Even good medicine causes harm when used improperly, so avoid doubling the recommended rates of fertilizer as well as seed, herbicide, insecticide, etc. One pound of water-soluble nitrogen per 1,000 square feet is the maximum amount established lawns should receive at one time.

Read more: http://rismedia.com/2009-07-14/5-tips-to-remedy-lawn-care-short-comings/#ixzz0LS8lzLFG

If you have a lawn/tree/shrub that needs some Tender Loving Care- get The KING OF GREEN:

Turf King Home

Click here to Request a Quote Online -

or call us at 905.318.6677 or 1.888.TURFKING (887.3546)

If you would like more information, please Contact us

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Copyright 2009 Turf King-Hamilton. All Rights Reserved.

My View on Ontario’s Cosmetic Pesticide Ban

My View on Ontario’s Cosmetic Pesticide Ban

The Torstar environment reporter Moira Welsh-- called me Wednesday afternoon. I’m not sure if I gave her all the right answers, or all the politically correct answers. It may be that the way my remarks are presented will make me or the Lawn Care Operators, in general, look like the “Bad guys.” I was trying to be careful how I said things, but reporters can take things out of context or leave out a few words to give it the slant that they want. We shall see. So here are my viewpoints in context and with explanations.

The role of a newspaper reporter is to please his/her editor whose job it is to sell papers. Much like the role of a politician is not to do the will of the people or to serve their needs- it’s to get power- either to get elected or to get re-elected. This was brought home to me when Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff said it was his job is to defeat the government. If he had said it was to help Canadians or to protect Canada, then one could believe some of the things he says.

I said I was most upset that the media was given advance notice of the announcement, not by the MOE (Minstry of the Environment) but by CAPE (Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment.) The Hamilton Spectator, a Torstar publication published an article on March 3, entitled “Ontario set to implement pesticide ban Rules for sale of restricted-use products to be phased in” http://www.thespec.com/printArticle/523309

Do the Activists and the McGuinty Government have a secret agreement? (see CAPE Newsletter Summer 2008)
http://www.cape.ca/res_cardfile.shtml?cmd[227]=i-227-1434c181dcca811bc71e7db77dde7b3a&cmd[252]=i-252-1434c181dcca811bc71e7db77dde7b3a

Why didn’t the MOE have the courtesy to tell the stakeholders of the date when the changes would be announced? I was at the Ontario Turfgrass Symposium at the University of Guelph on February 18th, this year, when an MOE spokeperson, Violet van Wassenaer made a presentation on the proposed ban. She stated that the government wanted to have everything "clear and transparent." Yet when repeatedly asked "When will the ban start?" would simply say "the spring of 2009."

I received that same week my operator's licence in the mail. I thought that if MOE wanted to let all the affected businesses know what was happening, they could have saved some postage. All Pesticide operators' licences expire on February 15th of each year. Why not let them know when the ban is to be implemented? Or even to tell us that we would find out on March 4th.

Never mind that the MOE wasn’t very forthright with information. Informing the industry of when to expect the changes would at least show some respect and courtesy. I feel betrayed by the Ministry that should be a partner with the industry in promoting change and in compliance.

If the MOE is seen as an enemy, it will be harder to get co-operation and more importantly- a willingness to co-operate. Lawn care operators follow the rules. Homeowners may keep illegal products in the garage and use them illegally after dark. Lawn care businesses apply their products in the daytime and are highly visible.

I explained how insects are different from weeds. With insects, we have been able to use organic products to stop insect damage. When the lawn has a brown spot, and we apply an organic product, we may only control half the insects. But if the lawn damage is stopped, even with only 50% of the bugs controlled, we are successful.

With weeds, it is a lot different. No matter which product is used, if 99% of the weeds are eradicated, but there are a couple of weeds next to the front door, people may say, “look at the weeds they missed.” People look at weeds and insects differently: insects -- they look at the results; weeds – you actually see the weed itself.

I explained that I believe that we have this new Cosmetic Pesticides Ban because politicians listen to polls. This is political science not true science. If the polls say 60% of the people want a pesticide ban, it’s mostly because they don’t understand the science and they are not sure what a pesticide is. Politicians, however, only see votes. It didn’t matter that Ontario already has a host of regulations to regulate pesticides and to regulate those that apply them. A politician did nothing unless he does something new. So let’s make a new law.

I said that the traditional (now banned) weed killer mixture applied to a lawn is 400 times less poisonous than coffee with caffeine. Now toxicity is not the only criteria, but the Health Canada’s PMRA (Pest Management Regulatory Agency) won’t ever say a product is safe. I may have said that the PMRA would never say a pesticide was safe. So if one took that out of context it could be used against me. Even with food additives, such as aluminum the PMRA uses the phrase “does not pose an unacceptable risk.”

She asked will the industry change. I said yes, people (customers) have been used to a certain expectation and that expectation will change. Weed control will be less effective. To have a completely weed free lawn will be more difficult and more expensive. Most people will probably not go for an extremely high price and no weeds. They will likely opt for a medium price with an acceptable amount of weeds. A healthy, green, thick lawn will resist weeds. A healthy, green thick lawn with a few weeds will still look good.

In order to achieve a lawn completely weed-free, will be difficult with the products currently available. Sarritor touted to be a good alternative, has some difficulties, and is not available until perhaps fall. Some hand weeding may be required. Will it increase employment? Perhaps, but it will be minimum wage, temporary student type labour, rather than better paying, trained technicians.

She wanted my photo – but only if I would pose with the products that were to be banned. I said no. Not sure that I want my photo to be associated with banned pesticides. Maybe, if you took a picture of me with a bag of Merit granular insecticide and put the caption I choose- “Granular Merit Grub Killer- less toxic than salt but BANNED.”

Again, I am not for the ban. We will continue to serve the needs of our many loyal customers. It’s just that we now have fewer tools available to do a good job. Programs, products, prices and expectations (what word starts with P- prospects?) will change. We will adapt, customers will adapt. Life will go on. The King of Green will continue to be The King of Green and will become the King of Green (the Green that is over used and often applied to things Environmentally Friendly, etc)

Our Lawn Care programs here at Turf King Hamilton will continue to be the best value for those who are looking for expertise, customer centred service and high quality products. And if anyone complains about their lawn- we can always blame McGuinty!

www.hamilton.turfking.ca

New Dandelion Control- Made in Canada

In 1999, we reported “Researchers are working on a fungus that will kill dandelions. Much more research is needed before this product will be on the market. It is hoped that it will be available by 2002.”
Well, now it is 2007, and more testing and work has been done. Much of it has been done at McGill University by Dr. Alan Watson. Now, the product is getting closer to being available, possibly 2009 or 2010.
This new organic herbicide product has been named Sarritor. (Sarritor was a minor Roman god of agriculture, god of hoeing and weeding.) Sarritor has the potential to provide an alternatiive weed control to 2,4-D the most commonly used weed killer used right now for the ubiquitous dandelion.
According the website at sarritor.ca , this product will eliminate dandelions and other broadleaf weeds in 5-7 days. Once the weeds have died, the fungus will also die and there will be no residual. The product does not pose a risk to human health or the environment and is compatible with normal lawn maintenance operations such as mowing, fertilization, and irrigation.
The active ingredient in Sarritor is a strain of Sclerotinia minor, a naturally occurring fungus in Canada that infects susceptible dandelion plants and destroys dandelion plant tissues above ground.

If you have a lawn/tree/shrub that needs some Tender Loving Care- get The KING OF GREEN:

Turf King Home

Click here to Request a Quote Online -

or call us at 905.318.6677 or 1.888.TURFKING (887.3546)

If you would like more information, please Contact us

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