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| Organic lawn care, yields green turf, healthy soil |
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| Gardening & Nature |
| Written by Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp |
| Wednesday, 25 April 2007 13:25 |
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Just like other self-help plans, breaking the consumer’s addiction to
synthetic-based lawn products is a multistep process "The first is
mental detoxification," said Paul Tukey, founder of Safe Lawns.org, a
national movement that promotes environmentally friendly lawn care. For
that, he said, consumers need to get past the notion that it’s natural
for the lawn to green up immediately after the application of a spring
fertilizer. Primed for its big launch in April, SafeLawns.org delivers online videos that take viewers through the step-by-step process of moving from synthetic to organic lawn care. The site is designed to provide information, whether visitors have dialup, DSL or cable Internet service. SafeLawns.org is a national campaign to educate consumers about natural lawn-care alternatives, including organic fertilizers, weed killers, biological pest controls, water conservation and environmentally friendly turf grasses. A coalition of for-profit businesses and not-for-profit organizations have raisedfunds to create the videos and support the promotion of safe-lawn practices, said Tukey, a Maine resident who may be familiar to HGTV viewers of People, Places and Plants, which also is the title of the magazine he founded in the mid-1990s. 
Once the mind is detoxed, consumers gradually understand that the soil is alive. They may be more willing to accept the slow breakdown of organic products, which take two or three days to green up the lawn, said Tom Ogren, an international expert on allergy-free gardening (www.allergyfree-gardening.com ) and the author of the book, What the Experts May Not Tell You About Growing the Perfect Lawn. The slow breakdown actually improves the soil while feeding microorganisms, both of which benefit plants in a more efficient, natural way.Over the last few years, scientists, including Elaine Ingham, Ph.D., have developed a better understanding about soil and the organisms that reside there. Ingham is an expert on soil microbiology and founder of Soil FoodWeb Inc., (www.soilfoodweb.com ). Among her research is the finding that synthetic chemicals in fertilizers and pesticides disrupt the natural development, movement and lives of the soil’s essential insects and microbes that support healthy plants. "I remember one time I was applying (synthetic) nitrogen around an orange tree," said Ogren of San Luis Obispo, Calif., who has been teaching horticulture and landscaping for more than 30 years. "I was watering it in, soaking it really good and I noticed the earthworms were coming up and dying right in front of me. There’s scary data about children and pets, too, that play on treated lawns, especially when people are putting down weed and feed all the time." In fact, research at Purdue University seems to indicate a higher incidence of bladder cancer in Scottish terriers that were exposed to lawns treated with 2,4-D (2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid), the active ingredient in a systemic herbicide used on broadleaf weeds, such as dandelions. The study, based on a survey of dog owners whose pets had recently contracted the disease, may be useful not only for its revelation of potentially carcinogenic substances in our environment, but also because studying the breed may help physicians pinpoint genes in humans that signal susceptibility to bladder cancer, researchers said. The risk of carcinoma "was found to be between four and seven times more likely in exposed animals," said Lawrence T. Glickman, a professor of epidemiology and environmental medi-cine in Purdue's School of Veterinary Medicine in West Lafayette, Ind. It is possible the chemical 2,4-D was to blame, although it has been thoroughly tested by the FDA for carcinogenicity, Glickman said. However, he added, it also is possible that one of the so-called inert ingredients (about 99.5 percent) in the mixture could be responsible for the increased risk. "These other ingredients are thought to be inert and, therefore, are not tested or even listed on the product label," Glickman said. "But 4 billion pounds of these other untested chemicals reach our lawns and gardens every year, and we theorize they are triggering cancer in these animals, which are already at risk because of a peculiarity in their genome." 
When it comes to children’s exposure to pesticides, they are at greater risk be-cause they are still developing, accord-ing to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. "There are critical periods in human development when exposure to a toxin can permanently alter the way an individual's biological system operates. Children may be exposed more to certain pesticides because often they eat different foods than adults," the EPA noted. Kids usually drink more milk and orange juice for their body weight than adults. They also consume more applesauce, which is one of the most pesticide laden fruits at the market.Kids’ behaviors also put them at risk. Children play on the lawns and frequently put things in their mouth, which can increase the chance of exposure to pesticide. Customers definitely are more con-cerned about their pets and kids when they buy lawn products, said Margie Hesler, manager at Habig Garden Shop in Nora on Indianapolis’ north side. "More and more people are going organic." Habig Garden Shops is one of several Indiana retailers carrying Bradfield Organics®, a line of new products that is quickly filling a void for a national brand. Owned by Land O’Lakes Purina Feed, Bradfield Organics’ fertilizers and herbicide are based on natural, environmentally safe by-products of the grain industry. "The instructions are easy to follow, the packaging is nice and it’s a nice product. We’ve carried different lines in the past, but they were smelly. This is not," Hesler said. She said customers who ask about organic products are willing to learn about them, even if they work slower than what they may be used to with synthetic chemicals. "They come in and say ‘I’m thinking about trying to switch to organics,’ " Hesler said. "They want to be educated in how it works. Most people interested in organics seem to know that it is slower acting and that their lawn may not be as green as their neighbors right away. But for them, it’s a whole different ball game."
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About the author Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp
Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp, editor of Indiana Living Green , is a director of Garden Writers Association . She is secretary of the Marion County Extension Office , director of the Indianapolis Museum of Art Horticultural Society, secretary of the Friends of Garfield Park Inc., and president of the board of the Business Ownership Initiative of Indiana.
Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp, editor of Indiana Living Green , is a director of Garden Writers Association . She is secretary of the Marion County Extension Office , director of the Indianapolis Museum of Art Horticultural Society, secretary of the Friends of Garfield Park Inc., and president of the board of the Business Ownership Initiative of Indiana.
