Helping to Protect Our Quality of Life on Cape Cod
Yes, you can have a great yard with no chemicals no need for man-made synthetic fertilizers or herbicides
LAND CARE TIPS
When shifting from conventional to non-toxic land care,
quit cold turkey
GET YOUR LAND OFF DRUGS!
~ FEED SOIL NOT PLANTS ~
Below are tips but if you don't want to do them yourself
seek a local company who will care for your land naturally:
contact Pure Solutions in Chatham at 508.776.9003
to feed your land or use essential oils to deter ticks or mosquitoes.
If you seek mowing or watering ways or land design
in Eastham, Orleans or Wellfleet:
contact Littlefield Landscapes at 774.353.6511
DON'T BE A SLAVE TO YOUR PROPERTY!
Feed less, water less, mow less
creates a sustainable landscape you'll enjoy more!
It's Spring clean-up time
a - cut back any dead from winter, do not shape flowering bushes or you may be taking buds off for this year (the time to shape is after bushes flower or in the Fall clean-up.
b - careful weeding, be selective in what you are pulling up in the spring, there are many new self spreading perennial plant babies that grow. I suggest waiting for weeds to grow a bit until you can identify what you are scratching or pulling up, you may want what's naturally happening!
c - feed your property with leaf compost, add 1/2 inch of leaf compost on lawns and garden beds gives enough food for the year. If you have a problem area, in the fall reapply leaf compost again. No need to feed any 6 or 8 step programs filled with high nitrogen and phosphorus from animal poop or man-made fertilizers. Nitrogen travels down stream into ponds adding to the growth of algae blooms that we don't want. You can add leaf compost by liquid application for a faster release when you area (lawn or garden) is thirsty.
d - mulch choice matters in nature, leaf or wood or shells or native stones? So many choices. Remember leaf as mulch will add nutrition to that area because we are about feeding your soil not your plants so this is the best mulch for that purpose. Wood mulch, either shaved or chips, acts as a sponge soaking up nutrients plants desire so I add food compost prior to wood mulches. Hardware mulches last longer. Shells are good for all who make eggs in nature and add a bit of calcium to the soil. Native stones, 3/4" or pea stones are what I call timeless, once added they will last for generations of enjoyment.
e - natural weed control, don't reach for roundup, grab white vinegar put it in a spray bottle and on a hot dry day late in the afternoon when weeds are thirsty, give them vinegar to drink and they will be dead within 48 hours. You can add salt if you want a stronger recipe. Remember not to apply near desired plants, it's strong stuff.
f - watering tips, water an inch a week only or your land will become dependent on you. Water less means grass reaches for nutrients and moisture growing a deeper root system. Deeper roots means lawns can care for themselves better.
g - mowing tips, mow your lawn at 3" , that is: mow at three inches. Allow your grass to grow taller means deeper root systems means stronger chances during droughts and storms. Mow every 2 to 3 weeks on Cape Cod. Lawns may die back in the summer months but it will be green again in the fall and that is okay, that's natural. Having glow in the dark green lawns during droughts in the summer is an indication that the property is dependent on drugs and water which is costly to the home owner and our environment.
h - organic fertilizer, if you wish to feed more than leaf compost, please only use ESOPMA fertilizers. They are truly organic, not just 70% (which is the amount the EPA allows). ESPOMA makes different fertilizers like: Plant tone, Rose tone, Garden tone, Holly tone. You can purchase them at most garden centers or on line. They come in a powder form and I feed prior to adding any mulch that year. Would you like to see the ESPOMA products? Visit the PRODUCTS page ~
MORE LAND CARE TIPS:
Remember if the soil isn’t 55 degrees, grass and/or plants will NOT absorb nutrition so fertilizers run off doing harm to ponds and estuaries. Please wait until at least April 15th. On cape cod there are town regulations on fertilizer use, when we can apply and at what rate, in hopes to protect oceans & ponds from growing more invasive plants. Cyanobacteria is created by high nutrients in ponds. It’s so harmful to animals that if a dog drinks from that pond it dies. Do your own research and see it’s been happening in other states as well. It’s up to home owners and landscape businesses to do the responsible things. Know there are reactions for actions. Know things are connected. And know there are other ways to feed our land successfully.
To feed lawns and gardens, top dress with an inch of leaf compost. Animal compost is high in nitrogen & phosphorus which should only be used in emergency situations. Established vegetation doesn’t need high nutrients so it mostly runs off creating harm to ponds, etc.
Never purchase synthetic fertilizers or any seeds that are coated in anything, okay? If you have to buy fertilizers read the application rates on the bags because the label is the law, it’s there as a guide and the theory “more is better” is just not true.
It’s a new season for all of us to do what we can to protect our natural ponds and resources here and this is one way we can, by controlling what we introduce onto our own properties. Thanks for caring!
~ MAY YOUR LAND BE HAPPIER AFTER THESE TIPS~
Quotes from The Banner article
written by Candace Hammond on April 19th, 2018:
"You should put a half-inch of leaf compost on your whole lawn and garden areas," Kelley says. "Rake it onto the land. The compost feeds all the microorganisms that are essential to a healthy lawn. Feed the soil, not the plants. My goal is to create sustainable landscapes. If you’ve been on a conventional Scott’s plan it might take a couple of seasons for your soil to return to its natural state of having happy worms that reproduce ~ and when they poop they feed your land creating a natural circle of life. You can have a typical Cape Cod lawn without putting chemicals on it. You don’t need nitrogen or phosphorus 6 times a year, that's only going to harm the closest water sources."
"We have the ability to impact our natural resources," Kelley says. "We are fortunate to have water all around us here, and thus have a greater responsibility to care for it. Absolutely no one is exempt from having an impact on drinkable water."
