What is An Organic Approach?
At Total Lawn Care, Inc. we are working on developing the soil to promote a healthy turf. We add biology and carbon to the soil through liquid and dry treatments to have the soil work better and utilize what is already in your soil. Regardless of what the source of the nitrogen is, synthetic or organic, it goes through the same nitrogen cycle, producing nitrates and ammonification. We use both traditional and organic fertilizers in combination with these bio-products to reduce our nitrogen usage, thus reducing nitrates. This process also helps us develop a more sustainable ecosystem for the turf.
A traditional synthetic turf program may apply 4-5 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 sq ft over the course of the year. With more biology, kelp, humic acids, fulvic acids, mycorrhizae, lignin, auxins and micronutrients we can reduce our nitrate use by up to 50%. We also are able to reduce our pesticide usage through the synergistic effect our biology has with our weed control. By improving the soil we can build more natural fertility. Some lawns have more organic matter than others (i.e. center city lawns vs new suburban developments) so we adjust our program to these different soils. Adjusting the soil biology gets everything working better. We compare this to how yogurt is a pro-biotic and helps everything work better in your digestive system.
We can also provide additional supplements throughout the course of the year such as an Organic Boost or a Biological Soil Supplement (BSS). We have migrated to the liquid aeration for a few reasons. The liquid covers nearly 100% of your soil versus a plug every 3-5 inches with traditional methods. The BSS also includes more biology as well as allowing us to release more oxygen in your soil with additional humic acids to improve root development.
We are leaders in this endeavor. We started our business in 1989 and we have well over 200 years of combined experience. We spend a lot of time with researches and scientists from universities and agricultural companies. We have an agronomist on staff. We have been using these biologies since 2012 and making the necessary adjustments along the way. We are excited about how our lawns look and recover from the summer stress. We are excited about the future of lawn care with these products.
Our Organic Ingredients
Kelp - Stimulates uptake of plant nutrients, promotes seed germination and plant cell division.
Humic and Fulvic Acids - Supports respiration of microorganisms in the soil, enhances seed germination and promotes root development and absorption of micro-nutrients.
Plant Growth-Promoting Bacteria - Promotes plant growth, breaks down organic matter, solubilizes nutrients, provides plant growth hormones and displaces pathogens.
Endomycorrhizae - Penetrates plant roots and assists with water and nutrient uptake.
Ectomychorrhizae - Grows in association with plant roots and assists with water and nutrient uptake.
Trichoderma spp - Colonizes roots and induces the plant's natural defense system.
Penicillium - Breaks down organic matter, releases organic acids and nutrients, secretes biochemistry useful to the soil and induces plant response pathogens.
Nematodes - Multi-celled, worm-like animal that eats bacteria, fungi and other nematodes, excreting nutrients in the soil.
Protozoa - Eats bacteria, releasing nutrients to the soil.
Saccharomyces cerevisiae - A source of simple carbohydrates that aids in rooting and serves as a food source for microorganisms in the soil.
Polysaccharide - A food source for microorganisms in the soil.
Yucca Extract - A natural spreader sticker, wetting agent and soil conditioner
Amino Acids - Building blocks of proteins and a nitrogen source for plants, essential for cell division and growth.
Auxin - A plant growth hormone positively affecting cellular growth and differentiation.
Lignin Polymers - Organic polymers that help form humus and impart structure to soil.
Gluten - A nitrogen (N) source.