Anticipated improvements to our local foothills ecosystem based on current projects
We Use Organic Fertilizer
Conventional lawn chemicals can pollute our water, harm wildlife and have adverse health effects on people and pets. Using pesticides to tackle weeds and pests can actually damage your lawn, too. They kill good organisms that help produce the nutrients plants need to grow, weakening the grass, fostering thatch, and encouraging diseases.
We use an alfalfa-based organic fertilizer. The best way to view it is that we are fertilizing the soil and not the plant. We have been using “Alpha One” fertilizer exclusively since 1995. We are helping Mother Nature to build a healthy environment for your lawn as well as your pets and children.
To learn more about “Alpha One” brand alfalfa-based fertilizer that we use, please click the Logos below.
WE USE WATER MINDFULLY
Each property is different. Factors like the soil type, planting area, native grass type, the amount of sun or shade, and the time of year all effect how an area can most efficiently be watered.
We help train your property to use less water by initially saturating the root zone to a depth of 6 inches, watering just until the soil is moist but not soggy. Once the water soaks into the top layer, then it’s safe to add a little more which pushes the moisture deeper into the root zone where it is most needed. From there is is a matter of maintaining a minimum cyclic moisture cycle. It will take some experimentation to figure out the appropriate amount of moisture your soil requires, how long it is retained, and which areas can be watered most efficiently according to xeriscape requirments. The energy we spend to make sure your plantings or native lawn will have deeper, more drought tolerant roots, once established, is well worth the wisdom in the long run.
For lawns, mowing also trains the native grass to be more water efficient. Mowing is performed often enough that only one-third of the grass blade is removed. Use a mulching mower and leaving the grass clippings allows the plant material to breakdown adding organic matter and nutrients to the soil. The preferred mowing height for most lawn grasses that grow in our region is 2.5” to 3”. Such short-cut grass needs more water and are also more susceptible to weeds. Using a native lawn alternative, that grow in clumps, interplanted with ground cover and other landscaped material or decorative rock can be a suitable xeriscape solution.
Aerating lawns in the spring is one of the most important ways to improve water efficiency. Aeration lessens soil compaction. It creates space, softening the soil medium, allowing air, nutrients and water to be more readily absorbed into the soil, lessening pooling or runoff. Aerating is easiest when soil is moist, such as in spring or fall. We make sure to leave the soil plugs, loosened by the aeration, on top of the soil. As they breakdown they add organic matter and nutrients.
Back in the day, composted manure was the only organic fertilizer available. Now there are organic fertilizers that are also environmentally friendly. These fertilizers have uniform nutrients and are easy to apply.
We use an alfalfa-based organic fertilizer made in Loveland. It’s high in organic matter, has all of the nutrients a lawn needs and is adjusted for our region’s soils. So as you start looking around, you may notice that the flowers and shrubs are blooming, the plants look green, and nature’s in full swing.