Grizzly wrote:

Jim wrote:
Harry K wrote:
Jim wrote:
symplastless wrote:

To winterize or not to winterize lawn
snip
this is precious, simply precious
Yeah. I have seen that several times over the years and there is so
much truth to it. I see that the annual 'what to use to bag leaves'
threads have started over alt.home.repair. Even after they have been
told the simple way is to mow/mulch em, they still go on about buying
fancy equipment to vacuum them up.

Harry K

http://www.milkyspore.com/

I've been trying to move my customers towards organic methods.
triple shred, putting leaves through the shredder three times
produces some dense mulch. with the new and deeper understanding
acquired recently for how many of the selective herbicides and
insecticides as well as improper or incorrect applications of
nitrogen actually have a great negative impact on the environment
as well as the ground water, I've decided it is now time to make
some changes concerning how the suburbanites acquire and obtain
the lawns they desire.

in short, if the chemical bonds with the soil at the molecular
particle level then that chemical is removed from my list of
what is acceptable to use. the list is getting short.

Jim
We cut the grass with a bush hog a couple of times a year whether it
needs it or not. I ain't raking no leaves or riding or pushing a lawn
mower even if you pay me gold standard to do it.. The birds love the
thistles that grow in the back yard. I've found that you don't need
bird feeders to attract them, just let the natural flora grow up and the
birds will flock to it to get the seeds and nectar (humming birds love
phlox and other sweet smelling flowers.. The birds planted mulberry
trees and currant bushes and black raspberries all over the property
around the edges of our woods..They have done more to benefit the
property and myself(I love berry jam) than any stinkin' lawnmower
would.I don't use herbicide or pesticide on anything. It's not nice to
poison plants and animals. I do live on a farm, and don't worry about
what my neighbors think of my lack of grass cutting.. The leaves rot
down and disintegrate by themselves under the trees. The wells out here
in farm country tend to wind up contaminated by the over zealous
application of herbicide and pesticide, and I for one don't want to add
that crap to the water I pull up out of the ground that I have to drink.
Quite a few of the private wells out here are contaminated with Alachor/
the breakdown product of the Herbicide Lasso. It is carcinogenic and
once it is in the groundwater it takes a long time to dissipate..

I'm glad you understand all this stuff. spread the word so others can also
begin the slow and long process of gaining an understanding.

Good Job Grizzly!

peace be with you,
Jim