Seaweed fertilizers are an especially useful product in organic gardening. They contain almost every micro-nutrient in a fully chelated (immediately available) form. They deliver a healthy dose of natural plant hormones. Seaweed is also loaded with carbohydrates, which the plants use as a building block and which large populations of beneficial micro-organisms use as a food source.
The reason fertile soil is dark is because it is very rich in humic and fulvic acid. These humates help break down the nutrients in the soil and make them much more available to the plant.
Humic acid benefits plants in numerous ways. The first is that it facilitates ion exchange. Humic acid has a higher cation exchange capacity, or CEC. That means it is easier for soil nutrient particles to move within the soil, and thus to be taken in by plants. Soils treated with humic acid have much better nutrient availability. Humic acid does not directly supply the plants with nutrients, but it does make what nutrients are in the soil easier for plants to access. Humic acid also influences the pH of the soil, which affects nutrient availability. Clay soils with very low humus levels can become overly acidic, resulting in poor conditions for plant growth. Humic acid increases the buffering capacity of the soil, and allows pH to remain steadier.
One of fulvic acid’s most valuable properties is its ability to convert nutrients from useless materials into ions that can easily be absorbed by the root. Even if you make no changes to your nutrient solution, you will probably notice the benefits from increased uptake. However, it is also possible that the new, stronger roots and more bio-available nutrients mean that your plant can actually benefit from increasing the nutrient density.

The Importance of liquid Fish Hydrolysate in Building a Healthy Soil

Drammatic® Liquid Fish is a great food for microorganisms and a key ingredient in all Kid Conscious Lawn Care products.

In 2001, the BBC Laboratory studied soil microbe activity in organic red potatoes. Test plots were treated with a solution of Drammatic® Fortified Liquid Fish 2-5-1, compost tea and water.
At the end of the test period the plots treated with the Drammatic® Fish demonstrated a 20 fold increase of aerobic bacteria over the control.
A healthy soil has ratio of at least 10:1 aerobic bacteria to anerobic bacteria. The treated plot had a ratio of 14:1. The control plot was approximately 1:1.

Wait…there’s more!
Pseudomonads are important in nutrient cycling assisting with phosphorous availability. The treated plot had a Pseudomonads population 21,000 percent higher than the control.
The Dramm plot also had a more diverse microbial population. Soil with diverse microbial populations will be more likely to cope with disturbances and stress than those with low diversities.

Kid Conscious Lawn Care products include Drammatic® Fish as the microbe food source and Soil Life in place of compost tea as an inoculant of diverse microorganisms.

Isn’t all landscaping environmentally friendly? Trees and grass are “green” aren’t they?
In general terms, yes, landscaping is environmentally and trees and grass are “green”. However, not all landscaping is the same color “green” and if done improperly landscaping can actually become an environmental liability. Some examples include trees or shrubs that need continual pesticide application to reduce insect or disease problems; plantings that require high amounts of water or fertilizers to maintain health and beauty; and trees or shrubs that are planted too close to buildings or each other then require constant pruning to maintain their aesthetic appeal and health.

Let’s make landscaping truly green by taking a sustainable approach to all types of landscape projects.

What is a sustainable landscape?

A landscape developed with sustainable practices will improve the environment by conserving resources and reducing chemical applications. A sustainable landscape will also reduce labor inputs making it less expensive to implement and maintain. A sustainable approach to landscaping looks “long term”. A sustainable landscape will meet today’s needs with the ability to sustain itself for a very long time with minimal human intervention.
Many traditional landscapes have very low diversity and little or no habitat for wildlife. Preserving biodiversity and natural ecosystems are also goals of sustainable landscapes. In a home landscape we should increase diversity of plant material and create habitats for song birds, butterflies and beneficial insects.

All landscape can be sustainable

A sustainable landscape does not always have to be an expansive property, a prairie or wetland. Traditional landscape design can certainly be made more efficient. The best strategy would be to make high maintenance areas smaller and less dependent on turf-grass. For example, developing outdoor living areas like a courtyard or patio is an excellent way to reduce maintenance levels. Mowed areas can then be converted to low maintenance prairies or shade gardens. People get more enjoyment out of smaller spaces that are well designed.

Every square foot counts. Creating roof tops or balcony gardens, a 100 square foot rain garden or a 1,000 square foot perennial garden using natives and other hardy, drought tolerant plants can all lead to a more sustainable landscape. Smaller projects can have a lot of impact. Improving a small neglected space is the best way to start.
The key to creating a sustainable landscape is understanding that the design process should be considered first. Plant selection, implementation, and maintenance build on the design process, each having sustainability as a major consideration.

The components of a sustainable landscape are often very simple. For example, a berm built to screen a roadway will shed rainfall. Also, selecting plants adapted to drought would be a sensible way to reduce irrigation. Incorporating native plants that have very deep root systems will penetrate compacted soil and improve percolation and reduce runoff.
Sustainable landscapes can include lawn areas. Sustainability as it relates to lawns can be defined as a lawn area that requires few material inputs while having a positive impact on the environment. According to the Lawn Institute, Rolling Meadows, IL it is estimated that grass areas trap some 12 million tons of dust and dirt from the air annually. And just one acre of grass can absorb hundreds of pounds of fossil fuel-created sulfur dioxide in a single year. Creating and maintaining a more sustainable lawn begins with proper selection of the best adapted grass species and varieties. Proper site preparation, lawn installation, and appropriate follow-up care will help reduce the need for inputs of the established lawn. There are also a variety of organic fertilizers, compost products and microbial soil inoculants available to help develop and maintain healthy soils and lawns without the worry of over fertilization and excess pesticide use.

At this time of year I enjoy the opportunity to spend some time researching new trends and practices. Through this research, I have discovered a great, living American hero, the man who sparked a “Green Revolution” in the 1940’s and 50’s. It’s not Al Gore… but Norman Borlaug. Have you heard of him? I think you should.

Norman Borlaug received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970 and the US Congressional Gold Medal of Honor in 2007. Through his work in plant breeding, use of fertilizers, Integrated Pest Management and other sustainable farming practices, Borlaug is credited with “saving more lives than anyone that has ever lived”. He spent his life working in places like Mexico, India, and South America teaching farmers how to grow enough food to feed the people in these developing nations. Now, in his 90s Borlaug is still working to end hunger in the world and has recently persuaded the Ford, Rockefeller and Bill & Melinda Gates foundations to begin a major push for high-yield farming in Africa. For more information on Norman Borlaug go to www.normanborlaug.org

Every nation his green thumb has touched has known dramatic food production increases, higher education rates (especially for girls) and raising living standards for the average person, among other social, economic and environmental benefits. Borlaug’s work also suggests that if more food can be produced on less land, natural habitats will be preserved.
Borlaug’s extraordinary yet humble life will be an inspiration to me and help guide the way we do business here at Grieder. For me, and Borlaug I think, being “Green” is not a trend but a life-long responsibility that is much more complicated than just banning pesticides or the use of synthetic fertilizers.

Did you realize that approximately 80% of all plant problems can be traced to the soil/environmental effects? How many of us spend 80% of our efforts trying to fix the problem? Traditionally, we have spent the majority of our time applying first aid to treat the symptoms. Rex A. Bastian, Ph.D., vice president, Field Education and Development, The Care of Trees, Wheeling, IL, brought forth valuable and practical information regarding soil and more specifically soil biology during a forum at the Pro Hort 2006 conference. “We need to think (and do) more “soil management” in our landscape management programs,” says Bastian. “Tradition keeps us from looking at new ways and old methods do not equal new results. There are options for improving our soils even in mature landscape situations,” he added.

Bastian reiterated that soil has three properties: physical (structure), chemical and biological. The physical aspects (sand, silt, clay) are widely recognized. We often attempt to enhance the structure with various amendments at planting time and core aeration. Fertilizers are commonly used to correct chemical deficiencies and provide needed nutrients throughout the life of a plant. We all know “organic matter” (mushroom compost, cow manure, leaf compost) is good for the soil and we use it to help improve soil structure and provide nutrients for our plants. But there is much more to it. Organic matter plays an important in soil biology, an often overlooked component of a healthy soil.

Here is a summary of some of the important facts of organic matter and soil biology Bastian presented.

Organic matter in the soil is made up of fresh plant or animal residue, decomposing residue, stabilized (fully decomposed) organic matter (humus) and living organisms.

Healthy soil is loaded with living things which aid in the decomposition process. Living organisms include:
• Bacteria
• Fungi
• Microathropods
• Earthworms
• Protozoans
• Nematodes
The soil foodweb is a term used to describe how these organisms interact with animals and plants (both living and dead) in the soil.

Benefits of a healthy soil foodweb include:
• Retention of nutrients
• Cycling of nutrients in the correct to the plants under culture
• Improvement of soil structure
• Suppression of pathogens
• Improvement in plant root systems
• Decomposition of soil toxins

All soil foodwebs are not the same. Grasses prefer soil foodwebs that are high in bacterial content while deciduous and coniferous trees and shrubs grow best in soils that are more populated with fungi. This fact helps explain why grass does not grow well under trees; it is not just the shade.

“The soil’s biological component can be manipulated through the use of mulch, microbial foods and compost or compost tea. The soil can be inoculated with desirable food web organisms,” says Bastian. Using quality biological foods and compost teas are effective in rebuilding the numbers and diversity of desirable soil organisms.

Bastian gives some practical approaches to rebuilding the soil’s natural biology. “Using large mulch rings around trees can increase the beneficial fungal component of the soil. The decomposing wood provides food for the beneficial organisms.”

“Applications of compost or compost tea over the top of the soil can help change the soil biology,” he adds. Compost can be broadcast over the soil during the dormant season. Core aerating or slicing the soil with air spade or air knife prior to applying compost is ideal.

Using compost tea may be more cost effective than dry compost. “Compost tea can be a very inexpensive soil and foliar amendment,” says Bastian. “You can purchase a brewer and make it yourself. Finding a good source of compost for tea is much easier than finding a source of good quality bulk compost.” It takes a small amount of compost to brew tea rich in microbes. The brew cycle creates 1,000 pounds worth of microbes from 10 pounds of compost,” he commented. Compost tea can be applied through conventional spray equipment and is much less time consuming than spreading dry material.

Bastian described one situation where a Japanese maple tree was suffering from Verticillium wilt. A national tree company had been treating the tree for years with various fungicides yet the tree kept declining. Bastian’s treatment plan composed of radial trenching within the root zone. The trenches were filled with compost and compost tea was applied regularly. Within two years following this treatment the trees has shown significant improvements.

The above article written by Cathy Bilow was published in Growing Trends magazine 2007

Cathy,

We have been using your kid conscious lawn care service for a little
over 2 years. What a difference it has made to our lawns! They are
beautiful, easier to maintain, and healthier. Our lawns are safe for
our Golden Retriever, Maggie. We are also implementing many of your
suggestions about how to maintain our vegetable and herb garden in
ways that cut down on weeding and watering, as well as how to deal
with Japanese beetle grubs. You and your crew are always willing to
answer our questions. We didn’t expect such personal attention! This
is the best investment we have made for our yard.

Thanks,
Charlotte Brown, Ted Morris, and Maggie

I have had several inquires reqarding the Kid Conscious Soil Life.
I hope the following will give further clarification for those considering using the product.

pH
The pH generally runs in the 7 to 8 range. There is variability in the
pH depending on how long it has aged. Generally the pH will climb as
the product goes through an aging process due to chemical reactions that
take place that eventually come to an equilibrium. Reaching this
equilibrium is normal for all our products.

Microbial Composition of Kid Conscious Soil Life
Since we propagate, in the laboratory, many of the species that are in
Kid Conscious Soil Life, we know there is a high concentration
of all the beneficial Bacillus species, as well as, Pseudomonas, Azotobacters,
Rhizobium, Arthrobacters, actinomycetes and fungi. In addition, the high quality
compost and vermicast extracts contribute to and expand the range of
species diversity that is so good for the soil. All these microbes are
either propagated in or extracted from an environment that mimics that
of the soil. We QC all samples that come into the laboratory and
evaluate the level of diversity based on what is known to be in
Kid Conscious Soil Life.
The microbes can be seen under the microscope, but colony
differentiation on growth media in petri dishes has proven to be the
best way to evaluate the product.

Comparison to Compost Tea:
Kid Conscious Soil Life was developed for diversity and stability.
The microbe populations come from individual species, as described above, as well as from
manureless high quality compost and vermicast extracts.
Also included are natural ingredients that serve as nutrients for the microbes in
their beginning stages of growth. Simple sugars and nitrogen sources
are not added to keep the product stable and diverse for a long period
of time. These nutrients need to be added to the Kid Conscious Soil Life
at the time of application to the soil. The Kid Conscious
fertilizers are the perfect compliment to the Kid Conscious Soil Life.
Ideally, you want a diverse group of microbes consuming the nutrients and multiplying
in the soil or on the plant foliage and not in a holding tank. As they consume the
food sources and multiply, they deposit those extremely beneficial exudates in
and around soil particles, roots and on the leaf surfaces. Every type of nutrient,
enzyme, vitamin, antibiotic and growth stimulant that each microbe is
capable of producing is right where it needs to be for use by the
growing plant. The plant can utilize whatever it needs and the rest
becomes a part of the soil organic matter.

In contrast, compost teas are made with the addition of sugars,
nitrogens and other food sources in a holding tank, along with the
compost that may be of questionable quality. These additions stimulate
the compost microbes into growth, which can occur very rapidly over a
short period of time (10 to 24 hours). If the teas are not used within
that period of time, the microbes eventually run out of available
nutrition and/or certain microbes can achieve higher concentrations,
more rapidly, than all the others. This results in an overall decline
of species diversity. Depending on which microbes grow more rapidly,
the teas can quickly become acidic and anaerobic. Another reality is
that composts generally carry a wide range of microbes and some can be
considered non-beneficial or undesirable for plant growth, especially if
they have out competed for nutrients and achieved high populations in the
tea. Through the years we have tested a lot of teas that have been
submitted and these were just some of the many reasons why we have not
promoted this method as a source for microbes in the field. Many former
tea brewers have also moved away from this methodology.

Kid Conscious Soil Life supplies species diversity from
many different sources to the soil and plant. Feeding the microbes at the
time of application gives all species a chance to grow in a soil environment.

Tea microbes generally come from one source and if the compost is not
high quality, harmful organisms to both man and plant could grow to high
levels during the tea brewing process.

Calcium Sulfate Improves Soil Quality
Recent applications of calcium sulfate (gypsum) on several lawns in our area have proven to be very beneficial. Calcium sulfate is used to counteract many problematic soil conditions.
Calcium is an essential mineral that will help soften hard clay soils, enhance drainage, improve fertilizer response, promote deeper rooting, supply essential nutrients to the soil, minimize winter salt damage and promote optimum growth and appearance. Calcium will also make the grass plants more disease resistant. One lawn care specialist in Michigan reported that after 5 years of gypsum applications, in spring and fall, the soils were transformed from a hard, compacted clay to a crumbly loam texture.
Gypsum is easy to apply using a broadcast spreader. It will not streak or burn. Calcium sulfate (gypsum) is sold under many brand names and is available at Grieder Garden Center. We recommend 40 pounds per 1,000 sq ft in spring and fall until the soil reaches desired quality. To maintain soil quality, applications of 15 to 20 pounds per 1,000 sq ft will be adequate.
Gypsum is not recommended for lawns with a pH below 6.5. In this situation, High Calcium Lime should be used to provide the necessary calcium. Most of the soils in our area have a pH of 7 or higher.
Kid Conscious Lawn Care recommends and can provide a complete soil test for lawns with severe or chronic problems.

Yes, you can enjoy a lush, healthy green lawn and the peace of mind that you are contributing to a healthier world.
Really? Doesn’t a lush, green lawn require a lot of chemicals and fertilizer, constant watering and mowing? That can’t be good for a healthy world.
Really! When you work with nature and start your sustainable lawn care program by building a healthy soil, you will enjoy an attractive lawn and feel great knowing you are making a difference toward creating a healthier world.
Good soil is the foundation of a healthy lawn. Optimal soil will be “loamy” with the balanced mix of sand, silt and clay along with a good supply of organic matter. A loamy soil will have good drainage and plenty of air space to provide oxygen to the grass roots and living organisms. A good soil will have the right amount of nutrients needed to support plant growth. Also, a healthy soil will be filled with biological activity—including earth worms, beneficial fungi, bacteria and thousands of other microscopic creatures.
Here’s how it works.
A sustainable lawn care program should begin with a soil evaluation. Dig around. Does the soil seem loose and airy with a dark brown color? Good! Or is it hard, sticky or slimy? Bad! A knowledgeable landscape professional may help you with the evaluation.
Many things can be done to improve even the worst soil.
Core aeration and top dressing with topsoil or high quality compost is a great start to building a healthy soil.
Using organic fertilizers like seaweed, kelp, humates and fish hydrolysate will provide necessary nutrients for plants and also provide food for the other living creatures in the soil. Organic fertilizers provide nutrients over a longer period of time resulting in slow steady growth. As the soil conditions improve less fertilizer will be needed.
Products are available that enliven the soil with a variety of living microbes. These products can help to repopulate beneficial microbes in soils that have damaged by construction or years of chemical use.
By building up the populations of living organisms in the soil many great things start to happen. Very simply, a cycle of growth, death and decomposition result in more oxygen, available nutrients, moisture retention and porosity for increased water and air penetration—key ingredients to lush green lawns.
If your lawn has major problems a professional soil testing lab can determine quantities of essential nutrients, organic matter and soil structure. A soil rebuilding and fertility program can be developed from the test results.
A healthy soil will sustain lush lawns that: generate oxygen, cool the atmosphere, trap and filter air and water pollutants, stabilize soil, choke out weeds and are more tolerant of diseases, insects and drought conditions. A healthy, living soil will help break down toxins and tie up excess nutrients before they get into our water supply.
Get Started Now
The time and money you spend on soil building will more than pay for itself in the long run. Healthy soils = Healthy lawns = Healthy World