[Gpdd] Care: Re Lawn care for BrownieBear and Butterscotch

[Carla Martinez]

Congrats to BB and BS on their new home and welcome to the joys of lawn
care. I thought this was a great topic you started. I also want to learn
more about natural lawn care methods. So I will share with y'all what I was
recently told ....

This lawn care guy (a certified arborist)said the chemicals in fertilizers
break down the microbes and beneficial bacteria which lawns and trees need
to stay healthy. I had called him because we had a sick tree. He said this
silver maple could live longer if the soil was healthier. And he said just
because the grass looks pretty and green doesn't mean the soil is healthy.
He said companies that do these lawn programs and all the fertilizer stuff
we buy is just making a cycle to spend money on lawn care. He said it is
cheaper and more healthy to use natural methods that help build up the soil.

He said there is some kind of cornmeal you can get at a feedstore or lawn
and garden store for preventing weeds. You broadcast it like fertilizer. And
for weeds that are already in a lawn he suggested wiping them with strong
vinegar. With a rag. And of course mulching with grass clippings and doing
composting. We mulch but we don't compost. If I find the other info he gave
me I will post it as well.

I am interested in what others know about this sort of stuff. Incidentally
my piggies are seldom allowed outdoors. We have about 15 - 20 days per year
in Houston with moderate temperatures. The rest of the time it is too hot or
too cool, or too wet and I fear they could get infested with microscopic
bugs like mites or gnats or fleas. Couldn't that happen? We have lots of
bugs here. What? Could I be more overprotective than Leah? No way! She is
the ultimate.

Wishing BB and BS a lush green and healthy lawn for basking and nibbling!

Carla, Snowball, Apache 
~and Snickers in our hearts~