2015 in Review

As the 2015 growing season is fast becoming history we at Golden Rule Sustainable Turf Service would like to express gratitude to our loyal customers for loaning  their lawns and trees to us to study and implement best practices, and to care for in a way that promotes health and sustainability. On this Thanksgiving day we would add all of our customer's names to a list of those we are thankful for. We look forward to next year's growing season and hope to have the opportunity to continue our research and applications in our customer's lawns. 

What we saw, what we learned, what we did.  

In our work we are seeing more and more (as we look into soil biology) the deficiencies in the soils beneath the suburban lawn. The typical suburban lawn and trees are trying to survive in predominately clay soils as can be seen in the picture below of a profile we took from a customer's lawn.

We follow the principle that dirt is DEAD, soil is ALIVE (we can't grow healthy trees, shrubs, and lawns in dirt). The starting point is to get a balance of sand, silt and clay but we're not finished if we have only these components in balance. There also needs to be microorganisms and organic matter (organic matter feeds microorganisms which feed the roots of all plants). Our work is to add to clay what is needed to make a soil that is ALIVE, a soil that feeds the grass, the trees, the plants (yes, biologically balanced soil is capable of feeding quite well our lawns, trees and plants). So what are the results?

THE POWER OF COMPOST. THE LIFE IN THE SOIL. TOWARD SUSTAINABILITY. 

Lawn above has had compost added for the past 2 years. This year we took a soil sample and noted that roots are getting deeper (deeper than what we have seen in other lawns by .5 to 1 inch). Deeper roots mean a lawn less dependent on water and fertilizer. Walking on this lawn is like walking on a fine carpet. 

How a lawn looks after adding compost

In the spring we added compost, minerals, food for the microorganisms in the compost, and premium organic fertilizer in the lawn above. This is how the lawn looked in September with only 1 fertilizer application since the spring application - Amazing! This lawn is moving toward self-sustaining soil biology. Yes, the soil is feeding the lawn! This lawn is becoming less addicted to fertilizer and water!


Of the Wasting of Water there Seems to be No End!

Of all the irrigation systems we audited this year every one of them were set to over-water the lawn in at least one zone. All of them had high water pressure in at least one zone (high water pressure causes the need for over-watering which causes water wasting). 

The video below (taken in a neighborhood where we work) shows just how much water goes "right down the drain" (or sewer). Note toward the top of the video screen is where the water starts running off from a sprinkler zone that is operating. All of the water on the street never even made it into the soil!

$$$ going down the drain!

In our sprinkler system audits we are able to determine how much water is needed in each zone for healthy turf, trees and plants. We are able to program watering events to greatly minimize watering the street!

Volcano Tree Mulch Mounds 

They are Everywhere 

 They are Harmful to our Trees

Tree buried in volcano mound - portion of volcano removed by our air spade (will not damage tree or above ground roots)

Dangerous above ground roots exposed underneath mulch mound (same tree as above)

Root flare exposed (the part of the tree that breathes - this is the same tree as is shown in the above two pictures) using our air spade tool. No more above ground roots (as seen in picture above). No more mulch piled up against the bark which can rot it over time (bark is the protective coating of the tree), leaving the tree exposed to pests and disease. 
Tree can now breathe! 
Bark is safe from rot! 
Happy Tree!