I like this post. Your subject matter is exactly why my wife and I got into the worm casting business.
This is not a sales pitch for our business, but the reasons we got into it.
As we get older we think a little more about things like the environment and our legacy. So, trying not to sound like a crusader, let me say this: It's hard to pick up a paper or do a little research and not see the effects, long and short term, of chemicals to our environment. Now, there is no way we are going to live without them. Nor should we try. Some chemicals have made our lives more convenient and solved many problems. However, some chemicals, such as lawn and garden products, are doing more harm than good. The chemicals actually build up in your soil and make it a "dead" soil. The reaction to this is to buy more and more chemicals and dump it on trying to make things grow. We compare chemical fertilizers to steroids. The short term result may be attractive, but the long term effects are not worth it.
At most, only about 10% of what you're spreading on your lawn or garden is actually used by your plants or lawn. The rest is leeched into the groundwater or runoff into the streams, rivers and lakes. Please don't ask me for my sources on this, this is just a post of my own research and/or opinion. You can do your own research on this, but I'm sure most of you will agree with the general tone.
Now, I know we're not all going to go out and simply stop using all the chemical products out there, but there are some things we can do to help move in the right direction.
First, if you're going to use chemicals, follow the directions completely. Consider your location and local environment. Ask yourself, would you put this next to your well or water source? Then consider organic alternatives.
If you research organics, especially on the internet, it can seem like a science project in itself. But for us, and hopefully most people, simpler is better. You're more likely to stick with it if it's simple.
Here's the recipe we use. Compost for large scale soil improvements. Worm castings as an excellent feritlizer. Mulch for moisture retention. With this recipe, we don't even have to use pesticides. Healty soil and plants are less likely to have issues with pests.
Lastly, if you have some weeds or a little damage from bugs, live with it. A nice looking lawn is nice, but if you think you're going to get a golf course look to your lawn by dumping chemcals on it, you're fooling yourself. Our lawn is almost 2 acres. When we get dandelions, we simply have the attitude that we've got pretty yellow flowers in our yard. Then we mow them down. We know we'll never stop them. Why try? We let them go through their process and never worry about our grandaughter in the yard our chemical from food from the garden. I have no problem grabbing a handful of cherry tomatoes and chowing down next to the garden.
Sorry for the long rant, but my feelings are strong on this. I sell thousands of pounds of our castings all over the country. But if I never sell another pound, I don't care, I'll still use it in my own yard and garden.
If you're interested, visit my website at
http://kandmfarms.com and follow the links to see the results of our recipe. If you don't, that's O.K., just give some thought to the subject the next time you're in your garden center trying to figure out what to buy. Oh ya, that salesperson probably isn't the person to ask. Just read the ingredients and warning labels. Do your own research.
Mark
