Don't assume a company is organic, natural, green or sustainable just because the salespeople say so. Here are some questions to help you ferret out the truth. (These are also good things for you to keep in mind if you're doing the work yourself.)
How do you take care of the soil?
Good soil is the backbone of a sustainable garden. If the soil is healthy, plants are healthy. If plants are healthy, they'll more easily fight off disease and pests. Maintenance companies should be using compost and/or compost teas, worm castings and mulches to improve soil. They should avoid synthetic fertilizers.
What type of fertilizer do you use?
You're looking for an answer such as slow-release organic fertilizer blend or a straight organic product, such as kelp, bone meal, alfalfa meal, fish meal or emulsion, oyster shell, humic acid, cottonseed meal or feather meal. If you're not sure something is a natural product, it's pretty easy to look it up on the Internet. Remember, though, that organic doesn't automatically equal the best thing to put in your garden. Gasoline is organic, and you sure wouldn't want that poured on the soil.
Do you use a recycling or mulching mower?
Don't count out a company that doesn't use a mulching mower in spring when grass is growing faster than Jack's beanstalk and is usually wet to boot. But in summer, the clippings should be left in place to decompose. (And, no, you won't see the clippings.)
How many kinds of power tools do you use?
Gas-powered tools use a nonrenewable resource and are loud and a source of air pollution (a 3.5-horsepower gas mower can emit the same amount of smog-causing air pollution in an hour as a new car driving 340 miles, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency). They should be kept to a minimum. Or, more energy-efficient types should be used.
How do you deal with weeds?
Look for companies that use mulch to suppress weeds and hand-pull weeds that show up. Ask them if they use synthetic pre-emergent herbicides. The answer should be "No."
Do you use weed and feed?
Again, the answer should be "No."
-- Homes & Gardens staff
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