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PostPosted: Mon Apr 26, 2004 10:54 pm 
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Joined: Mon Apr 26, 2004 10:47 pm
Posts: 12
Location: Denton
Hiya folks :)

My DH and I are trying to go the organic way in our lawn & garden. We are very newbies at this and I need advice as to where to begin. I hate to admit this, but we've been Trugreen Chemlawn customers for about 5 years and have finally wised up to going organic.

We live in the DFW area, near Denton. Are there any companies that are like Trugreen that will treat yards the organic way or come by to help people get started? Is there a book that we should purchase to get started (like Dirt Doctor book? if so, which ones?). We're not opposed to doing things ourself, but I'm curious if there are companies out there who will treat or at least give advice in going organic.

We have established bermuda grass in our front & back. However our backyard has gotten pitiful in the grass department. I think there's more dirt then there's grass at this point. We have hard clay soil. We're thinking of tearing up all of the existing grass/weeds and starting from scratch, but of course we need for the soil to be retoiled & treated with compost, etc in order to make it healthier.

I just don't know where to get started - this is all SO very new to us!

Thank you so much in advance and I'm so glad I found this forum!


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PostPosted: Mon Apr 26, 2004 11:52 pm 
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Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2003 11:17 am
Posts: 315
Location: Dallas,TEXAS
I'd recommend that you first look at what mterials there are in books and here on Howard's and other organic gardeing oriented web sites. The books are a bit more concise in terms of presenting the information and you always have them at hand (at home at least). Info on the web is widely available, but for some it often requires a certain level of effort to search for answers to question you have. If you're comfortable with that, then that's great.

Once you have a better idea about what's involved with DIY organic lawn and gardening then you can better determine if you're up for that. There are a few organic services available. Check the Organic Resources section of this site for one in the area. Soils Alive is the only one I've had any direct, albeit very limited, experience with. Michael Bosco is who you'd want to talk to with that outfit.

Good luck and don't be shy about asking specific questions here! Lot's of knowledge and experience around to lend a helping hand.

~Dave


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PostPosted: Tue Apr 27, 2004 6:15 am 
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Joined: Sat May 03, 2003 10:48 am
Posts: 241
Location: Arlington
Hi Ya Paisley;

We are glad you found this forum also :D

Soils alive http://www.soilsalive.com/ is very helpful and good people to deal with. Redenta's http://www.redentas.com/ also performs orgainc lawn maintenance.

Howard's newest book covers just about every plant, insect and problem that you may encounter.

Here is the basic organic plan :

http://www.dirtdoctor.com/view_question.php?id=94

Read the notes at the tops of the forums for some great information, use the search feature to see if your question has been addressed before, and don't be shy, this is a good group of people.


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PostPosted: Thu Apr 29, 2004 11:43 am 
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Joined: Tue Mar 18, 2003 3:45 pm
Posts: 2884
Location: San Antonio,TEXAS
If you start now with what you have, you'll be miles ahead from starting over. Read the FAQ at the top of the forum and follow these three rules for good turf:

1. Water deeply and infrequently. Deeply means at least an hour in every zone, all at once. Infrequently means monthly during the cool months and no more than weekly during the hottest part of summer. If your grass looks dry before the month/week is up, water longer next time. Deep watering grows deep, drought resistant roots. Infrequent watering allows the top layer of soil to dry completely which kills off many shallow rooted weeds.

2. Mow at the highest setting on your mower. Most grasses are the most dense when mowed tall. Bermuda, centipede, and bent grasses are the most dense when mowed at the lowest setting on your mower. Dense grass shades out weeds and uses less water when tall. Dense grass feeds the deep roots you're developing in 1 above.

3. Fertilize regularly. I fertilize 4 times per year using organic fertilizer. Which fertilizer you use is much less important than numbers 1 and 2 above.

_________________
David Hall
Moderator
Dirt Doctor Lawns Forum


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PostPosted: Thu Apr 29, 2004 10:10 pm 
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Joined: Mon Apr 26, 2004 10:47 pm
Posts: 12
Location: Denton
Thanks for your responses! :) I tried responding the other day, but for some reason it wouldn't let me log in.

I'm really glad to hear of some local companies who specialize in organic lawn care. Thanks for that info Jrosto!

I appreciate all of the advice y'all have given me, now to get started! :D

Paisley


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PostPosted: Wed May 12, 2004 3:02 pm 
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Joined: Fri Apr 30, 2004 10:17 am
Posts: 13
Location: Allen, Texas
Hello,

My name is Sam Smith and I am the owner of Arcadia Organic Gardens. I have over ten years of gardening experience and have just started my own company after years of working for others. Most recently I was the head gardener of a private six acre estate in the Preston Hollow area of Dallas. I have references available.

Sam Smith
Arcadia Organic Gardens
972-678-1313
arcadiaorganic@earthlink.net


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