The Grass is Greener with Organic Lawn Care

The Grass is Greener with Organic Lawn Care By Eric Vinje, Planet Natural What’s there not to like about organic lawn care? It’s relatively cheap. It’s better for the environment and it takes less work than your traditional well-manicured lawn. Americans take their lawns seriously. Lawns used to be for the wealthy who hired a staff to maintain the grounds of their estates. Now they are for everyone. The great equalizer was the invention of the push mower in the 1870′s by Elwood McGuire of Richmond, Indiana. (Before that, a common and labor-intensive way to trim lawns was to use scythes.) Today, U.S. homeowners spend more than $17 billion on outdoor home improvements, including lawn…

Chem-Free Home Cleaning

One other questions comes to mind is that what’s in the cleaning products?

Chemical Free Laundry

Just because you want to be energy efficient and stay away from toxic chemicals doesn’t mean your wardrobe has to suffer.

Toxic Free Lawn Care Guide

Homeowners Guide to Chemical Free Lawn Source: Organiclawncare101.com Add organic matter to your lawn to build the soil — or spread an inch of compost in the fall, and water it in. Get after weed problems early. It's easier (and less time consuming) to control a few young weeds than it is to wage war on many large, seed-producing monsters. Increasing the organic matter in your lawn by as little as 5% will quadruple the soil's ability to hold water. Use an organic, slow-release fertilizer to feed your lawn and the soil. These materials break down slowly, feeding your grass over a longer period of time. Spread crocus throughout your lawn to add an early…

Radon Guide

For Your Family's Health – Learn About How You Can Make Your Home RADON Safe! Radon Myths MYTH: Scientists are not sure that radon really is a problem. FACT: Although some scientists dispute the precise number of deaths due to radon, all the major health organizations (like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Lung Association and the American Medical Association) agree with estimates that radon causes thousands of preventable lung cancer deaths every year. This is especially true among smokers, since the risk to smokers is much greater than to non-smokers. MYTH: Radon testing is difficult, time-consuming and expensive. FACT: Radon testing is easy. You can test your home yourself or hire a qualified…

All About Home Insulation

What's new with insulation? Spray foam, traditional rolls, blown in, etc. What are 3 things I should know about new products/techniques I should know about? Homes are often built with multiple types of insulation: Outside the walls and under the slab, closed cell extruded polystyrene (XPS) rigid foam board is commonplace. Also, insulated concrete forms (ICFs), aerated autoclave concrete blocks, Air-krete, Hebel block, and Durisol have become popular over the last 20 years. For the exterior walls, we often find fiberglass batts, cotton or wool batts, blown in cellulose, rock wool, vermiculite, straw or straw clay, rigid foam and structural insulated panels (SIPs). In the attic, open cell spray polyurethane foam stops air infiltration well, as do SIPs. Finally, don't forget…

Eco-Friendly Fundraising

Schools can go green too. Many eco-friendly options are available to do fundraising.

Let’s Increase Property Values

The actions we take on our own properties can have a significant effect on the various species that share this habitat with us.

Compost – The Black Gold

What Is Compost? Compost is one of the most valuable resources for beautifying your landscape, and it is virtually free. The leaves you rake, the grass you mow, and the branches you trim are some of the ingredients you can use to make compost. Finished compost is dark and has a pleasant smell. It is produced when organic matter, such as garden, lawn, and kitchen waste, is broken down by bacteria and fungi. Use it throughout your landscape – till it into gardens and flower beds, add it to the soil when renovating your lawn, Or sieve it and use it in potting soil. Benefits of Composting Compost improves the structure of soil. With the…

No Chemicals – No Fleas

Flea and tick treatments may contain toxic chemicals that can poison pets and harm people. Even when applied as instructed on the box, these chemicals are not safe, either for pets or for humans. Avoid toxic chemicals by taking care of your pet. Regular combing, bathing and vacuuming can reduce and control fleas. When chemical control is necessary, choose a safer treatment and avoid the most toxic chemicals. All pesticides should be used with caution and in consultation with a veterinarian. Ask your vet about one of the products or treatments marked with one crossed-out paw in our Greenpaws Flea and Tick Products Directory. Combing Regular combing of a pet can help reduce fleas and…