{"id":4030,"date":"2020-02-19T06:00:09","date_gmt":"2020-02-19T11:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/innovativepixel.com\/IGIN\/?post_type=features&p=4030"},"modified":"2021-12-27T21:24:55","modified_gmt":"2021-12-28T02:24:55","slug":"a-natural-path","status":"publish","type":"features","link":"https:\/\/innovativepixel.com\/IGIN\/features\/a-natural-path\/","title":{"rendered":"A natural path"},"content":{"rendered":"

Across many industries, companies are looking at environmentally friendly practices, prompted by public concerns such as climate change, pollution and threat to pollinators. Those issues hit especially close to home when it comes to landscaping and irrigation, as well as the chemical inputs that green industry professionals use.<\/p>\n

Transitioning to a more sustainable, eco-friendly approach takes lots of planning to match your clients\u2019 expectations and protect your company\u2019s bottom line.<\/p>\n

Changing course<\/h2>\n

For Frank Crandall, owner of Frank Crandall Horticultural Solutions, Charlestown, Rhode Island, a company that offers both organic consulting and organic landscape services, the transition began in January 2005 when he took a trip to Barre, Massachusetts, to take the Northeast Organic Farming Association\u2019s five-day land care training course.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a comprehensive course in organic land care principles, taught by experts in the fields of soil health, organic pest and disease control, composting, organic lawn care, native plants, invasive plants and a whole bunch of other topics,\u201d says Crandall.<\/p>\n

This course changed his life. \u201cI had been trained in traditional landscaping methods, using chemical pesticides, herbicides and nonorganic fertilizers,\u201d he says. \u201cThe course taught me that there were natural tools I could use instead of those.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"sustainable
A lawn after organic applications. (Photo: Frank Crandall)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Crandall began transitioning his landscaping business over to more sustainable practices, a process that took about two years. \u201cI immediately gave up using some of these harsh sprays and converted to using insecticidal soaps and neem oil, things that were allowed by NOFA (Northeast Organic Farming Association) and OMRI (Organic Materials Review Institute).\u201d<\/p>\n

Among the greatest fears any small business owner has is losing hard-won accounts. Crandall admits that part wasn\u2019t easy. \u201cThe big challenge was getting the word out to our clients, saying that we\u2019re going to be doing things organically from now on, and here is the program that we\u2019re going to follow.\u201d He found that most of his clients were at least willing to give the new way a try.<\/p>\n

Several, however, were bothered by not seeing the sort of immediate results they were used to. \u201cBut we didn\u2019t lose them,\u201d says Crandall. \u201cThose people, we put on a hybrid program that used mostly organics but included some nonorganic elements, mainly for weed control. For the most part, we\u2019ve been able to keep those customers.\u201d<\/p>\n

When you have existing customers who have become used to a certain quality in their lawns, it can be tough, Crandall admits. \u201cThen you have to ask yourself the question, do you lose a good client because you\u2019re not willing to keep using traditional pesticides and herbicides?\u201d<\/p>\n

New baby, new way<\/h2>\n

Eric and Shay Lunseth, owners of Organic Lawns by Lunseth in Minneapolis, Minnesota, were willing to take that gamble. The birth of their first child 10 years ago was the catalyst for changing over the landscape business they\u2019d started in 2007. \u201cBoth Shay and I realized how important it was to us to keep chemicals away from our property,\u201d says Eric Lunseth.<\/p>\n

They had talked about converting their business to organic lawn care earlier, \u201cand I had dabbled in it a little bit while working for other companies,\u201d he continues. \u201cWe spent two years experimenting with the products on our own lawn to make sure they would work. By 2010, after two seasons, we felt confident enough to start selling organic services to clients.\u201d<\/p>\n

With nine residential customers their first year of going organic, \u201cwe said to the clients, \u2018take it or leave it,\u2019\u201d says Shay Lunseth. \u201c\u2018We\u2019re going organic, and we hope you come with us.\u2019 And most of them did.\u201d They now have around 1,100 clients.<\/p>\n

\n

How to transition a lawn to organics<\/h3>\n

By Frank Crandall<\/em><\/h6>\n
Adapted from his article Landscape Now: Transitioning From Traditional to Organic Lawn Care. Used with permission.<\/em><\/h6>\n

A soil test is the first step. The results will provide a road map as to what soil amendments are needed.<\/p>\n

The first year of organic conversion may include the use of preemergent and post-emergent chemical weed control treatments and chemical grub control; after that, all treatments should be nonchemical.<\/p>\n

An organic program would include early spring applications of lime and organic, low nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers with an NPK number of 8-1-1 and kelp booster in late spring. Soil conditioner should be added in summer, and in early fall, another application of 8-1-1 fertilizer.<\/p>\n

These inputs would be in addition to compost top dressing and applications of compost tea.<\/p>\n

For weed control, seek out Organic Materials Review Institute-approved products containing d-limonene, an oil extracted from orange rind, ammoniated soap of fatty acids or corn gluten. For grub control, use neem oil, beneficial nematodes and milky spore; for flies and mosquitoes, Bacillus thuringiensis<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Good cultural practices will help you achieve success. These include aeration, overseeding and watering infrequently but deeply in the early morning hours. Mowing to a height of 2\u00bd to 3 inches with a mulching mower allows grass to better resist disease and shades out weeds; grass clippings and chopped-up leaves add nitrogen.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

True believer<\/h2>\n

Michael Nadeau, owner of Wholistic Land Care Consulting LLC, Sharon, Connecticut, started landscaping at age 12, working for a neighbor\u2019s company. At 17, he passed a difficult test to become a certified arborist and worked for a tree service for awhile. The arborist license allowed him to spray pesticides, which led to him starting a spraying business. In 1981 he started his own landscape and tree service company, with his brother joining him in 1982.<\/p>\n

\u201cI learned how to kill everything that moved using all the high-powered synthetic pesticides of the day,\u201d Nadeau says.<\/p>\n

But something didn\u2019t feel right for a self-described nature boy who\u2019d grown up roaming the woods. Then shaking spells brought him to a doctor, who asked him if he\u2019d been exposed to organophosphate, a common pesticide chemical. \u201cI\u2019d been poisoning myself, being careless,\u201d Nadeau says. \u201cWhen we sprayed for gypsy moth on hot days, we\u2019d take our shirts off and let the pesticide rain down on us to cool off.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"sustainable
Sometimes using sustainable practices means incorporating native plants or species. (Photo: Michael Nadeau)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Nadeau began investigating alternatives to chemicals but didn\u2019t find many. \u201cBiological pesticides were in their inception back in 1982. Then I heard about Rodale.\u201d The Rodale Institute, Kutztown, Pennsylvania, is a pioneering center for research and education in organic farming and landscaping. A monthlong apprenticeship there made him a true believer in the organic way.<\/p>\n

Still, Nadeau says they didn\u2019t switch to all-organic until around 1988. \u201cIn the meantime, my brother and I started using some organic methods, gradually phasing them into our landscaping work. We\u2019d substitute with organic fertilizers without telling the clients because frankly, we didn\u2019t know if they\u2019d work or not.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nadeau admits that the first few years of the transition were lean ones for him and his brother. \u201cBut remember, nobody was doing this back then. Though we lost our original clients, they were replaced by organic ones a little at a time. Then things really started to take off.\u201d<\/p>\n

But he cautions that the organic approach does take patience for both the client and the landscaper. \u201cYou have to have a benevolent soul for the planet to get into this,\u201d Nadeau says. \u201cAfter three to five years, though, the clients will begin to notice their costs starting to really go down. They\u2019ll tell two people, and those two will two others, and after a while, you\u2019ll have more business than you can handle. That\u2019s what happened to us.\u201d<\/p>\n

As green as you want to be<\/h2>\n

There are many shades of green in the marketplace. Some landscape operations are fully all-organic, using absolutely no chemical inputs whatsoever. Others are mostly green, somewhat green or green-on-request.<\/p>\n

\"sustainable
(Photo: Michael Nadeau)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Crandall says you can have a split business that is partly organic and partly traditional, as long as you keep the materials and equipment used for each part of the operation strictly separated. That means having at least two of everything, including sheds. \u201cThe sprayer you\u2019re using to spread organic pesticides or fertilizer should be designated for that use only,\u201d he says. \u201cYou can\u2019t go back and forth with tools, and you can\u2019t just throw everything into the same building.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Lunseths offer a conventional chemical weed-and-feed program to their commercial customers. The reason? Organic inputs cost more, and large-scale commercial sites find it cost prohibitive.<\/p>\n

Managing expectations<\/h2>\n

You shouldn\u2019t paint too rosy a picture of what their landscapes will look like for the first few months and years of this approach. It takes patience and trust.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t overpromise,\u201d says Nadeau. \u201cIf you tell someone they\u2019ll have a weed-free lawn with organics, you\u2019re lying. You have to tell people both the up and the down sides of the organic way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Organic fertilizers encourage mycorrhizae and beneficial soil bacteria. There are no toxic chemicals in the runoff to pollute local water bodies. It\u2019s better for the pollinators.<\/p>\n

Weeds and insects are harder to kill using organic methods. The content of natural pesticides such as milky spore and Bacillus thuringiensis<\/em> is unregulated, so you can\u2019t be sure of how much you\u2019re getting or its freshness. And organic inputs just plain cost more.<\/p>\n

\"\"
(Photo: Dan Delventhal)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

People that are hopelessly addicted to having that perfect green lawn with zero weeds, what Nadeau calls \u201cthe show,\u201d aren\u2019t likely to go for this approach. \u201cMaybe the husband plays golf and wants his lawn to look perfect like the course,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s going to be a healthier lawn overall, but people have to be patient,\u201d says Crandall. \u201cAny new client we take on, we explain that it takes two to three years of building up the soil before it really starts to pay off. Most all of the clients that have allowed me a two-year window have been rewarded with a thick, lush lawn that doesn\u2019t give many weeds room to grow.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dan Delventhal, owner of MowGreen Organic Lawn Care, Fairfield, Connecticut, says to keep customers through the switch, you should adjust their expectations. \u201cYou need to tell them that in the long run, they\u2019ll save money and be safer, their soil will be healthier and their lawn is going to look better than ever before. But the results are not quick and immediate like they are with chemical landscaping.\u201d<\/p>\n

Delventhal started his business in 2006 as an all-electric landscape company. He says the sort of customers who are attracted to that kind of approach are usually open to organic landscaping. \u201cPeople have to be inspired to go along with this and be a little bit more tolerant of having a weed here and there,\u201d he says. \u201cAnd you as the service provider have to be more diligent.\u201d<\/p>\n

This article originally appeared in Irrigation & Green Industry magazine.<\/em><\/h6>\n
Mary Williams-Villano<\/strong><\/a> is a contributing editor to Irrigation & Green Industry and can be reached at pouncerspy@gmail.com<\/a>.<\/em><\/h6>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sustainable practices can be friendly to both your client\u2019s turf and you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":28,"featured_media":4726,"parent":0,"template":"","main-categories":[35],"class_list":["post-4030","features","type-features","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","main-categories-sustainability"],"yoast_head":"\nA natural path - Irrigation & Lighting<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Transitioning to sustainable landscaping takes lots of planning to match your clients\u2019 expectations and protect your company\u2019s bottom line.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/innovativepixel.com\/IGIN\/features\/a-natural-path\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A natural path\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Transitioning to sustainable landscaping takes lots of planning to match your clients\u2019 expectations and protect your company\u2019s bottom line.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/innovativepixel.com\/IGIN\/features\/a-natural-path\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Irrigation & Lighting\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2021-12-28T02:24:55+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/innovativepixel.com\/IGIN\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/natural-path.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"700\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"467\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"9 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/innovativepixel.com\/IGIN\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Irrigation & Lighting\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/innovativepixel.com\/IGIN\/\",\"sameAs\":[],\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/innovativepixel.com\/IGIN\/#logo\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/innovativepixel.com\/IGIN\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Irrigation-and-Lighting-LogoNoTag.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/innovativepixel.com\/IGIN\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Irrigation-and-Lighting-LogoNoTag.jpg\",\"width\":1117,\"height\":178,\"caption\":\"Irrigation & Lighting\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/innovativepixel.com\/IGIN\/#logo\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/innovativepixel.com\/IGIN\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/innovativepixel.com\/IGIN\/\",\"name\":\"Irrigation & Lighting\",\"description\":\"The business and technology magazine for contractors\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/innovativepixel.com\/IGIN\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/innovativepixel.com\/IGIN\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/innovativepixel.com\/IGIN\/features\/a-natural-path\/#primaryimage\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/innovativepixel.com\/IGIN\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/natural-path.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/innovativepixel.com\/IGIN\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/natural-path.jpg\",\"width\":700,\"height\":467,\"caption\":\"sustainable landscaping\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/innovativepixel.com\/IGIN\/features\/a-natural-path\/#webpage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/innovativepixel.com\/IGIN\/features\/a-natural-path\/\",\"name\":\"A natural path - 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