Helpful Terms and Definitions
- Integrated Pest Management - (IPM)
- Our Complete System. Integrated Pest Management (IPM)is a protocol for the care and maintenance of landscapes that utilizes a system that reduces the use of pesticides to control disease, insects and weeds commonly known to landscapes in the United States. IPM provides for a safer and more environmentally friendly landscape maintenance program.
- Soil Analysis
Organicare uses an independent laboratory to do our extensive soil testing. The testing involves many areas crucial to growing a truly healthy lawn. While most university soil-analysis services test for only a few components-such as phosphorus, potassium and pH-Organicare's lab measures all these components:
- Organic matter content - An estimate of the organic matter content of the soil reported as percent by weight.
- Thatch layer - A depth measurement of dead organic material that lies on the surface of the soil at the base of the grass plant.
- Soil pH - A measure of active acidity or alkalinity in a soil/water slurry.
- Buffer pH - A measure of the soil's ability to acidify a buffered solution.
- Cation Exchange Capacity - A calculated value used to determine the relative nutrient-holding capacity of the soil.
- Phosphorus - A measure of the available phosphorus.
- Potassium - A measure of the available potassium.
- Calcium - A measure of available calcium.
- Magnesium - A measure of the available magnesium.
Once the soil analysis is completed, we will send you a report, and an Organicare representative will call you to discuss the results. The process takes three to six weeks from the time your technician samples the soil to the time you receive your report.
- 50% and 75% Reduction in Chemicals
- Organicare’s Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices and spot treatment methods enable Organicare to reduce the overall use of pesticides on most properties as compared to conventional lawn care methods. The overall use of chemicals will decline the longer you are on an Organicare lawn program. Our exclusive Organic Based Fertilizer will contain a minimum of 50% organic matter by weight. In certain limited situations, extreme pest infestations may require an increase in chemicals beyond the 50% and 75% levels.
- Guaranteed Results
What are results? Results are an improvement in color, turf density and overall appearance. Results are apparent sooner if your lawn has not had fertilization maintenance in the past, and take a little longer if your lawn has been maintained in the past.
- Results can be achieved only with a full 6-application program with grub prevention and a soil analysis.
- Organicare will need one full season (8 months) to achieve results.
- As the customer, you must agree to perform all maintenance practices and act on all recommendations from Organicare.
If results are not achieved, Organicare will continue to work on the lawn until the desired results are achieved at no additional cost.
Note: The guarantee will not apply if:
- Your lawn has an unsustainable soil or soil depth
- Your lawn has a detrimental amount of thatch
- You do not follow Organicare’s recommendations
- Organic-Based Fertilizer
- Organicare's proprietary fertilizer is composed of a balance of slow-release nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, plus micronutrients with the addition of rich organic matter. Each bag ranges from 50% to 100% organic matter by weight. Microbial activity releases these nutrients slowly, supplying turf with longer residual feeding to maintain good turf color, reduce mowing requirements and reduce nitrogen loss due to leaching. The release of nutrients by microbial activity creates a healthier soil and plant.
- Biological Control
- Biological control, or biocontrol for short, is the practice of rearing and releasing natural enemies (predators and parasites) that seek out and destroy other insects and mites that are considered pests. Natural enemies are perfectly safe to humans and do not harm the environment. They simply re-establish the natural balance of nature. Keep in mind, however, that biocontrol does not completely eradicate pests; it keeps them at low levels. Under biocontrol, pest levels are kept at levels low enough to produce a crop with minimal damage.
- Natural Controls
- Natural controls are any products that are naturally occurring and considered organic. They may be derived from or consist of animal or plant ingredients without synthetic components (non-man-made).
- Pre-Emergent Crab Grass Control
- Crab grass is notorious for its ability to produce seed. Prolific seed production ensures the plant's survival from year to year, and makes it difficult to eliminate crab grass from your lawn. Crab grass germinates in the spring, infests your lawn throughout the summer, and dies in the winter cold. The most effective way to control crab grass is to prevent germination. Organicare applies a pre-emergent crab grass control in the spring (March – June) that will inhibit that germination. This material will form a barrier to stop crab grass seed as they germinate. Following application, this barrier must not be broken by raking or digging.
- Grub Prevention
Grubs are a destructive insect that can devastate your lawn in a matter of hours. Prevention is the most logical course to take. While some insecticides can be harmful to beneficial insects and mammals, Organicare chooses to use products that target only the Grubs.
Grub specific products have little or no toxicity to mammals or vertebrates because its active ingredient is an insect growth regulator (IGR). This IGR acts like an insect hormone that is not found in mammals or humans. Exposure to low doses causes the target larvae to undergo a premature, lethal molt. Because vertebrates do not have a process that is comparable to molting, this IGR, when used according to label instructions, poses little threat to them (Potter, PROSOURCE, May-June 1998).
The active ingredient specifically targets grubs and immature stages of similar turf pests. Because the product is specific to these target species, it does not kill beneficial insect populations (Vittum, Grounds Maintenance, Sept. 1997). It is harmless to most turf and to ornamental plants.
- Surface Insect Control
- The common surface insects in the Northeast are the Chinch Bug, Sod Webworm and Bill Bug. These insects can kill large patches of turf in a short period of time. Organicare will monitor the activity of these insects through our Integrated Pest Management practices and control them as needed.
- Weed Control
Weeds. These are the bushy or creeping or sprawling (and usually ugly) plants that are just waiting for a chance to invade your beautiful lawn. Officially, a "weed" is any plant that is growing where it's not wanted. For lawn care purposes, we consider a weed to be any plant that isn't the same grass type as the lawn.
Our goal is to manage weeds, not eradicate them forever. There is no herbicide that eliminates weeds from a lawn immediately -- or forever. But working together to build your lawn and control the weeds will give you the kind of turf you'll always enjoy coming home to. Through our Integrated Pest Management practices, we will control weeds as needed.
- Disease Control
Disease-causing organisms are always present in the lawn, ready to infect weakened plants when conditions become favorable. Thus, a lawn is likely to have some disease activity most of the time, but this is minor and goes unnoticed as healthy lawn grasses out-grow the injury. Keen observation is required to identify a major disease epidemic before it fully develops. Organicare technicians are trained to identify and treat for these epidemics.
Materials to treat these diseases are extremely expensive and are detrimental to soil organisms necessary for a healthy lawn. That's why we don't include them in our standard program. There would be little point in routinely treating for a condition that may never become a real problem. But, in keeping with Organicare's sound Integrated Pest Management practices, your technician will notify you if treatment becomes absolutely necessary.
- Organicare’s Organic Pre-Emergent Weed Control (OPEWC)
OPEWC is a naturally derived protein extracted from an agricultural crop. When applied to lawns throughout the spring it will inhibit crabgrass seeds from germinating.
University research showed comparable results to Scotts crab grass control product, but OPEWC exhibited better root density than Scotts.
- Organicare’s 100% Organic Fertilizer
- Our 100% Organic Fertilizer is made from agricultural plant extracts in a synergistic combination of seven different strains of beneficial organisms: humic acids, soil conditioners and root stimulants.
- Organicare’s Biological Grub Control
Organicare uses beneficial nematodes to seek and destroy grubs.
Nematodes are microscopic, non-segmented worms that occur naturally in soil all over the world. There are thousands of different strains. Beneficial nematodes attack only soil-dwelling insects and leave plants alone. The nematodes enter the host through body openings or by penetration of the body wall. Once inside, they release a bacterium that kills the host within 48 hours. The nematode continues to reproduce, and its offspring begin to seek out new host material. Beneficial nematodes are a totally safe biological control for parasitic insect organisms. The beneficial nematodes are so safe that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has waived the registration requirements for their application.
- Core Aeration/Over-Seeding
- Core aeration/over-seeding is one of the most important cultural practices available for your lawn. Aeration helps control thatch, improve the soil structure, create growth pockets for new roots and open the way for water and fertilizer to get into the root zone of your lawn. Over-seeding helps fill in bare spots and thin areas and introduces insect-resistant grass varieties.
- Slice Seeding
- Often lawns become thin or worn out or are just made up of old, inferior grass varieties. Organicare can give you a brand-new lawn or give that old lawn a fresh start. Our system slices through the sod and plants new seed directly into the soil, eliminating the need to strip the existing sod, till the yard or provide a straw cover.
- Organicare’s Organic / Natural Fertilizer
- Our Organic / Natural Fertilizer is made from agricultural plant extracts in a synergistic combination of seven different strains of beneficial organisms: humic acids, soil conditioners and root stimulants.
Note - Organicare cannot guarantee the results of biocontrols and natural controls. The effectiveness of biocontrols and natural controls are dependent on watering and environmental factors beyond the control of Organicare. Plus,in some circumstances, they could take longer to achieve desired results.
