Gotta love the chemicals?!

Let's get down to some good, green business with some solid lawn care tips...
Here's one for you: CHEMICALS ARE GOOD!
That's right, while many out there in HGTV-land try to espouse the use of "organics" in lawn and landscape care, I put my 16 years of experience on the table and say, "Soak em', drench em', pelletize em'...whatever it takes to kill the pests baby!..gimme my chemicals."

Now I'm not by any means encouraging folks to use a product outside the bounds of it's labeling. You should follow the manufacturers guidelines if for no other reason then to keep from toasting your turf!

But I still challenge anyone out there to show me a proven weed control that is truly "organic."
We've all seen the environmental whack-job in our neighborhood right? Sure, he/she is the one with the pale, crispy lawn full of dandelions, thistle and every other invading weed that is spreading from their parcel to all the neighbors'. Moths and other flying and biting pests nestle deeply into the weedy wonderland, only to be disturbed by the occasional passing car, or mis-directed child looking for a shortcut to the bus-stop.

Truth be told (and trust me, I'll tell ya the truth), people who claim to be "anti-chems" are the lazy people who just don't wanna get out and do anything at all, and the environmental angle seems to thwart wood-be neighborhood complainers.
What's more, the people who claim to be "chemical-free" are the same people who clean their toilets with bleach, use gasoline to make their cars run, and put smelly gels in their hair every morning.
Listen, if you're gonna go "chem-free," then put your money where your mouth is and move to the mountains of Tennessee, grow squash and peas, and stop wearing deodorant!
Just don't bring your smelly self to my suburban paradise and ruin my property value with your run-down tri-level house with a lawn full of crap!

My recommendations for basic chemical controls for the lawn (mid-west regions):
7-step yearly program
1) starter fertilizer (20-20-10) in early spring
2) high nitrogen fert with crab grass pre-emergent about 4 weeks later (30-3-3)
3) quality weed-n-feed whenever dandelions start blooming
4) insect control for above and below-ground pests (early June)
5) nuisance pest control granules about 4 weeks later (July)
6) quality weed-n-feed in early fall (30-3-3)
7) 20-20-10 late fall as a winterizer

I also recommend spot-spray liquid for weeds in the lawn throughout the entire season.

In another post, we'll talk about the importance of factors such as proper watering and cutting, as well as aeration, seeding and thatch. (all which happen to be non-chemical solutions to lawn care... )