The Complete Guide to Organic Lawn Care: Everything You Need to Know Explained Simply (Back-To-Basics)
Author
Sandy Baker
Publisher
Atlantic Publishing Group Inc.
4 Review Copies Left
Your lawn is a representative of you and your home it shows your neighbors and visitors how much time and effort you are willing to put into keeping your home looking good. But, in these fragile times, many people also want to ensure their lawn care does not endanger the environment or any of the pets or children that might play on that lawn. Organic lawn care is becoming much more prevalent for many home owners, but knowing how to effectively plant a grow a lawn, keep weeds away and kill bugs without using chemicals and unnatural law products can be complicated and downright confusing in many cases. This book was written with these things in mind, guiding every lawn care enthusiast through the steps needed to continue caring for a lawn without letting the concerns that develop because of unnatural products overwhelm you or your lawn. The keys to organic lawn care, starting with how to create a low maintenance lawn are laid out in great detail in this book, providing the essential details you need to enjoy your yard while not endangering the environment, your pets, or your children. You will learn how to keep your lawn healthy with the right soil, seed, sod, and feeding without using any chemically enhanced products and how you can start caring for your lawn by mowing, watering, fertilizing, edging, and trimming with organic fertilizers and tools. Finally, learn how to change your existing lawn so that it is both environmentally sound and just as beautiful as it has always been. The final step in the process will show you how to deal with pests, disease and weeds in your lawn organically. Lawn experts in every field have been interviewed for this book and their advice has been included to provide specific, top tips for organic lawn care. Anyone looking to maintain their lawn and stay eco-conscious need look no further than this book.
Reviews
As spring begins to show signs that it’s right around the corner, stores ready themselves for the influx of customers looking to buy their lawn care essentials. But what do you do if the prospect of spreading poisons and dangerous chemicals on the same ground your barefoot children and pets run around on doesn’t exactly appeal to you? Then it’s time to start thinking about lawn care in terms of organic standards. And author Sandy Baker has exactly what you need to get started in her book, “The Complete Guide to Organic Lawn Care: Everything You Need to Know Explained Simply”
“The Complete Guide to Organic Lawn Care” is a comprehensive book, details a myriad of steps, organic options, and common problems inherent with transitioning a lawn from ‘traditional’ to ‘eco-friendly’. Baker begins with the various reasons why people may want to switch and then gets into the actual concept of what organic lawn care entails. Later, she explains how to get your soil tested so you know what nutrient deficiencies you are up against and how to overcome them. She gives helpful hints for getting rid of weeds, pesky insects, fungus, and other unwelcomed infestations. There is even a section on how to mow your lawn the correct way.
Chock full of ideas and possibilities, the book is a map for the would-be beginner and a fantastic reference book for the experienced organic landscaper. Baker is thorough in her explanations, ensuring that her methods are understandable for any reader regardless of skill level. Well-organized, the book flowed from one section to another with ease. I only noticed one small issue with the editing: page 230 discusses weeds and some various ways to stop them. Baker notes, “Instead of digging the weeds up individually, use the vinegar and citrus oil method for that small area.” However, this ‘vinegar and citrus oil method’ had not been discussed prior nor is it addressed after this reference is made. It wasn’t until I got to the end of the book that I found an appendix. Appendix D (page 273) explains this method and details the recipe. Had I not browsed the appendices, I would not have found this recipe and the ‘vinegar and citrus oil method’ I’d read about on page 230 would have remained an irritating, unanswered question. This issue could be easily fixed with the addition of a short notation, like “(see Appendix D, page 273)” immediately following the first mention of this new method.
“The Complete Guide to Organic Lawn Care” is a must-read for anyone looking to leave behind the traditional, unnatural way of caring for their yard. Sandy Baker’s safer, eco-friendly steps allow for a healthier – and eventually even easier – way to maintain everything underfoot!
Reviewed on 03/09/2012 by ReviewTheBook.com Member Vicki Landes
