As we are becoming more sensitive to the natural world around us, organic and natural applications are becoming more common and popular. At Countryside Landscape & Design, we are offering the organic options listed below.
Tick Free®, an organic insect control made from natural ingredients. Not only does it work for ticks, but also: gnats, fleas, ants, fire ants, spiders, chinch bugs, stink bug and most exoskeleton insects.
The active ingredients are: cedar oil, which acts as a pheromone interruption agent that impairs the mental capacity of the insect and is the residual repellent for up to 30 days depending on the saturation. The cedar oil, when combined with the other active ingredient, 2-Phenethyl Propionate, a raspberry bio-solvent, causes the insect’s exoskeleton to erode and dehydrate. The fatty soap acts as a sticker to the insect, as well as allowing it to remain effective after rain.
(Applications: for heavy infestations, every 30 days; for moderate infestations every 60 days)
Living in the Berkshires, ticks and tick borne diseases have become an ever present reality. Ticks are tiny arachnids found in shady, damp, brushy, wooded, or grassy areas (especially in tall grass), including your own backyard. Ticks feed on the blood of mammals. Because of their habit of ingesting blood, ticks are vectors of at least twelve diseases that affect humans and other animals. In this area, most commonly the diseases are: Lyme, Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, and Ehrlichiosis.
Being bitten by a tick is greater during specific times of the year when ticks are most active. The highest risk for contracting Lyme is May through July. Young ticks, called nymphs, are active from mid-May to mid-August and are about the size of poppy seeds. Adult ticks, which are approximately the size of sesame seeds, are most active from March to mid-May and from mid-August to November. Both nymphs and adults can transmit Lyme disease. Deer ticks have a two year life cycle that includes three feeding stages known as the larva, nymph and adult. Ticks can be active any time the temperature is above freezing. Harsh, abundant and long-lasting snow cover provides insulation that allows ticks to survive through the winter.
Ticks do not fly or jump. They attach to animals or people that come into direct contact with them. The best way to avoid ticks is to stay out of their habitat, but if they inhabit your lawn and outdoor areas, that can be hard to do. Most people think that Lyme infected deer ticks are infected from deer, but they actually are infected from mice.
Pro-Gro 5-3-4 Organic lawn fertilizer
This product is blended from natural sulfate of potash, phosphate rock, vegetable protein meals, animal protein meals, and natural nitrate of soda.
This organic fertilizer builds thick root systems and healthy soils which naturally crowd out many weeds while cultivating beneficial microorganisms that can decompose thatch and control harmful insects and diseases.
Pro-Holly 4-6-4 Organic plant food
This is a natural fertilizer blended from mineral and organic ingredients specifically made for ericaceous/acid-loving plants, such as Blueberries, Ferns, Hydrangeas, Raspberries, and other acid loving plants.
Acid loving plants do not love acid, but need certain nutrients (iron, manganese and sulfur) that become more available in soils with a a lower pH. Pro-Holly 4-6-4 is specially formulated to meet the nutrient needs of these acid loving plants, and also feeds a multitude of beneficial organisms living in the soil.
Avenger Organic Natural weed killer
This is a non-selective, post-emergence herbicide that quickly and effectively kills weeds, grasses and broadleaves without causing harm to the environment. The active ingredient, citrus oil (d-limonene) naturally strips away the waxy plant cuticle, causing it to dehydrate and die.
This product is fast acting, highly biodegradable, and non-toxic, allowing it to be used in areas near people, pets, and wildlife. It does not stain brick, concrete or pavement, and is made of oranges, lemons and other citrus fruits giving it a pleasant smell. EPA register and approved.
Mirimichi Green Weed & Grass Control
This is a non-selective herbicide that leaves no harmful residues and can be used for organic gardening. It gives results within 15 minutes, and is readily biodegradable. It is a great alternative to traditional herbicides. EPA registered and OMRI (Organic Materials Review Institute) approved for organic production.