A Healthier Southwest Florida, One Lawn at a Time by Ian and Stephanie Orlikoff


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any Southwest Floridians live in master-planned communities, where lawns and landscapes are man- aged by homeowners’ associations that hire lawn service companies. Because few individuals in these situations have a need to understand the local ecosystem or how to maintain a healthy lawn in a subtropical climate, they are at a disad- vantage when working with landscape committees or asked to serve on them. Sustainable lawn care today re- quires a savvier homeowner, as well as a more discerning service provider. Our future health and that of our environ- ment are impacted by how we take care of our local surroundings. Let change begin with your lawn.


Get Educated


Take a valuable one-day Best Manage- ment Practices class for homeown- ers at Rookery Bay NERR (tinyurl. com/3fq93f2). Learning about the landscape and its relationship with the environment helps homeowners make informed choices about their land- scapes and their care.


Work with a Landscape Committee Consumer demand plays a role in how safer landscapes are created. Work with your homeowners’ landscape commit- tee, to take steps to lessen chemical and fertilizer inputs. Question the landscap- ing company about your maintenance plan and what they can utilize instead of chemical fertilizers and pesticides.


Request a Soil Test


Use a soil test to determine if you are paying for fertilizer that your lawn doesn’t need. Too much fertilizer can cause an increase in disease pressure and additional remediation costs.


Learn About Irrigation & Fertilization Know the proper irrigation cover- age, rates and appropriate fertilization practices for your type of lawn. Collier and Lee counties have imposed a no- fertilizer blackout period from June 1 to September 30.


Use Native Plants


Whenever possible, plant a favorable percentage of native plants along lawn borders to attract bees, hummingbirds and other beneficial insects. This in- creases pollination, and thus vegetable and fruit production, while using fewer harmful chemicals.


Add Compost


With the addition of quality compost, which is home to a multitude of benefi- cial microorganisms that promote natu- ral plant development, fertilizers can be reduced, because compost helps retain nutrients and water in the soil.


Walter Morales, of Eco Logic Land Care, in Naples, compost topdressing a lawn to improve water and nutrient retention in the soil.


Use Drip Irrigation


Convert sprinkler irrigation over to drip irrigation in landscape beds near lawns to reduce water use and fungus pressure.


Practice Smart Mowing To decrease bug and disease pressures, mow at the proper height and don’t overwater your lawn. Taller grass has deeper, stronger roots. A short mowing height stresses out grass, and over- fertilization causes it to grow faster than grass clippings can break down. This results in a layer of thatch and creates hiding places for detrimental insects. Thatch blocks water traveling to the roots, requiring increased irriga- tion. In turn, damp conditions create disease or fungus pressure, which requires spraying with a fungicide that eliminates all fungus, including the beneficial fungi that protect grass. The cycle continues if unchecked


Create a Rain Garden


Install a rain garden in a low, saturated part of your landscape. This will utilize the excess runoff instead of forcing grass to survive in unfavorable condi- tions with repeated chemical and fertil- izer applications.


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For more info contact Ian and Stepha- nie Orlikoff, Eco Logic Land Care, at 239-348-1302 or Info@EcologicLand- care.com. Visit EcoLogicLandCare.com. See ad, page 39.


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