Corn gluten:

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Pull the weeds with this:

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I hereby declare 431 Geneva St in Saint Catharines and 378 Fargo Avenue in Buffalo a green zone where we don't put pesticides on our lawns and recycle wastes and compost. The lawn pesticides and fertilizers go into our lakes and end up in the waves we surf. You can see a Tim Hortons cup on the beach but you can't see cancer causing agents in the water.

Save ourselves.

It is more like a field in a city than a lawn. Worked one day with the gadget pulling the dandelions from noon till dark and I want down fighting but the weeds won that day. I'll be back.

This dandelion project began after reading the Canadian brochure that arrived in the Saint Catharines mailbox. The Niagara municipal trash and recycling guide recommended hand pulling of dandelions. The neighbors spray and spread toxic weed killers on their lawns all around our apartment. So to get along with the neighbors, yet not use toxic lawn chemicals I deceided to go green. It also occured to me that these lawn chemicals might very well end up in the waves that we ride.

Maybe not taking the easy way was a better way.

So I broke the yardhound tool after pulling out of the ground about 15 bags of dandelions. I took the broken tool back to Home Depot and they exchanged it for a new yardhound. This tool broke again after picking about 20 more bags of dandelioms. This I attributed to the hardened clay in the yard which dandelions thrive in. It was easier to use the yard hound tool because I didn't have to bend over all the time to pluck each dandelion. My hands got some blisters.

Now my landlord can buy some top soil and plant grass seed over the clay. The dandelions are mostly gone. However I experienced a set back when I found out that my next doors neighbors son spread some lawn chemicals on the front lawn. He thought he was helping me. Man I was upset about that at first but figure that over 75% of the area that I worked on remained natural. The job might not have changed the world environment substanstially but it was a step in the right direction when the surf was dead.

Pesticides do cause cancer and who knows what solution of these chemicals are suspended at any time in lake and ocean waters. I do not like cutting lawns or living on a sterile landscape. However sometimes I think that our western green lawns mimic Japanese zen gardens. I get more of a spiritually boost in seeing green or fields of wild grass with dandelions and my tomatoes and peppers coming up in the yard than I get from looking a perfectly arranged little stones.


I bet that there are many surfers in the Great Lakes who themselves or their family members spray and spread lawn pesticides. Do they know where these chemicals end up after it rains? Do they know how long these pesticides stay in their yards? We live in this immediate gratification society. Maybe agent oranging the lawn to quickly irradicate weeds will in the long term kill wildlife or someone we know? Maybe it's not cool to get dirt under ones finger nails or to get dirty. Well the world isn't going to get better from watching it spin by without making our own little contribution. My reward for this is internal. There is a lot of good work to do. We each make our own choices and can live more enlightened or seek changes or ride the tide or we perpetuate evil.

Think what isn't visible in the water with you the next time you surf. Maybe one can do something to change this. It all starts by taking little steps.

If you want a lawn that looks the best with least, this is what you should do. Keep your grass at a height between 3 to 4 inches. Lawns at that height have less need for chemicals, because they are better able to handle stress. Taller grass chokes out weeds, needs less water, has fewer problems with insects and disease. Make sure your lawn gets plenty of water. Walk across your lawn. If it leaves footprints it's time to water. The key is not to let your lawn get stressed. If it gets stressed, because it does not have enough food, drink, or sun a problem will occur. That is why it is important to keep your lawn a 3 to 4 inch height. It allows the grass to store like a camel for times of stress, such as lack of rain, food or sun.

If you are going to use chemicals make sure you keep granular Fertilizers on the lawn. Use a leaf blower to push granules back on the lawn. Chemicals on the lawn stay on the lawn. Chemicals on the sidewalk and street get washed into sewers. Do not kill weeds before it rains. Do it 48 hours before any storms so the grass has time to absorb weed herbicide.

We just came home to tall grass and almost zero dandelions. Lots of untapped ethonal in the back yard.