Posted by: GreenerGreenGrass | January 27, 2012

Brooklyn Grange is the World’s Largest Rooftop Farm! | Inhabitat

I subscribe to the Inhabitat mailing list because they provide such fascinating information. I couldn’t resist sharing this little tidbit because I’m astonished that a rooftop farm in Brooklyn can produce better organic vegetables than I can in my own backyard. Granted, they’re farmers and I’m a novice gardener, but still…. wow!

Brooklyn Grange Rooftop Farm

Located atop a six-story 1919 warehouse, the 40,000 square foot organic Brooklyn Grange rooftop farm built by Bromley Caldari Architects is believe to be the largest of its kind in the world! The almost 1-acre farm is an oasis surrounded by little greenery and lots of concrete in Queens at 37-18 Northern Boulevard. After a successful first growing and selling season that began in the spring of 2010, the farmers at Brooklyn Grange are continuing their production of organic produce that includes 40 varietals of juicy tomatoes, peppers, fennel, salad greens, kale, swiss chard, beans of all sorts and a variety of delicious root vegetables like beets, carrots, and radishes, as well as plenty of herbs.

Click through for the delicious details and pictures!

via Brooklyn Grange is the World’s Largest Rooftop Farm! | Inhabitat New York City.

Posted by: GreenerGreenGrass | January 27, 2012

Let’s Talk about Dog Poop and Lawns

Dogs poop and lawns

As we were doing the weekly lawn treasure round-up yesterday in the back yard (dog owners know what I’m talking about!), I realized that I have not addressed this issue in the blog yet. Whether you have a dog or not, if you care about your lawn, you know the effects of dog urine or feces on grass – dead spots.

You know that your lawn (and every plant) needs nitrogen to grow, but too much nitrogen can cause a “burning” effect, killing the grass. Dog waste has a lot of nitrogen (as does the waste of most carnivorous mammals, actually). Read More…

Posted by: GreenerGreenGrass | January 26, 2012

Soil Testing is the Right First Step for Lawns and Gardens

Test soil in springI can see my lawn again! We had a big snow a couple weeks ago and a big thaw this week, so once again I am thinking of spring. Which of course gets me thinking about all the veggies I’m going to plant, the grass seed I’m going to spread on the side of the house where it’s patchy, the flowers I’m going to try to at least identify this year (and hopefully cultivate so they flourish), and on and on…. But, I’m getting ahead of myself – the first step should be a soil test.

The Muskogee Phoenix published a fantastic article by Jay Parker from the Muskogee County Cooperative Extension that pretty much says it all. Most regions have a co-op extension office where you can have your soil tested. There are also plenty of affordable soil testing kits available online. It’s worth the small expense to determine what nutrients your lawn needs, or sometimes more importantly, what it doesn’t need.

Proper soil testing is often the most looked over step when trying to establish or maintain good growth on both home lawns and gardens.  Home owners can get an early start on the growing season by taking a soil sample and bringing it down to the OSU Extension Office located on the Muskogee Fairgrounds between 8:00am and 4:30pm.

HOW TO HAVE A GOOD LAWN AND GARDEN

We all appreciate lush green lawns and productive gardens around our home. After all, attractive lawns and gardens add both the aesthetic value and real value of our home.

To have a beautiful lawn and productive garden, it is necessary to add fertilizer on a timely basis. When lawns and gardens do not receive nutrients needed, they never achieve the quality or productivity we anticipate. When too much fertilizer is applied, nutrients are wasted and pose a threat to the environment. Read More…

Posted by: GreenerGreenGrass | January 19, 2012

Can I Train My Dog to Mow?

Mowing German Shepherd

I have a new mission for my German Shepherd… Kohl is pretty talented (and very helpful when we do things like unload groceries, vacuum, load the dishwasher, etc.), so I am optimistic.  He already knows how to dig holes and remove unsightly sticks from the lawn.  He also like to play tug with the larger branches of the bushes in our yard, so we have a built-in pruner.  I think mowing is a logical next step.

For more funny mowing pictures, check out the blog where I found this one.  It’s worth a look, there are some gems!

 

Posted by: GreenerGreenGrass | January 19, 2012

Tulsa Lawn Care Company Converting to Propane-Powered Equipment

I’ve written before about propane-powered lawn tools, but a Tulsa lawn care company is taking it a step further by converting all of their equipment, even trucks, to propane.  With fewer emissions and higher efficiency, the greatest benefit is reduced impact on the environment.  Now, if they switch to natural lawn care products, they’ll be totally green!

Tulsa, OK, January 19, 2012 –(PR.com)– Locally-owned Tulsa lawn care company LawnAmerica has recently converted most of its spray engines to run on clean-burning propane. Owner Brad Johnson states, “We made the decision this summer to convert our small engines which power our spraying operations to run on propane rather than gasoline. It’s an investment, but we feel it will pay off in the long run with reduced fuel expenses, less maintenance costs and down time, and with incentives that are available. There is a lot of stuff out there that people and companies flaunt as being ‘green’, but this is very real,” states Johnson. “It’s a small deal in the larger scope of things, but we feel this is a real benefit with the cleaner air and less dependence upon foreign oil.”

Propane is an approved alternative fuel listed in both the Clean Air Act of 1990 and the National Energy Policy Act of 1992 and 2005. Propane is produced domestically, with almost 90% of it coming from the United States. It’s manufactured from natural gas, which is abundant domestically, along with crude oil. Propane exhaust emits 60% to 70% less smog-producing hydrocarbons than gasoline, which is one of the main benefits of using it. And it costs about 40% less than gasoline, along with cleaner burning engines, leading to less maintenance costs.

This Tulsa lawn service company’s fleet of 27 working trucks spray weed-control products mainly in the spring and fall. The majority of the trucks have been converted as of this spring. Other equipment, such as aerators and ride-on spray units with gasoline engines will be converted later this year. “Our goal is to be almost 100% propane powered by this summer,” said Johnson. “We will also research purchasing a propane-powered truck later this year and test it.”

LawnAmerica is the first Tulsa lawn care company of its type to convert its spray trucks to propane. It is also the first in the state of Oklahoma, and one of the first nationwide. They purchase the propane from Synergy Gas in Tulsa, who delivers the tanks filled with propane weekly to replace the empty tanks. LawnAmerica does not know how long it may take for their investment to pay for itself through lower fuel and maintenance costs, but owner Brad Johnson feels it is the right thing to do. “I’m confident that in the long run this will save us money, but time will tell. I do know that we are doing our part, although it’s a small one, towards decreasing our dependence upon foreign oil and in helping to keep our air clean. That’s important to us also.”

via Tulsa Lawn Care Company Converting to Propane-Powered Equipment – PR.com.

Posted by: GreenerGreenGrass | January 14, 2012

Snow Makes Me Think of Lawn Aeration

Aerate lawns after heavy snowsI think that Peaks Island should temporarily be re-named Ice Island.  As look out on my snow-covered lawn this evening, the light reflects a uniform sheen of ice. As beautiful as it is, I know that the soil beneath my once-green lawn is being compacted, slowly but surely.  This means that after the snow melts (in how many months?!?) the grass roots will have a hard time getting all the air, water, and nutrients that they need to thrive.  Thankfully, I have a plan… lawn aeration!

I’m not talking about mechanical lawn aerators that leave behind unsightly soil plugs.  I’m talking about a liquid lawn aerator that pushes soil colloids apart on a microscopic level.  Think about it.  How big are the molecules that make up air and water?  As a chemist I can tell you that they are not very large, especially compared to those giant plugs of dirt.  Yes, some water can reach the surface area in the holes that are left behind, but what about the rest of your lawn?  Using a liquid aerator affects your entire lawn so that the fertilizer and other soil amendments that you apply can get to their intended destination: grass roots.

I suppose that developing my spring lawn care plan now constitutes a bit of wishful thinking, but at least I have something to look forward to… it’s cold out here!  We finally got our first big snow, and I personally hope there are at least a few more to come.  I winterized the lawn in fall, so I’m confident that the grass got the supplemental nutrients it needs to not only survive winter, but to thrive in spring.

How’s the weather where you are?

Posted by: GreenerGreenGrass | January 13, 2012

Fill in the Blank Friday the 13th

Friday the 13thI’m starting to be a believer in the spookiness of Friday the 13th.  The power went out this morning and the weather has been insane – stormy, sunny, windy, snowy, and rainy – all at the same time!  And the ocean is crazy big and loud today.  Thankfully the power is back (for now), so I can do some fun fill-in-the-blanks before the weekend.  Play along here if you want to join in.

1.   The last thing I ate was  aw geez… I’m busted.  In my house, when the power goes out, the champagne comes out.  Let’s be fair, you never know how long it will be, and the fridge will only get warmer!  So, we made Bellinis and they were awesome.

2.   The last song I listened to was   something by The Shins, I don’t know the name.

3.  Using the letters in my name I can spell    {Adrienne}… rained, drain, aid, aide, dine, diner, rind, red, rid, ride, dire, nee, Dane, inn, inner, dinner, end, den, and, Anne.  I love word games!

4.  If I had to dress in one color for the rest of my life I would pick   black or grey.  Do those count as colors?  If not, then I suppose purple or green or red.  Ok, I’m not so good at choosing…

5.  If you were to look in my bag right now you’d find   not much.  I don’t often carry a bag – all I really need is phone/keys/wallet, and I don’t even have keys because I live on an island that is for the most part ridiculously safe, and one of the residents of our household is a black German Shepherd who is not so keen on intruders.  When I do carry a bag, usually to the mainland, it has a laptop, the book I’m currently reading, a notebook, one or two fabric grocery bags, lip balm, wallet, business cards, mints, headphones, pen, and corkscrew/bottle opener (yes, you can drink on the ferry!).

6.  When I finish filling in the blanks I’m going to   work on the retail pricing strategy for GreenerGreenGrass.  What do you currently pay for fertilizer and lawn care products?  Tell us in the comments section and I’ll send you a coupon code!

7.  My all time favorite song to dance to is  Thriller.

Posted by: GreenerGreenGrass | January 10, 2012

Small Yard? Grow a Vertical Garden!

Vertical Veggie Garden

One of the drawbacks of urban, or even suburban, living is a lack of sufficient outdoor space to have a garden.  Some clever person had the genius idea to install gutters on the side of the house, filled them with dirt, and planted seeds.  Of course there are some limitations – you wouldn’t be able to grow root vegetables, like carrots, or plants that get really big, like tomatoes… But, you could definitely do leafy greens like lettuce, spinach, arugula, and mesclun.  Not are these only easy to grow, they taste fantastic and are really good for you!

It looks like they also have some spring onions, maybe radishes, and some other yummy veggies.  I would probably do some herbs, and maybe even throw in some edible flowers for color.

And here’s another bonus – no slugs!  And deer couldn’t reach the higher levels, so your veggies have an even better chance of thriving.  Plus, it just looks cool. Has anybody else ever tried this method of gardening?

(I’m sorry I can’t appropriately credit this photo. It was in an email forward with no attribution.)

Posted by: GreenerGreenGrass | January 9, 2012

How to Apply Liquid Fertilizer – Ready-to-Spray Bottles

How to Apply Liquid Fertilizer with a Ready-to-Spray BottleLast week I provided information on how to apply liquid fertilizer with a hose-end sprayer.  While it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to do this method, if you have a smaller yard it is much easier to purchase liquid fertilizer in a ready-to-spray bottle.  Instead of pouring the product into a hose-end sprayer, you simply screw the bottle on to your garden hose so you can fertilizer while you water.

Most ready-to-spray bottles are pre-calibrated to deliver Read More…

Posted by: GreenerGreenGrass | January 6, 2012

Fill in the Blank Busy Friday

It’s the first Friday of 2012 and if this week is any indication, it’s going to be a very busy year!  This week’s blanks (provided by the little things we do) are all about free time.  Remember when you had that?  I don’t…

 

1.   One of my favorite things to do when I have free time is  read a good book.

2.   When I have free time I tend to   peruse some of my favorite blogs – Swimming in this Sea of Life, Sprinkler Juice, and The Compost Bin.

3.  If I had an entire day completely to myself I would    sleep late, make a pot of tea, curl up with a book, eat snacks all day, and watch a good movie .

4.  I would prefer to spend my free time (alone or with others…) half and half.  I like some time to myself, but my work days are pretty quiet – it’s nice to meet up with friends and be social.

5.  Most of my free time happens   on Tuesdays and Fridays.  Island life requires bundling mainland errands (usually Tuesdays) so I often take some time for myself in town.  I also tend to work on Friday and Saturday (we get a lot of calls and emails about liquid fertilizer on the weekends), so I try to take it a little easier on Fridays.  It’s not happening today… GreenerGreenGrass is launching products in retail stores (yay!) so I’m pretty constantly busy lately.

6.  The best thing about free time is   when it is truly free.

7.  The next time I have free time I should probably  fill it with phone calls to lawn and garden retailers but instead, I’ll probably walk the dog instead.  We got snow today… he’s thrilled.  And exhausted!

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