Almstead Lawn Care Brings Science of Organic Care to Scarsdale

Check out this article about one of the Organic Land Care Program's Accredited Land Care Professionals, Ken Almstead, and his business' organic services.  If you are concerned about the synthetic chemicals in your food, you might want to consider the equally harmful chemicals being applied to yards in your neighborhood that run off into water supplies and marine environments.  Ask your landscaper about their organic services, or search for one of our accredited professionals on our website: www.organiclandcare.net.  You can demand the same ecological quality from your landscaper that you do from your farmers!

Almstead Lawn Care Brings Science of Organic Care to Scarsdale

Organic Lawn Care Invigorates 20 Acres of Scarsdale Sports Fields

SCARSDALE, N.Y. (October 13, 2011) – Almstead Lawn Care, leaders in the field of organic lawn services, recently utilized the latest natural soil supplements and organic fertilizers, along with aeration and seeding techniques, to strengthen more than 20 acres of sports fields in Scarsdale, N.Y. The benefits of an organic program are derived from improving soil biology in a way that supports lawns naturally.

“Investing in an organic program is not only a healthier option for lawns, but it also is more cost-effective over time because it requires less maintenance,” said Almstead Vice President and licensed arborist Michael Almstead. “Plus, organic programs promote more sustainable environmental practices, which ideally is always the goal.”

While the Village of Scarsdale began to implement its organic lawn care program two years ago, a new state law known as the Child Safe Playing Fields Act recently went into effect requiring all schools and day care centers to stop using pesticides on playgrounds and sports fields. Effective May 2011 for schools and November 2010 for child care facilities, the Child Safe Playing Fields Act aims to protect children from harmful pesticides and has been widely applauded by parents, environmental groups and human health activists. The law does allow for emergency pesticide applications pending reviews and approvals.

“We have people in our community using these fields all the time, and we felt an obligation to pursue an organic approach,” said Suzanne Busby, Superintendent of the Scarsdale Department of Parks, Recreation and Conservation. “As the person entrusted to make sure our fields are safe for residents, I felt it was the best action to take.”

Organic lawn care focuses on improving soil biology so that plants and lawns are strengthened naturally. In Scarsdale, Almstead this spring employed a technique called “Slit Seeding,” where a tractor attachment slices into the ground, drops in grass seeds and folds the grass to cover the soil all in one pass. After a summer of active field use, the Almstead team returned to Crossway Fields in late September, this time opting for a strategy called “Core Aeration.” Essentially core aeration creates hundreds of thousands of tiny holes in the soil, which allows for an increased flow of oxygen, water and nutrients to the soil. This in turn produces a healthier lawn as the improved soil environment provides more resources to the plants.

Almstead also treated the fields with an organic blend of insoluble fertilizer containing a “9-0-4” percent blend of Nitrogen, Phosphate and Potassium, respectively. Insoluble fertilizer releases more slowly over time, thereby staying in the soil longer and providing more nutrients to the grass. Additionally, such fertilizers don’t produce Nitrate runoff, which is an environmental concern surrounding traditional Nitrogen fertilizers. Nutrients in this organic blend were derived from feather meal, soybean meal, cottonseed meal, alfalfa meal and vegetable ash.

Equally important, Almstead conducted tests to check on the biology of the soil, discovering that the fields had a low active beneficial fungi count. This required that the team conduct a humate application, an organic source of food for these microorganisms, to correct the issue naturally. Active beneficial fungi help with disease suppression and nutrient retention in the soil.

“When I pull up grass here I find tons of earthworms, whereas on a primarily chemically treated lawn you really don’t find any earthworms at all,” Michael Almstead said while checking on the fields recently. “That is exactly what you want to see. Not only are the earthworms helping to aerate soil and increase root growth, but they are also near the top of the soil food-chain and their presence is a great indicator that the rest of the soil ecosystem is functioning well. The Village of Scarsdale has a real commitment to going organic, and this is proof their success.”

Family owned and operated since 1964, Almstead Tree & Shrub Care Co. provides homeowners, businesses and municipalities in the tri-state area with tree, shrub and lawn care services. Recognized for being at the forefront of organic care services, the company runs compost tea brewing operations and offers a full line of pure organic and hybrid organic/traditional programs to keep plants healthy naturally. Vice President Michael Almstead holds a certificate from the Sustainable Studies Institute in organic soil management. CEO Ken Almstead, Horticultural Chair of Cornell Cooperative Extension, is a NOFA Certified Organic Landscape Care Professional, as are several other Arborists on the staff. Headquartered in New Rochelle, N.Y., Almstead has locations in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. For more information or to request a free consultation, visit Almstead at http://almstead.com or call toll-free at 1-800-427-1900.

Press Contact

Diana Costello

Co-Communications, Inc.

diana@cocommunications.com

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About Almstead Tree & Shrub Care Co.

Distinguished by its International Society of Arboriculture Certified Arborists, Almstead Tree & Shrub Care Co. is a family owned and operated business founded by Richard E. Almstead in 1964. Today sons Ken and Michael Almstead oversee many of the daily operations, caring for residential, commercial, municipal, and school properties throughout the greater New York-metropolitan region. Almstead offers a full range of organic and traditional services to properly care for trees, shrubs and lawns. Offices are located in Hawthorne and New Rochelle, N.Y., Stamford, Conn., and North Halendon, N.J. For more information or to request a free consultation, visit Almstead at http://almstead.com or call toll-free at 1-800-427-1900. You can also connect on Facebook or LinkedIn for the latest news, photos and promotions.  

Michael Almstead, right, Vice President of Almstead Tree & Shrub Care Co., discusses Core Aeration with driver Kevin Andrews at Crossway Fields in Scarsdale, N.Y. The company recently completed a second round of organic lawn care on more than 20 acres of sports fields, employing Core Aeration to help strengthen the lawn. The company has offices in Hawthorne and New Rochelle, N.Y., Stamford, Conn., and North Halendon, N.J.

Organic lawn care specialists Almstead Tree & Shrub Care Co. recently utilized a Core Aeration technique on more than 20 acres of sports fields in Scarsdale, N.Y. This patch of a baseball field shows how holes were created to aerate the soil, which enables grass roots to grow deeper and ultimately produces a healthier lawn.

 

Michael Almstead, Vice President of Almstead Tree & Shrub Care Co., prepares for a day of aeration, seeding and organic fertilization at Crossway Fields in Scarsdale, N.Y. The company, which has offices in Hawthorne and New Rochelle, N.Y., Stamford, Conn., and North Halendon, N.J, recently completed a second round of organic lawn care on more than 20 acres of sports field.

Organic lawn care specialists Almstead Tree & Shrub Care Co. recently utilized a Core Aeration technique on more than 20 acres of sports fields in Scarsdale, N.Y. Here Michael Almstead, Vice President of Almstead Tree & Shrub Care Co., shows how holes were created to aerate the soil, which enables grass roots to grow deeper and ultimately produces a healthier lawn.                                                                                                  

Justin Eubanks, of Almstead Tree & Shrub Care Co., prepares an organic blend of fertilizers for a baseball field at Crossway Fields in Scarsdale, N.Y., where the company recently serviced more than 20 acres of sports fields. While the Village of Scarsdale implemented its organic lawn care program proactively, a new law known as the Child Safe Playing Fields Act recently went into effect requiring all schools and day care centers to stop using pesticides on playgrounds and sports fields.