Quote:
Originally Posted by lawn psycho
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jeanzb1
Anyone who has a nice green weed-free lawn has been using Scott's and other fertilizers.
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You are wrong. In fact, you will find that other than starter fertilizers, most individuals use phos-free fertilizer as that's what is marketed. It also helps that it's cheaper so people are more likely to use it. Nitrate loading is a factor but the phosphorus is the fire starter so to speak.
Some of us go to great lengths to use soybean meal for our fertilizer and have a trophy lawn that is weed free  |
Lawn Pysco,
I thank you for your efforts not to use phosphorus containing fertilizers. However I must strongly disagree with you notion that most people don't use them. The #1 selling brand of fertilizers as best I know is Scotts, the last time I looked all of their products contained phosphorous to some extent.
As we have had some issues around my camp, I have been talking to many of my neighbors, most of them look at me when I tell them about the harmful effects of fertilizers with Bug eyes, run check the contents of their selected brand, and let out a sigh....
There has not been enough education about this problem for it not to be an issue. And forget about the small home owner treated lawns. I would love to know what is contained in the big chem lawn treating companies products.
Now you instead want to point your finger at septic systems.... well I don't completely disagree with you. As long as a system is functioning properly. All it is leaching into the ground is gray water... and as long as it has good distance to leach to the lake all the contaminants from the grey water never makes it to the lake. The bigger problem is the many, and I mean many season places that don't have all their plumbing going into the septic tank.... There are many many camps around the lake that dump the water from sinks and showers in to leaching tank directly.....This is untreated water leaching directly into the ground and is a problem. And sometime it is release just onto the ground.... When we looked for our place 15 years ago, I saw this as a very common practice, among seasonal camps.... the only thing that went to the septic, was the toilet.