Eco Lawn Science

Ete's seen a lot during his decades in the lawn industry, including a whole lot of homeowner mistakes. And they tend to be the same mistakes. Today Ete describes the top 7 things he sees people doing that they shouldn't, and 1 thing they don't do, which they should. Luckily, these are all pretty easy fixes. Want to save money, time, effort, and maybe your pride? Make sure you're not making these oft-repeated lawncare no-nos by listening in to this episode of Eco Lawn Science. 

Do you want to wake up to animals eating your grass and pooping on your lawn? Of course you do. Who doesn't want a chemical-free, non-fossil-fuel-using, lawn mowing, furry, weed control and fertilization service? Companies like Rent A Goat and Real Deal Milk's Lawn Moo-er program can make your dreams come true. Want to know why Google has 200 goats milling about its grassy areas? Live in the UK and want free access to your very own lawn-roaming cow? Curious why Ete's day-dreaming about goats in fire fighter gear? Then this is the episode for you. It's all in this episode of Eco Lawn Science.

Is the person spraying your lawn licensed? Ask them. By law they should be. Having a license will definitely not ensure that a person is a lawn expert, but it does require at least a minimum understanding of how to treat turf. What does it mean if someone is a licensed Pesticide Applicator ("pesticides" include weed control)? Does it matter? Learn more about licensing in this episode of Eco Lawn Science.

Testing your soil is a fantastic way to figure out what you need to do to improve your lawn's health. If you've never done a soil test, if it's been a few years, if you have problem areas, Ete highly recommends getting a test done. Check with your local university extension to find out about testing centers in your area and mail off that sample. It's easy, affordable, and a great way see what amendments might be needed to get yourself a healthier, happier lawn. Learn more about the benefits of soil testing in this episode of Eco Lawn Science.

Lawn service advertisements, like the one Ete discusses today, can promote some serious doubt in your abilities to take on your own lawn. Okay, there may be some teeny-tiny kernels of truth to the dire warnings that your lawn will be hideous and virtually radioactive if you DIY it, but not much. And the truth is, there's nothing you can't learn to do properly on your own. Hear Ete's take on reasons for and against both DIYing your lawn, and hiring a company to do it for you, in this week's episode of Eco Lawn Science.

You may treat weeds, but it turns out your weeds can treat you too. Treat your body’s ailments, that is. Full of vitamins, and all kinds of healthful properties, weeds may just help symptoms of your health issues. Today Ete takes a look at 11 very common weeds that are beneficial to your health, from helping calm inflammation and bowel issues to reducing cholesterol. Check out what medicinal plants may be lurking in your lawn in this episode of EcoLawn.

Prepare yourselves. Just like seemingly everything else, prices for lawn care is going to go up this year. Ete's seeing jumps between 10%-15% over last year's prices. Hear how the current economic climate is affecting the lawn care industry, and what that means for you, in this episode of Eco Lawn Science.

The whole concept of home lawns and turfgrass areas is taking quite the beating these days. And there are very real, very legitimate concerns regarding keeping and maintaining a lawn. But lawns are not all bad. In fact, they do have some real benefits. Some are obvious, like aesthetics, but, surprisingly, responsibly-maintained turfgrasses also do some good things for the environment. Check out what's good about lawns in this episode of Eco Lawn Science.

Want to dig deeper into lawn care? Beyond podcasts, YouTube channels, and Instagram feeds, you'll find fantastic info by cracking into some good, old-fashioned books. This week Ete discusses some of the books he thinks would be most helpful to homeowners who want to learn more about how to care for their lawns. Hear which books made the list, and why, in this episode of Eco Lawn Science.

Continuing on the theme of unbelievable, futuristic lawn tech (check out the laser robot weed-killer episode)  you're going to want to go to the Scythe Robotics website and watch this  robot in action. We've talked about lawn mowing robots in the past, but this autonomous commercial lawn mower is next level. It's electric, quiet, maps with precision, and frees up the tech to get going on other things. This mower is dang impressive and leaves us excited about what's next for the green industry. Ete discusses the Scythe mower in this episode of Eco Lawn Science.