Nice Turf

A few weeks ago The Scotts Miracle Grow Company announced that it was going to launch a new partnership with Major League Baseball. What better place to promote the symbolic wonder of a picture perfect lawn. Most every single one of us has a still fresh childhood memory of walking into a professional baseball game for the first time as a child. (Early 80′s, right field grandstand, Fenway Park, Baltimore Orioles.) The purpose of the campaign naturally is to announce to a lawn needy public that if you use Scotts products on your own lawn you will be able to build the type of “lawn” that major league baseball parks have in front of their own houses. This week a coalition of anti-pesticide crusaders began a counter attack on the campaign stating that it is irresponsible of Major League Baseball to partner with a company that promotes the use (over use) of chemical fertilizers and dangerous pesticides.

Seldom in life is what is advertised on television or print as good as what the actual product turns out to be. Fast food burgers come to mind as I compare the pictures of the perfect burger with what comes in the paper sack at the drive through window. This chemical lawn care campaign is not far from that particular scenario and here is the reason why. The science of turf grass maintenance on a professional level at Major League Baseball stadiums goes well beyond prepackaged treatments of chemical fertilizers and dangerous pesticides. As we begin to look towards opening day, say at Fenway Park in particular, it’s safe to say that there are a staff of at least twenty professionals working on the quality of the grass. I’m certain that if you asked Dave Mellor’s wife, (Dave is the grounds keeper at Fenway) how many times she expects him home for dinner over the next few months she will tell you not even once. In fact, I’ll bet Dave is working close to eighty hours or more per week even in this stretch of mid march rainy weather. The care of a major league baseball field is intense, not only with time spent, but with the inputs of fertilizers and chemicals. For Scotts to try to convince the public that their products will present them with the green, lush feel of Fenway Park is laughable for most of us in the know but will undoubtedly push millions of Americans to buy their products in search of the “Field of Dreams.” In a way, that’s just fine with us because we love lawns too. We just know that there is a better way to achieve a healthy lawn when you can’t afford a staff of 20 and an 80 hour per week groundskeeper.

Here is an excerpt from the letter that the coalition sent to Major League Baseball asking them to discontinue to the campaign.

“At a time when homeowners across the country and communities are looking at ways to adopt practices that are protective of the environment, the coalition believes that Major League Baseball, in aligning with Scotts, is out of step. The coalition is telling baseball that it should be leading efforts to help people green their homes and communities.

1. The toxic chemicals being promoted are not needed for a beautiful lawn. The Scotts approach to turf management is dependent on chemical products it sells. Its 4-step program converts the home lawn to chemical dependency, including heavy reliance on hazardous herbicides, insecticides and synthetic fertilizers. However, lawns are best managed successfully without a reliance on these toxic chemicals with a program that focuses on cultural practices that address soil health, aeration, mowing height, proper organic fertilization, watering techniques, and appropriate grass varieties.

2. Major League Ballparks are currently different from home lawns and the same approach is not appropriate. While homeowners should select grass seed based on soil, light and local climatic conditions, ballparks choose seed selected for its ability to withstand high amounts of pesticide and fertilizer applications and frequent (often daily) care. Homeowners should focus on healthy soil to achieve a healthy lawn, whereas ballparks often contain artificial soil and drainage pipes below the field. In the home environment, mowing, watering and fertilizer inputs should be minimized as much as possible. This is especially true in an era when as much as a third of the nation may be under water restrictions at various times of year.

3. Pesticides are hazardous. Below ground, pesticides harm the microorganisms, beneficial insects and earthworms that are essential to maintaining healthy soil, and therefore, healthy turf. Pesticides also harm water bodies and groundwater. Above ground, pesticides harm all forms of life. The risks are higher when products containing pesticides are applied by unlicensed applicators.

4. Synthetic fertilizers are hazardous. Synthetic fertilizers also harm beneficial organisms in the soil and lead to undesirable conditions that restrict water and air movement in the soil. High nitrogen fertilizers can disrupt the nutrient balance, accelerate turf growth, increase the need for mowing and contribute to thatch buildup. These fertilizers are also prone to leaching and runoff, which contaminates water above and below ground.

5. Children are especially vulnerable to adverse effects from pesticides. Because the home lawn is often the play space for children, and children are among the most vulnerable to toxic chemical exposure, chemical-intensive lawn management should be replaced with organic approaches. Exposure occurs as a result of direct contact with the treated lawn areas, chemical drift off the treated areas, and tracking and drifting inside of homes, which leaves residues on fabrics and surfaces. Scientific studies show that children face elevated rates of diseases associated with pesticide exposure and pesticides are linked to cancer, endocrine system disruption, neurological and immune system effects, asthma and respiratory effects, and behavioral and learning effects.”