Glossary of terms
Nematode - Depending on the species, a nematode
may be beneficial or detrimental to a gardener's cause.
From a gardening perspective, there are two categories of
nematode: predatory ones, which will kill garden pests like
cutworms, and pest nematodes, like the root-knot nematode,
which attack garden plants.
pH levels - Parts
Hydrogen. Low pH soil is acid, which can
cause creeping charlie and broadleaf weed problems. A high
pH soil is alkaline, causing dandelions and thistles.
Neutral pH is 7.0. The optimum soil conditions for cool
season grasses, like we grow here in the midwest, is a pH
reading of 6.8/7.0. At Eco-Lawn Organics we control weeds
by maintaining an optimum pH level.
Thatch - Thatch is a tightly intermingled
layer of living and dead stems, leaves and roots which
accumulates between the layer of actively-growing grass and
the soil underneath. Thatch is a normal component of an
actively growing turfgrass. As long as the thatch is not
too thick, it can increase the resilience of the turf to
heavy traffic. Thatch develops more readily on
high-maintenance lawns than on low-maintenance lawns.
Japanese Beetles- The Japanese beetle
(Popillia japonica) is a beetle about 1.5 cm long and 1 cm
wide (smaller in Canada), with shiny copper-colored elytra
and a shiny green top of the thorax and head.These insects
damage plants by eating the surface material, leaving the
veins in place, producing a curious, but alarming to the
experienced gardener, "transparent leaf" effect on its
victims.
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