Read all about Virginia Property Owners’ Association Act requirements for new notice of pesticide application 

Many Virginia HOA Boards, Property Managers, and landscape contractors were blindsided by a Virginia Statute (§ 55-510.3 ) requiring 48 hours of posting notice for all agronomic applications.

Read the actual statue § 55-510.3. Common areas; notice of pesticide application.  The association shall post notice of all pesticide applications in or upon the common areas. Such notice shall consist of conspicuous signs placed in or upon the common areas where the pesticide will be applied at least 48 hours prior to the application

Posting Agronomic Signs & Blade Runners Approach:

While this may produce added expense for the association it really is a good idea.  Effective communication to the residents, if done properly, communicates service dates, contact phone numbers for residents with questions, and provides residents with support documentation of pesticide products to be applied, along with product labels and contact information should they have further concerns.  

Blade Runners has long provided this pesticide sign posting service as an option for HOA’s.  This not just littering the community with pesticide application flags vaguely communicating the something was applied. 

We provide highly visible, solid real estate-style signs placed at specific areas of the property. It contains the dates of application along with a phone number to call with questions, as well as, our website address.

Proper implementation for both pesticide notice posting and the agronomic applications takes planning.  Adequate inventories of signs are needed to replace weathered and/or stolen signs.  Coordination planning is necessary in order to time the application after a turf mowing for maximum control along with the required 48 hour advance posting visit to place the signs. In the event of poor weather, an additional visit might be needed to alter the date.  Signs are removed from the site after the application.

 Blade Runners has a resource manual that contains

• Product label and MSDS sheets for all products we use.
• Phone numbers for state and government agencies should the client want addition information.
• Questions and answers regarding the service
• Our methods of production and the manner in which we deliver the service.

As with many things there is more to this than meets the eye. Associations should be careful that there solution is a comprehensive one that adds value. 

Turn this annoyance into a positive thing for your community.

“Eco-Friendly” Fertilizers Minimizing The Impact On The Environment

Our competitors use the lowest common-denominator fertilizers for cost savings, while Blade Runners thinks about both the customer and the environment

Blade Runners, Inc. is using a new no-phosphorus fertilizer product, Signature Brand fertilizer – Prospect Plus®, which is aimed at giving turfgrass only the nutrients they need as they need them, thereby reducing excesses that can run off the property and harm waterways.

• No phosphorus
• Activates the phosphorus naturally found in the soil
• Less product poundage applied equals less runoff materials

Signature Brand fertilizer – Prospect Plus® contains a complete micronutrient package and a natural, sugar-based spreader-sticker for maximum foliar absorption, and is impregnated with a proprietary nutrient solution that has shown a remarkable ability to improve vigor, quality and stress tolerance in turf, trees and ornamentals.

• Help turf establish or withstand environmental stresses
• Develop a more fibrous, extensive root system
• Enhance early plant growth and vigor
• Build greater shoot mass
• Increase uptake of soil nutrients and moisture
• Increase photosynthetic activity

Cutting the phosphorus

A newer environmental concern involves phosphorus, a second main nutrient that turfgrass needs for root and cell development.Up until recently, phosphorus was thought to be needed by turfgrass in regular amounts, and so turf fertilizers typically included some in every bag.But environmental scientists recently found that excess phosphorus was a key cause of algae outbreaks that were clogging waterways. In turfgrass, some phosphorus occurs naturally from the breakdown of plants, but some also comes from the phosphorus applied to turfgrass in bagged fertilizer. Soil tests found that most turfgrass already have adequate amounts of phosphorus and that a need for phosphorus is lower than thought – due in part to the fact that phosphorus leaches so slowly through the soil.

Snow news letter 400dpi

WHAT IS SOIL EROSION?
Soil erosion occurs when soil particles are carried off by water or wind. In addition to the soil, runoff can wash fertilizer and other pollutants along with it. Most phosphates and pesticides entering Virginia’s waters are attached to these soil particles. Nitrogen and phosphorus from fertilizers carried by runoff have been associated with many environmental problems. Streams, ponds, rivers, and the Chesapeake Bay suffer from algae growth, depletion of the water’s oxygen supply, and suffocation of aquatic organisms.

WHAT ARE THE SIGNS OF SOIL EROSION?
Everyone recognizes a gully as evidence of soil erosion. Muddy water in your gutter or driveway also indicates that erosion has been occurring. It may only be visible for a time following a rain, but the damage will continue unless something is done.
The following are other indications of erosion.

• Bare spots on your lawn or property
• Exposed tree roots
• Small rills or gullies on slopes
• Soil splashes on your windows and outside walls
• Sediment that collects in low areas or on pavement

DRAINAGE, WHY DOES DRAINAGE MATTER?
Water always takes the easiest path. Because of this, it is important to understand how and what drainage is in order to find an alternative path for the water on your land.

DRAINAGE ON YOUR PROPERTY HAS A GREATER AFFECT
What drains from your property will affect much more than your land alone. Runoff from your yard is the water that runs across your yard and all the material the water picks up and carries with it. Pollutants in water are frequently referred to as point and nonpoint source pollution. Point source pollutants come from an identified point such as an outfall pipe at an industrial operation. Nonpoint source pollutants come from many sources such as pet waste, leaking or improperly disposed auto fluids, car wash detergents, or fertilizers from your lawn. Pollutants are carried down into the groundwater table with percolating water draining through soil. Pollutants are also washed into lakes and streams via surface runoff. Storm drains, along streets and in backyards, lead to local streams. Home lawns and landscapes contribute to pollution when improper water management and chemical application allow fertilizer or pesticide-laden runoff to drain into our water supplies. In some areas, soils are very slow-draining and are referred to as having a high groundwater table. Groundwater tables tend to be at their highest in February and March in Virginia as a result of snowmelt and rains.

WHAT ARE SOME CLUES AND CORRECTIVE MEASURES?

• Wet Lawns: To help prevent surface water from standing in your property, don’t create or maintain a perfectly flat space. Maintain a slight slope that drains toward a swale, rain garden or storm sewer inlet. Even very well-drained soils may become saturated in a Virginia summer thunderstorm, so try to maintain a slope of 5 percent away from the house and 2 percent everywhere else.
• Standing water: If your yard, or some portion of it, remains wet and soggy for extended periods (two or three days following a rain), the natural drainage ways may be blocked or have settled and do not have enough grade to drain. Soggy ground and wet lawns are often the result of trapped surface water with no place to go. Most yards are originally graded so that water flows from the front to the street and from the back to a swale, ditch, or storm sewer. The existing grade of your land may have changed with an added patio, walk, or mounded planting beds, or trees may have grown significantly and their roots raised the ground surface.
• Bare Spots: Excess water is the most frequent cause of bare spots and erosion. If the excess water is moving across your property, it will need to be redirected to a more appropriate area. The redirected water can be diverted to an appropriately planted grassy area, or a drainage swale, (A drainage swale is a shaped and sloped depression in the soil surface used to convey water run-off to a desired location). Regrading may be necessary to the surrounding ground to encourage the water to move where you want it to go.

THINGS TO CONSIDER…

1. Where is the water coming from? Standing rain water? Or is the water flowing onto the property from elsewhere?
2. Where should the water go? Water always flows downhill. Is something preventing the water from draining away? Is a storm drain clogged with debris? Is a drainage ditch overgrown with weeds or full of mulch? Is some man-made barrier blocking the waters natural path?
3. How much water to be handled? Is a wide drainage channel needed or will a shallow channel suffice?
4. How steep is the slope? A gentle slope will have a slow current, while a steep slope will need breaks to slow the water and prevent erosion.

HOW CAN YOU STOP SOIL FROM ERODING?
To solve the erosion problem, you must identify the cause and then correct it with an alternative site design solution using BMPs (best management practices). BMPs involve measures which accomplish two basic objectives:

• Reduce the amount of impervious surface area, thereby reducing runoff and
• Utilize the landscape to naturally filter and infiltrate runoff before it leaves the development site.

Recommended Site Design Alternatives…

• Natural Drainage Swales: A drainage swale is a shaped and sloped depression in the soil surface used to convey water run-off to a desired location. A drainage swale is designed with a lining of vegetation, riprap, asphalt, concrete, or other material and is used to intercept and divert flow to a suitable outlet. It is constructed by excavating a channel and applying the appropriate stabilization. They can be used to convey runoff from the bottom or top of slope. For swales draining a disturbed area, the outlet can be to a sediment trapping device prior to its release.
• Mulch: Mulching is a temporary erosion control practice in which materials such as grass, hay wood chips, wood fibers, straw, or gravel are placed on exposed or recently planted soil surfaces
• Natural Landscaping: Natural landscaping approaches utilize native plants as an alternative to conventional turf grass. The principal advantage of preserving natural vegetations and utilizing natural landscape designs is the protections of desirable trees, vines, bushes, and grasses from damage caused by erosion. Vegetation provides erosion control, storm water detention, biofiltration, and aesthetic values.
• Permeable Pavers: Permeable pavers are an environmentally friendly alternative to regular interlocking pavers. They allow for water to filter through the surface where it stays in a gravel basin while it slowly filters into the soil. By absorbing runoff, permeable surfaces help to prevent erosion and drainage issues.
• Riprap: Riprap is a permanent, erosion-resistant layer made of stones. It is intended to protect soil from erosion in areas of concentrated runoff.

Additional Links & Resources

http://www.epa.gov/nps/education/runoff.html 

http://www.epa.gov/nps/facts/point7.htm

http://http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/nvswcd/youyourland/soil.htm 

http://http://www.ctic.purdue.edu/KYW/Brochures/GroundSurface.html

http://http://strawberrycreek.berkeley.edu/pdfs/Start@Source/sats5drainagesystems.pdf

http://http://www.usarak.army.mil/Conservation/ITAM/ITAM_BMPs.pdf

 The damage to concrete most people fear is actually caused by the freezing and thawing of water that soaks into the upper surface of the concrete. The use of deicing salts increases the amount of freeze-thaw cycles that a concrete sidewalk or driveway experiences. The volume of water increases by 9 percent when it freezes. This expansion creates internal pressures that can blast apart weak concrete.

Concrete that contains small air bubbles (air entrained), a minimum of 564 pounds of cement (6 bag mix) per cubic yard and a minimum amount of water when mixed (4 inch slump) can resist repeated episodes of ice expansion within the concrete. In addition, the concrete must be moist cured at or above 50 F for a minimum of seven days, produce a 28 day strength of 4,000 pounds per square inch and have a minimum drying time of 30 days before it is subjected to the first freeze-thaw cycle. These practices are commonly followed by experienced, professional concrete masons.

Deicing salts rarely cause problems on wood surfaces and asphalt. What little damage they may cause is far outweighed by the benefits of preventing personal injury as a result of a fall on some ice.
There are four primary deicing salts. All have different characteristics. The most common deicing salt is regular rock salt or sodium chloride. It is widely available and can melt snow and ice until the temperature drops to between 16 and 20 F. Below these temperatures the rock salt stops melting snow and ice. Rock salt also releases the highest amount of chloride ions when it dissolves. Chloride can pollute streams, rivers and lakes. The chloride also causes metal to corrode.

Calcium chloride is another deicing salt. Many people have seen these small rounded white pellets. It can continue to melt snow and ice as temperatures fall well below 0 F. It can cause skin irritation if your hands are moist when using it. Concentrations of calcium chloride can chemically attack concrete.
Potassium chloride is a deicing salt that available in some markets. It is not a skin irritant and does not harm vegetation. It only melts ice when the air temperture is above 15 F, but when combined with other chemicals it can melt ice at lower temperatures.

The newest deicing salt is magnesium chloride. It continues to melt snow and ice until the temperature reaches -13 F. In the photo, the air temperature was 0 F. The magnesium chloride melted through a 1/2 inch thick layer of ice in just 10 minutes. This salt releases about 40 percent less chlorides into the environment than either rock salt or calcium chloride. It is also less damaging to concrete surfaces of questionable or unknown quality. Magnesium chloride is less toxic to plants, trees and shrubs. It also does not leave a powder residue when tracked into your home.

Avoid the use of fertilizers as deicing and traction agents. Those that contain ammonium nitrate and ammonium sulfate can rapidly disintegrate concrete. Don’t take a chance if you don’t know what is in the fertilizer. If you don’t have salts available use sand to stop you from slipping and sliding.

Is it necessary to wave a magic wand and remove every single leaf when doing a fall clean up? Is it acceptable to grind leaves and return them to the soil? Is it okay to place leaves in the surrounding wooded common area as long as they are spread evenly and not left in piles.  Are we being green??

Follow this link for modern leaf removal methods and the research that supports it.

MODERN LEAF REMOVAL

Traditional Methods

The traditional concept of creating huge piles of whole leaves and transporting them to a landfill is costly and not environmentally friendly. Large armies of workers using lots of noisy, smelly leaf blowers together with rakes and tarps have been the usual manner of removal.  Blowing and tarping of whole leaves and dragging them into huge piles take a good deal of time and thus heavy expense for the client. Transporting large quantities of leaves to a landfill is costly and deprives the soil and woodland areas of needed nutrients.

 Modern Methods

The modern choice is to mulch and reduce leaf size using specialized equipment. This method saves time on the site, reduces landfill transportation and dump fees, as well as provides direct environmental benefit to the turf and surrounding wooded areas.

Grinding leaves on the site with precision mowers reduces the need for blowing and also the amount of leaves to be piled. The pulverized leaves are returned to the thatch layer and provide benefit to the turf with both nutrients and soil composition. Leaf reduction in rear areas allows for the pulverized leaves to be returned to the surrounding wooded areas in a fashion that is eco friendly and not an eyesore to the client. This saves valuable tarp dragging time.

With less leaves to pile there is much less quantity to transport to the landfill area, which saves dump fees. As an added benefit, the leaves that are carried away are ground in such a way as to accelerate the decomposition process. This creates rich top soil that can later be transported back to properties that would benefit from it.

Research to Support our Methods:

The modern way of leaf removal

Virginia Cooperative extension endorses this approach!.  Virginia Tech,Turfgrass Specialist Michael Goatley Jr. believes:

“Leaf mulching directly into the turf. There are several university research reports detailing how leaf mulching affects turf performance. In almost every instance, the results show that chopping up deciduous leaves as part of a regular mowing schedule is an effective means of managing them without harming the turf. that in almost every instance, the results show that chopping up deciduous leaves as part of a regular mowing schedule is an effective means of managing these leaves without harming the turf.

Purdue University turfgrass researchers Zac Reicher and Glenn Hardebeck took the time to perform a study on the question and they found:

            Leaves have no effect on turf visual quality or color

            Leaves have no effect on turf growth  by clipping weights

            Leaves have no effect on mat or thatch depth

            Leaves have no effect on soil pH or nutrient availability

            Leaves have no effect on incidence of red thread

            Leaves have no effect on incidence of  pink patch.

            Leaves have no effect on incidence of  dollar spot

            Leaves have no effect on weed infestation

The Sierra Club, a non-profit, member supported, public interest organization that promotes conservation of the natural environment by influencing public policy decisions (legislative, administrative, legal and electoral) believes in leaving the leaves.

They state that leaf mulching:

Makes nutrients more readily available in the soil and speeds up the Enrichment process.

Retains water in the soil during the summer, for drought protection.

Insulates the ground from penetrating cold during the winter allowing the underground.

Work of earthworms and soil microorganisms to create Humus

Helps reduce weeds

“Brown patches are all over your property” exclaims a frustrated property manager.    If you have these troublesome brown patches on your property that have gotten increasingly worse with time, you may well have a Japanese beetle grub infestation in your lawn.  While chemical options are available, there is a safe, effective remedy in using Milky Spore. 

We’re all familiar with the damage the adult Japanese beetle does as it feasts on fruit, flower, shrubs, garden plants and the foliage of some field crops. At the immature beetle stage, the grub enjoys feeding on the roots of grass and other vegetation to include stems of plants.  Applications with Milky Spore attack the beetle at the grub level BEFORE damage is done.  Milky Spore acts as an on-guard protective blanket on your lawn and works for at least 10 years. 

Milky Spore is safe as opposed to the many dangerous chemical applications.  Milky Spore is not harmful to beneficial insects, birds, bees, pets or man. The product is approved and registered with EPA, Milky Spore will not affect wells, ponds or streams. The ideal way to combat area infestation is through organized community efforts. Large areas treated with Milky Spore can result in long term control.

Blade Runners issues a Milky Spore certificate for properties and communities that use this product on their turf area that can be used for future home sales or in community newsletters.

Milky Spore has gone through many transformations.  The product that Blade Runners uses is the original formula devised by the USDA, produced by St Gabriel laboratories, that has been proven effective for over 70 years to limit Japanese Beetle grub infestations.  Milky Spore is effective, innovative and on the cutting edge of environmental friendly products.

 Great questions and it’s true that the quality of mulch you see on your property has changed considerably in the last decade. A combination of market force, competitive pricing, supply and demand, and alternative fuel requirements is putting the squeeze on your mulch quality. Click here to find out more and what you should be thinking about and how you should change your contract specifications.

What is Mulch?  Mulch is a protective covering, usually of organic matter, placed around plants to prevent the evaporation of moisture, the freezing of roots and the growth of weeds. We mulch to keep watering requirements low, protect the roots of plants in the winter, keep weeds down, enrich the soil and for aesthetic reasons.

While in the old days mulch was primarily made of shredded bark, shredded wood mulch is generally used in the Washington Metro area.  This is from shredded trees in area land clearings or bark from sawmills. 

Why is the mulch looking worse each year?  There has been a spike in demand for mulch products from this busy building cycle. Large price-based mulch contractors have entered the market using lower grade materials making it difficult for others to remain competitive. Using lower quality mulch has been a savings point for contractors one that they feel clients will not perceive.

• Factors that contribute to mulch quality:
  • Percentage of Bark- This represents the largest change. In years past, bark was made up of 100% shredded bark. Now mulch contractors must pay more for lower quality mulch. Once a principal supplier, saw mills are now selling their mulch to other companies who are trying to meet alternative fuel government requirements. Even the top quality mulch has only 70% bark and the majority of mulch being spread today has only 30-40%.
  • Age of shredded bark after processing – After the mulch is made aging is an important factor in quality. The natural decomposition will give mulch better and longer lasting color.  It will also bond together and avoid washout issues in the bed.
  • Degree of shredding- Some manufactures require double shredding and some do not. It is more a matter of the type of machine that is used. Smaller pieces will decompose faster and tend to look better on the landscape.
  • Presence of stump and undesirable items- Certain types of tree/stump debris will off balance the  percentage of bark. Stump debris has been known to cause a grey color as the mulch ages.  

What should you do?

Require your contract to adhere to these three minimum standards:

1)      Mulch to be 70% bark

2)      Mulch not to have pieces of wood longer than 3” and wider than ¼”

3)      Mulch not to have stump debris

What’s new on the market?  Colored mulch is gaining popularity in the landscape industry for its durability and aesthetic quality!  As an alternative, mulch with no bark and that is finely shred and has color added is being manufactured. It generally costs more but holds it’s color longer and can save on future mulch applications.  This could be real savings for properties that have more than one mulch application per season.

Did you now that each chemical has a measured LD50 rating? See the definition below

In toxicology, the median lethal dose, LD50 (abbreviation for “Lethal Dose, 50%”), LC50 (Lethal Concentration, 50%) is the dose required to kill half the members of a tested population. LD50 figures are frequently used as a general indicator of a substance’s acute toxicity. The test was created by J.W. Trevan in 1927. The concept, and calculation of the median lethal dose for comparison purposes, is widely used.
Generally the lower the score the higher the danger of the product. See below a sample list of standard landscape products and the LD50 score. Below find some sample household products for comparison.

Products used by landscapers LD50 score Use
2-4-D (Ld score of 700) Used for controlling turf weeds
Barricade (Ld score of 5000) Used to prevent crabgrass
Manage (Ld score of 1287) Used for controlling turf weeds
merit[imidicloprid] (Ld score of 1858) Used to control insect pests in the landscape
orthene[acephate] (Ld score of 1447) Used to control insect pests in the landscape
Roundup[glyphosate] (Ld score of 5600) Used to kill weeds in the pavement
Sevin[carbaryl (Ld score of 307) Used to control insect pests in the landscape
talstar[bifenthrin] (Ld score of 623) Used to control insect pests in the landscape

Household and other products for comparison LD50 score Use
Arsenic (Ld score of 15) Hopefully not used in your home but a basis for comparison
Aspirin (Ld score of 1240)
CAFFEINE (Ld score of 192) Starbucks! We drink this!
Cyanide (Ld score of 6) Hopefully not used in your home but a basis for comparison
DDT (Ld score of 87) Hopefully not used in your home but a basis for comparison
Deet (Ld score of 1800) Used in most insect repellants we spray this on our skin!
Frontline[flea/tick] (Ld score of 2995) We apply this to our pets!
Lysol (Ld score of 500) Clean Clean here, rub rub there
Nicotine (Ld score of 50) No need to comment on this one
Oil (Ld score of 5000) We handle this with our cars
Revolution[flea/tick] (Ld score of 1600) We apply this to our pets!
Salt (Ld score of 3300) Where would we be without this
Tilex (Ld score of 5000) Mold and mildew be gone
Toilet Cleaner (Ld score of 1850) Keep that bowl tidy!

The proper and safe application of landscape products is very important. Hopefully you can see from this chart, that the products used are no worse that the ones you use at home.

What’s the best shock absorbing surface? Engineered wood fiber (EWF)

Engineered wood fiber (EWF) is a wood product that may look similar in appearance to shredded mulch, but EWF products are designed specifically for use as a playground safety surface. Tested thoroughly by the American Society for Testing and Material’s Standards (ASTM), these products are soft enough to limit injuries from falls, yet firm and stable enough for wheelchair maneuverability, meeting the requirements of the ADA. This product, also known as wood rug or wood carpet, is made out of wood (not bark). It is 100% natural and no chemicals.

www.astm.org

Why should you use this EWF product on your tot lot? In a word, liability.

Using EWF products that are ASTM certified and meet ADA specifications limit your exposure to liability issues and create a safer environment.

Where do you find this EWF product? These are landscape materials, so most landscape supply companies should stock them; however they must be certified as a safety surface. You want to be sure the supplier is using a certified product; and your contractor is spreading a certified product.

Do you have timbers around your tot lots? Years ago, wooden landscape timbers were state of the art. Today, safety is a primary concern. Consider using plastic landscape boarders, as they may be a better alternative. We recommend them for the following reasons:
• Safety guidelines require EWF materials to be installed at a depth of 12” and a compressed depth of 9” for an acceptable shock absorbing surface
• Plastic landscape boarders allow for the 12” depth and they will help keep your playground surfacing in place
• They are a no-maintenance alternative to wood
• They’re made from recycled plastic
We can provide you with a quote.

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How do I know if my tot lot is safe? The US Consumer Product Safety Commission has developed a playground safety handbook that provides a wealth of information. Additionally, the handbook has a suggested general maintenance checklist and routine inspection procedure to help you assess the safety of your tot lot.

Link: www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/325.pdf