Integrated Pest Management and it's biggest supporter

20 years ago I sat in front of one of the most animated man I have ever been associated with. He exploded with excitement when speaking of his trade and the way he saw the future of it. His enthusiasm impressed me so that I promptly quit my job as an electrician to work for his company.To my surprise, on the first day of my employment I found that he had only 45 customers and was still working on his logo. Today that dream of his has taken him to the 4th largest lawn care company in the nation, NaturaLawn of America...

Phil Catron, President and founder of NaturaLawn has kept his enthusiasm and dream , providing customers with an alternative to the larger chemical companies we all know. In the beginning Phil had worked for the largest of them but they didn't want anything to do with his want to integrate IPM (Integrated Pest Management) into their current format. So he set out to do it on his own. IPM in its simplest form means to treat the problem area only, not the entire lawn. I spent many hours walking lawns spot treating one weed at a time and it was my responsibility to promote the use of no chemicals at all through educating the customer. It took time back then to convince people to change but they have. The process was simple, have patience, change some minor habits (cutting height 3-4", keep blades sharp), build on the soil and the lawn of their dreams would come. I can not tell you how many times I would see other companies pull up across the street from me, jump from their trucks spraying everything in sight and disappear before I had finished surveying the current condition of my customers lawn, leaving only the smell of Diazinon (banned in 2004) wafting in the air. During the first winter months I worked there, not only did each technician have to earn their Pesticide Applicator license, but Phil would assign each of us a subject, not to learn but to teach everything we had learned to the others. After several weeks of preparation we would stand before our peers faced not only there questions but Phil's as well. He would be in the audience and only the most confident of us could smile when he raised his hand above the crowd.

Now since the growth of NaturaLawn, I am sure Phil can not be at every training session, but I guarantee he still requires each franchise to do the same as he did in the beginning.



I am not promoting NaturaLawn or am I paid to write this and the truth is I haven't spoken to Phil in years but I have followed his successes and he would be the first to tell that you can perform all the lawn care you need on your own. I have attached several links below including NaturaLawn that explain IPM, offer tips on alternative remedies or choosing a lawn care company if you are unable to do it yourself. There are also one that list many bio degradable house hold items that can be used to help fend off unwanted weeds and pest in your lawn or garden.

Before you spend your money check around. With today's unlimited access to information on the web (I recommend you stay with the .gov or extension services), it is easy to find alternatives to chemicals. It's not only cheaper and safer, it's logically green.

http://www.beyondpesticides.org./lawn/factsheets/faq.htm
http://www.extension.umn.edu/yardandgarden/ygbriefs/h300choosinglawncare.html
http://www.govlink.org/hazwaste/house/yard/lawn/chemicals.html
http://www.essortment.com/home/lawnpestfungus_scpv.htm
http://www.nl-amer.com/