To weed and feed or not....That is the question!

So here's the thing.. I have over an acre of lush green grass that I mow religiously every 7-10 days during the growing season. Up until now, I've had a lawn care company fertilize and apply weed control to keep it that way and it's the envy of the neighborhood, heck maybe even the town!

Now what? I'm raising chickens for food/eggs and I don't want them eating anything that's going to transfer to me or my loved ones. Is chemical fertilizer safe? I'm thinking that if I stretch logic MAYBE the fertilizer could cut it, but DEFINITELY not the weed control. I know I have grubs (and so do the skunks in the neighborhood) and they're killing my grass from the bottom up!

So, enter the research on MILKY SPORE and DIATENACIOUS EARTH! I'm going to apply milky spore to the lawn and gardens to kill the Japanese beetle grubs for the long term since it takes a few years to kick into gear and will work for 15-20 years. The DE will work more quickly as the grubs will eat it in the soil and be destroyed in the process.

The other good thing is that I can use the DE as part of the treatment for mites, ticks, flea control for the chickens in their coop and dust baths. Pretty amazing stuff! You just have to make sure you use FOOD GRADE DE, not the stuff they use for treating swimming pools. It'll also cut down on odors when put in the bedding and shavings.

So, the grass is going to go through transition this year as I get the grubs under control. In may have more crabgrass and dandelions, but I'll gain healthy chickens and ultimately a healthier lawn.

Jerry Baker has some unique blends of household detergents and other items like mouth wash and tobacco tea that will green my lawn and gardens so even though they are more labor intensive than calling the lawn care company, they may be better for my plants.

Worth a try. What do you think? Have you already been where I am and what do you use?