In 2005, Dig Right In Landscaping, Inc. developed its distinguished Back-to-Nature™ Lawn Care Program.  Since then, we have mastered the science and techniques to the extent that we are now frequent presenters and panelists at community and industry educational events.

Innovations to our program this year were developed by Mike Crouchelli (see below) and include:

  • Clippings need to stay on the lawn as a source of food for soil organisms.
  • We no longer offer corn gluten as a weed seed inhibitor (aka “pre-emergent” weed control). This is based on recent studies that show higher application rates are required in order for corn gluten to be effective, which makes the product very expensive.  However, this product is somewhat widely available, which means it is possible to DIY, or call us for a quote (hint: take your Tea pricing and add $45.00).
  • If you have a very low tolerance for lawn weeds, we highly recommend opting for the synthetic chemical pre-emergent application. The timing of this application reduces your exposure to the chemicals and is highly effective when followed up with our soil feeding program.
  • Our soil feeding program now has FOUR applications with an emphasis on boosting beneficial fungi. The first is our NEW Soil ALIVE!™ booster feeding in spring.  This is a granular microbial bio-inoculant to literally bring your soil to life after the ravages of winter.
  • Soil ALIVE!™ is followed by our usual three (3) Nature’s Original™ compost tea soil feedings (spring, summer and fall). Each is now custom formulated to work with the upcoming season’s characteristics (growth, drought/heat and winterization respectively).
  • We will encourage you to conduct two core aerations each year because this is so critical for root development, drought and weed resistance (and even more effective when accompanied by an overseeding).
  • Overseeding of lawns needs to be done every three years as a weed and pest control technique. We will frequently communicate this with you.

Meet our in-house soil scientist, Mike Crouchelli. Mike started working for Dig Right In in 2013 as a junior landscape construction technician within our summer intern program.  In 2017, he graduated from Illinois State University with a bachelor’s degree in Agriculture–Crop & Soil Science.

During the 2017 season, Mike worked full time as the Brew Master of our compost tea, and now he has taken our organic soil feeding program to the next level.  More than ever, we can guarantee that we offer the best science and techniques for achieving a lush, green and healthy organic lawn.

Mike welcomes your questions at mike@digrightin.com, and he looks forward to making your soil more fungal in 2018.