Get Involved
Lawn Expert at Bridge Gardens
photo by Jeff Heatley
Since 2014, lawn and landscape professional Paul Wagner of Greener Pastures Organics has provided free
lawn care advice weekly to homeowners and professional landscapers at
Bridge Gardens.
Paul partners with Garden Director Rick Bogusch on educational workshops related to growing and maintaining your gardens. Topics have included controlling crabgrass, selecting and planting the
best grass seed, controlling insect and fungus in the lawn, lawn
renovation strategies, as well as guidance on growing and maintaining
roses organically.
Lawn care with Paul Wagner
If you missed past workshops with Paul, here are a few tips from over the seasons:
- Generally, the best grass seed blend for Long Island is 90% tall fescue and 10% bluegrass.
- Annual spring seeding of the lawn improves density and helps combat weeds in your lawn.
- The best grub control is to use beneficial nematodes, and the right time to apply nematodes is in September.
- Roses can be grown and managed organically, using organic fertilizers, Epsom salts for magnesium, and insecticidal soap for mite and aphid control.
- Plant Rosa Rugosa near your roses to attract ladybugs, beneficial insects that are voracious eaters of aphids.
- Black spot and powdery mildew on roses can be effectively controlled without heavy inorganic fungicides. Organic products, like Serenade or Rhapsody, have bacteria that help outcompete diseases, and there are soaps and oils that can provide curative control.
When asked about his connection to the Gardens, Paul said, “Being involved at Bridge Gardens is very rewarding because of all the people that I interact with there. People that come to learn along with Rick and the team at the Trust all love plants, gardening and protecting the environment. I feel like I am really able to make a difference. ”
Thank you Paul, and thank you to Perfect Earth Project and Cornell Cooperative Extension for your support and guidance in our sustainable lawn practices!
