Presented by the RI Nursery & Landscape Association for…

SeaScape Lawn Care, working closely with both the University of Rhode Island and the RI Coastal Resource Management Council (CRMC), has developed the first of its kind low input lawn fertilization program for a 38 home development in southern Rhode Island. The area is considered sensitive due to its proximity to water resources and the underlying ground water. The fertilization program developed is intended to minimize the chances of both run off and leaching of nutrients and pest controls, while at the same time providing for acceptable lawn quality to the area’s residents.

The lawns have been under the care of this evolving program by SeaScape for the last three years without a decline in lawn quality. Included in the program are several changes and enhancements to lawn care practices including:

1. • Use of slow release nutrient fertilizers;
2. • Lower rates of fertilizer, provided more frequently;
3. • Fertilizer rates adjusted to meet the requirements of specific grass varieties;
4. • Control applications made based upon pest monitoring and thresholds;
5. • “Spot” applications of control products to problem areas only, not to entire lawns;
6. • Removal and clean up of all materials left on paved surfaces.

SeaScape continues to work with both URI and CRMC to further enhance this program, and expand its application to more areas throughout Rhode Island. Many of the practices adopted make sense for lawns everywhere, not just in sensitive areas.

SeaScape already employs many of these practices in the lawn programs it provides to the thousands of lawns we service throughout southern New England. We will continue to work to expand and improve this program and to further enhance its benefits to customers and the environment.

SeaScape Lawn Care is owned and operated by James Wilkinson, Ph.D. Dr Wilkinson has a MS in horticulture from URI, and a PhD in turf management from Michigan State University. The company has over 30 years lawn fertilization experience, and employs only licensed, insured lawn technicians.

For more information about SeaScape and this program, call 401-821-7300.