When you head outside for your first round of spring cleanup, think about the foundation of your landscape. There is a biologically active and environmentally friendly alternative to chemicals.

Each spring gardeners spend a large amount of time, money, and labor on their landscapes often overlooking the health of their soil. The result being an unhealthy plant which invites insect and disease problems. These pests are merely the messengers informing us about the poor health of our plants.

For years, many of us have turned to pesticides to kill these messengers and large amounts of synthetic fertilizers to pump up our plants. Both actions are a temporary ’fix’ that further depletes the soil biology, increases plant stress, creates future problems and for some reason compels us to repeat the process.

The key to a healthy plant starts with the soil. A handful of good soil contains billions of microscopic organisms that will decompose organic material, process and supply nutrients to the plant, and improve soil structure for deeper root growth and water absorption. This is how nature was intended to work, producing hardy plants with their own defense systems against insects and disease.

Getting back to the basics of plant care, we can restore the biology to our soils with the use of compost teas. A well made compost tea is created by extracting the microorganisms from special blends of compost into an aerobic water solution with nutrients and allowing them to multiply over an 18 to 30 hour period. By applying this to your yard it introduces a diverse population of biology to your soil. Once there, they can begin the rebuilding and natural nutrient cycling process to your landscape.

Remember, soil without biology is just dirt!

Cascade Spray Service is a family owned and operated business serving both residential and commercial properties on the entire eastside since 1980. For more information call 425-885-9874 or visit www.cascadesprayservice.com