Question
I live on a freshwater lke front in North Central florida. i have just compltede a bulkhead with boat ramp. I filled my yard with a sand clay mix 100yards from the local sand hill area. I have a lawn on approx.1/2 of my property made up of St. Augustine, bermuda & centipede.
I have new crop of dollar weed. I would like to be as envirementally friendly as possible. I also like to grow a few vegatables in my flower bed.What do you reccomend for soil testing and fertilization?

Answer
Hi John;
Just adopt a chemical free organic lawn care program.
That will take care of the weeds.
As long as the soil has nough sand to have good drainage, I would just put down sugar. One pound per 25- sq.ft. of lawn, and water it in well.
Adopt a program of deep watering ( to a depth of at least 6 inches) to encourage a deep root system, and use no chemicals. that makes a healty enviornment for toads, lizards, grass snakes and beneficial insects.
They will eat all the harmful insects, and you will not have to use insecitcides or pesticides.
Weeds like poor soil and will not thrive in richg soil.
sugar nourishes the beneficial microbes that work round the clock enriching the soil.
Weeds that do come up will not thrive and will soon fade away.
I had a ton of dollar weed, and the sugar did away with it in short order.
The crabgrass and dandelions and johnson grass kept trying to come back each year for about 3 years, but the dollar weed gave up after only one year.
I apply the sugar in the spring and fall.

If you want to speed up the growing of the grases etc you want, you can apply some alfalfa meal, lava sand, and/or an organic fertilizer.
More nurseries are carrying a good line of organic products now that more people are becoming interested in going organic.
Chemicals, really don't fix a problem, they are realy what cause the problems in the first place.
The kill all the beneficail insects as well as the harmful ones, and for every harmful insect you have there are hundreds of beneficial ones that feed on the harmful ones.
It kills the foor supply of the beneficial critters that eat harmful insects.
Toads love slugs, so toads be me best friends, because I HATE slugs!
I bought a bag of organic fertilizer a couple of years ago, but it is still in my garden shed, unopened.
I haven't put anything on my lawn and garden for 8 years but sugar, and sprayed with baking soda for fungus.
My lawn is dark gree, full, lush and weedfree.
This year i learned about alfalfa meal, so I have used some of that. WOW!!!!
I made alfalfa meal tea and fed my roses with it.
the bushes have filled out so much thicker, and the new leaves are twice the size of the others.
Lava sand is also VERY good. That stuff is chocked full of nutrients.
If you would like more information about these organic things, write me any time.
Charlotte