How long have you been in business?
Shady Lane (Expert Tree Care) has been in business for over thirty years and has more than 6000 regular customers. Organic Soil Solutions is a new division of Shady Lane created to address our clients' growing interest in organic plant health care.

What are your credentials in the Green Industry?
Shady Lane Expert Tree Care has a full-time, salaried staff of ISA Certified Arborists with the know-how and equipment to confidently work within all aspects of the tree care industry. Organic Soil Solutions has been a work-in-progress over the last three years led by Jonathan Arnold. Jonathan has been working with leaders in the field of soil microbiology to create a comprehensive, in-depth program.

"I have worked with Shady Lane for nine years and am confident in every part of the industry. After completing a two year apprenticeship at Humber College and working the more than the 6000 hours required in various aspects of arboriculture, I successfully completed the ISA certification exam, becoming a certified arborist. This designation is an internationally recognized standard that allows me to practice arboriculture anywhere in the world. Ongoing education is required to renew your certification
annually."

A certified arborist can identify tree species and understands tree biology, insect and disease management, soils and drainage, job safety and hydro, climbing and rigging techniques, planting using proper plant placement, plant fertility and nutrient cycle, hazardous assessment, lightning protection, cabling and bracing.

It is important that your trees and landscape are assessed by a certified arborist annually.

What are your companies' values?
Shady Lane's slogan is "Your Satisfaction is Our Future". We stand behind this 100%. We rely on customer satisfaction so much that our best marketing tool is word of mouth. Organic Soil Solutions allows us to expand our services beyond tree health care by providing organic treatments for your trees, lawn, shrubs and flowers. We are constantly searching for ways to improve the health of our clients' plants and overall landscape.

What is Organic Soil Solutions and how does it work?
Organic Soil Solutions is an organic tree, lawn and flower (or plant) care program designed to correct the chemical, physical and biological imbalances in the soil. This program creates and maintains a healthy biological environment for your landscape. We innoculate the soil with the proper biology and let the soil feed the plants. Your soil contains all the nutrients required, but they need to be processed or broken down
by the soil biology for the plants to use them. This provides an organic, natural form of food for the plants to thrive. As your plants develop deeper roots they are better able to weather periods of stress and drought.

What are the benefits of Organic Soil Solutions?
Roots are able to grow deeper into the soil and find water and nutrients easier. Beneficial bacteria and fungi store and cycle nutrients, increasing nutrient uptake of plants. It builds the soil structure to improve the water and nutrient retention and prevent leaching and soil erosion. Improved water retention results in less watering by up to 35%. Healthier plants are able to withstand insects and disease. Decomposition of
plant materials and toxins is improved. The micro-organisms help decompact the soil, which leaves the soil more oxygenated.

How is your product applied?
There are three methods of applying our Organic Soil Solutions. For your tree application, we use a Deep Root Feeding method that injects our product into the root zone of the tree. The second method is our Foliar Feeding. Our high pressure spray guns apply our product directly to the leaf surface, creating a protective "barrier of biology". Lastly, we use a Soil Drench System, which is a low pressure misting over
your lawns and gardens.

What is wrong with conventional landscape products?
They are quick fixes; petroleum based fertilizers that make landscapes grow fast and green but ultimately exhaust plants by drying up soil and root systems. This leads to leaching of harmful nitrates and phosphates into our water table, increased need for pesticides and fungicides and killing beneficial bacteria and fungi adding to compaction problems. This promotes unbalanced insect populations and depletes nutrients in the soil. High nitrogen fertilizers often cause root-burn taking the water out of your root system because they need the water to solubilize. Organic Soil Solutions will never cause root-burn as it does not contain an inorganic form of nitrogen. Unlike many synthetic (so called organic) fertilizers, you do not need to water after application as Organic Soil Solutions is applied with a sufficient amount
of water for the plants. In fact, Organic Soil Solutions will cut down on watering by at least 35% in the first year.

Broadleaf weed controls kill weeds but they also kill beneficial micro-organisms that work to sustain the environment plants need in order to thrive. Thatch build-up, a layer of dead grass between the roots of the grass and the living grass, occurs when there is no microbial life to decompose it. Organic Soil Solutions breaks down the thatch to improve the health of your lawn.

Toxic pesticides harm your landscape as they remain in the soil when there is no healthy microbial population to decompose them. In addition, the toxins seep into the water table and threaten the earth's irreplaceable water supply.

Is Organic Soil Solutions more expensive than conventional Fertilization Programs?
Our program is more than just a fertilization program. We concentrate on creating healthy soils and healthy landscapes. We reduce or eliminate pesticide, fungicide, and herbicide applications, the need for multiple companies, and our program cuts back on your watering needs. Once a healthy soil system is created, maintenance can be significantly reduced bringing annual costs to a minimum. Initial costs might be moderately higher in order to see our product at its best, but in the long run you will save money, hassle and our environment.

What is the Pesticide By-law?
The Pesticide By-law is the City of Toronto's response to growing public concern about pesticide use. The by-law restricts the outdoor use of pesticides on public and private property in Toronto. It came into effect on April 1, 2004, and applies to anyone who uses pesticides outdoors, including homeowners, renters, lawn and tree care companies, golf courses and property managers.

What is a pesticide (insecticide, fungicide and herbicide)?
Pesticides are chemical applications used on lawns and gardens. As a category, it includes herbicides (which kill plants), insecticides (which kill insects) and fungicides (which kill fungi). All of the above are harmful to your plants, soil and water table.

Why did City Council pass the Pesticide By-law?
The by-law was passed to protect the health, safety and well-being of Toronto residents. Scientists have identified links between exposure to pesticides and health problems, including harm to the reproductive and nervous systems. Children and some adults are particularly sensitive to the effects of pesticides. Pesticides also wash off lawns and gardens into the Don and Humber Rivers, which lead to Lake Ontario - the source of all our drinking water.

A Public Health Inspector will now issue a ticket or serve a summons for non-compliance in accordance with this by-law. A ticket has a set fine of $255.00. Under the Provincial Offences Act, a summons can carry a fine of up to $5,000.00.

Have any other cities passed pesticide by-laws?
Yes. Over 70 cities and towns across Canada, including Halifax and Montreal, have passed by-laws to restrict pesticides. Several Ontario municipalities, such as Caledon and Peterborough, have also passed by-laws.

How can I manage weeds and insects in my lawn without pesticides?
You can replace pesticide use with a natural approach that improves the health of your landscape and garden. This includes enriching your soil with our Organic Soil Solutions, raising the height of your lawn mower, sowing your lawn with grass seed, hand-weeding and watering properly. These techniques should give you a thick, deep-rooted lawn and healthy garden that crowds out weeds and suffers from less insect
damage.

Learn more about the natural approach for a pesticide free landscape in our newsletter 'A Guide to a Natural Landscape and Garden'.

How can I care for my trees without pesticides?
Insects and disease are more likely to attack unhealthy or stressed trees. Frequent monitoring by our qualified staff to gauge tree health is key to preventing insect and disease problems. Organic soil solutions eliminates the need to spread dry compost under the canopy of your trees and shrubs although this is an acceptable method. Pruning and proper watering help ensure the health of your trees. By creating a
healthy soil environment, Organic Soil Solutions increases root growth and depth. This improves nutrient and water uptake resulting in a well-nourished tree.

Organic Soil Solutions can be applied to the leaves of trees that are suffering from a fungal disease (foliar feeding). The micro-organisms in our Organic Soil Solutions program out-compete the fungal diseases on the leaf surface, effectively stealing the resources needed by the fungus to infect the tree.

How can I care for my vegetables and flower garden without pesticides?
Healthy vegetables and flowers will also resist insects and disease. A natural approach includes frequent monitoring for problems by our qualified staff. Our product eliminates the need to spread compost or mulch although this is an acceptable method. Hand-weeding, pruning and proper watering are also effective to ensure good plant health. A plant that cannot survive with natural care may be in the wrong spot, and you may solve the problem by moving the plant or replacing it with a species more suitable to the location. What's key to remember is that every plant needs a certain ratio of biology in the soil to grow effectively.

What exactly does organic mean?
Our products are not isolated chemical compounds, but micro-organisms that provide the soil, and therefore plants, with organic nutrients.

Can I walk on my lawn after a treatment?
Absolutely! There is nothing in the product we apply that is harmful to your family or your pets. No signs need to be posted, no neighbours need to be notified, no notices need to be sent out.

Will Organic Soil Solutions eliminate the weeds in my yard?
Weeds are a symptom of poorly nourished soil. Once Organic Soil Solutions corrects the pH and encourages a deeper root system and thicker turf to develop, weeds are crowded out. Mowing high and leaving the clippings prevents annual weeds from getting a foothold. Cutting down on our watering, as recommended by your soil expert, and looking into seeding and top dressing once a year will help fight off weeds.