Besides looking bad, weeds are fierce competitors for essential sunlight, nutrients and moisture. The WeedPopper makes it easy to remove many weeds, including dandelions, by using its unique plug-ejecting feature. Simply push the tines onto the weed, press down with your foot, twist the handles, and pop out the weed instantly, roots and all – with no chemical treatments. It’s as simple as that!

Five Reasons to Use WeedPopper

* Ergonomic design–no bending, kneeling or straining
* Great for all natural control-no chemicals
* Great for digging holes for planting flowers
* Pops out plug of soil with weed; eject right into compost or trash
* Open plug = aeration; or use WeedPopper to refill the hole with topsoil or grass plug

$18.74 on sale!

regular price $24.99

We don’t have fabulous soil here in northern Ohio meaning you will likely need to fertilize prior to or just after seeding. Most lawns are lacking in phosphorus (the middle number on fertilizer labels), which needs to be corrected to encourage a healthy lawn. You can have your soil tested to pinpoint the specific needs of your lawn. You may also need to add lime, depending on the pH level of your soil. You should definitely test your soil before adding lime, as too much lime is worse than too little. The starter fertilizer should be raked lightly into the soil. The Rock Pile carries several fertilizers appropriate for new lawn. If you are leveling low spots or want to apply a layer of new soil in your yard, our Premium Blended Topsoil is excellent. We start with soil that is already rich in organic matter and has not been used for farming, thereby avoiding chemicals and nutrient depletion. We add Sweet Peet, Leaf Humus and Sand and violà! we have the wonderful soil people love!

The ideal planting time for lawns in Northern Ohio is August 15th to the end of September. Winter seeding (dormant seeding) would take place after November 15th and would not germinate until the following spring. Planting the lawn in fall greatly reduces the invasion of summer annual weeds since the lawn is able to develop more fully before spring weed seeds germinate.

Sow the seed at the rate recommended for the seed type you have chosen. It is best to use a spreader, making at least two passes in different directions. Rake the soil lightly over the seed, covering it about .1 to .3 inches deep. If you can’t see any seed at all, you’ve probably covered it a bit too deeply.

Now we come to the controversial part of seeding a lawn. If you want to start an argument, shout “straw or sphagnum peat moss?” in a room full of garden center experts. I am personally in the camp of using peat moss or our Premium Topsoil. Peat moss covers nicely, hold moisture incredibly well, doesn’t leave you with anything to rake up and looks all neat and smooth. Others are ardent fans of straw. Applied properly (not too thick!), they say it provides great moisture retention and protection from birds. One of the things I do like about straw is that nothing says to the neighbors, ‘don’t worry, I’m aware my lawn looks awful and I’m working on it’ better than a fresh carpet of straw. (It also screams, ‘hey…don’t walk on me! Baby grass incubating here!’)

An important note on seeding a lawn: you must keep the soil moist. That means frequent watering. You should water properly twice a day, every day. After all the effort already put forth, it is depressing to have to do it again for lack of proper watering.

Mow your baby grass for the first time when it reaches 3 inches high. Just take a little off the top (mow to a height of 2 inches). An additional application of starter fertilizer about a month after seeding helps your new grass to better establish itself. Water immediately after application. Stay away from weed control fertilizers until your lawn has been mowed at least 3 times.

Who doesn’t love sitting around a fire in Autumn? Just in time for fall, you can enjoy the crackle of a fire in your own backyard. Now through September 15 enter to win a free fire pit kit. This kit includes 49 bricks, 4 bags of #10 Limestone and 2 bags of Blue Granite (delivery NOT included). With easy pick-up and straight-forward instructions anyone could easily put together this pit in their own backyard. CLICK HERE to read about fire pit kits installation. Stop in to see our color choices (greystone featured in the photo above) and enter the drawing today!

Summer Mulch Sale!

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Bulk Mulch $2 off

per cubic yard

Bagged Mulch $1 off

per bag

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Discount is off regular price. Discount is valid on all in-stock bagged or bulk mulches. While supplies last.

Click here to find out more!

We have Firewood, too!

What better way to decorate for Independence Day than to put out a flag or two?

We also have Flag Poles!

Now is the time of year when we can start enjoying our backyards. Unfortunately, it is also the time of year we share our yards with the flying hypodermic needle – the mosquito. We need not surrender to these bloodsuckers. There are ways for us to claim back our yards simply by applying Mosquito Beater to our outdoor areas one hour before it is occupied will help keep it mosquito-free. It comes in a ready-to-use container that will treat up to 4,000 square feet. Best to apply when air movement is light to medium. It is an all-natural product with a pleasant scent. Depending on weather conditions it can last up to 3 weeks. With the wet May we have had, the mosquito population will be large.

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Mosquito Dunks

A product for using on mosquitoes before they bite.

Mosquito Dunks are a biological mosquito control that floats on water and will keep on working for 30 days or longer under typical environmental conditions. While floating, they slowly release a long term biological mosquito larvicide which gradually settles in the water where it is eaten by the mosquito larvae growing there. It can be used in all types of containerized standing water sites (except finished, treated drinking water), where mosquito larvae grow.

Use one dunk for up to 100 square feet of water surface, regardless of depth. They can be used whole or broken into portions and applied to containerized standing water found near the home such as:

Animal watering troughs

Bird baths

Flower pots

Rain barrels and roof gutters

Unused swimming pools

Old tires

Water gardens

Tree holes

They can be anchored by using a string tied through the center hold, or they can be staked in place to prevent them from being washed away.

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The Rock Pile has been part of the Organic Gardening movement for 20 years. We are always excited when we find a company that produces products that are high quality, organic and user-friendly. We are proud to introduce the Dr. Earth product line, developer of the “Pro-Biotic” fertilizer.

There is nothing mysterious or magical about organic gardening. It is simply a way of working with nature rather than against it. The objective is to recycle organic matter back into the soil, to maintain soil structure and fertility, and to encourage natural methods of pest and disease control, rather than relying on chemicals. It is, in fact, a lot less mysterious than the methods employed by the chemical grower.

Organic gardening is much more than just growing plants without chemical fertilizers and artificial sprays. It is a lifestyle. It recognizes that that the complex workings of nature have been successful at maintaining life for hundreds of millions of years, so the sound organic cultivating principals closely follow those found in the natural world. Do not be fooled into thinking that these principals will have a detrimental effect on yield and quality. In fact, you are likely to increase both, and in doing so, you will be providing an alternative habitat for wildlife, while being certain that the fruits and vegetables you have produced in your garden are safe, nutritious and chemical free. You will also be reducing the possibility of the harmful side effects from pesticides that are on the increase in infants and young developing adults.

Of the approximately 50,000 home pesticide poisonings each year, 17,000 are among children under the age of 4. Pesticides can remain active for years. They are poisonous and designed to kill.

The organic gardener uses a more constructive approach based on the awareness that there is a balance in the natural world which allows all species to co-exist without any one gaining dominance.

By growing a wide diversity of plants, the organic gardener will attract and build a miniature eco-system of pests and predators so that, provided the balance isn’t upset by killing them with chemicals, no species will be allowed to build up to an unacceptable level.

The soil is teaming with millions of microorganisms which, in the course of their lives, will release those nutrients required for healthy plant growth from organic matter. So, rather than feeding the plants, the organic method is to feed the soil with natural materials and allow the plants to draw on that humic reservoir of nutrients as they need them. Plants grown this way will be stronger and more able to resist attacks by pests and diseases. Dr. Earth Pro-BioticTM is built on this sound principle. It works and lasts for years as it becomes a part of the living soil.

The Chemical Method
The purely chemical gardener uses soil simply as a means of anchoring plant roots and of holding artificial fertilizers to provide plant nutrients. This approach seems to have good results, but only in the short term.

In the long term, it has disastrous consequences. Because organic matter is not replaced, the soil organisms die out. Without them the soil structure breaks down and the soil becomes hard, airless and unproductive. Attempts at “force-feeding” plants result in soft, sappy growth, which is prone to attack by a host of pests and diseases.

When a plant is forced to grow with a chemical, high NPK fertilizer, it becomes weak. As plant cell walls are developing they do not have enough time to produce two important compounds, cellulose and lignins. These substances give the cell wall its structural integrity. As cells are forced to duplicate and grow quickly, the amount of cellulose and lignins are decreased, making the plant tissues much softer and more appealing for pests to attack. Think of it this way. It is like chewing on a piece of butter lettuce for us as opposed to chewing on a piece of wood. The same is true for insects. They prefer that tender soft growth.

In order to control insects, chemical pesticides are used, often with short term success. But, in killing the pests, pesticides also kill their natural predators. Eventually, the problem gets worse. Stronger and more poisonous pesticides have to be resorted to, and so it goes on. It is a vicious cycle that, once started, is difficult to break.

We at Dr. Earth will help you to grow all plants and control those insects naturally without the harmful side effects of chemical products. This is our lifestyle and contribution to all gardeners and our environment.

Milo Lou Shammas
Founder and Formulator
Dr. Earth, Inc.

Read more about Dr. Earth