DO YOU HAVE GOOD DIRT?

DO YOU HAVE GOOD DIRT? BRING IT IN AND FIND OUT! 

SOIL TESTING DAY IN CANDLEWOOD LAKE AREA COMMUNITY IS SATURDAY, APARIL 21ST!

SIMPLY BRING YOUR “DIRT” TO EITHER THE STOP & SHOP IN NEW FAIRFIELD BETWEEN 8:30AM AND 3:00PM OR TO THE IGA IN SHERMAN BETWEEN 9:00AM AND 3:00PM.

THE CANDLEWOOD WATERSHED INITIATIVE  URGES ALL CANDLEWOOD LAKE AREA RESIDENTS TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS YEAR’S SOIL TESTING PRIOR TO APPLYING FERTILIZERS ON THEIR PROPERTIES. TESTING IS FREE FOR FIRST-TIME PARTICIPANTS. THOSE WHO WISH TO RE-TEST THEIR SOIL OR TO ANALYZE A DIFFERENT PART OF THEIR LAWN OR GARDEN, ARE ASKED TO PAY $5.00 TO HELP DEFRAY LOCAL PROGRAM AND PROMOTION COSTS. 

THIS EVENT IS INTENDED TO RAISE AWARENESS OF THE VALUE AND IMPORTANCE OF TESTING ONE’S SOIL BEFORE FERTILIZING. THE SOIL SAMPLES WILL BE EXAMINED FOR NUTRIENT CONTENT TO DETERMINE IF ANY FERTILIZATION IS NECESSARY AND IF SO, WHICH SPECIFIC NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENTS WOULD BE MOST BENEFICIAL AND IN WHAT QUANTITIES. INTERESTINGLY, IN THE PAST NEARLY TWO THIRDS OF THOSE WHO TESTED THEIR SOIL FOUND THAT NO ADDITIONAL PHOSPHORUS WAS NECESSARY. THIS FINDING IS SIGNIFICANT IN THAT EXCESS NUTRIENTS CAN BE TRANSPORTED BY STORM WATERS INTO OUR STREAMS AND LAKES, WHERE THEY NOT ONLY POLLUTE THE WATER, BUT CAN CONTRIBUTE TO THE GROWTH OF ALGAE, MILFOIL AND OTHER INVASIVE AQUATIC PLANTS, WITH ALL OF WHICH WE HAVE HAD ISSUES IN CANDLEWOOD LAKE. 

KNOWING THE COMPOSITION OF YOUR SOIL DOES NOT ONLY BENEFIT YOUR LAWN AND GARDEN, IT MAY ALSO SAVE YOU MONEY ON UNNECESSARY FERTILIZER, IT IS LAKE-FRIENDLY, ECOLOGICALLY SMART AND BENEFICIAL TO THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY. EQUALLY IMPORTANTLY, IT HELPS PROTECT OUR BELOVED CANDLEWOOD LAKE AND OTHER AREA LAKES AND PONDS, PROMOTES A HEALTHIER ENVIRONMENT AND HELPS MAINTAIN THE QUALITY OF THE WATERSHED.

FOR TESTING, SOIL SAMPLES MAY BE PREPARED IN ADVANCE, OR KITS CAN BE PICKED UP AT THE COLLECTION SITES ON APRIL 21ST; THEY WOULD NEED TO BE RETURNED BY 3:00PM. FOR COMPLETE INSTRUCTIONS, PLEASE VISIT THE CANDLEWOOD LAKE AUTHORITY WEBSITE  AT WWW.CANDLEWOODLAKEAUTHORITY.COM. IF IT IS NOT CONVENIENT FOR YOU TO PARTICIPATE ON THE DESIGNATED DAY, THERE IS INFORMATION AS TO WHERE SOIL SAMPLES CAN BE SENT FOR ANALYSIS. 

SOIL TESTING DAY IN THE CANDLEWOOD LAKE AREA IS ORGANIZED AND SPONSORED BY THE CANDLEWOOD WATERSHED INITIATIVE AND CANDLEWOOD LAKE AUTHORITY IN COLLABORATION WITH THE CT AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION OF NEW HAVEN. FOUR LOCAL PARTNER GARDEN MARKETS ARE ALSO OFFERING DISCOUNT COUPONS ON FERTILIZERS: DOM’S AND HALAS IN DANBURY, LOCUST GLEN IN NEW FAIRFIELD AND SCOTT’S IN NEW MILFORD.

WHAT BETTER WAY TO CELEBRATE EARTH DAY THIS YEAR THAN BY ANALYZING THE EARTH’S SOIL AND PROTECTING ITS PRECIOUS RESOURCES! BRING IN YOUR DIRT AND HELP CONTRIBUTE TO YOUR COMMUNITY’S AND CANDLEWOOD LAKE’S HEALTH.