I started my lawn care journey at 16 in 1981, applying fertilizers and sprays as they today to “make the world green.” I thought I was green—sustainable, eco-friendly—but I wasn’t. Year after year, I saw the same problems: pests, diseases, weeds, and compacted soil. The industry sold a simple promise: off-the-shelf fertilizer and spray programs would deliver a perfect lawn. They were the “snake oil” of lawn care—quick fixes that seemed too good to be true. For years, I bought into it, but the outcomes told a different story. These nasty programs were toxic—to me, to the soil, and to the environment. If they really worked, I’d still be using them. Instead, I lost customers to their unrealistic expectations, felt like a circus performer jumping through ever-higher hoops, and faced the insanity of doing the same thing while expecting different results. Here’s how I became a citizen scientist, broke that cycle, and found a better way with regenerative lawn care.
The Toxicity of Conventional Lawn Care
In the 1980s and ‘90s, I applied the industry-standard fertilizer and spray programs(as they still do today), thinking they were the key to success. But I paid a price. I experienced toxicity from the sprays, feeling the physical toll of handling chemicals day after day. I saw the impacts of fertilizers firsthand: compacted soil, runoff that harmed pets, kids, wildlife, and Niagara’s lakes, rivers, and streams. Algae blooms became and are all too common, a direct result of these salt inputs. The lawns looked green for a moment, but the problems kept coming—pests, diseases, weeds—requiring more and more inputs. It was the definition of insanity: doing the same thing for decades and expecting different outcomes.
Becoming a Citizen Scientist
Back then, there was no internet to turn to for answers. Every winter, I’d go over everything I did that year, determined to upgrade and do better the next. I called experts, talked to peers, read every book I could find, and became observant—listening to others, watching the soil, the plants, the outcomes. I researched relentlessly, piecing together the puzzle of why these programs weren’t working. I became a citizen scientist, driven by a need to understand the root causes and find a better way. My efforts earned recognition over the years—check out some of the awards I’ve received at Stangl’s Awards—but the real reward was the knowledge I gained. I learned that true lawn health isn’t about quick fixes; it’s about the life in the soil.
The Circus of Unrealistic Expectations
Customers didn’t make it easier. They wanted “ego trophy lawns”—perfect, weed-free expanses to show off to neighbors, a status symbol to beat their chest over like a primal ape. But they also wanted it cheap. I felt like I was in a circus, with clients holding the hoop higher and higher. If their lawn didn’t meet their unrealistic expectations—often fueled by the pre-internet word-of-mouth version of “if they think so, it is”—they’d hold me hostage for payment, refusing to pay until I did more. No matter how much I sprayed or fertilized, it was never enough. The quick-fix promise of those programs couldn’t deliver lasting results, and I lost customers who couldn’t see past the surface.
The Organic Experiment: A Costly Lesson
By the early 2000s, I knew I needed a change. I tried organic lawn care, hoping it would be the answer. But it was cost-prohibitive—materials were expensive, and the outcomes couldn’t match the quick-fix appeal of conventional methods. Customers weren’t willing to pay more for slower results, even if they were safer. I was stuck between a rock and a hard place: organic methods didn’t meet expectations, and conventional programs were toxic and unsustainable. I needed a better way—one that worked with nature, not against it.
The Regenerative Turning Point: 2014/15
In 2014/15, I made the leap to regenerative lawn care, and it changed everything. I stopped using those nasty fertilizer and spray programs and focused on reviving the life in the soil. Regenerative lawn care isn’t a quick fix—it’s a journey. I started using Nature’s Brew and, soon, our plasma fertilizer (launching April 2025) to nurture soil biology—microbes, fungi, bacteria, nematodes, and more. Through the rhizophagy cycle, plants feed microbes with sugars, building living soil that supports a thriving ecosystem. Dandelions, which the industry demonizes, became my allies, signaling soil health issues I could address naturally.
The results spoke for themselves. One of my commercial clients, with me for over 30 years, hasn’t seen insect or disease issues in over a decade. We measure soil health with tools like Brix (10+ for disease resistance, 14+ for insect resistance, per Dr. Thomas Dykstra—learn more at Dykstra Laboratories), EC (the soil’s “heartbeat”), and PSI (its “lungs”), ensuring a balanced, living system. I was inspired by experts like Dr. Dykstra and Glen Rabenberg of Soil Works LLC, whose philosophy of treating soil as a living organism transformed my approach—explore their work at Soil Works LLC. For a deeper dive, check out their Soil Solutions Series on YouTube: Healthy Plants & Common Misconceptions to understand Brix and the rhizophagy cycle, Insect Resistance (Ep. 03) for how Brix impacts pest control, Soil Electrical Conductivity (Ep. 04) to learn about EC as the soil’s “heartbeat,” and Is Your Soil Ready for Microbes? to see why soil biology matters. My lawns stopped needing constant inputs—no more circus hoops, no more hostage payments. I was finally free to care for lawns the right way.
Breaking the Cycle of Insanity
For over 70 years, the lawn care industry has sold the same snake oil: off-the-shelf fertilizers and sprays that promise perfection but deliver problems. It’s insanity—repeating the same approach while expecting different outcomes. The pursuit of ego trophy lawns, now fueled by social media’s “if it’s online, it must be true” echo chamber, keeps this cycle alive. But I’ve learned that true lawn health isn’t about beating your chest—it’s about reviving the life in the soil. At Stangl’s Enviro Lawn Care, we’ve been on this journey for 44 years, and we’re here to help you break the cycle.
Ready to ditch the snake oil for real soil health? Join our Regenerative Lawn Care Facebook page (96 members and growing!) and grab our toolkit after March 24th, 2025—a 14-section guide to building living soil. See the proof at Stangl’s Before & After Transformations, or call (905) 641-8133 to start your journey. #AwakenSoil #Stangls #Niagara #RegenerativeLawn #EcoSafe
