Organic Lawn Care

Feeding your organic lawn regularly will keep it well nourished. Use warm casings or compost. If you have new sod that is easy to peel up, the compost can be placed right underneath for maximum benefit. I avoid using manure as well as chemical fertilizers because I don’t want the smell or even the idea of it near my baby who loves to put EVERYTHING in her mouth. If you are experiencing brown spots, it may be a sign of a deficiency. Spray with equal parts of potassium bicarbonate and horticulture oil and four parts water. (Available at most nurseries).

Your organic lawn also needs adequate water. It’s best to make sure it’s getting at least 1" every week. If you have a great turf root system even less water will do. Try Turf Alive for growing great grass without dandelions and crabgrass interfering. To avoid mold and unwanted bacteria, water thoroughly in the early morning and the sun will dry the grass and top layer of soil.

It’s equally as important to get some air moving through your soil for better water absorption and root growth. If you are lucky enough to have a nice supply of earthworms creating the air tunnels for you then you’ve got your job done for you. Otherwise, you will need to aerate your lawn at least once or twice a year.

Mowing your lawn may seem an endless task but there are some rules of thumb to achieve a proper mow. Always mow when your grass is dry. It’s best to not mow more than one third of the height of your grass, even if you’ve let it grow a little high, otherwise it can apply to much stress to the grass. Wait to mow your lawn until the grass has grown double from where it was last time you mowed. You can leave your clippings on the lawn to help put the nitrogen back into the soil, or if too long, remove and use in another area as mulch or compost.

Here’s a great product I’ve found for getting the organic lawn you desire.

Why Lawns Alive! is the best thing for your lawn! Chemical fertilizers give plants a quick but short-lived boost. Their chemical salts drive the life out of your soil, making the lawn more dependent upon chemicals and more vulnerable to insect and disease damage. As all-natural Lawns Alive! biodegrades, it feeds the soil steadily, and the soil becomes a reservoir of nutrition for plants. Lawns Alive! helps earthworms and soil bacteria to thrive. The "soil life" makes even more nutrients available to your grass.

1. No thatch build-up. Thatch is a sign that natural growth cycles have been interrupted by inorganic fertilizers. Roots grow to the soil surface where nutrients are available, become intertwined, and form thatch between the soil and the blades of grass. The more you use chemicals, the thicker the thatch barrier becomes. But Lawns Alive! penetrates soil and helps roots reach down, not up, for nourishment.

2. Opens up soil structure. Rock-hard soil develops under thatch when quick-fix chemicals are used. Soil becomes compacted, barren of beneficial microorganisms. But Lawns Alive! adds the humus building materials your soil needs; so water, nutrients, and grass roots can penetrate.

3. You’ll water less. In a good organic sod, humus soaks up water and releases it slowly as plants need it. In heavily thatched, chemically treated lawns, the compacted soil underneath can’t absorb water, which then runs off or evaporates. The runoff leaches caustic fertilizers – polluting water supplies!

4. Steady, healthy growth. As thatch layers build up, grass needs "fixes" of chemical fertilizers more often. Spurts of rapid growth are followed by rapid decline until the next chemical treatment. But just two feedings a year of Lawns Alive! keep grass green by releasing nutrients steadily.

5. Crowds out weeds. As thatch thickens, grass density decreases, creating bare spots for weeds to sprout. But Lawns Alive! helps keep lawns dense so they can crowd out stubborn weeds.

Get Organic lawn "Lawns Alive" HERE!
They also have some great informational articles on organic lawn and garden care.