Spring arrives and the smell of freshly mown grass fills the air. Which is your signal to begin the annual rituals of spreading synthetic lawn care products, firing up the mower and having at it against nature.
Or not. I mean if you want to ditch the bags of poison and get your grass off the performance enhancing drugs you can. Employing more sustainable tactics and products that will still enable you to have a near perfect lawn, that's the talk of the neighborhood yet earth friendly as well.
Organic lawn care starts with planting grass likely to do well in your locale. It also means you have to water wisely, feed in a way that works with your soil, and mow more frequently among other things. Let's briefly cover what's involved.
Going Native When Deciding Which Grass to Plant
Planting indigenous varieties means you can get away with watering, feeding and treating for pests less often - if at all. Since any species of grass suited to thrive in your local conditions is more apt to make it on it's own naturally. That means you want to stick with grasses adapted to cool seasons across the northern tier, warm season grasses across the southern tier and more transitional strains if you live in-between.
Taking the Organic Route When Feeding
After picking an appropriate grass strain you want to attend to your plant's macro and micro nutritional needs. Spreading compost is a no brainer. Compost teas are another approach. While things like blood meal, liquid fish fertilizer, and various seaweed fertilizers can help fill in the gaps.
To pull that off, you want to get an idea of the soil's pH. That will tell you want it needs to best support the grass. Because if your soil is anything other than a pH of 6.5 (just slightly acidic) to 7 the grass will have trouble absorbing nutrients. To fix that you'd use either sulfur or limestone depending on whether it's too alkaline or acidic.
Turf Truth: A green lawn in an integral part of home ownership. Americans have roughly 40 million acres with sod under cultivation. That comes down to an area equal to about the state of Washington covered in grass.
Be Smart When Watering
Grass that has a strong root system doesn't need to be watered as often. Which is good since too much rain or watering can leach out vital nutrients needed for healthy growth. Yet as you know it's best, if you have to water, to do so in the morning. That way diseases won't gain a foot hold plus the least amount of water will be lost to evaporation.
More Mowing Means a Better Lawn
You can water less if you mow more - often. The idea is to remove no more than a third of the blade each time you mow and leave it behind. So you can't let the grass grow too long. Leaving clippings to break down can provide up to 50% of the nitrogen you lawn needs to stay vibrant and green. The most earth friendly may opt for a hand powered mowing machine - if you're up to it and your yard it sized right for it. But going electric is a good alternative too.
Eliminating Weeds and Insects Naturally
A lush lawn naturally crowds out the weeds. While corn gluten can be used to keep weeds from sprouting. Up to 90% control takes a couple two three years to achieve but it's an earth friendlier way to keep weeds at bay.
See, nothing totally radical in that list of organic options? So if another year of chemical warfare isn't something you are looking forward to, maybe it's time for a different tact. Because in the long run organic is not only more sustainable, it's simply better for your yard, your pets and your family. Why not give it a chance? - 30234
Or not. I mean if you want to ditch the bags of poison and get your grass off the performance enhancing drugs you can. Employing more sustainable tactics and products that will still enable you to have a near perfect lawn, that's the talk of the neighborhood yet earth friendly as well.
Organic lawn care starts with planting grass likely to do well in your locale. It also means you have to water wisely, feed in a way that works with your soil, and mow more frequently among other things. Let's briefly cover what's involved.
Going Native When Deciding Which Grass to Plant
Planting indigenous varieties means you can get away with watering, feeding and treating for pests less often - if at all. Since any species of grass suited to thrive in your local conditions is more apt to make it on it's own naturally. That means you want to stick with grasses adapted to cool seasons across the northern tier, warm season grasses across the southern tier and more transitional strains if you live in-between.
Taking the Organic Route When Feeding
After picking an appropriate grass strain you want to attend to your plant's macro and micro nutritional needs. Spreading compost is a no brainer. Compost teas are another approach. While things like blood meal, liquid fish fertilizer, and various seaweed fertilizers can help fill in the gaps.
To pull that off, you want to get an idea of the soil's pH. That will tell you want it needs to best support the grass. Because if your soil is anything other than a pH of 6.5 (just slightly acidic) to 7 the grass will have trouble absorbing nutrients. To fix that you'd use either sulfur or limestone depending on whether it's too alkaline or acidic.
Turf Truth: A green lawn in an integral part of home ownership. Americans have roughly 40 million acres with sod under cultivation. That comes down to an area equal to about the state of Washington covered in grass.
Be Smart When Watering
Grass that has a strong root system doesn't need to be watered as often. Which is good since too much rain or watering can leach out vital nutrients needed for healthy growth. Yet as you know it's best, if you have to water, to do so in the morning. That way diseases won't gain a foot hold plus the least amount of water will be lost to evaporation.
More Mowing Means a Better Lawn
You can water less if you mow more - often. The idea is to remove no more than a third of the blade each time you mow and leave it behind. So you can't let the grass grow too long. Leaving clippings to break down can provide up to 50% of the nitrogen you lawn needs to stay vibrant and green. The most earth friendly may opt for a hand powered mowing machine - if you're up to it and your yard it sized right for it. But going electric is a good alternative too.
Eliminating Weeds and Insects Naturally
A lush lawn naturally crowds out the weeds. While corn gluten can be used to keep weeds from sprouting. Up to 90% control takes a couple two three years to achieve but it's an earth friendlier way to keep weeds at bay.
See, nothing totally radical in that list of organic options? So if another year of chemical warfare isn't something you are looking forward to, maybe it's time for a different tact. Because in the long run organic is not only more sustainable, it's simply better for your yard, your pets and your family. Why not give it a chance? - 30234
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