Let’s Explore Organic Lawn Care
Every spring the smell of fresh-mown lawns wafts through the air. Which signals time to fire up the mower, buy the synthetic lawn care products to fill into the spreader, and have at the season long battle against nature.
Or not. Because if you’re tired of your chemical-saturated lawn maintenance routine maybe it’s time to get your grass off performance-enhancing drugs. Turning instead to more sustainable methods to achieve a lawn that’s still perfect, the envy of the neighborhood, yet eco-friendly too.
Now organic lawn care begins with the grasses you plant. It also involves watering wisely, feeding sustainably, mowing right, while dealing with weeds or pests organically. Let’s briefly learn what each entails and then some.
Going Native When Deciding Which Grass to Plant
Grasses local to your area are more apt to thrive without a regular dose of pesticides. Because they are better able to fend off pests on their own without chemical assistance. For that reason you want to plant warm season grasses if you live in the south, cool season varieties up north and go with transitional strains if you live somewhere in the middle.
Feeding Your Lawn the Organic Way
We’re so used to getting out the spreader, cutting open the bad and applying the product to the grass. But if you’ve got a decent strain of grass you may just need to do things like spray compost tea or spread compost to improve the soil. While attending to the plant’s macro and micro nutritional needs by turning to non traditional applications of cotton seed meal, blood meal, or various seaweed fertilizers to fill in the gaps.
Taking your soil’s pH lets you fine tune any feeding you need do. Reason being if your soil is either too acidic or alkaline the ability of your grass to absorb nutrients will be inhibited. Ideally you wan the pH to fall between 6.5 (just slightly acidic) to 7. Adding limestone if it’s too acidic and sulfur if too alkaline.
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.
Watering Wisely and Less
Certainly watering is necessary at times. Yet too much watering either by you or from rain and you wash away vital nutrient. Too little leaves you with grass that’s dull and parched. Watering is best done early in the morning. Both to minimize evaporation and keep plant diseases away.
Why Mow More Frequently
When you mow you want to cut off no more than a third of the grass blade – so don’t let it grow too long. Frequent mowing promotes a healthy root structure which can supply the water your grass requires. And you want to use a mulching mower. Think of these clippings as slow release fertilizer. Which can account to up 50% of your lawn’s nitrogen needs. They also tend to reduce water loss.
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?
Author Dewey J Capasso admits to being a lawn fanatic. Which is why he’s able to share helpful reviews of electric lawn mowers, offer advice for greening up your lawn, plus suggest which of the many riding lawn mowers may be best for you.
Tags: gardening, home and garden consumer goods and services, lawn and garden, lawn care, lawn mowers, lawns, tools and equipment
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