Organic Lawn Care

Spring lawn care

Rake. Use a rake to gently remove thatch (compacted layer of clippings and dead grass which prevents water from percolating to the roots). Do this in late spring or early summer. Don't act too soon after the thaw when the grass still feels spongy, or else the roots will be damaged, but don't wait so late that heavy seed weeds have germinated.

Fertilize. Some experts recommend fall fertilization only. But if you want a really strong and pesticide resistant lawn, apply (in mid-May) slow-release, granular, organic fertilizer. Don't use highly soluble chemical ones which leach natural soil nutrients, stress the soil and grass, and may induce disease outbreaks. Organic fertilizers include compost, manure, top dressing, rock mineral fertilizer, bone meal, blood meal, shrimp, crab, and kelp.

Aerate. Aeration removes small plugs of earth to decrease soil compaction, increase water retention capacities and increase air circulation to roots. It is best done in June (or the fall) to avoid times when heavy seeder weeds germinate and may grow in the plug holes. Aerators can be rented at garden stores (or try golf shoes or crampons).

Top dress with compost. This is best done with aeration, but it can be done any time between mid-June and the end of August. If you don't have your own compost heap, buy composted cow or sheep manure. Broadcast it at 100 pounds per 1,000 square feet.

Overseed. Stressed areas and bare patches invite weed invasion. Overseeding (sprinkling an existing lawn with new seeds) gives excellent results when combined with aeration and top-dressing. Loosen the soil, spread compost or peat moss, sprinkle with grass seeds of a hardy species, press in and water. Mixing in up to 20 % of white clover seed is not a bad idea.  Clover will naturally supply most of the Nitrogen required by your grass.

Routine lawn care

Mow high (2.5"-3"). Longer grass discourages weed and insect invasion. Long grass blades stay much stronger, prevent weeds from sprouting, shade the roots, prevent drying of soil and encourage longer, healthier roots. Mow regularly, never removing more than one-third of the leaf length at at time. Mow in the evenings or on cloudy days. Don't mow wet grass!

Mulch clippings. Leave the clippings on the lawn as mulch. This reduces the need for organic fertilizers by 30%. In wet periods, or if grass was very long, compost the clippings instead. If you are detoxifying a previously chemically-treated lawn, don't mulch for a year or two or thatch may build up.

  Water deeply. Lawns need 1" of water once a week, applied slowly during dry spells, preferably before 8:00 a.m. Put a can under the sprinkler and time how long it takes for an inch to accumulate. That's how long to allow before moving the sprinkler each time.

  Control weeds and insects ecologically. A healthy, well cared for lawn out-competes most weeds. Check often for stressed areas like bare spots (they invite weed invasion) and treat promptly by eliminating the cause (such as heavy traffic). Remove occasional   weeds by hand. For persistent weed problems, get your soil professionally analyzed.: ideal soil pH is six to seven. Add lime or sulphur to modify pH. This increases availability of plant nutrients and promotes beneficial micro-organisms. Dishwashing soap and warm   water sprayed in warm weather is effective against most insect pests. Avoid chemical pesticides as they are unnecessary and damaging to human, animal and environmental health.

  Relax on the monoculture.   A lawn consisting of only one kind of grass (usually Kentucky grass)  leaves it very vulnerable to pests such as white grub.  Overseeding with a variety of grasses and with white clover makes it  more resistant.  White clover, being   a legume plant, also captures Nitrogen from the air and augments the soil with it, making it more fertile.

Be realistic. New, stressed or previously chemically treated lawns need time and basic care to recover and become healthy and weed-free (well, almost weed-free).

* Adapted from "10 Steps to Ecological Lawn Care"  by M.Hammond

Fall lawn care

Fertilize your lawn. This is an essential step. We must feed the soil! If you only fertilize once, fall is best. Use one of the organic fertilizers mentioned above (spring fertilization) Your lawn will have a head start next season.

Soil quality and weeds

Soil composition plays an important role in lawn quality.  "Weeds" sprouting in your lawn are great indicators of the health, composition and pH of your soil.  Here are some natural indicators of soil problems.

1. A large number of dandelions

Dandelions and a number of other weeds can grow and even thrive in soil that is poor in nutrients and heavily compacted. Solution:  Dig out dandelions when soil is saturated from rain to ensure root can be pulled out completely. Aerate, fertilize with compost & over-seed with mix of grasses and clover seed.

2.  Strawberries and moss

Wild strawberries and moss love acidic soil to the point of crowding out grasses.  Staff at a garden center can analyze its pH (acidity) - the cost is around $15-  and then advise you on how much lime to sprinkle on the lawn to make the pH of the soil balanced and suitable for grass.

3.  Lots of grass thatch

Thatch is dry dead grass that can gradually accumulate around the base of the grasses  in the lawn.  A small amount of thatch.  If thatch builds up too thickly, it can inhibit the growth of new grass.  Thick thatch indicates nutrient-poor soil.  Solution:  rake out thatch, aerate, compost and over-seed.

4. Mushrooms

The presence of a circle of mushrooms generally indicates decomposing wood, such as roots of a long-gone tree,  under the surface of the lawn.  As mushrooms are the only organism that can decompose the lignin in wood, they perform an important function in re-turning it back into compost and soil.