Keeping it Green Lawn Care
Herbicide, pesticide and fungicide all spell homicide to the weeds and insects that live, and often thrive, on yards all over the world. In recent years, however, the surge in environmental awareness has sparked advancements in everything from eco-friendly household cleaners to organic lawn care products and practices. "Go Green" is the new mantra.
Green or organic lawn care is more efficient as there is minimal amounts wasted material and it results in beautiful verdant lawns that are the talk of the neighborhood. Organic lawn care is a proven science backed by soil biologist, plant breeders, educators, researchers, engineers and renowned turf professionals. Natural lawn care can be achieved through the following practices:
- Taking care of your soil using compost and organic fertilizers.
- Selecting the best grass for your climate and average amount of sunlight.
- Watering well.
- Using organic lawn care tools.
- Cutting grass correctly with a sharp blade.
Taking Care of the Soil
Organic lawn care begins by having your soil analyzed to determine the nutrients present or lacking. Once this is determined, you can begin adjustments to make it healthier, these improvements include:
- Using compost.
- Having your yard aerated.
- Applying organic weed killers such as mulch made from bark, leaves or newspaper and routine cultivating and weeding or even spraying them with vinegar that is at least 5% acetic acid.
- Never cutting more than 1/3 of the grass blade and leaving the cut grass to decompose.
- Saturating your lawn with compost tea at least 3x a year.
- Over-seeding when appropriate.
Grass Selection
When you "Go Green", a key factor lies in using the best grass for the area in which you live. Cold regions best support grasses like fescues, bluestem or ryegrass; warm regions thrive on zoysia, centipede, carpet grass and Bahia. Should you live in a neutral zone, bluestem or Buffalo grass is recommended.
Watering
No matter what type of grass you choose, and as obvious as it may be, watering is an important part of organic lawn care as it aids with the photosynthesis and growth process. However, this does not mean you should irrigate your yard daily; rather, you should water infrequently but thoroughly. There are three signs to indicate watering needs:
- The leaf blades are folded in half lengthwise.
- Footprints are still visible when you walk across the lawn.
- Grass appears blue-gray.
Remember; organic lawn care such as fertilizing and applying compost will help to retain moisture and encourage grass growth as well.
Organic Lawn Care Tools
Maintain your lush lawn by using these items - a flexible rake, a metal rake for shaping and leveling the ground, and hand tools like trowels, pruners and yard scissors. Other labor saving devices are a wheelbarrow and an energy efficient lawn mower.
Cutting Grass
Maintaining a well cut lawn entails the following:
- Making sure that your mower blade is sharp and at the proper height.
- Mowing in the early evening.
- Cutting in a line then overlapping by 2 inches on the next pass.
- Pushing, not pulling your mower.
- Mulching.
- Never cutting more than 1/3 of the grass height.
- Taking care of your mower.
Organic lawn care benefits everyone. By making some basic changes, you will soon have a yard that is envied by all who see it.
