Is your lawn the risky side of horticulture , endlessly sucking in your time , energy and money ? You fertilize , mow , urine , mow , scatter pesticide , mow and mow some more ? Well , it does n’t have to be that way .
A lawn is a complex residential area of plants , insects and microorganisms , and the more we translate it , the easier it will be to successfully maintain . Organic lawn care is labour - intensive , but at least we are n’t exploit against ourselves and the environment with toxic chemical .
And really , maintaining an organic lawn is n’t difficult . With proper planting and care , near anyone can successfully grow a hefty , green lawn .
Lawn Maintenance
Whether your lawn is large or small , it want even maintenance to look its best . Weekly mowingduring the growing season takes up the most time , but the organic lawn also postulate frequent feeding , dethatching and other concern to stay green and sizable .
Sharpen your mower blade at the start of each season to check that the dope blades are contract rather than charge . To keep Mary Jane sound and vigorous , remove only 1/3 of the top growth each sentence you mow . The optimal mowing tiptop depends on the variety of grass . In general , though , the higher you cut your sens , the deeper its antecedent will develop , fortify its resistance to heat and drought .
miserable grasses , such as zoysia and Bermudagrass , should be cut no shortsighted than1 inch , sooner 1 1/2 inches . veer taller - growing grasses , such as tall Festuca elatior and bluegrass , no shorter than 2 in ; 2½ to even 3 in is better .
Michael Feldmann
Mow gamy during summertime droughts . mark the highest context on your mower brand if the grass is really grandiloquent . Reduce the leaf blade height for the fall out two mowings until you are cutting at the stock top .
If you mow on a regular basis , let your pasture clippings lay where they fall . They ’ll eventually rot and enrich the soil with organic matter . heavy clinch of cut grass sit on your lawn occlusion sun and promote disease . skim them up and tot them to the compost heap or utilise them as mulch in other persona of your yard . Michael Feldmann
The first footstep toward a well - fed organic lawn is to use amulching lawn mowerand rent atomic number 7 - fertile skunk clippings continue where they fall when cut . Additionally , you’re able to use compost or other constitutive material to nourish your grass . ( Relying on high - nitrogen chemical fertilizer can result in job - prone , shoal - rooted turf that requires more frequent mowing . )
Michael Feldmann
The most of import thing to note is the time of year when the grass set forth growing chop-chop . This is a perfect time to apply a high - quality constitutional plant food . Plan to fertilize doubly in the north , where cool - season grasses have a growth spurt in the spring , and once more in the fall .
Fertilize warm - time of year grasses in late spring , as before long as your lawn begins to green up , and again a few weeks later .
Choose a finely pulverized , weed - innocent constitutive fertilizer , such as serve manure or sifted compost , and disseminate it evenly over the lawn just before the rainwater is expected . Mow the green goddess about a week after fertilizing . Indian corn gluten repast is a natural fertilizer that also prevents many type of weeds fromgerminating .
Justin/Adobe Stock
Because lawns are frequently submit to high-pitched foot traffic , the soil below them becomes compacted over time . Grass stem have trouble grow down and out and instead boil down their development at the surface .
oxygenise your constitutive lawn every two to three years to preclude or fix it . aerate a lawn involves poke tiny holes into the filth . For small area , use a step - on core raiser . For big lawn , lease a mogul aerator auto .
Mow the lawn and enforce a sparse layer of organic fertilizer . Aerate in one centering and then restate crosswise . body of water thoroughly .
Michael Feldmann
Limeis only necessary when the pH of your soil drops to an undesirable level . Most turf grasses prefer soil pH levels ranging from 7.0 to 7.5 .
diffuse lime in the gloaming of the twelvemonth , as it takes about two months to change the pH. If more than 50 pound of linden per 1,000 hearty feet is ask , split the amount into freestanding applications apply several calendar month aside .
Planting New Lawns
Sometimes you ’ll desire to plant an area with lawn , such as around a freshly laid patio area , or if you are moving into a newly built home that is environ by bare soil . To get your organic lawn off to the right scratch line , choose Gunter Grass wisely to match your experimental condition .
Create a strong lawn by choose grass smorgasbord that are fit to your climate . New cultivar with increased disease and pesterer resistance , as well as drouth tolerance , are continually being introduced by hybridizers . The following are some of the most commonly mature lawn grasses .
Bermudagrass ( Cynodon dactylon ) , a delicate - textured , drought - tolerant grass , fly high in warmer climates . In the winter , it turns a buff brownish color . Numerous runners create wearing - resistant sess . Modern hybrid are much wanton tokeep from invading flower beds than unfastened - pollinated strains , which are quite aggressive .
Buffalo grass ( Buchloe dactyloides ) is a warm - season creeping grass that is drouth - liberal , can uprise in alkaline ground and is wearable - resistive . It brown in midsummer and fall .
Centipede grass ( Eremochloa ophiuroides ) is a tender - time of year , coarse - allow for creeping grass with good drought tolerance . Plant in low - wear area .
Fine fescues ( Festucaspp . ) is a coolheaded - season , crawl , all right - textured , dark-skinned green grass with in effect shade leeway . Often mixed withKentucky bluegrass .
Kentucky Bluegrass
Kentucky bluegrass(Poa pratensis ) is a nerveless - season , plush , drab green Gunter Grass with narrow-minded blades that necessitate muckle of sunlight . May become abeyant during summer droughts or during winter freezes . cower stolons cockle tough turf .
greensward - case Tall Fescue ( Festuca arundinacea ) is a common , medium - unripe grass that tolerates both Sunday and shadowiness and is becoming increasingly popular in the key United States . Most of the year , updated cultivars remain green . Drought broad . Because it grows in low clustering and does n’t fawn , it ’s frequently combined with other grasses .
Zoysia grass ( Zoysiaspp . ) is a medium - light-green , creeping , fine - textured grass for full Dominicus — greenish in warm conditions , tan in the wintertime . Justin / Adobe Stock
Seeding & Planting An Organic Lawn
All lawn grasses need at least 4 inches ofgood topsoilin which to stretch their base . You ’ll take to apply newfangled topsoil if your new yard has been scraped down to the subsoil . Whether you design to start with come or sod , web site preparation is the same : Thoroughly crop new or existing topsoil , adding a 1 - inch stratum of compost or other organic matter . Rake out all weeds and roots , educate again and rake smooth . Use a roller to evenly compress the site and make it level .
Selection is very of import when buying sess seeds . Improved cultivar of the effective lawn Grass are more expensive than their open - pollinate congeneric yet do better . Select cultivar that have been specifically bred for drought tolerance , pest and disease resistance , or other traits . For even dispersion , use a mechanical cloud seeder . After seeding , drift the surface area and keep it continuously moist for two weeks . begin mow three weeks after seeding .
Sod is the fastest fashion to have an attractive lawn , although it be more than seeds . It ’s arrant for spot repairs , especially in high - traffic areas or on slopes . quick - time of year grasses should be implant from former spring to early summertime , while cool - season species should be planted in early outpouring or from tardy summer to former tumble .
Use only fresh , gullible strips . Before they are plant , keep them damp and shade . side are best suited for ground covers , but if you decide to embed grass on a slope , verify to put to work crosswise along the side . After planting , roll or walk on the strip to push the roots into the soil . Water every two to three days for three workweek after planting .
Some types of lawn Gunter Wilhelm Grass , include rhizomatous strong - season gage , such as St. Augustine , zoysia and centipede , are embed using plug or sprig , as well as sod . While plug and sprigs are less expensive than sod , the time it takes for them to grow into a dense lawn may be longer . To apply these , prepare the ground the same way you would for sod , and keep the plugs or sprig cool and moist until you are ready to embed them . industrial plant plugs in course , separately .
Sprigs , the green goddess ’s base runner or stolons , can also be constitute in dustup , or they can be broadcast over the planting surface area and then individually pressed down into the soil aerofoil . ( You may tear up flat solid of sod to make your own or buy twig by the bushel . ) With plugs and sprigs , keep the soil evenly moist but not too smashed until they are set up and vigorously develop . This can take four weeks or more .
Coping with Problems
A healthy lawn is naturally more resistant to weed , worm and disease problems . A tight cover of vigorous grass will outcompete grass . A loose , well - drained soil helps prevent disease issues . Because proper impregnation promotes the growth of strong , healthy turf , it can go a long way toward preventing lawn problems .
The majority of today ’s supergrass cultivars provide genetically raise resistance to many pests and diseases . If you have systematically elusive lawn areas , consider replanting them with an improved cultivar or trying an choice to lawn pot . earth cover work out especially well as lawn option .
If your lawn develops weed or pestis problems , take a few uncomplicated pace . Use a small , crisp tongue to slice up off any establish weeds about 1 in below the soil surface . If more than half of the plants in your lawn are mourning band , renovate the lawn by replanting .
When subterranean insect larvae , such as white grubs , feed on gage roots , they can cause significant damage . Apply milky disease spore for long - term pestis management . biologic insecticide that employ parasitic nematode to control legion insects likely to feed beneath your lawn .
More Information
While you do n’t necessarily have to irrigate your lawn , if you want a succulent immature lawn in the middle of summer , you ’ll need to water it . Water deeply and regularly for three to four hours at a time — once a hebdomad for heavy territory and every other day for sandlike filth .
abstruse watering ( enough to wet 6 column inch of grime ) encourages root to grow downward rather than near the surface . Earth’s surface - rooted works need to be watered more oftentimes . As a result , the surface remain perpetually moist , which further the increase of weeds and the spread head of disease . inscrutable tooth root stay cooler and are less potential to go dormant in the summer heat . To keep rise , most lawn require about 1 inch of water per calendar week . Michael Feldmann
Ruts left by vehicles or scars stimulate by the removal of shrubs or trees need immediate spot repairs . If damage occurs in wintertime , prepare the soil and cover it with mulch until springiness .
tease the grime in the damaged area , reserve any grass plants that appear to be sound . As you forge , keep them smashed and shaded . To condition the dirt , sum up a 1/2 - inch layer of compost or other organic matter , along with enough good topsoil to raise the grade of the damagedarea 1 in above the surrounding grime point . Reseed or replant , matching the basal species in your yard . For a month , pee regularly .
All lawn have Edward Teach , a layer of eatage clipping that gradually decompose and feed the root . If the level is less than 1/4 - inch thick , there is no need to remove it . Thatch problems are ofttimes have by the overuse of celluloid chemical fertilizers , which encourage grass to develop promptly and lushly .
As clippings build up into a chummy stratum of thatch , grass plants are unable to get enough aviation for healthy development . Use a thatch rake to break up Teach in a small lawn . Rent a vertical mower to dethatch a larger domain .
This article primitively appeared in the May / June 2023 issue ofHobby Farmsmagazine .
