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Organic Lawn Care

© Deborah Turton

You may have heard that this isn't possible. Don't believe those advertisements that want you to spend money on their products. Organic lawn care can be easy, and it certainly is a lot safer than chemical based lawn care. When you spray anything on your lawn and then walk on it, the chemicals end up in your house. They can also end up in you as you inhale the spray, or pick up your shoes that have chemicals on them. Children are even at greater risk because they put things in their mouths. But never fear you can have a safe lawn.

The first step is to pick the correct grass. Different regions need different grasses. You're looking for a drought resistant, high growing grass. I recommend talking to your local garden expert – try the county extension agent or it's equivalent.

Tall grass will shade out many weeds. So cut your grass at least 3" Shorter grass allows weeds to see the sun and start growing. Tall grass also has more roots, so is more drought tolerant.

When you cut your lawn, only cut 1/3 of the blade length. Anymore than that can shock the plant, create stress and allow disease and insects to get a hold. Keep your blades sharp so they don't shred your grass. A clean cut is faster healing and doesn't allow pathogens to enter the plants. Tall grass doesn't have to look shaggy. If you choose a tall variety so it doesn't naturally go to seed as it grows tall, you won't have a shaggy looking lawn.

Thatch is not caused by grass clippings on the lawn. Thatch is caused by too much root growth at the surface. Compacted lawns and excessive growth leave no room for the roots of a grass to grow. The roots then grow out onto the surface and prevent water and air from reaching the soil This in turn further degrades the soil. To eliminate thatch, you can rake it out with a thatch rake. Or you can take the easy way out and spread a layer of compost on the thatch. The active bacteria, mold, and other goodies will break down the thatch. Leaving your clippings on the lawn will also help. As they break down in place, they encourage microbes and other goodies to break down the thatch. Both the compost and the grass clippings will improve your soil health. I've never had thatch in my all organic lawn. Of course, I'm not known for fertilizing my lawn much at all, so my grass never grows too much.

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