Organic lawn care all starts from the ground up; the foundation to a healthy lawn is healthy soil. An organic approach to lawn care focuses on feeding the soil, which feed the plants. There are over one billion organisms in one teaspoon of healthy soil. An organic lawn care approach is safer, natural, environmentally friendly, and promotes a healthier lawn. Healthier lawns grown organically are more resistant to expensive problems caused from pests and diseases and grow slower and greener. A thick, full, healthy lawn is the best defense against unwanted weeds. Here are some of the components to organic lawn care.
No synthetic pesticides and fertilizers
The billions of organisms in the soil are delicate and make up an ecosystem knows as the soil food web. Toxic pesticides and fertilizers harm this delicate ecosystem so the use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers are not part of organic lawn care services.
Compost Top Dressing
Top dressing with compost builds healthy soil by spreading a thin layer (up to ¼”) of compost throughout your lawn. Compost top dressing fertilizes your lawn so it will green up. It also adds organic matter that will help maintain that healthy lawn and it adds important organisms that make up the soil food web.
Compost Tea
This entirely safe and organic product is sprayed onto your lawn and has most of the same benefits as top dressing your lawn with compost. Applying a compost tea is the easiest way to build a healthy soil and lawn. It should be applied throughout the growing season as part of your lawn care services.
Lawn Aerating
Aerating your lawn helps the flow of water and air in the soil; both these are needed for your lawn and the soil food web to thrive. This practice is usually combined with over seeding or compost top dressing but will be effective by itself.
Overseeding
Overseeding is simply applying more seed to your lawn and is the single best practice for controlling weeds in organic lawn care. This could be to fill in bare spare spots or for the entire lawn. When overseeding the entire lawn, its best combined with aeration.
Mowing Higher
Many people mow their lawns too short, thinking they will not have to mow as often. Lawn mowing at a height of around 3 – 3 ½” is best; cutting no more than 1/3 rd the length of the leaf blade off with each mow. The taller grass will be healthier, help keep weeds away, and make your lawn more tolerant of dry weather.
Organic Products
Organic fertilizers and weed killers are available. You can spot treat weeds as needed but keep in mind these products won’t be as effective as their synthetic counterparts. Physical removal might also be an option.
If you would like to learn about organic lawn care from Landscape Associates, please contact us today.