Five steps to a beautiful organic lawn
When you're hungry - really hungry - what are you reaching for to quench that hunger? Something that fills and tastes good for decades (but has no nutritional value)? Or do you tend to choose whole foods that not only nourish your body, but also have a greater health benefit.
Fat, sugary, processed snacks may 'serve their purpose' and reach the point where a hunger strike is over, but this immediate satisfaction usually leads to many unpleasant long-term consequences that can over time negatively affect your body.
But those foods that our body really needs - such as responsibly grown fruits and vegetables - often have the same amazing taste.... ...without flaws.
And with lawns, it's one thing to have a lush lawn that our neighbors envy. But for me it's an even better price to achieve this without all the toxic chemicals that are so often sold and used on farms across the country.
By creating a general well-being of the plant environment that feeds your lawn - and by doing so naturally - you get the same green grass on your side of the fence, but with better, longer lasting results and without negative side effects.
Our country has a huge market for products for our plants and lawns that promises incredible results: rapid growth, less weeds and less pests and diseases. And while most of these products are admittedly doing what they advertise, the environmental and potential health risks associated with the use of these products are more significant than I am willing to accept.
One family was so worried that they switched to cold turkey overnight. From a full, high-chemical service program to a fully organic, all 16 hectares are in their territory! We were the first team to be allowed to capture her amazing story.
Synthetic lawn fertilisers, for example, are based on salt. When overused, they literally burn your grass. But even if used correctly, the chemical deposits in the soil can damage or even destroy the living organisms that Mother Nature has placed there for long-term benefit.
Out of the 30 most commonly used pesticides for lawns, 24 are toxic to fish and amphibians, according to data from Beyondpesticides.org. Sixteen are toxic to birds. Eleven of them are toxic to bees. And these are products for application in the yard of your home.
For me, at least it's just not acceptable. It's like opening a box of Twinkies instead of putting your hand in a bag with a mix of tracks next to it.
Five steps to an organic lawn that you'll like.
With the spirit of getting rid of the unhealthy eating habit, here are the five steps I take every spring to feed my lawn 'whole foods' and introduce a healthy programme that satisfies and rewards in the right sense.
1. Run a soil test. The information provided in this test can help you make sure that you are doing everything possible to promote the health of your soil. Healthy soil, in turn, provides the best long-term benefit for your lawn.
Of all the important things that the soil test will reveal, the pH of the soil is the most important thing I will focus on. If this is in the "ideal" range for growing grass, the roots of the lawn can use existing nutrients, minimising the need for further additives. Outside this range, the addition of additional chemicals will not only help, but also make the conditions worse.
Magic number? Somewhere between 6.5 and 7.0. The pH of your soil in this ideal range is a key factor in the splendour of your lawn. And a soil test will tell you how to get there.
Call your local office for a soil test kit and more information.
2. Clean up. I prefer to have a clean surface to work with before adding any product to my lawn. The turf, leaf debris and weeds can prevent the soil from entering or improving. A stiff rake and some elbow grease is usually enough to prepare the surface of a lawn. Collect what you scratch and add to the compost.
3. Ventilate. A clean surface also paves the way for the probes of a tool called a rod aerator. This tool removes plugs (rods) from the soil. These removed cores facilitate soil compaction, leaving more space in the soil for root expansion, oxygen exchange and drainage. Small holes left after aeration also collect and hold soil improvements or fertilizers.
Yes, a yard full of elongated plugs looks dirty. But it's only temporary. Within a few days, the seeds will be washed back into the soil after they have done their work.
Ventilation is a very useful step, but not essential. Since the main aerator is a device that works one day a year, it is probably more reasonable to rent it than to buy and store it for 364 days.
4. To feed the soil. Almost all kinds of herbs (centipedes and buffaloes are two common exceptions) are heavy feeders. I use two main products. And unlike synthetic fertilizers, they both improve soil health by naturally nourishing the grass.
Compost: It is filled with all the nutrients a lawn needs and contains many other useful ingredients that are important for the long term preservation of the soil and the health of the lawn. A little compost is enough for a long stroll, but you should still add at least one and a half centimetres to the whole lawn.
For most farms, this can quickly deplete the stock of domestic compost and is probably an impractical way to buy compost in bags. Instead, look for a reputable wholesaler that offers 'STA-certified compost'. This designation is the "STA Test Seal" awarded by the US Composting Council*. Products bearing the STA label have been tested on ten important criteria for compost quality.
MILORGANIT: When it comes to fertiliser bags, this is my goal, especially for lawns. It is an organic, non-combustible, slowly releasing nitrogen fertiliser with iron. Milorganite** is useful for a healthy lawn with a good green colour and also for improving soil conditions. It is characterised by the excellent consistency of its ingredients, is easily accessible and can be easily distributed with a rotary or drip spreader.
5. Mowing and less water. If you use the above techniques, you will end up with a lush green lawn - yes, a lawn that needs to be mowed regularly but not too much. When organically mowing your lawn, let it grow to the top of your favourite spot. The result is a stronger lawn with deeper roots and fewer weeds, as higher blades provide shade and cut out weeds that fight for the same space.
Another advantage of organically grown lawns: Better soil health results in deeper roots and better water retention. The point is that they are more resistant to drought and require less additional irrigation.
What do you think? Do the long-term benefits of organic lawn care outweigh the direct satisfaction of synthetic lawns? I would like to hear your thoughts on organic lawn care - why do you do it... or why do you not. What's the biggest problem? I'll respond to as many comments as I can.
