5 Steps to Organic Lawn Care

Mowing Height

• The rule of thumb is to never remove more than 1/3 of the height of blades of grass when cutting a lawn. A taller cutting height provides several advantages that help strengthen individual grass plants. Longer grass helps maintain moisture, keeps soil cooler and prevents light from reaching weed seeds, thus reducing germination. It also produces deeper roots, which lead to more vigorous plants.

Mulching

• Mulching works in conjunction with taller mowing heights. Grass clippings are full of nitrogen, making them the perfect fertilizer when left on a lawn. They begin to decompose almost immediately, providing turf with a steady diet and also reducing the need for other organic fertilizers. Mulching lawn mowers provide optimal length necessary for grass clippings to be effective as fertilizer.

Watering

• Infrequent but deep watering forces grass roots to dig deep into the soil, deeper than most weed roots. Shallow watering promotes thatch, the carpet-like network of grass roots at, or just below, the soil surface. Thatch chokes out air and water. Deep watering leads to a healthier lawn, which not only prevents weeds, but aids in pest control. Too much water can lead to fungal diseases, while too little water stresses grass plants and can eventually kill them.

Natural Fertilizer

• While grass clippings provide some nutrients, lawns need adequate amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium for sufficient growth. Organic fertilizers take longer to work than synthetic ones, but are friendly to the environment. They often add organic matter to the soil and improve its overall structure. Many lawn care experts recommend periodic soil tests to determine what nutrients are needed. Sources of organic fertilizers include composted manure, blood meal, greensand, shellfish casings, fish emulsion and alfalfa pellets.

Dethatching and Aeration

• Thatch is the organic layer of old roots, rhizomes, crowns and stolons that sits at or near the top of the soil. A layer more than 1/2 inch thick inhibits growth and contributes to disease. Periodic rakings with a dethatcher will keep prevent overgrowth. Core aeration is another maintenance step that allows lawns to breathe better. This involves removing plugs of soil to alleviate compaction caused by winter snows and gravity.