Outline
Step
1 - Change Your Maintenance Practices
Day
to day lawn care has a big impact on the health of
your turf.
Step
2 - Promote the Soil Life
Healthy
grass grows in healthy soil, rich in organic matter
that supports beneficial microbes and earthworms.
Step
3 - Soil Amendments
These
balance and condition your soil, and add trace elements
which are essential for healthy plant growth.
Step
4 - Pest Control
Don't
panic and reach for chemical poisons, there are effective
organic solutions for weed and pest outbreaks.
Putting
the Program into Action
Step
1 - Change Your Maintenance Practices
Mow
high - Set mower blades high 3"-3.5".
Avoid cutting off more than 1/3 of the grass blade
at one time. When grass is growing rapidly in the
spring, this may mean occasionally mowing more than
once a week. Leave clippings on the lawn.
Water
infrequently but deeply - About every 7 to 10
days if there has not been a good rain. More frequently
only if weather is very hot and dry. Wet the whole
root zone. Depending on your sprinkler, this could
take 2 to 4 hours or more. Light watering encourages
shallow root growth. Shallow roots dry out in dry,
hot weather. Do not water at night, it encourages
fungus. Do not water in the middle of the day, evaporation
loss is greater. Do not over-water. Too much water
can suffocate turf. Overly wet conditions encourage
disease. Organic lawns have better soil structure
and more organic material, they hold more water and
can withstand dry weather better.
Seed
with a tall fescue blend - Thick turf is the best
way to prevent weeds. Bare patches are an invitation
to weeds. The best time for seeding is when the weather
starts to cool down, late August through September.
If you don't use a pre-emergent weed control,
such as corn gluten, seed bare and thin patches in
late April or May. If you use corn gluten, don't
seed for at least six weeks. Using a blend of different
grass strains can prevent a single pest or disease
from wiping out your lawn.
Dethatching
- Organically maintained lawns do not have thatch
problems. If you have a thick thatch layer, an organic
dethatching product, liquid compost, or a light top-dressing
of compost will add micro-organisms to break down
thatch.
Step
2 - Promote the Soil Life
| |
Anytime |
March |
April |
May |
June |
July |
August |
September/
October |
| Microbial
Inoculants Replace soil life that chemicals
have depleted |
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
|
| Compost
& Liquid Compost Essential for 2 years
of transition spread 1/4 inch thick on turf then
rake in. |
Y
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Organic
fertilizer Provides major nutrients in a slow
release form. It does not harm soil life. |
|
|
Y
|
|
|
|
|
Y
|
Step
3 - Soil Amendments
| |
Anytime |
March |
April |
May |
June |
July |
August |
September/
October |
| Lime
(test pH first) 1/3 of amount indicated by pH
test, 3 times a season. |
Y
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Kelp
extract Use anytime your lawn needs a boost,
particularly mid-summer. |
Y
|
|
|
|
|
Y
|
Y
|
|
| Rock
dust minerals Once a year (you can also use
greensand) |
Y
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Rock
phosphate Helps healthy root growth |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Y
|
Step
4 - Pest Control
| |
Anytime
|
March
|
April
|
May
|
June
|
July
|
August
|
September/
October |
| Corn
gluten (Weeds) Spread on trouble areas when
forsythia first shows color. |
|
Y |
Y |
|
|
|
|
Y |
| Weeding
and spot control (Weeds) Pull weeds and fill
with mixture of compost and grass seed. |
Y
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Nematodes
(Grubs, webworm, chinch bug) Not in direct
sun, or hot weather. Only moist soil. |
|
|
Y
|
Y
|
|
|
|
Y
|
| Milky
spore (Japanese beetle grubs) Grubs can be
controlled for years with milky spore. |
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
|
| Compost
& Liquid Compost (Turf diseases) Spread
lightly on affected areas. Do not over water. |
Y
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
More
tips
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