Five Simple Steps to Organic Lawn Care

By Matt Jackson

Organic lawn care is not only less likely to harm people, animals, and the environment than lawn care that uses chemicals, but in the long term, it is more cost effective and to many it is more enjoyable. Pesticides and herbicides can often do more damage to a garden than good to the lawn itself, and commercial fertilizers contain a range of potentially damaging ingredients that are best avoided wherever possible. These five steps will help to promote a healthy, living lawn free of these harmful toxins.

1. Using Organic Home Produced Products

The ultimate in organic gardening is to create your own products. Organic compost is surprisingly simple to make, and with effective compost management, it is possible to produce several loads throughout the year. Spreading this compost on top of your lawn will encourage the gradual release of healthy nutrients that are essential for yearlong healthy lawns.

Water butts can be used to collect and retain rainwater. With many areas now enforcing strict metering laws and penalties, the watering of your lawn is becoming more and more difficult. Water butt attachments allow the simple addition of a hose attachment. Typically, rainwater is healthier for your garden because it contains more nutrients and fewer chemicals. An inch of water every week provided early in the morning is the best and while it may not be feasible to provide this solely from rainwater, it can certainly make up the bulk of your watering stock.

Seaweed has incredible properties for promoting strong and healthy lawns. While it clearly isn't possible to grow your own seaweed, there are a number of good liquid seaweed products available that are organic and very beneficial to your garden. Use monthly if possible, but less frequent sprayings will still provide good results.

2. Mow High

Mowing your lawn on the highest possible setting is an absolute must for the organic gardener. High grass will remain healthy and beat most common lawn problems quickly and effectively. Long grass blades prevent infestations of insects and of most weeds. They also help to shade the roots and encourage necessary moisture in the ground. Leaving the cuttings on the lawn itself when you have mowed will combine with your natural fertilizer very effectively.

3. Natural Pest Prevention

Pests include weeds and harmful insects. Through hand picking weeds or using natural, organic products a healthy lawn is promoted. In turn, a healthy lawn is less likely to encourage the return of most weeds.

Encouraging birds, hedgehogs, toads, and other insects into your garden will help to control the amount of pests you have in your garden. However, it is important not to completely eradicate any type of insect. You should be attempting to generate your own ecological system, and this means you will need the pests to encourage the predators.

Use bird feeders to encourage birds and use plants that encourage the insects you need. If all else fails, usually while you make the conversion to an organic garden, then there are organic pest controllers available that do a good job.

4. Thatch And Aerate

Raking your lawn helps to remove the unwanted thatch that appears. Thatch, or dead cuttings and leaves, prevent the moisture and water from reaching the roots of your lawn. This moisture is one of the most important aspects of ensuring a healthy lawn.

Aerators are relatively inexpensive, and all lawns should be aerated at least once a year to clear build-ups of hard dirt. It is possible to rent large aerators that are quicker and easier to use. While spiked shoes will do some good, nothing can replace the benefits of a proper aerating.

5. Overseed

Organic or not, your lawn is likely to suffer from bare patches from time to time. These occur through general use as well as more hardened abuse of the lawn. Your lawn, after all, is there to be used. Overseeding should be done throughout the year and involves the loosening of bare soil in bare patches and combining seed with compost. Once done, compact the seed down by walking over it and then water thoroughly with water from your rain butt.

An organic lawn will not generally be as pristine as a golf course fairway, but it will be much more vibrant and a lot healthier. Making the change to organic can be a difficult task at first, but once you start, it will become a lot easier and more cost effective than non-organic lawn care.

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