Should You Fertilize Your Lawn?

When you fertilize your lawn and apply weed killers, microbial life in your topsoil is damaged, and soil becomes compacted. I learned that firsthand.

I haven’t used chemical fertilizers on my lawn in years and it’s equally green and appears to have the same weeds-to-grass ratio as my neighbors’ lawns, who use chemicals every spring and fall.

When I first moved into the property I now own, the lawn and garden hadn’t been taken care of for a few years. I’m told that the previous owners were excellent gardeners, grew lots of flowers and vegetables, and worked their lawn vigorously. But due to the owner’s declining health, the lawn had become brown, full of dirt patches and weedy in the extreme.

Grubworms are your enemy

A little research and examination showed me that the lawn was full of grubworms (Japanese beetle larvae), who’d been feasting on the untended lawn for quite a while. Sticking a shovel into the lawn was difficult – the soil was hard as a rock, mostly compacted clay, the result of years of synthetic fertilizer applications. Weeds were also a major problem.

I began with the grubworms, lovely little creatures that live just under the turf. They burrow deeper as the weather gets colder, and if they survive the winter, start feasting on the roots of grass in the spring. In July they emerge as adult Japanese beetles, mate with others of their kind while devouring close-at-hand plants, and then start the process all over again. If your lawn is healthy, with a fully functioning ecosystem, it can handle a small amount of grubs. But this lawn was devastated.

Back then, I didn’t have a completely organic approach and I used a chemical grub killer to fix the problem fast. This didn’t work too well, as the entire neighborhood became infested with Japanese beetles that summer and the leaves of every fruit tree and rose bush were decimated. That also meant there would be more grubs. After researching an organic alternative, the following spring I applied Milky Spore, and I’ve seen very few grubs or Japanese Beetles since – definitely not enough to be of any concern.

[su_highlight background=”#fffd8c” color=”#000003″]Buy on Amazon: ST GABRIEL ORGANICS Milky Spore Grub Control Mix Pest Controller[/su_highlight]

Turf soil fertility is key

Feeling good about the imminent demise of the grubworms, I moved on to the lawn itself. As I began to re-seed the brown spots and dirt patches with little success, it became apparent that the soil lacked fertility. It was very difficult to get grass seed to germinate in these areas – I tried many types – and when I did get it to grow, it died off in the summer heat, even with vigorous watering (probably due to the annual grass seed germinating, and not the perennial seed). Obviously, something was wrong below the surface. So I went on a mission of completely re-planting the lawn and adding soil amendments, working on just one section each year to keep things manageable. In each section, I turned the turf over, broke it up, loosened the soil below it, and added topsoil and lots of composted manure. Then I seeded the fresh soil and covered it with burlap, using U-shaped pins to hold the burlap in place, watering it as needed.

Aerating your lawn is magical

After two years of performing this task each spring and fall, the lawn was better but still struggling, so I bought a manual aerator and walked it across the entire lawn, pulling thousands of plugs out and letting them decompose where they lay (this becomes excellent compost and helps to break down the thatch layer). I also added composted manure to the entire lawn and seeded it once again. Coincidentally, this also addressed the weed problem, since the grass had an easier time growing and staying put once I improved the soil, and more grass equals less weeds. The manual aerator I used is great if your lawn is smaller than 1/2 acre. If you have a larger lawn, you’ll probably want to rent a mechanical aerator to save time and your back. The spike aerators you see online are of little use, as are things like “aerating shoes”. The only effective aerator is one that removes 1/4″-1/2″ plugs from the soil.

[su_highlight background=”#fffd8c” color=”#000003″]Buy on Amazon: Step ‘N Tilt Core Lawn Aerator with Container[/su_highlight]

I should also add that when mowing the lawn, I use a composting blade (those grass clippings are a fabulous source of nitrogen) and only cut it about 1/4″ when it’s 3 inches tall, to maintain a nice, thick lawn.

I’m now at the point where the lawn is in pretty good shape and remarkably better than when I moved in. It’s not yet perfect, but it’s getting there. A couple more seasons of aerating, spreading composted manure and seeding, and it should be where I want it. Yes, it’s been lots of hard work, but it’s worth it, knowing that kids and pets can play in the yard safely without risk of chemical exposure. I’m also not contributing to the increasing problem of fertlizer runoff in rain storms, boosting the nitrogen levels in our creeks, rivers, and streams.

Using chemicals on your lawn or garden attacks symptoms, but doesn’t address the underlying problem. It also destroys sensitive biological elements in the soil which plants depend on, and upsets the soil ecosystem, which creates opportunities for pests or disease to thrive. Always feed the soil, not the plant.

Aerate your lawn, spread compost or composted manure and seed it in fall. Your lawn, the earth and your local waterways will be the better for it.