Spring Lawn Care: 8 Tips For An Organic Lawn

Spring is the best season to repair your lawn, sort out problems, and begin organic lawn care.

The most cultivated plant in the world is the grass that grows in your lawn. In fact, roughly 20 million acres of land are landscaped with grass in the U.S., according to the EPA. Americans are so obsessed with keeping their lawns green that they collectively dump 70 million pounds of fertilizers and pesticides on it each year and use 30-60% of all available water irrigating it.

Are all of those chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and water necessary for spring lawn care?

In a word, “no”. When you buy grass seed at a reputable local garden center, the bag includes a mix of perennial grass seed blended for your region. Also in the bag may be fast growing annual grasses to fill in the bare spots while the perennial seed takes its time getting established.

There are many cultivars of grass for lawns, each with a different feel underfoot and a different look. The cost of seeding your lawn can add up very quickly, so you should put in some research before purchasing. If you buy it online, make sure it’s an appropriate seed mix for your region.

Since the grass seed is adapted to your area, chemical fertilizers are rarely necessary if the soil in your yard is healthy and biologically vigorous. But therein lies the problem. After years of dumping chemicals on your lawn, the soil becomes dense and compacted, inhospitable to the bacteria, fungi, worms and other insects that thrive in a healthy soil culture and support the soil food web. That’s what we focus on improving during the first few seasons of organic lawn care. When you move to a sustainable method of lawn care, your focus is on the soil the grass is planted in. Once you build up the soil, your lawn will require very little maintenance beyond mowing.

The big agriculture companies have created the ultimate business model. As you dump more chemicals on your lawn, the soil becomes unhealthy and less able to support the grass. Therefore, the grass needs more and more fertilizer and pesticide to survive, like a hospital patient with a feeding tube. But since your soil is dense and compacted, about 80% of the fertilizer runs off with the rain and into your local waterways. That makes your lawn completely dependent on the chemicals for its survival.

Spring lawn care tips: an organic guide

1. Aerate your soil.

This will be the most important task the first few seasons of organic lawn care. Aerating removes inch-long plugs from the soil to allow air and water in. When you aerate for the first time and examine the plugs, you’ll notice that the soil near the grass roots is dense and probably clay-like. It should be dark brown and crumbly, indicating soil tilth. The plugs are left to lie on the soil and will deteriorate with rain. As they break down they will begin to restore biological activity to your soil.

2. Build up the soil with organic matter

Besides aerating, the best way to build up your soil is with compost. After you aerate, spread the compost across your lawn just as you would a fertilizer. The compost will help establish biological activity at the soil line, which is sorely lacking from a chemically depleted lawn. It will also add organic matter to the soil and help feed your lawn.

3. Your new weed killer and fertilizer is Corn Gluten Meal

Corn Gluten Meal is a by product of the corn milling industry and contains no synthetic chemicals. It’s a pre-emergent herbicide – that is, it interferes with root formation of the germinating weed seed so the weed can’t grow. CGM doesn’t work like the broad-spectrum chemical weed killers you’re used to – it will take a few seasons of feeding twice a year to get your weeds under control. On the upside, as Corn Gluten Meal breaks down it will feed your lawn with lots of nitrogen, the same substance you were using in its manufactured form to fertilize your lawn.

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4. Overseed your lawn.

Corn Gluten Meal’s action will interfere with all seeds, not just weeds, so leave a window of about 6 weeks before broadcasting grass seed. Use a quality grass seed mix formulated for your area and avoid mixes with additives like mulch, as it greatly increases the cost of the grass seed.

5. Use a mulching blade on your mower

A mulching blade is a necessity for organic lawn care. The blade pulverizes the grass clippings into a fine mulch which is deposited at the soil line. The clippings insulate the roots during dry periods and supplies nitrogen and other elements as they break down.

6. Remember the basic rules of mowing your lawn

• Don’t mow when the lawn is wet as the blade has a difficult time making a clean cut. Plus it’s a safety issue.
• Don’t cut the grass until it reaches 3 inches.
• Keep the mulching blade sharp.

7. Water less

Organic lawns require less water. Once established, the high volume of organic material in the soil allows it to hold moisture, making it more resistant to drought and pests. A good soaking from rain once a week or even every other week is sufficient hydration. And don’t worry about your lawn turning brown in summer heat, as it’s just going dormant.

8. Consider an alternative to a traditional lawn

Replacing problem areas or less-used areas of your lawn with native plants is becoming very popular, as they attract wildlife, require little to no maintenance, and no additional water. Plant an alternative lawn and you’ll once again have Saturday mornings all to yourself.