With all the attention being giving to organic living and protecting the environment, people are also exploring ways of caring for lawns and gardens in an organic way. Chemical fertilizers, weed control and pest control sprays are being ignored and replaced with a number of organic compounds, which are made from natural plant, animal, and mineral sources.
The challenge of going organic might seem daunting, but it is in fact surprisingly achievable. Here are some tips to care for your lawn organically:
- To create a thicker lawn, spread grass seed on top of the existing lawn in the spring. This will encourage the grass to have a deeper root system. Buy grass seed according to your conditions – shade, partial shade, or sun.
- Keep a compost heap or compost bin and use the material as fertilizer. Compost helps the ground retain water. Drop small piles of the compost material over the lawn and spread it with a rake to create a top dressing.
- Water early in the morning. This will help prevent fungal disease and lessen loss by evaporation. Thorough but infrequent watering forces the grass roots deeper into the soil and increases the tolerance for drought.
- When cutting the lawn, leave the grass at least 3 inches high. Make sure your mower blades are sharp as dull blades leave jagged ends to the grass, which allows greater evaporation.
- Leave the clippings on the lawn. Letting the clippings decompose on the lawn does not cause thatch build-up. Thatch is caused by over fertilizing.
- Don’t overfeed your lawn. Organic fertilizers release nutrients slowly. Follow the instructions on the packaging.
