Fertilization

$956 million is spent on chemical fertilizers annually. Yet grass clippings, left to decompose on the lawn, can contribute about 1.8 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 sq. feet - for free! These clippings will not cause thatch. Grass clippings are 85% water and will begin to decompose in a week or less. Within two weeks, nitrogen from the clippings can be found in new grass. Grass clippings also reduce water evaporation from the lawn and keep the soil temperature cooler.

Don't turn your lawn into a chemical "junkie" waiting for it's next nitrogen fix. Fertilize with organic fertilizers to maintain growth - not create an advertising agency's version of a perfect landscape! Good soil grows good grass. Improve your soil, then add clover and other nitrogen fixing plants to your lawn seed mix to make your lawn self-fertilizing.

Other organic fertilizer options include dehydrated cow manure, dried poultry manure, bloodmeal, cottonseed meal, fish emulsion and mixed organic fertilizers, all widely available. Since natural fertilizers are not as concentrated as chemical fertilizers you may want to apply them more than once per year. Fall fertilizing is important in this climate, so that grass can build up its carbohydrate level and get off to a good start in the Spring.

$1.5 billion is spent on chemical pesticides annually. Yet, nearly all of the popular lawn pesticides are suspected of causing long-term health problems. Broad-spectrum weed killers are poisonous to many kinds of life besides weeds - like you, your kids, your pets, your trees and shrubs, your garden plants, as well as birds and other wildlife. Pesticides may remain active for a month to a year or more. Even after drying, pesticides release toxic vapors. And you can have a good looking lawn without these dangerous looking chemicals!

Eliot Roberts says "The more chemicals you use, the more you disturb the natural biological processes that convert organic matter into nutrients to keep the lawn going.

Insects shouldn't be a big problem in a natural lawn. The soil is alive with natural "predators" - the good bacteria and fungi that work to keep disease-causing fungi in check by competing with them for food.

Don't attack the insects that aren't doing damage to your lawn. Correct any problems at the source, instead of using a "quick-fix" chemical. Water during daylight hours. The more often grass is wet ( and the longer it stays that way ) the greater the chance for disease.

Liquid seaweed is good natural disease fighter. Naturally occuring hormones in seaweed act as fungal inhibitors.

Dandelions should be pulled out the old fashioned way - by hand! Despite the ads, most won't grow back if you cut them out several inches below ground at their root.

As for Crabgrass: Studies at the University of Rhode Island that high mowing alone reduced crabgrass on a test plot to virtually nothing in 5 years. High mowing combined with heavy fertilization eliminated crabgrass in just one year.

Proper mowing is the most important thing you can do for your lawn! Mowing correctly can kill weeds, save water, cure diseases and provide fertilizer. For Kentucky Bluegrass in northern climates, leave grass at 2 1/2" tall during spring and until summer droughts and hot weather arrive. Then reduce the frequency of mowing and let grass grow to 3" before cutting. In late summer as temperatures drop and rainfall increases, go back to 2 1/2" and mow more frequently during this growth spurt. A final mowing of the season could be a 1 1/2".

By mowing high, you're reducing stress on the grass. The longer the top growth, the deeper the root. The longer the root, the healthier the grass. It will compete better against weeds. There is a larger volume of roots to store food, withstand droughts and fight diseases.

Make sure your mower's blade is sharp. And mow often enough so that you cut off no more than 30% of the grass blade at any one cutting.

While a weed-free lawn is not practical, weeds are a symptom of problems. Unless those conditions are changed, the weeds will return. Weeds love compacted soil, improperly fertilized plots, areas that are too wet or too dry, shady spots, areas mowed too closely during the grass's dormant season, heavy use areas and accumulated thatch ( over 1/2" ).

Thatch is a tightly-packed layer of organic debris that develops between the soil surface and the green growth. It can keep water, sun and air from penetrating to the roots. A regular program of aeration reduces thatch and improves soil tilth. Use aerator with spring-loaded tines which removes plugs of soil and deposits them on the soil surface ( allow plugs to decompose naturally ). Soil should be moist, but not wet. Do not aerate in hot, dry weather. Damaging turf insects prefer a protective layer of thatch. Reducing thatch controls these pests.