Organic1 Lawn and Tree Care » Uncategorized

Organic Lawns for the Cheap And Lazy

craig — Thu, 11 Jun 2015 14:10:07 +0000

Organic Lawn care for the Cheap and Lazy. Now that’s my kind of lawn care! Sorry to say it but I’ve got a million other things to do. Can I have a nice lawn without working too hard on it? I’m all for it!

The web page linked to below is written by “The colorful and dynamic permaculture icon, Paul Wheaton” who is a speaker on all sorts of eco-friendly and sustainable topics. If we would all observe organic lawn care practices it would have a huge beneficial effect on the environment. It is estimated that Americans dump at least 80 million pounds of pesticides on their yards each year, much more per acre than agriculture!

He lives in Missoula Montana so some of his advice is tailored to that area but basically it comes down to two things: setting your mower high and proper watering. And, a word of warning – he calls it “lawn care in a nutshell” but the article is 20 pages long! He’s a very entertaining writer though. It’s a fun read.

http://www.richsoil.com/lawn-care.jsp

Weed Seed or Feed

craig — Wed, 13 May 2015 14:29:32 +0000

If I weed and seed at the same time, won’t the weed kill the seed? I guess I can feed at any time but here’s some discussion from Scotts.

Creating A Healthy Yard

craig — Tue, 15 Apr 2014 16:50:04 +0000

Great brochure (pdf) by North and South Rivers Watershed Association in Massachusetts explaining how to get a green healthy yard in just seven easy steps.

Basically, here they are:

1.) Go cold turkey – Don’t make a slow transition. Organic is about creating healthy soil to nurture plant growth – synthetic is about stimulating plant growth above ground. They are not compatible.
2.) Get your soil tested -This is imperative, because you must know your soil’s deficiencies, including ph levels to provide the right soil conditions for healthy root growth. Go to the MSU Bookstore to get a Soil Test Kit Self-Mailer, which is comprehensive and very inexpensive!
3.) Add the soil amendments that the test results suggest.
4.) Top dress with compost- Put 1/2” of compost on your lawn. Compost provides organic matter, teeming with microbes, that will make the soil more porous and nutrient- rich.
5.) Overseed in the spring and the fall. Mowing does not let grasses form the seed heads necessary for them to self-sow, which is why overseeding is important. When overseeding, use a blend of fescues, which grow deep roots and are very drought tolerant.
6.) Spray compost tea on your lawn once a month during the growing season. You can make your own or you can buy liquid or dehydrated compost tea at many nurseries.
7.) Apply organic fertilizer in the fall. Organic fertilizer is much coarser and less soluble than synthetic fertilizer, so it tends to stay put.

The end result – a beautiful, and green healthy yard!

Organic Crabgrass Control?

craig — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 19:54:22 +0000

This place Pure Prarie Organics claims it is possible to control the crabgrass weed using gypsum (drywall). I do believe it grows where there is salt runoff though.