Organic lawn care is becoming more popular, and more people are looking for information. In their home lawns, many individuals desire to reduce or eliminate the usage of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. Some of these goods are thought to be dangerous to humans, beneficial insects, wildlife, and pets. With the right information, a homeowner may manage a home lawn utilizing naturally available resources rather of manmade treatments.
Organic lawn care is not the same as traditional lawn care. Organic matter, such as compost (produced from plant wastes), animal manures (mostly composted cow, chicken, or horse manures), and other naturally occurring elements, can help improve soil. Improved soil contributes to healthier plants that are less vulnerable to pests and environmental stress. Although fertilizer may be administered less regularly than in traditional lawn care, the timing of administration is critical. Weeds, insects, and illnesses are controlled by cultural practices that are aimed at preventing them. Organic waste recycling is also emphasized in natural organic technologies.
Assessing the quality of the existing lawn is the first step in moving from conventional to natural organic lawn maintenance. Natural organic methods and cultural approaches can maintain a satisfactory lawn if it has few weeds and consists of attractive turfgrass species. If a lawn has a lot of weeds and/or is made up of undesired turfgrass species, it's preferable to kill it all and start over. After you've picked your option, the next step is to evaluate the soil quality.
The necessity of high soil quality as a fundamental factor in establishing healthy turfgrass is emphasized by natural organic gardening and lawn maintenance practices. Organic matter in good soil increases soil structure by binding mineral soil particles together to create aggregates, which improves soil structure. This increases the pore space between the aggregated particles, allowing for optimal root growth. Increased pore space enhances soil drainage and water-holding capacity while also aerating the soil. Furthermore, enough organic matter in the soil aids in nitrogen fixation, the reduction of soilborne plant diseases, and the storage of nutrients for plant use. Plants require proper amounts of nutrients, which may be found in good soil.
A soil test performed at a soil-testing lab is a useful tool in assessing soil quality. The pH and other nutrient levels will be measured in the majority of tests. Recommendations for applying chemical fertilizer to rectify any shortfalls will also be supplied. Organic matter tests, which assess the percentage of organic matter in the soil, are frequently provided as an option. In Ohio, a soil with 4 to 6 percent organic matter is considered adequate.
If you want to keep an established lawn, you can make the switch to natural organic ways at any moment. When it's time to fertilize, use organic fertilizers to make up for any shortfalls. Usage the nutrient rates given as a guideline for the use of natural organic fertilizers, even though soil test recommendations are based on the use of chemical fertilizers.
It may be necessary to kill and re-establish an existing lawn that is of poor quality. A non-selective herbicide may be used to kill a grass. The use of glyphosate (Roundup®) or glufosinate (Finale®), which do not leave residues in the soil, could be considered. Tarping the lawn with plastic in the summer heat can also be employed to kill the current grass, though depending on the size of the lawn, this may be challenging.
Natural organic lawn care uses cultural approaches that are comparable to those employed in conventional grass care. In a natural organic lawn, proper maintenance procedures and scheduling are more important because the goal is to avoid potential problems.
When going organic, there are two things to bear in mind. The first is that, in most situations, organic lawn care takes longer to generate apparent results than conventional lawn care. Because the organic approach emphasizes continual soil development, there are no fast cures like conventional fertilizers promise. Second, expecting perfection is an unrealistic goal. The natural organic technique includes tolerating a few weeds or insects here and there. A somewhat uniform green grass that is resistant to severe environmental circumstances and/or pests can be expected when natural organic methods are employed regularly throughout time.
