The economy and the pride of doing it yourself have prompted many people to consider organic DIY lawn care. Many who contemplate it
Aren’t sure what is involved.
Don’t have the equipment needed to dethatch, aerate, fertilize or the knowledge required to use them.
Don’t know how to overcome the dangers to their health and the environment.
Think it is much more involved than it actually is.
Organic lawn care is not only less likely to harm people, animals, and the environment than lawn care that uses chemical, and in the long term, it is more cost effective. Chemical/synthetic fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides often do more than good to the lawn itself.
What are the benefits of organic lawn care?
It is safer for humans, pets and the environment than synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.
It improves the quality of the soil, which will have an increased ability to retain water and nutrients.
You will enjoy significant financial savings by transitioning from synthetic to organic lawn care, especially after the first year of use.
Organic products will significantly reduce pests by restoring balance to your lawn’s ecosystem. You will benefit from reduced maintenance in mowing, watering and fertilizing because you will have a naturally stronger and healthier lawn.
A report by the National Academy of Sciences shows that the health of 1 in 7 people is negatively impacted in some form by lawn pesticides.
Numerous studies link lawn chemicals to cancers and other long-term diseases.
Several studies also link exposure to artificial lawn chemicals to an increased risk of cancer and other health problems in pets.
Children are especially at risk for negative health consequences due to their size, physiological development and proximity to the ground.
Synthetic pesticides and
Organic lawn care focuses instead on soil management techniques and long-term results, building up the nutrients and organisms in the soil in order to make your lawn better able to withstand drought, pests, and other common problems.
Organic lawn care also eliminates damage to the environment and to human and animal health caused by synthetic lawn care products.
Organic products function by building up “life in the soil,” or soil biology, their payoff is more long-term and lasting.
Synthetic products, by their nature, are instantaneous and must be frequently re-applied in greater amounts to maintain the appearance of the grass due to the need for frequent re-applications and the reduced effectiveness of synthetic chemicals.
The user of organic products will spend considerably less money on lawn care over a two-year period than the user of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.
The Organic Lawn – What to Expect
The time of using chemically processed synthetic fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides is ending. Already, regulations and restrictions prompted by numerous studies of the adverse health effects of these, especially in children, groundwater contamination, food source contamination, and soil analysis (humus, soil structure and soil bioactivity) are limiting the scope of their use.
An organic lawn cared for correctly and naturally, will eventually begin to take care of itself in many ways. Good bio-active, nutrient rich, soil requires less fertilization, irrigation, and weed and insect control saving you time and money. Organic lawn maintenance practices eliminate imbalances in the soil, which are the initial causes of disease, weed, pest and stress problems in your lawn. By eliminating these causation factors, you eliminate the time and money spent dealing with these types of problems. In the end, you have to look at the big picture. A little extra time and money spent this year will save you a great deal of time and money down the road.
Organic lawn liquid fertilizers are supplemented with a natural nutrient package derived from seaweed and humic acids (One gallon of humic acid is equivalent to 7 tons of manure in terms of soil bioactivation). What this means you is get a soil improving fertilizer with added vitamins, bio-stimulants, and trace elements. Each product contains vitamins B-1, B-12, gibberellins, indoles, auxins as well as trace elements of boron, iron, zinc, cobalt, copper, manganese, molybdenum and sulfur. The nutrients in these liquid fertilizers are chelated, meaning they are instantly available to the plant.
Season One
One of the things that will be happening as you go through your first season using organics is that your lawn maygo through “withdrawal” symptoms because of the reduced nitrogen. The intensity of this withdrawal is related directly to the number of years you have applied chemicals, the frequency of previous chemical applications and the application rate of those chemicals.
Chemical fertilizers typically contain about 20 to 35 percent nitrogen. Organic fertilizers will be more like 8 to 16 percent. That is a huge drop in nitrogen, and your lawn could go into shock if you don’t compensate. You can double the amount of organic fertilizer or increase the frequency of application without causing any harm to your lawn.
Season Two
Over the next season or two, simply start cutting back on the amount of nitrogen you’re applying. As the soil is built up by use of organic fertilizers and soil amendments, the lawn will require less and less supplemental nitrogen.
Depending upon how long you’ve been using chemical fertilizer and how much you’ve been using, this process may take longer or may go much more quickly than is outlined above.
Organic methods tend to expose imbalances in the soil and other detrimental situations that chemical fertilizers hide (and generally make worse) and correct them. Namely soil compaction, weeds, insects, disease, drainage, poor Brix levels, and above all Humus level.
Where to start your DIY organic lawn care project:
First, know the pH of your soil. Different lawn turfs have different ideal pH properties. Why is this important to you? One of the most important reasons is natural weed control. Most broadleaf weeds like soil pH above 7.0. With the exception of St. Augustine grass, ideal pH is a deterrent to broadleaf weeds such as Crabgrass and Dandelion.
Grass pH Ranges pH Low pH High Ideal
BAHIAGRASS
ARGENTINE, PENSACOLA,
TIFTON 6.0 7.5 6.7 – 6.8
BENTGRASS
COLONIAL & CREEPING 5.6 7.0 6.3
BERMUDA HYBRIDS &
COMMON 5.6 7.0 6.3
BLUEGRASS 5.7 7.4 6.5 – 6.6
BUFFALO 5.6 7.0 6.3
CARPETGRASS 4.5 5.5 5.3
CENTIPEDE 4.3 5.8 5.0 – 5.1
FESCUE RED & CREEPING 5.6 6.8 6.2
FESCUE TALL 5.6 7.0 6.3
ST. AUGUSTINE 6.3 7.8 7.0 – 7.1
ZOYSIA 5.5 7.0 6.2 – 6.3
The ideal pH is the value that is most beneficial to the health of the grass.
pH is easy to control.
Lowe’s caries an electronic pH meter for about $5.00 that is very accurate and easy to use.
Know the reasons for fertilizer and the various types.
Fertilizer whether chemical, synthetic or organic comes in two basic types – fast acting and slow acting.
Most people believe fertilizer makes the greener and healthy. The truth is, green grass is not necessarily healthy grass! This is kind of self-explanatory. What isn’t though is how chemical/synthetic fertilizers are rated. They are rated by the N-P-K (nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium) equivalent. A 9-8-5 fertilizer is 9% nitrogen, 8% phosphorous and 5% potassium. These are called macronutrients. The other 78% is filler mostly salt and chlorine.
Organic fertilizers contain the above macronutrients plus many micronutrients, elements and vitamins and minerals. Most grasses actually need these additional components more than the macronutrients for resistance to stress, drought and insect infestation. In other words, for healthy turf.
Because plants need nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in large amounts, these elements are known as primary macronutrients.
What macro and micronutrients due for your lawn
Nitrogen (N)
Nitrogen is always listed first in the fertilizer grade (or N-P-K ratio) on nutrient product bags, boxes, and bottles because it is one of the biggies. (For example, if the ratio on your nutrient package reads “11-13-3? that means it contains 11 percent nitrogen.) Plants use nitrogen to produce new, green growth. Different turf grasses have different nitrogen requirements. For example, Centipede should not get more than 9% nitrogen more than twice a year; Zoysia should not get nitrogen more than 16% twice a year.
Phosphorus (P)
Phosphorus is listed second in the N-P-K ratio. (That nutrient package with the “11-13-3? ratio contains 13 percent phosphorus.) Phosphorus is essential to turf grass root growth. When you supplement the amount of phosphorus, you’ll likely notice more vigorous growth overall.
Potassium (K)
Potassium takes up the last spot in the N-P-K ratio. (So an “11-13-3? nutrient ratio contains 3 percent potassium.) Because grasses use potassium to build cells and tissue, supplementing this nutrient contributes to overall grass hardiness. Stronger, more durable plants are usually more tolerant of temperature extremes and are more pest and disease-resistant.
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Plants require smaller amounts of the secondary macronutrients-sulfur, calcium, and magnesium. Iron, manganese, zinc, copper, chlorine, boron, and molybdenum are still essential for growth but are required in even smaller amounts. They are often referred to as micronutrients or trace elements. Each of these macro and micronutrients serves specific purposes for our grass.
Boron (B) Grasses don’t need much of it, but boron does facilitate nutrient uptake and it helps plants to grow new tissue.
Calcium (Ca) As with sulfur, grasses also need calcium to make proteins. Calcium promotes new root growth and facilitates overall plant vigor.
Copper (Cu) Copper contributes too many natural processes including plant metabolism and reproduction.
Iron (Fe) Iron makes for healthy, dark green growth. As with magnesium, iron is essential for photosynthesis. Iron is necessary for chlorophyll formation, and without it, plants wouldn’t be able to carry out essential cellular functions.
Magnesium (Mg) Even though it’s classified as a secondary macronutrient, magnesium is still critical for growth. Without magnesium, plants can’t use light to make food through photosynthesis! Plants also need magnesium to be able to take in their other essential nutrients and to make seeds.
Manganese (Mn) In short, manganese makes things happen. Manganese is necessary for chlorophyll formation, and without it, grasses would not be able to carry out essential cellular functions.
Molybdenum (Mo) Grasses need molybdenum to produce essential proteins. Make sure the nutrient solution is well aerated and not too hot or too cold. A good temperature range for most solutions is 60 to 65 degrees F.
Sulfur (S) One of the secondary macronutrients, sulfur helps plants maintain their dark green color. Mainly, plants use sulfur to create essential proteins. In grasses, sulfur is essential for nitrogen-fixing nodules, and necessary in the formation of chlorophyll. Plants use sulfur in the processes of producing proteins, amino acids, enzymes and vitamins. Sulfur also helps the plant’s resistance to disease, aids in growth, and in seed formation.
Zinc (Zn) Plants use zinc in conjunction with other elements to carry out many natural processes including forming chlorophyll.
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The author has been involved in lawn care for over 25 years. Owns and operates Stout Services Lawn Care Plus in South Carolina.
He can be contacted at (843) 639-5229 or emailed at store@swstout.com.
Product Web Site: http://organiclawncarestore.web.officelive.com/default.aspx
