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Any one following an organic lawn care method? I enjoy gardening but the lawn is over my head at the moment. The book I am reading uses modern methods of lawn care beginning with the first application of a crab grass annual weed killer. The stuff is certainly a killer to bugs and birds. I wouldn't dare put this on the lawn as I prefer a non chemical yard. I am bird and bug friendly. But, I still want a healthy green lawn to walk on. What do you do? I live in on the border line of Zone 5 in Massachusetts. My back yard is Zone 5 while my front is Zone 4.
We mow our lawn and that's about it. We never cut it extremely short, and leave the clippings on it to fertilize it.
We do not worry about weeds/wildflowers (depending on your point of view). Why? well, the creeping charlie stays green all summer, and has beautiful little purple flowers. The dandelions provide food for the finches that we love to watch, and, since they are totally organic, are edible as well. Crab grass is just another grass, why bother about it? All of our impressions of what a lawn should be are only that - impressions, many of which have been created by the fertilizer/herbicide/lawn mower industries. A monoculture is unnatural.
Our lawn grows very vigorously and, once it recovers from winter, is very green. Therefore I do not think it requires any additional nutrients. Our neighbors all fertilize until their lawns are an unnatural green and then they need to mow twice as often. What's the point in that?
flowerseverywhere
3-21-11, 4:27pm
I agree with Rosemary but we have a dandelion popper that we got at one of the hardware stores that yanks them out. My lawn is green enough. I don't have to worry about any animals or kids getting chemicals meant to kill something on them. We also cut it longer and leave the clippings on.
Any one following an organic lawn care method? I enjoy gardening but the lawn is over my head at the moment. The book I am reading uses modern methods of lawn care beginning with the first application of a crab grass annual weed killer. The stuff is certainly a killer to bugs and birds. I wouldn't dare put this on the lawn as I prefer a non chemical yard. I am bird and bug friendly. But, I still want a healthy green lawn to walk on. What do you do? I live in on the border line of Zone 5 in Massachusetts. My back yard is Zone 5 while my front is Zone 4.
Blue grass love cool climate, so it should do fine wher eyou are. It also needs full sun to thrive. Too much shade and you will not have a lawn. What is your soil like? Clay soil isn't the best fo it to grow in and aeration annually is a good idea, but isnt' a chemial application so you could still do that under a nre regime of No Chemicals.
I agree with what everyone else is saying, there is no need to make all of the chemical applications that are possible, just live with it, dig out the worst weeds, and move on. Keep it high, that's for the good of the lawn.
My daughter, taking care of the lawn:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_8bdYFKk3OW4/TBa8SywCx7I/AAAAAAAAA_k/gfNNULACSG8/s640/img_0223.jpg
My daughter, taking care of the lawn:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_8bdYFKk3OW4/TBa8SywCx7I/AAAAAAAAA_k/gfNNULACSG8/s640/img_0223.jpg
Now that's what i call a lawn mower. I would love to have some, or sheep, but the husband doesn't like either. Oh well, "sigh". What I'm trying to do is convert our lawn/acres to clover. I love a clover lawn and with 7 acres to mow (i know, i know, but he likes to mow) I think as we age it will get eaiser.
I love clover, too! I'm glad you reminded me of clover - the yard's been covered with snow for so long that I haven't been thinking about what I need to do this spring, but I have some clover seed that I want to broadcast before the grass starts growing.
The bumblebees and honeybees and all sorts of other little bees love our "lawn" full of flowers, and don't care whether some people consider those flowers to be weeds.
It's all about reframing. Instead of thinking of my lawn as full of weeds, I prefer to call what I have an "herbal lawn".
flowerseverywhere
3-22-11, 8:41pm
wanted to add that we have a brick walkway in the front. Weeds invariable get in the cracks. our neighbors put spray on them, but we boil water and pour it on the cracks. You can also use this if you had a small area of a weed you wanted to eradicate. Not perfect, but better than more chemicals getting in your lungs or on your skin.
Peggy, he doesn't like sheep... does he like lamb chops... ?
Plain table salt can also kill grass in cracks between stepping stones, etc.
Peggy, he doesn't like sheep... does he like lamb chops... ?
There you go! ;)
Actually we DO love lamb. We got used to having it when we were in Germany where it isn't so expensive.
On the clover, the Dutch White clover only gets about 4 inches tall so it really cuts down on mowing. Also the geese and deer love to graze on it. You know, I wish it came in other colors like deep reds and blues and yellows. The Dutch White I mean. I love the drifts of white flowers but a variety of colors would be so cool.
Finally, a flock of robins appeared in my back yard yesterday afternoon. At least 7 are hopping around the yard looking for eats. I am so glad I did not lay down any crab grass killer. They came just in time to remind me that if it's on the lawn, the robins might eat it and than what. I cannot stand the thought of innocent critters ingesting chemicals.
I signed up for an organic lawn care seminar next Saturday. I just found out about a gardening symposium and sent in my check and registration for April 2. I also contacted a local Organic Lawn care outfit who could take over fertilization. The first step is a soil sample. The cost is $85. I think I can send a sample to UMass Amherst for testing for a much lower cost than that.
I do like the look of healthy, rich green grass.
And these guys take care of the back yard, I just shot this out my office window:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_8bdYFKk3OW4/TY0qkB2Rt3I/AAAAAAAACcc/pLt_4nWBuLE/s720/img_2017.jpg
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_8bdYFKk3OW4/TY0qm8CBP5I/AAAAAAAACck/sHRDFiNEEMM/s720/img_2015.jpg
we no longer have our own lawn, but for about 20 years we did. except for about 3-4 times total over those years, when we would put on one application of weed and feed, we just mowed the lawn regularly and let grow whatever wanted to grow. when it was freshly mowed no one could tell the difference, and when it was a little longer, the kids picked the dandelions.
Love your lawn and lawn care Bae!
If it weren't for weeds, we'd have no lawn. haha
We mow it occasionally, but that's about it. I wish people didn't feel the need to have "picture perfect" lawns. I wonder where that notion came from. To me, a "messy" lawn is full of life. And boy do we have alot of life here!
Consider also the many benefits of the scythe:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsfIHiBB6xE
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