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 Facts About Lawn and Garden
Chemicals
Chemical pesticides and fertilizers are dangerous to your health and the health of your lawn.
Lawn pesticides and fertilizers can contaminate surface water and groundwater. It diminishes the quality of our drinking water . It threatens the quality of aquatic habitats and health of aquatic life forms.
The biggest threat of pesticides is to children and pets, putting contaminated grass, soil and toys from the yard in their mouth. Even breathing close to the contaminated ground is not healthy. For more information on the dangers of pesticides, please visit: www.pesticide.org/factsheets.html#pesticides.
When you frequently apply chemical to your lawn, you may create a chemically-dependant environment. Not too many people know that the more you use the chemicals to kill lawn pests, the more resistant these pests become to the chemical. Instead of getting control of pests by increasing doses of chemical into your lawn, you’re depleting your lawn of the nutrients and organisms beneficial to maintaining a healthy lawn.
Organic lawn care has been practiced for much longer than chemical lawn care and it can easily be implemented on any lawn. There are many safe and effective ways to take care of your lawn instead of using chemical pesticides and fertilizers. There is no need to expose our families, communities and local wildlife to chemicals that are known or potential hazards.
Chemical pesticides and fertilizers harm beneficial organisms.
Healthy soil contains a variety of beneficial organisms that actually kill pest insects, decrease the spread of disease and help plants gather nutrients and water. For example, earthworms improve air and water circulation, decompose thatch, deposit nutrient-rich castings and help to neutralize soil (plants prefer this pH).
Many of these beneficial organisms, when exposed to lawn chemicals, decrease their natural ability to control pests and diseases in the lawn, and making difficult to gather nutrients and water to maintain overall health.
Chemical fertilizers are more expensive than organic solutions.
Chemical fertilizers usually contain three macronutrients - phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen. They do not contain any organic matter or microbes needed for a healthy lawn. Finished compost is a free resource that gives your lawn the nutrients, organic matter and microbes that your lawn needs. It also promotes efficient waste management, extending the lifespan of local dumps and landfills.
Rules of Organic Lawn Care
Fertilize Naturally
The rule of organic lawn care is to nourish the soil naturally. Organic care focuses on feeding the grass with natural and organic products such as finished compost (from your own backyard compost heap), well-aged manure, grass clippings and/or slow-release organic fertilizers.
Apply grass clippings and compost in small amounts throughout the growing season. Slow-release organic fertilizers are best applied in late summer - early fall. An early spring application is also acceptable. Natural and organic products will not burn grass or contaminate ground and surface water, unlike quick-release chemical fertilizers.
Recycle your Clippings and Top-dress with Compost
Grass clippings are the perfect fertilizer for lawns. Instead of throwing the clippings away, leave them on your lawn. They are free, and loaded with nutrients and organic matter, boosting soil fertility by up to 30 per cent. They also return moisture to your soil and shade it from the drying rays of the sun. Give nutrients to your soil by sprinkling finished compost over your lawn. It supports a wide range of both macro and micro-nutrients, which are released slowly over a long period of time. It also supports microorganisms, which help decompose thatch and other organic matter.
Aerate and Over-seed
Aeration breaks up the density of the lawn and increases air and water penetration and movement in the soil. It is best done in the spring or fall before fertilization. Natural and free aeration is provided by earthworms in your soil.
It is important to over-seed your lawn once a year to keep it thick and healthy. A healthy lawn is pest-resistant and easy to maintain. Dense lawns make it difficult for weeds like dandelions and crabgrass which tend to pop up in bare or thinly-covered patches. There are varieties of grass available. Choose one that suits three important factors of your yard: light, moisture and soil conditions. A lawn containing a variety of grass types is better able to deal with and recover from stresses such as droughts, pest outbreaks, diseases and traffic. It is best to over -seed from late-August to late-September. April is also acceptable.
Mow High
Mowing is one of the most important aspects of organic lawn care. The simple practice of mowing high (at least 3 inches high) contributes enormously to the health of a lawn, specifically the soil, shading it to keep it cool and moist. Tall grass shades out sun-loving weeds and encourages good root development.
Water Wisely
Typically a lawn requires no more than one inch of water a week. Sometimes, rain will provide your lawn with all the water it requires. At other times, irrigation is required. A general rule of thumb is to water deeply once a week during the early morning or early evening. Watering during the late evening is not recommended because cooler temperatures and sitting water invite disease.
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