Here is a simple organic lawn management
program that can help to produce a beautiful
lawn. This organic approach builds up the soil
as it feeds the grass.
Calcium
is considered as the king of crop nutrients.
Calcium helps to mobilize other nutrients in the
soil, and is very important to plant health.
It is important to choose the right Calcium. If your soil pH is low (as found in the Southeast USA), then use Calcium Carbonate. Good sources are:
Hard clay soils are generally that way because of too much magnesium. If your soil is low in pH and is clay, you will want to request "High Cal. Lime", as it is lower in magnesium, and will help to loosen up your soil.
If your soil
pH is high (as found in the Midwest),
use calcium sulfate, also known as Gypsum.
Calcium Carbonate and Calcium Sulfate are both
natural products. A typical application of
calcium is one or two 50 lb. bags per 1,000 sq.
ft. once or twice a year. It’s a good idea to do
a soil test to guide you in how much to apply.
I use a mulching blade on my lawnmower. It helps
the
grass clippings
fall down to soil level, where they will quickly
decompose. Grass clippings are a great source of
nutrients for organic lawn management, plus
provide organic matter that feeds the microbes
in the soil.
Since I don’t
water my lawn much (watering leaches out
nutrients), and I use a mulching blade on my
mower, it really cuts down on the amount of
nitrogen I need. Blood meal, feather meal and
fish meal are all common organic sources of
nitrogen. However, I use a free source of
nitrogen!
If you can get
over the “ick” factor, human urine is also a
good source of
urea nitrogen.
A single person’s urine can supply the nitrogen
needed for 5,500 sq. ft. of lawn.
The
average acre of land has 4,000 pounds of
phosphorus. The problem is, most of it is not in
an available form. I use MyCorrPlus,
a soil conditioner, which helps to make
phosphorus available. This more than meets my
need for phosphorus.
I apply one quart per acre each fall. It not only releases phosphorus, but helps to reduce thatch and improve the soil. I have seen quite an increase in earth worms, which are great aerators of the soil. As you may know, worm castings are invaluable for their nutrient content.
A common source of potassium for
organic lawn management is
Greensand.
On average, 1.5 pounds of potassium are needed
each year for 1,000 square feet of lawn.
If your soil is below 6.5 pH, you can use
wood ash as a source of calcium AND
potassium. The application rate is about one
pound of ash for every 100 square feet. Just
clean out your fireplace, and sprinkle it on
your lawn. Wood ash raises the pH of soil, so be
careful. It is best to get a soil test to see
just how much your pH needs to increase. Never
apply more than 2 pounds per 100 square feet.
Wood ash from hard woods is the equivalent of a
0-0-5 fertilizer.
Last but hardly least, your lawn needs sulfur,
magnesium and trace minerals. A good all in one
package is concentrated
sea minerals.
An 8 ounce bottle fertilizes 2,500 square foot
of lawn a year. I have seen these ocean trace
minerals make an incredible difference in my
lawn.
A
healthy lawn is the best defense against weeds
and disease. If you follow the program on this
page, it can help to create healthy soil, which
makes for a healthy, thick lawn that does a
better job crowding out weeds. I do have clover
in my lawn, but I consider it a blessing. Clover
is a legume. It captures nitrogen from the air
and fixes it in the soil.
One of the best defenses against crab grass is to set the lawn mower on a fairly high setting. To deal with an epidemic, simply cover crab grass with black weed cloth for 10 days, after which the crabgrass is dead, but the regular grass is only yellowed, and can recover in a couple of weeks.
I hope this has given you some ideas how to use organic lawn management. When you get a chance, check out my home page, Healthy Vegetable Gardening.
(Return from Organic Lawn Management to Organic Vegetable Garden)
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