My Organic Lawn during Dandelion Season
It is possible to have a beautiful lawn without poisoning it, although the natural aesthetic is a little more textured. Try these tips for keeping your lawn healthy and strong without chemicals:
- Set your mower at three inches; longer grass is healthier and can more easily crowd out weeds.
- Spread corn gluten when the forsythia blooms and then again in Fall. It will green up your lawn and inhibit weed seed germination.
- Hand dig dandelions in areas where you don't want them (near and in gardens, for instance). Lee Valley Garden Tools has the best diggers!
- For poor soil, considering adding composted manure with a spreader.
- Overseed with good-quality grass seed.
- Try compost tea -- used successfully at Harvard University -- and soon to be piloted at Benedictine.
- Consult an Organic Lawn care company, like Pure Prairie Organics, for advice and service.
An organic lawn will include species besides grass, but it can still be healthy and verdant. Organic lawns are more drought tolerant, and over a period of years, soil and roots systems deepen. Most important, organic lawns do not poison the people and pets who play on them.
