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Organic Lawn Care: Why Go Organic?
Synthetic fertilizers are the primary weapon of choice for creating verdant thick, and lush lawns. Which is to say some homeowners are overly fond of using chemical fertilizers. Leaving them with lawns that are addicted to them even. What these lawn zealots don't realize is that chemical fertilizers, not to mention synthetic herbicides and pesticides, may actually do more harm than good. Which may account for the exploding growth of chemical-free organic lawn care.
Organic Lawn Care Defined: Maintaining the healthy of your lawn without relying on synthetic herbicides, pesticides or fertilizers.
Not only that, waging chemical warfare can be also harmful to humans and animals. They tend to pollute our water and they have also been linked to certain health risks. These include leukemia, liver damage, birth defect, decreased fertility, and even cancer.
Fact: While you may think your children or pets are safe, keep in mind that the toxicity of most lawn chemicals use a hypothetical 150 pound man as the guinea pig. Kids and dogs are much more sensitive
This is why more and more people are now considering using organic fertilizers. To that end here are different things you may not know about organic lawn care.
Natural Way to Feed
Spread well aged compost that you make yourself to get a slow release of organic fertilizer that will over time enhance your soil. Most find simply spreading about a quarter inch of the stuff in the spring and fall is enough to produce the desired affect.
While the results of organic fertilizers are not as fast as chemical fertilizers are, they do produce better and stronger roots. Plus, you get a well-aerated soil with the perfect moisture and texture. The quality of your grass is also improved. Expect to have greener and thicker turf.
Then too organic fertilizers are safe for pets, children, and everyone. You can be sure that your children are safe as they're happily playing by the lawn. Organic fertilizers do not produce harmful side effects on animals and humans alike.
While we're at it, you may not care for the appearance, but clover is good for your lawn. It has the natural ability to extract, or fix nitrogen from the air. In essence it is generating it's own natural fertilizer. There is no chemical run off like with synthetic fertilizers. You don't have to reapply it. And being natural, any nitrogen clover produces is more readily used by surrounding grass.
Natural Weed Control
And as for keeping weeds at bay, the best defense is a vigorous healthy lawn. That will either crowd out and out-compete the weeds or be so thick so as to keep the weed seeds from germinating to begin with.
While you're waiting for that to develop consider corn gluten. 20-40 pound for every 100 square feet of lawn applied early spring and later summer ought to do it. No you won't get instant control. But within a couple of years this meal will inhibit weed seed germination giving you maybe 75-80% control. Here's more on the topic of using corn gluten for weed control.
Natural Pest Control
Those into organic lawn care often find that fighting bugs with bugs is a solid and productive approach. For example you can unleash beneficial nematodes, microscopic creatures that then seek out and feed on Japanese beetle grubs.
Mow Organically?
Yeah. If you set your mower higher and mow often you can help prevent the spread of disease. Leaving the clippings, especially those generated by a mulching mower can provide a rich source of nitrogen.
Here's an Idea: One final thought for you. Hardcore lawn care fanatics send their soil out for a test to their local extension service. And guess what? You may be shocked to discover what that hardworking lawn of yours lacks. But it's likely not hard to fix. And likely won't require chemicals either. For example if the test comes back you need to bump up the acidity, use peat moss. If you soil is low on sulphur spread some.
Anyway there you go big guy. The thinking mans way to organic lawn care. Perhaps now you see how essential organic lawn care is! While you need to nourish and protect your lawn, you more importantly need to protect those around you - the kids and pets. Going organic is the safest solution you can count on for doing so.
Related Lawn Care Articles
Know how to mow your lawn, when and how often in the spring? What about dealing with thatch, fertilizing and coping with weeds? Get some spring lawn care help and improve your overall grass IQ.
Read more to learn about the lawn care tips you really should be paying attention to if you want a lawn your neighbors will envy.
Sure mowing can be a smelly, noisy, and dirty chore. Or by following the summer lawn care advice found here, it can almost be fun.
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