Caring for a Lawn Organically
Organic lawn care, against common thought, is actually a very simple process. With simple steps like setting your mower higher and fertilizing with organic fertilizer, you can have a beautiful, organic lawn. Following, are some steps to follow when caring for a lawn organically.
Mow High
Mowing high is a very important part of caring for a lawn organically. Grass will shade weeds only if it is tall enough. The shade of dense, tall grass, while aiding in the destruction of new baby weed seedlings, will prevent essential light from reaching most weeds.
A common myth is that if a lawn is mown short, it will be longer until it needs mown again. This is completely false. Grass needs long blades to accomplish photosynthesis to feed the roots. When grass blades are cut very short, the grass has to race to make more blades to make sugar. It then, against the common myth, grows incredibly fast. This quickened growth depletes much of the grass stored sugar, and this, in turn, weakens the plant. Tall grass is much healthier and can, using the extra sugar, make rhizomes (more grass plants).
When mowing, to care for a lawn organically, be sure to keep the clippings on the lawn. This adds nutrients and a large amount of organic matter back into the soil. If you refrain from leaving the grass clippings, your lawn soil will begin to look more like dirt than soil.
Water Infrequently
When caring for a lawn organically, watering infrequently will force the roots of your grass to grow deep into the soil. As the top few inches of soil becomes dry, the weeds and weed seedlings die while the grass still enjoys all the moisture it needs from a little deeper. Frequent, shallow watering encourages thatch (grass propagates with above-soil runners, rather than rhizomes under the soil). Weeds and their seedlings, getting just what they need for a great start, love daily watering.
Fertilize
Grass can deplete nitrogen at an incredible rate. Legumes can get their nitrogen from the air, and, therefore, if you see legumes taking over your lawn, you will know that your lawn is nitrogen poor. If your lawn is poor in nitrogen, sprinkle a little nitrogen-rich fertilizer on your lawn. It will provide the grass with the nitrogen it needs to survive and flourish.
Weeds
Some weeds, when caring for a lawn organically, are nearly impossible to get rid of, no matter what. Some of these are even resistant to chemicals. Two of these weeds to be very careful of are bindweed and Canadian thistle. These two have incredibly huge root systems that can go as deep as thirty feet into the soil. They spread, just like grass, with rhizomes. The key to getting rid of any weeds is to, as was mentioned above, keep your grass high. Also, remove the green plant that provides the roots with sugar. Repeated digging will eventually weaken the weed to the point that bacteria and bugs can take over.
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