Growing GREEN with these Natural methods
Garden lawns are a great investment especially when correctly maintained, I have worked on many lawn projects from lawn construction to lawn maintenance and have seen the great transformation they bring. Have you ever driven in a neighborhood with homes that were nicely landscaped being complemented with a beautiful lawn what were your thoughts?
Garden lawns can really bring everything together including the home. I have seen and worked on lawns that looked picture perfect. A nicely maintained lawn and garden area can increase a property’s value along with giving a peaceful and restful feeling that is so inviting. These manicured lawns and gardens seem to say welcome or home sweet home.
Another method of growing a lawn which is on the rise are organic lawns, the first time I heard about this type of lawn I was pretty amazed because it seems in this day and time everything just about is going organic from foods to clothes, etc… So we will be moving away from the traditional lawn and focusing on organic lawns which have their advantages.
Maintaining a lawn can be pretty costly, the good news is with tips and tricks you can have a beautiful or almost picture-perfect lawn that will save you a ton of money. In this article, we will be looking at growing, caring for and the benefits of an organic lawn.
Growing and Organic Lawn
1. The first thing in having success with an organic lawn is deciding on the lawn type. Is it a lawn that will be in an area that gets high traffic because some lawns such as St Augustine Grass does poorly when it comes to foot traffic, is it a lawn that will be grown in the full or partial sun. Getting to know all about your grass type is crucial.
2. The soil is so important because the right soil at the onset will make the difference between a lawn that is healthy and thriving and a lawn that is sickly and struggling to survive. Grass-type have their preferences of soil so knowing which soil is suited for your lawn is a must.
3. The soil ph is also important because of nutrient availability if the ph is not adjusted to meet your grass requirements your lawn can literally be nutrient-starved in the abundance of nutrients. So, ensure that you have a ph test done.
4. Once all of the former work has been carried out then you can proceed with the installation of your lawn.
Maintaining an Organic Lawn
You have done all of the above mentioned your lawn looks great and that’s the way you would love for it to remain but to keep your garden lawn with that lush green you must apply the proper maintenance procedures. Here are a few tips to be mindful of in order for your grass to maintain its health.
1. Each lawn has a set height at which to be mowed to keep growing healthy. If you cut your lawn too low this will encourage weeds, but the flip side of the coin is if you are cutting your lawn where it is still too high can encourage disease and insect infestation. Getting the right information on the proper cutting height of your turf or grass type is very important.
2. Know your lawn watering needs, the last thing you don’t want is to either not give your lawn sufficient amount of water or giving it too much water. Know the difference by educating your self on your lawn’s watering needs. Will you be watering with a sprinkler system or a hose attachment?
3. Fertilizers can keep your lawn looking its best but one thing to keep in mind is synthetic fertilizers are made from salts and if applied incorrectly can cause your grass to burn but because we are seeking to grow an organic lawn we will be using organic fertilizers which are much safer. Here is a list of the benefits of using organic fertilizers.
The Benefits of an Organic Lawn
1. The use of manures is so beneficial because manures are all-natural and will not contaminate the soil or the water system so consider including manures in your lawn maintenance program because the goal is to go organic.
2. Organics is safe to use around humans and pets. The last thing you want is to fertilizer and area with a non-organic fertilizer and then to have your child or your pet in that area, so organics are great and safe to use.
3. Organic fertilizers will improve the grass root’s system. The nutrients in these fertilizers will be released in small amounts over a period of time which is an advantage for your grass root.
4. Organics are biodegradable meaning they will breakdown so there is no need to worry about residue.
5. Synthetic fertilizers, if not applied properly, will burn your grass. Manures once dry will not cause harm to your grass.
6. Unlike synthetics that will get washed away under heavy rains, organics will remain in the soil for long periods of time. When this happens the soil will be enriched.
7. A lawn that is being fed with natural organics will help in saving water because a healthy lawn will absorb water much easier, organics helps to retain water.
8. The use of these fertilizers will not affect fish or wildlife.
9. Adding organics to your lawn will increase microbial activity which will help in preventing thatch buildup.
Additional Information
1. The use of organic fertilizers will pay off in the long run even though it may be a bit costly, the good news is because your lawns are growing healthy with these natural organics will help to reduce the cost of purchasing pesticides and herbicides to treat lawns which are not healthy this in itself is a saving.
2. Ensure that the blades on your lawnmower are sharp to give that nice clean cut because dull blades can tear the grass thereby causing the grass to become stressed which can lead to a build-up of weeds and insect pests infestation.
3. Service your lawnmower according to the manufacturer’s direction because a poorly maintained lawn mower will not cut well which can have a negative effect on a garden lawn.
4. If watering with a sprinkler system ensure your system is in good repair to give your lawn the right amount of water.
5. If watering with a hose attachment, this attachment must also be in good repair giving total coverage of your lawn area.
6. Lawn aeration is so beneficial for a healthy lawn. For more on how this is done proceed to this post. Lawn aeration.
The final word
Growing and maintaining an organic lawn is pretty amazing. These lawn types offer so many benefits not only for the homeowner but also for fish and wildlife as well so let’s give nature a helping hand by GOING ORGANIC or should I say GROWING ORGANIC where our surroundings cannot only be beautiful but safe for everyone to enjoy. Installing an organic lawn is a WIN-WIN situation that is worth the investment so consider this type of lawn and reap the benefits for years to come.
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About the author
Norman loves being in the garden, both at home and for his job....
he is 'Natures Little helper' being outdoors, growing his vegetables and flowers from an early age.
Now having spent over 22 years in the profession he want to give some of his knowledge to others...
his vast array of hints and tips you will find scattered over this site will help you no end growing plants in your garden.
Brilliant article thank you!! I found it really useful and engaging. I live in sunny queensland Australia and growing a lush lawn is a nightmare so I have picked a few handy tips. I really loved that you were promoting organic as an option. People don’t realise that it is one, and it isn’t that hard. Faultless thank you.
Hello, Pam so happy to meet you and I am so glad to help. Going organic has so many benefits. So sorry to hear about your lawn and I hope what I have shared will help you out greatly. All the best to you and have a good day.
I am one of those people. I am the person who drives by the beautiful lawn and thinks, “Why can’t my lawn look like that?” So you’re telling me, I can be the person with the beautiful lawn? Now that is pretty exciting. Honestly, it doesn’t even look that hard. It’s all about knowing exactly what to do. Follow the steps and reap. Thank you so much for such a great website full of fantastic information that I find so useful and helpful.
Yes, Babsie my dear lady you can be that person having people drive by and also admiring your lawn. Having a healthy manicure lawn is not hard at all, all it takes is knowing just like everything else and you will be well on your way. So happy to help and please let me know how it goes. All the best to you and have a good day.
Awesome post, Norman. Your website gives me a new idea, whenever I get to read a new post. I truly appreciate your wonderful knowledge, and your decision to share your knowledge with us.
Your article is very well detailed and complete. In India, there’s a state called Tripura, it has become a 100% organic state. From your article I can figure out, what it takes for it’s maintenance. Probably, I should also adopt these principles for my own lawn. Hopefully, I’ll be able to do that🙂
I’ll surely share this article to the people concerned. Thanks a lot for sharing this useful article.
Hello so good to see you again and I am so happy to help. All the best of success with your project and thanks so my for sharing my post with other people.