Have you ever wondered why organic lawn care is talked about so much at garden centers and lawn care product stores? Or have you wondered why you would want to use organic fertilizer instead of the standard man-made fertilizer?

I wondered that for many years as well, until I started researching the benefits of organic lawn care. Now that I have done my own researched and talked to many different people in the lawn care industry, I will always use organic products on my lawn. And I will do so not only because it is better for the environment, but because in the long-run it is much better for my lawn and will make it so I actually

don’t have to do as much yard work.

Many people think that if they pay someone $400 a year to spread fertilizer and weed killer on their yard that their yard should look great. However, if they do not pay attention to the quality of their soil then they will never have the yard they dream about, and the grass will literally be greener on the other side (i.e. the neighbors yard you always envy).

The soil is the base of your lawn and developing good soil could very well be the most import aspect of a good lawn care system. This is because the roots, or the most important part of your grass, live there. If you do not have healthy roots, then you will not have healthy grass; and, if you do not have healthy soil, then you will not have healthy roots.

Cultivating and developing healthy soil can be a difficult process, but it can be accomplished if you work at it over time. Even though you will have to work hard to develop healthy soil, you won’t have to work as hard after you get there. Good watering habits, good mowing techniques, and good organic lawn care products will help you greatly in both developing your soil and then maintaining your soil afterwards.

Good watering habits and good mowing techniques are what I call obvious factors in a good lawn care program, everyone understands that you need to water and mow your lawn properly in order to have a healthy lawn. However, many people do not understand why using organic products on your lawn is much better than using man made fertilizers and other man made lawn care products.

To explain, remember that while your lawn needs the ingredients found in all fertilizers, that is not all your lawn needs to be healthy. Your lawn also needs microbial macrobial life. Worm and other critters are great for your lawn in producing much needs nutrients for your soil. However, man-made chemical fertilizers usually will deter them, while the organic fertilizer will attract them (no you will not have tons of bugs crawling over your lawn, they will be in your soil where you can’t see them).

Man made fertilizers usually contain a lot of salt, which microbial life does not like at all. While these unnatural fertilizers will make the blades of grass turn green quickly, it will do nothing to cultivate your soil and will actually hurt your soil over time. An organic lawn care program will do the exact opposite for the soil. It will help you cultivate and develop the soil, while also feeding the grass.

In the long-run, using organic products on your lawn will give you the lawn you want and you won’t have to pay the $400 a year for someone to come out and take care of it for you.



By: Michael Clark

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Everybody has seen it.  It doesn’t take an expert to drive through a neighborhood and spot the house that obsesses on their yard (in fact, it might be they do!) and the house that only mows when the city is knocking on their door.  In Minnesota, most people get excited when the snow starts to melt and the grass starts getting green.  So, what should you do to give your lawn a head start?  You do want a beautiful lawn without devoting your entire summer to it, right?

 

A lot of people suggest getting your lawn ready for spring before the first snowfall…but of course time gets away from a lot of people.  So, here are some tips for those who weren’t able to find time to baby their yard before the snow came.

 

1. When most of the snow has melted, get your wheelbarrow out and start picking up the debris left behind from the fall and anything the snowplows may have thrown into your lawn.  You will want to get your rake out so that you get all of the twigs, branches, leaves, etc. that are in the yard.  (This will also make it easier to mow when it comes time for that!)

2. Then get out your shovel (hopefully for the last time) and flatten out any piles that are taking longer to melt.  They might be lining your sidewalk from shoveling previously or in areas that don’t get as much sun. Why?  While the extra snow shouldn’t kill the grass, it might stunt the growth and that won’t make for a superb lawn.

3. Fertilizing in the spring.  I am a firm believer that it is easier to start a nice lawn early than it is to bring a dull lawn back to life in midsummer.  So, go to the local hardware store and search for a fertilizer for the spring (it should say when to use the specific mixtures on the back).  Remember not to over fertilize because this can actually cause more harm to the grass than good, so read the directions thoroughly.

4.  Attend to any lawn problems you had last year.  Did you have crabgrass (or any other nuisance) invade your yard last summer?  It is vital to stop these annoyances before they can get started.  Some, including crabgrass, have a very limited timeframe to be taken care of each year.  (See my other articles regarding this)

5. Areas of patchy grass?  I like to use a method called “overseeding.”  This is when you put down a lot of grass seed in the patchy areas.  It will make your grass grow faster and stronger, and of course you will have a much fuller looking lawn!  Don’t do this too early…the grass seed you choose should have directions for when to plant it!

So, there you have it!  Some early spring lawn care tips for my Minnesota people!  This might not make your lawn the nicest on the block in one summer, but if you follow these steps every spring, your yard will eventually be one of the best! MN Lawn Care made easy!

 



By: Wayne Westerberg

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Curious. I have read in some places that mowing a lawn can be good to prevent grassy weeds and in other places that by mowing it weakens the grass and so fertilizing can help keep the lawn well nourished because of injuries such as mowing. I am confused. From my logic, mowing the lawn can only be a bad thing for the lawn since i don’t think in nature it wants to be cut and have to be regrown and by being cut you are more exposed to the air to loose moisture from inside. I can understand that in a controlled way thatching can be a good thing (maintain mosture in the soil because of grass droppings due to mowing) but i dunno.

Can someone explain the benefits of mowing?

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