Your lawn is a big part of your home's outward appearance and landscaping, but you want to keep it free of chemicals from fertilizers and other additives that can harm the environment. Here are some recommendations to promote a healthy lawn with the use of organic lawn care.
Use Water Wisely
Your lawn is going to need water during the summer months, especially if you live in a hot climate that does not get a lot of rainfall or you are experiencing a drought in your area. Supplemental irrigation from a sprinkler system in your yard will allow you to regulate the exact amount of moisture your lawn needs to keep it healthy. Overwatering or watering every day for a few minutes can actually cause more harm to your lawn. Too much moisture will promote disease and fungus in your lawn and short spurts of water will irrigate only the surface of the soil, which keeps your lawn roots shallow and prone to heat stress.
Choose to water two to three times each week for longer durations so the moisture reaches down several inches. Your lawn's roots will grow equally deep and keep your lawn healthy against disease, weeds, and other problems that would require chemical herbicides and pesticides. If you have a heavy rainstorm in your area, delay your lawn watering until the next scheduled time to eliminate too much watering.
Trim Your Lawn Regularly
Your lawn will need to be trimmed every week or so, depending on how much it grows. You should never trim off too much length at each mowing, so get into a pattern of mowing when your lawn is at a certain height. Let the clippings fall back into your lawn. This will actually put essential nutrients back into your lawn, and it won't need fertilization chemicals.
Make sure your mower blades are kept sharp so they don't damage your lawn blades. Or look at using a reel mower that does not use fuel and also uses blades that cut like scissors to give your lawn a better trim.
Provide Health Promoting Practices
In addition to watering and mowing your lawn properly, you will want to add some beneficial practices. In the spring if your lawn's thatch is thick, rake it, and collect it for composting to provide more moisture and airflow to your lawn's roots. Then, you can always sprinkle a layer of compost over your lawn to help feed the roots in the spring when it has emerged from dormancy. Aerating is also a good practice every few years to remove soil compaction from around your lawn that can build up.
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