Video - Organic Lawn Care Tips

Growing a healthy lawn using organic methods is really no harder than using a bunch of chemicals on it - and it's much healthier for you and your family and pets! It helps keep dangerous chemicals out of your soil, air, water, garden, and even your house. This short video offers a number of helpful tips for growing a great lawn, and keeping your lawn green and healthy - organically. (For some tips on making your own compost tea, check out our previous post on this.)

Some helpful organic lawncare resources are posted below the video.

Organic Lawn Care
Manage your lawn organically, without harmful chemical fertilizers and pesticides.


Helpful Organic Lawn Care Resources:
   

Natural Lawn Care for a Healthier Lawn

I don't personally care for lawns, and I'm in favor of digging them up to plant gardens wherever possible! But many people do have lawns, and the health of your lawn can actually affect the health of your garden (and your family) - especially if you treat it with dangerous chemicals. Some people garden organically, but don't think about the harmful effects of the chemicals used on the nearby lawn, which actually could be contaminating your garden. Natural lawn care is actually not difficult, and can lead to a prettier and healthier lawn - if that's your thing.

As well as drainage and irrigation there are other considerations that can enhance your lawn and make it look more beautiful and more enjoyable. Regular mowing, catching of the grass clippings (which you can use as mulch in your garden, or add to your compost) and also rolling will help to maintain the condition of your lawn.

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

There are people who believe that cutting the lawn at particular phases of the moon can slow it's growth and increase the time between mowing. There doesn't appear to be any evidence to support this but there is no harm in trying. If you are interested in experimenting on your own lawn try mowing during the waxing or full moon. Just don't do it while the neighbors are sleeping. :-)

Getting rid of insects in the lawn will help with its condition and this can be achieved with the use of insecticides that are commonly sold through garden stores or - preferably - with the use of natural methods.

Using natural methods is the healthiest solution as it won't affect children and pets, and more often than not the natural methods work better for longer than the insecticides as well. Without the toxic contents that are used in the commercial insecticides you will be happier to walk on the lawn and know that you won't be putting any of the toxic residues into your system. You'll also keep the harmful residues out of your garden, where if used they often can drift in through the air, or be tracked in on your shoes - and then end up in your food!

Some people still use soap as a natural insecticide in the garden but you need to be careful that you are using the correct soap, as some household soaps can be harmful to plants. Obviously you won't want to be flooding your lawn with soapy water and in fact this is banned in many areas where soap can cause problems if it enters in to the waterways.

More and more insecticides are also getting banned so it makes sense to look at the natural lawn care alternatives that are available.

Maintaining Your Summer Garden

There are many things that go into planning and planting a summer garden. Far too often would be gardeners do not consider the time and energy that should be spent maintaining a summer garden in order to keep it looking beautiful and healthy throughout the long dog days of summer and, hopefully, into the first frosts of fall. If prolonging the life and beauty of your summer garden is a priority then there are things that must be done in order to keep everything ship shape and in good working order.

1. Create a calendar of things to do in your garden for routine maintenance throughout the summer growing season and follow it as closely as time and the weather will allow. Make sure this list allows for upsets such as a week of rain or a week of no rain as well as time to adjust for these inconsistencies and an inability to work in the garden when temperatures are uncomfortably hot. Having a list of things to do written down in a place where it can be seen will be much more likely to be accomplished than if it were out of sight and out of mind.

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

2. Make sure you keep your garden weeded, watered, mulched, and fertilized according to the needs of the specific plants within your garden. Check for leaves that are turning yellow and any pruning that needs to occur on a weekly basis. Remove dead leaves and flowers, and remove all weeds whenever the opportunity or need arises. If weeds are becoming a prevalent theme you may want to increase the amount of mulch being used in your gardening efforts.

3. Trim the areas of your lawn that need trimming in order to create a more uniform appearance between lawn and garden. You do not want to diminish the beauty of your garden because your lawn is looking shaggy and unkempt. Devote a little time to lawn care in order to keep your lawn and garden on a consistent scale with one another throughout the summer gardening season.

4. Make sure that you carefully study each plant that you have in your garden and are aware of any special needs that exist for one plant over another. If your plants that need shade or extra water are either receiving too much sunlight or not enough water you need to make efforts to provide shade for them and get more water to them throughout the remaining months or you risk losing the investment of time and money you have already made in procuring and growing these plants.

Taking proper care of your garden during the summer months can make the fall harvesting process go a lot more smoothly, while also helping prepare for the planning that will occur in the winter months ahead. Learn from the maintenance of your garden and plan the next garden with the needs you became aware of this season in mind. Always take time to learn from both your successes and your summer gardening failures for the best possible results. Learning to maintain your summer garden properly is the best way to determine whether or not you want to attempt a more or less ambitious garden in future growing seasons.

Convert Your Manicured Lawn to a Wildlife-Friendly Garden

I know we talk a lot about vegetable gardening here, but what if you want a lower-maintenance garden that is still sustainable and eco-friendly? Today we're discussing a slightly different type of garden - one that's wildlife-friendly. Keep in mind you probably won't want to grow edible vegetables in your wildlife garden, unless you are just growing them for the animals to eat! But it can be a fun way to try a new kind of gardening that is a lot less resource-intensive than maintaining a lawn.

wildlife garden (Photo credit: helen.2006)

Homeowners tend to have a great sense of pride associated with their lawns. They keep them cut short, use pesticides to keep them weed-free, and water them during dry spells. It takes a lot of work, but many feel that it's worth it to maintain a neat and tidy appearance.

But a growing number of homeowners are deciding to forgo mainstream lawn care practices and make their lawns more wildlife-friendly. This requires some work, too – it's not as easy as just ceasing to mow. A good wildlife garden has flowers and plants that attract and feed native species. But for those who enjoy watching nature up close, they are certainly worth the effort.

There are many advantages to turning your lawn into a wildlife garden. Here are a few to think about.

* Wildlife gardens are easy to care for. There is some work involved in getting them started, but once the plants are growing, you don't have to do much in the way of maintenance. You never have to mow, and watering requirements are minimal. Even when the weather is dry, the long grasses and weeds will retain more water than a manicured lawn.

* The native plants used in a wildlife garden are beautiful, and they tend to do very well since they are in their natural habitat. You don't have to worry much about them becoming diseased or needing extra attention, because they are already adapted to the weather and conditions in your area.

* A good wildlife garden attracts all types of species. Some plants attract insects, which in turn attract birds and other animals that feed on them. Other plants directly attract small animals, which in turn attract larger animals that are their natural predators.

English: Wildlife Garden The Derwen Garden Centre display (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

* Wildlife gardens provide an unparalleled learning experience for children. They learn about plants and animals in school, but getting to see them up close and personal makes much more of an impression than looking at pictures in books. It also encourages them to ask questions and interact with their surroundings.

* Wildlife gardens are very environmentally friendly. Since you won't be mowing, you will create much less air pollution. And the absence of pesticides is not only good for the animals that visit and live in your garden, it's also good for soil and groundwater quality - and for your family.

A wildlife garden is much more interesting than a stretch of short, perfectly uniform grass. And it's also good for the animals that inhabit your surroundings. It provides them with food and shelter, and it provides you with a wealth of natural beauty right in your own yard.

Store-Bought Fertilizer Versus Home-Made Compost

You may wonder what the different benefits are between fertilizer purchased from the store and compost humus that you make at home.  The aim of both is the same - to improve the quality of your garden, lawn, and soil - but there are differences too.

A green compost bin. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Many fertilizers that you purchase at your garden center contain artificial or toxic elements to make your lawn and garden look nice – but not necessarily healthier. The benefit of this type of fertilization is the ability to purchase a mix that meets the needs of your specific lawn or garden.  If your lawn is too dry, patchy, or has a lot of weeds – if your garden is weedy or plagued by pests - there is a product available that can target each problem (be aware that a pesticide is part of this solution).  If you are using a commercial mix in your garden, read all labels carefully to ensure the product is safe to use around vegetation that is going to be consumed. If it's not approved for organic gardening, you really don't want it in your food!

In contrast, when you use compost humus as a fertilizer there isn’t a lot you can do to customize the end result.  But the good thing is, you don’t really need to.  Mature compost is a process that occurs naturally, and a well-composed compost contains a wide variety of minerals and nutrients to support a wide spectrum of plant growth.  The compost contains a wide range of benefits for your garden or lawn that do not involve chemicals.

Organic compost for sale. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It will really depend on your personal preference, and your style of gardening, whether or not you use commercial fertilizer or compost.  If you like the idea of gardening organically and using compost but not the idea of making it yourself you can purchase the compost from some gardening centers, or even online.  Also contact your city’s recycling department, as they may have a program set-up that allows residents to donate food and other organic waste for composting and then share in the mature compost when it is ready.