Don't rake your leaves this fall

Raking leaves can be a big pain. Once you get a nice pile, a gust always comes along and messes it up.
Then you have to worry about what to do with them. If you have a large property and a compost pile or tumbler, that's a good use for them, but you also need to have an adequate amount of green material in your pile to offset the browns.

If you live in a town with a leaf collection program, you rake it out onto the street or bag it and wait for pick up. The leaves can disrupt curb side parking and create a mess when it rains.

A better solution, just mow over them. The mower will crush them into little pieces and over time they will decompose into material that will help feed your lawn. It's like composting in your lawn. You save the trip to and from the composter as well as the effort in turning.

WSJ's Wendy Bounds' Organic Lawn Makeover

Found this video on Youtube.com from Wall Street Journal reporter Wendy Bounds. She started using organic lawn care techniques and documented the results in this video clip.

Things didn't start out great but with a little bit of time, research and knowledgeable friends she was able to get an organic lawn..

Some of my thoughts on her organic weeding tools are posted after the video.

The Weed Hound she discussed for removing weeds is very popular. It is easy to use and gets the weeds out fast. Some people have claimed they get addicted to using the Weed Hound and start doing their neighbor's lawns when they run out of their own weeds from what some people are saying! So you might want to consider getting one as a gift to your neighbor :)

The Weed Twister also looks good as it gets the root out but needs a bit more work.

The Dandelion Terminator, which seemed to be Wendy's favorite, is no longer in production.

Their website states: "Sorry but due to technical problems, we have temporarily stopped sales." From a FAQ on the product it is clear that the Dandelion Terminator does not remove the root. It just breaks up the leaves and stems. Without removing the root, the weed will come back.

A better product to use would be the Weed Hound which gets the root out and doesn't take much more work. You also don't use electricity or need to have a drill to use it.

You'd have better success if you just reached down and grabbed the weed and pulled it by hand than using the Dandelion Terminator. You'll do the same thing, but sometimes you'll manage to get the root out too.

Should I water my lawn?

That's a common question we all ask. For some information view the previous post on Low and No Cost Lawn Care where I discuss proper mowing and watering techniques.

I found a site that can help you answer the question of when to water your lawn in the Northeast. I've embedded it below for easy access. It should be pretty self explanatory. (Sometimes this tool is broken)

It looks like it finds the weather station closest to the zip code you entered to get relevant weather data for your area. Then based on the amount of precipitation (rain) and evapotranspiration in your area, recommends the amount of water your lawn needs.

It doesn't seem to account for soil type, but it still seems to be a good general guide.

Are composting bins necessary?

Photo by Kessner Photography

When you start learning about organic lawn care, one thing you're going to hear a lot about is compost. Compost, compost, compost! It has many uses but primarily it is considered a soil conditioner, fertilizer and mulch. Compost is simply decomposed organic matter.

The more you read the more you discover that there is no better compost than the compost you make yourself. Not only will you be creating a great amendment for your lawn and garden but you'll be doing your part to help the environment by reducing the amount of waste you send to the landfill. It's also cheaper and easier than buying it.

I'm not going to get into the details of making compost, if you want more information you can view the links at the bottom of this post. The basics involve using the right materials at the correct ratios. Other than a little turning to aerate the mix and possibly adding water, there's not much to it.

Does Superthrive work?

I ran across a product called Superthrive that is marketed as a "Science Miracle" and "completely organic." What caught my attention was the $160 per gallon price tag as well as the 1950's looking package that reminded me of the types of ads I saw growing up the backs of magazines. You know, the X-Ray vision glasses, the Atlas lose weight program, Amazing Sea-Monkey's etc.

I wanted to find out what this stuff was and was it worth the price. There are a lot of items in the world of organic gardening and lawn care that seem overpriced and unnecessary. Could this be one of them?

Searching various forums it seems people have mixed feelings. Opinions range from wouldn't do with out it to calling it snake oil.

Lawn sprinklers for small lawns

So you've read up on proper lawn care, especially how to water your lawn and as much as you want to pamper your lawn, you just can't find time in your busy schedule to get up before the sun comes up to water your lawn. I know some people who prefer to water by hand, one of whom has an in-ground sprinkler system that he rarely uses. But that's not for everyone.

You might have consider an expensive irrigation system but for many, an in-ground irrigation system is not worth the cost and hassle. With the recent housing boom, many large, new homes have replaced the more modestly sized homes on lots surrounding metropolitan areas. The results of building these McMansions is that there is very little lawn area left.

If your lawn size does not justify the expense of adding an in-ground irrigation system, there are a number of options available to automate watering your lawn that don't involve any digging or plumbing. These sprinklers attach with standard garden hoses and there are timers to control them so you won't have to spend time with hose in hand.

Transitioning to Organic Lawn Care

For those that have been using synthetic fertilizers and pesticides for many years, the transition to organic lawn care might be tough.

The two work on different fundamental principles. With synthetics, you're feeding the lawn directly by applying nutrients. With organics you're feeding the soil and the microbial life which in turn feeds your lawn. These microorganisms (microherd) consist of beneficial bacteria, beneficial fungi and beneficial nematodes to name a few.

Synthetic fertilizers either kill, or make the soil inhospitable to your microherd and the result can be fairly sterile looking soil devoid of life.

You need good soil to grow good grass

The quality of your soil is a big factor in growing a nice lawn. Hopefully you've stopped using synthetic chemicals in your lawn and have gone to a more natural, organic lawn care program.

So what makes good soil? Good pH, proper nutrients, texture, and organic matter are very important. To determine what's in your soil, it's best to send a sample to your local extension office for analysis. Most extension offices are run out of a university. Do a Google search to find one in your area.

Calling them or viewing their website will give you instructions on how to best take a sample and send it to them. Some have different levels of tests and the pricing varies by the complexity of the test as well as the extension office.

Along with your soil test report, you will receive recommendations on how to improve your soil. Most extension offices still think along the lines of synthetic fertilizers, but you can provide the same amendments by using organics. For example they will suggest your soil needs, X lbs of something and suggest an synthetic fertilizer but you can always add that X lbs through organic amendments. It will usually take a larger quantity compared to synthetics.

Different extension offices and tests will give you different data, but below are the most common items that will be included in your test results.

This post will give you some information on how to tell if you have good soil or not and tips to improve it.

No and Low Cost Lawn Care

photo by Pauline Eccles

There are a lot of things you can do to your lawn that will cost you little or no money and will have a big effect. All of them have to do with proper mowing and watering.

When I first decided to learn how to properly maintain my lawn organically, heck when I first actually started to try and learn anything about keeping a healthy lawn, I realized that it didn't take much to make dramatic improvements in my lawn.

Using the following tips, which didn't cost me anything, made a dramatic improvement in the quality and appearance of my lawn.

Lawn Mowing Tips

Mow High

Raise the deck of your mower so your grass blades are 3-4" high after you cut. There are many benefits for doing this that will help keep your grass healthier and weed free.

We all learned about photosynthesis in school. It is the process by which green plants convert light energy into chemical energy. Grass uses water and sunlight to convert carbon dioxide into carbohydrates that it uses for growth. Photosynthesis happens in the blade of the grass. The chlorophyll in the blades of the grass absorb the sunlight to perform photosynthesis. The more surface area in the blades, the more photosynthesis can occur.

Tall grass also helps shade the soil to prevent water from evaporating too quickly. Blocking the sun also helps prevent weed seeds that do germinate from thriving. By shading the soil, the lawn will choke out a lot of weeds.

On golf courses and other sports fields which are concerned with performance of the game, they need to cut the grass short in some areas. Most people don't need to worry about this in their lawns. If you really want to have a putting green on your lawn, you're going to have to work as hard as the turf managers do.

Don't bag your clippings

If you leave your grass clippings on the lawn, you will be returning nutrients and moisture to your lawn. Mulching your clippings can return up to 20% of the nitrogen your lawn needs. The clippings will feed the organisms in your soil which in turn will feed your lawn. Be sure not to leave clumps of grass. If necessary go over the clumps to cut them further and disperse them. Sometimes, after I'm done mowing, I'll have to lightly rake some areas where there are obvious clumps but most of the time I can just kick them and spread the clippings around. Clumps in your lawn can damage your lawn. If you often have to deal with clumps, you might need to mow your lawn more often.

Some people worry that this might cause thatch to build up in the lawn but this is not the case. The material in the blades decomposes quickly. Thatch is usually a result of too much fertilizer.

Another benefit is that more and more communities no longer offer grass clipping collection with normal household trash. This is true for a number of towns in New Jersey. Not having to deal with the mess of emptying a heavy bag full of clippings is also a plus for those that don't compost.

Mulch mow your leaves in the fall

In the fall, instead of raking and bagging your leaves, you can just go over them with your mower to mulch them into the lawn. This will give your lawn some valuable nutrients and build up the organic matter content of your soil.

Never cut more than 1/3 the length of the blade

If you leave your grass uncut for too long and remove more than one-third of the blade, you will stress your lawn and stunt or slow its growth, including the roots. This will also keep your grass clippings from clumping. This may mean you have to mow more often at certain times of the year. If this is a problem, you might want to consider reseeding your lawn with slower growing, dwarf-type grass seed.

Never mow wet grass

Wet grass clumps more easily and can promote diseases to spread. Wet grass also doesn't cut as well and can leave the tips of your grass blades damaged and torn.

Keep your lawn mower blade sharp

A sharp blade produces a cleaner cut that heals quicker. If your mower blade is not sharp, you tear the grass and the tips will start to brown, leaving your lawn looking unhealthy, make it more vulnerable to disease and stunt its growth. You should sharpen your blade once or twice a season depending how often you mow.

You may also want to consider a reel mower. They cut the grass with a scissor action. Many professional turf managers use expensive gas-powered reel mowers to give their lawns that manicured look.

Mow in different directions

Years ago, when I first had to learn how to mow a lawn, my neighbor told me that I should mow in two directions each time I mow. I never really looked into it, I just did it. Recently, I've read more detailed information on why I should mow my lawn in different directions. Mowing the same way each time will help the grass stand more erect because it's not dealing with the large forces from mowing in the same way each time. It seems you can alternate directions every other mowing instead of essentially mowing twice each time. In areas of my lawn where I can't really do this, the grass does look a bit flatter so I guess my neighbor was right.

Lawn Watering Tips

Proper lawn watering is one of the simplest things you can do to enhance the look of your lawn.
In the northeast, rain provides most of the water your lawn needs in the spring and fall. When the weather gets hotter and rainfall drops, you'll want to water your lawn more to keep it from going dormant. These tips may result in slightly more or slightly less water usage depending on your current schedule.

Water Deeply and Infrequently

Watering your grass when it needs it and only how much it needs it will help reduce weeds as well as help your lawn become more drought tolerant by encouraging the roots to grow deeper.
I have written a more in-depth post on how and when to water your lawn which I suggest you read.

Water in the early morning

It's not good for plants, including your grass to have their leaves stay wet. This can promote diseases from fungus. When you water in the early morning, the blades will dry as the sun comes out.
You'll also lose less water to evaporation as the water will have time to soak into the soil before the sun comes up.

Are synthetic fertilizers safe?

That's a question many of have asked. The short answer is some are and some aren't. Many of the chemicals sold for lawn care have some risks associated with them and their labels indicate you need to take precautions. At the very least there are concerns, enough that many local regulations require warnings on lawns after a chemical treatment. We all want a nice looking lawn but why risk your health and the health of your family when there are other options? Even if that risk is minor, how important is your lawn to justify that risk when there are alternatives?

There are many reasons to start using organic lawn care products.