Of course, another way is to core aerate, spread seed and top dress with compost.  That’s a little easier but more labor intensive.  If the lawn is really dead, it has to be torn up, top dressed with soil and seeded.  We would tear up the dead grass with a power rake, but an iron rake with a lot of elbow grease or a roto-tiller can also do the trick.

I’ll be speaking at the Arnold Arboretum on Tuesday, September 28.  The topic is organic lawn care for home owners.  I’ll be trying to switch my focus from what we would do to how a regular do-it-yourselfer would tackle lawn care problems.

Contact us today for more information on the upcoming Organic Lawn Therapy course or our professional organic lawn care services.

Photo courtesy of Nancy Bosold of the "Gardening in the Keystone State" blog.
 

Photo by David McNew / Getty Image

I recently spent a couple of days at a soil health workshop at Cornell attended by farmers and soil scientists.  I asked a farmer how the crops were doing in western New York this summer.  I knew they had a tough time last year due to very cool, wet weather.  “No one’s complaining this year,” he said.  They had regular rains and good weather until the beginning of August. 

I never felt so much like a farmer as this year.  Last year was pretty good.  This year we had the wettest March ever and that led to a preponderance of clover and plantain.  Then we had the hottest July and that just fried a lot of lawns.

Cool season grasses are perennials, but their health and well being are limited by weeds, weather and wear (or a combination thereof).  I’ve been waiting for a little rain so my crop will survive.  I’m so glad to see the recent showers and cool nights.  Now we can get down to slice seeding, core aerating and revitalizing.  The cool season grasses will thrive.

As Edgar Watson Howe once said, "Farmers only worry during the growing season, but towns people worry all the time."

Sometimes I look forward to the snow.

“You guys are going to have a lot of slice seeding to do this year,” one customer commented.  She’s right.  And we’re getting ready.  We usually start slice seeding and core aerating on August 15.  I hope the lawns have started to recuperate by then.  We bought another slice seeder, ordered seed and have extra help ready.

The slice seeder we just bought is called a ‘lawn revitalizer’ but others are called ‘renovators’ and that is what they do.  They tear up the thatch and weeds, put slices in the ground and deposit seed for that all important seed to soil contact.  The process stimulates growth and thickens the lawn.  As the crabgrass dies at the first frost, the new seed is coming up.  The hardest part is raking behind the machine and getting rid of all that material.  Core aeration helps relieve compaction and also reduces thatch.  We fertilize at the same time in preparation for that fall growth spurt.  Everything should be beautiful by October.

I got a nice note from another customer who likes to put a positive spin on things, “The lawn still has a lot of crab grass and clover, but seems to be healthy.  We enjoy watching a very cute rabbit who appears each evening to eat her fill.  She actually prefers the weeds, clover and crab grass!”

Schedule your FREE organic lawn care consultation today to get your lawn in shape for fall.

A problem occurs when the thatch builds up faster than it is broken down by soil organisms. Air and water can’t get through the thatch layer to the soil.  It is said that you have a thatch problem when you can’t stick your finger through it to get to the soil. I’ve seen a number of examples where people are watering, but the soil beneath the thatch is bone dry. Moist thatch is a great place for weed seed germination and fungal diseases.

Bluegrass, especially sod, and creeping red fescues have the most thatch because they spread through above ground roots. Acidic soils reduce microbial activity and slow down the decomposition of thatch. Too much water soluble nitrogen makes roots grow too fast. 

We use core aerators, slice seeders and power rakes to remove thatch. Organic fertilizers, compost and compost tea stimulate biological activity to break it down. Soil tests tell us the pH of the soil and we add limestone to put the soil in the proper range.

Visit our organic lawn care services page to learn more or contact us today for your free lawn care consultation.

One customer, who doesn’t water, told me, “I tell my neighbors, I’m out of the lawn competition in August.  Hell, they’re all on the Cape anyway.  The grass always bounces back.”

	An organic lawn through the seasons… Spring, Summer and Fall.

This summer seems extraordinarily hot and dry.  I see all sorts of lawns browning up due to summer stress.  Last year it seemed cool and moist until August.  Every year is different. 

A few tips…

1. If your lawn is brown, it’s not a good idea to water constantly to green it up while the weather is still hot. An inch every couple of weeks should keep it going. 
2. Keep traffic to a minimum. 
3. Mow high and only when needed. 

Lawns with problem thatch layers will experience drought stress sooner.  Soil conditions such as compaction will become evident.  You may see brown lines caused by the tire tracks of the lawnmower.

Our lawns may not look their best in the heat of summer, but they’ll be back when the yellow school buses roll around.

Contact us today for more information or to schedule your FREE organic lawn care consultation.

The soil test lets us know of other factors influencing the health of the soil like the amount of organic matter and the relationship of important nutrients.  Soil tests are more important to Organic Soil Solutions because we rely so much on the soil to make our seeding successful.  The soil test measures the chemical nature of the soil but good physical and biological components are essential as well. 

Turf magazine featured us in an article called "Passing the Soil Test" last month.  It’s great that the turf care industry is concerned about the health of the soil and we hope the trend continues.

I visited a lawn recently in Newton that was loaded with weeds.  It was cut short and scalped around the edges.  “How often do you water?” I asked the home owner.  “Every day.” she replied.  I wasn’t surprised.  The lawn had a thick layer of thatch, which when kept moist, is a perfect breeding ground for fungal disease and weed seed germination.  Meanwhile, the grass is not developing the deep roots it needs to thrive. 

Each time its cut short, the plant is stressed and has to grow back the blade.  The roots don’t have to go deep to get water because there’s plenty at the surface.  Too much water fills the spaces between the soil particles where air should be and creates a condition similar to compaction.  As they say, the roots don’t grow in the soil, but in the spaces between the soil particles. It starts with good soil structure.

A happy lawn waves in the breeze and basks in the sun.  It has plenty of leaf surface for photosynthesis and making food, activities the grass plant loves to do.  Most of those starches and sugars go to the roots for growth and keeping the soil biology well fed and productive.  You don’t want those bacteria and fungi sitting on the couch collecting unemployment and playing X-Box all day!

Grass clippings add nitrogen and organic matter while keeping weeds at bay.  The soil has stayed fairly moist on its own this year.  If you wonder if your lawn needs water, stick a shovel or a spade in the ground and see if the soil is dry.  If the grass doesn’t bounce back when you walk on it, it needs water.

Someone told me that the lawn at Tanglewood is organic.  If it is, it thrives because of good cultural practices.

For more information, read Ten Tips for a Great Organic Lawn or contact us today for a free consultation.

I’ve been stunned this spring by the turn around in some of the lawns we care for.  Places where I’ve seeded for years were covered with thick, lush grass.  One lady said, “Remember when this was all brown.  Now we never have crab grass and we don’t even water anymore”. 

Another guy, who’s been on the program a couple of years said, “You know, this stuff really works.  My wife heard crickets the other night for the first time in years.  And we have robins on the front yard again”.  Mowing high, improving the soil and seeding certainly help as well.   Before some readers choke, however, yes, we still have plenty of challenging lawns and we thank you for the opportunity to succeed.

If you use irrigation, watering deeply and less often is best for the grass.  Apply water based on the weather, your soil, shade and the depth of your roots.  The best practice is one inch (approximately one hour), once a week.  If it gets hot, do it twice.  We want to get the water deep down to the roots and not maintain a moist surface that is ideal for weed seed germination.  You can use a spade to check the soil moisture once in a while.  Mow at 3” or more.

Get more answers to your questions about organic lawn care or contact us today for a free estimate.

But, maybe my friend has a point…

All partying aside, an organic lawn or garden can also be a place to teach and to learn about literature, math, history and science. It can be a place to reflect and relax.

The article, "Muddy Waters", from Heronswood Voice reads "Plants and seeds provide students with new ways to understand the world and their place in it. A small, modest garden supplies tactility, shape, color, fragrance and flavor: all key ways we apprehend reality. Finally, gardening provides an overarching narrative that connects and unites all aspects of humanity…"

So, are organic lawns and gardens like a party or a quiet place to learn and reflect? Or both?

What do you think?

The Weys were more than happy to share some photos of their organic lawn and garden last summer with everyone considering organic lawn care in Massachusetts.

In their words:

"I cannot believe it was just the second year we started treating our garden and lawn organically. WOW! What a difference! I don't know if you remember, but we had huge holes and area where grass was not even growing after trying for 2 years.

The plantings are organic too! We planted the garden two summers ago and they started as 4" plants…you can really see that organic treatment does a fantastic job.

Chris and I are very pleased, and we really want to thank you very much for doing such an amazing job!"

See what switching to organic lawn care can do for you:

	Are you ready to make the switch to organic lawn care? Contact Us Today