This is a little out of date and I don't really agree with some of it, but it might help. Forget about "fertilisers" (like bloodmeal, bonemeal etc), whether "organic" or not, as Robert says it's just replacing chemical fertilizers with non chemical fertilizers. Use sifted compost and compost tea.
HTH. Best Keith The Organic Lawn As in all fields of organic growing, the basic recipe for a successful organic lawn is to create conditions which encourage healthy growth of the required plant - in this case grass. While it would be difficult to forget to tend the vegetables or the fruit, for example, it is easy to neglect a lawn, because it is always there! Grass is a fairly tough plant but it will only take a certain amount of mal-treatment before vigour and growth is reduced, leaving the way open for weeds to invade, and allowing pest and disease to become a problem. Regular and timely attention will save time and trouble in the long term. Some gardeners who would not dream of using chemicals on the vegetable plot still use fertilisers and/or weedkillers on the lawn, either because they think it saves so much effort or because they don't think it possible to maintain a lawn organically. An organic lawn may require a change of attitude but it is quite possible and should not require a great deal of extra work; chemicals can sometimes provide a short term solution to a problem but in no way replace good care and maintenance, Another justification for using chemicals might be that the lawn is such a small area of land that these couldn't cause much harm to the environment. But, it has been estimated that there are around 90,000 hectares (222,300 acres) of lawn in the U.K. - so if every gardener uses chemicals on their lawn this can add up to a considerable amount. This figure also shows the importance of the garden for wildlife. As our countryside diminishes and becomes more polluted, so the value of the backgarden, especially an organic garden, grows. Are you asking too much of your lawn? Before you start to develop a positive lawn care programme, take a good look at your lawn and ask yourself if you are demanding too much of it. Are you expecting it to grow well on a poorly drained site, or under trees? Are you hoping that a sward of fine grass will withstand the ravages of children's games or regular winter use? Or are you expecting a mixture of rough grasses to produce a bowling green finish with those famous stripes? No amount of good care can help if the site and/or the grass species in the lawn are unsuitable for the job. The easy way round this is to alter your expectations to fit the lawn! The alternative is to correct any major problems - such as poor drainage or too much shade. If you are sowing a new lawn or reseeding an old one make sure you choose a seed mix that suits the purpose. There are all sorts available nowadays, including some very hard wearing (but slow growing) mixtures. Mowing If nothing else, at least everyone mows the lawn. Some gardeners will be out with the mower as soon as a blade of grass grows over half an inch tall, and others will wait until it is knee high before they tackle it. Both of these cases can be a recipe for disaster for the ordinary lawn. If the grass is cut too short and too often the plants will be weakened, and less able to withstand dry weather and the invasion of weeds. Leaving it too long will encourage species of grass and weeds at the expense of those you really want in the lawn. Regular mowing to the right height on the other hand will encourage a good thick healthy sward and help to control weeds. When to cut: As soon as the grass is 1.25cm (1/2 in) taller than the recommended height. How often to cut: This will obviously depend on growing conditions. A general purpose lawn can need a weekly cut. A fine lawn may need to be cut 2-3 times a week. Height of cut: Cut a general purpose lawn to 2.5cm (l in), a fine lawn to 1.25cm (1/2 in) during the growing season. Leave the grass a little longer (say 3cm (1-1/4in) and 2cm (3/4in) respectively) in spring, autumn or periods of drought. If you have left the grass to grow too long, reduce its height over 2 or 3 cuts, leaving a few days to recover in between. A single cut will be a great shock to the plants and will reduce the vigour. Which mower? This isn't the time or the place to get involved in the perennial battle between the manufacturers of mowers that hover and of those that don't. Gardening Which? reported the results of three years of trials which showed that the type of mower is less important than how you use it. Most mowers should do a good job if kept sharp, and properly adjusted, and provided they are not required to cut in wet weather. Choose the one that suits your pocket and vour situation. Collecting the clippings If the lawn is cut as suggested there is in general no need to remove the mowings as there should be no problem with build up of 'thatch'. All you are doing is removing fertility which then has to be replenished in some way or other, and you have the problem of what to do with quantities of mowings. There are certain times though when it is advisable to collect and remove the grass cuttings such as a) the first cut in the spring when the ground is cold and wet and the mowings will not disappear quickly. These mowings are useful to use in the potato trenches at planting time; b) if the grass has been left rather long before cutting; c) if you are trying to eliminate certain weeds. Maintenance Raking and scarifying A poorly maintained lawn can soon become clogged up with 'thatch' - the name given to a layer of dead vegetation at the base of the plants. The grass will tend to root into this layer rather than into the soil and so will be very susceptible to drought. In wet weather the thatch can also hold moisture and prevent water penetrating into the soil which can cause surface water logging; this may result in problems with disease and moss. To prevent a thatch building up, rake the lawn (using a lawn rake or one of the small machines available) once a month during the growing season. This regular attention is much more effective than an annual 'scarification' (vigorous raking). If a thatch has built up though and you want to clean up the lawn, early autumn is the time to do it - when the grass is still 'tillering' (producing side shoots) and will rapidly invade bare patches. If considerable bare patches are left these should be reseeded or turfed. 'Pricking' can be a short term solution to the problems caused by thatch. This involves breaking through the surface mat to a depth of less than 7.5cm (3in) using a fork or mechanical aerator. Aeration The soil under a lawn can easily become compacted with regular use. Symptoms of compaction include water logging, browning in dry weather and bare patches. Compaction excludes air from the soil, so root growth is inhibited and rain is unable to soak away. Reducing traffic across the lawn, especially in wet weather, and improving the soil (see 'Feeding the lawn') can help prevent compaction, but once it has occurred the answer is to spike the lawn. Small areas can be spiked using a garden fork - driven in vertically to a depth of about 10cm (4in), rocked gently and pulled out again vertically. For a larger area a motorised spiker would be preferable. As spiking should not be a regular part of your lawn care programme, hiring a machine might be the answer for a large area. If symptoms of compaction have been seen, spike in September. Whichever method you use, it is easiest if done on a moist soil. If you are scarifying to remove thatch, do this before spiking. Feeding the soil Recycle plant foods as much as possible by leaving mowings on the lawn as often as you can. This will reduce the need for additional fertilisers, but won't eliminate it. The organic lawn should be fed as a response to symptoms apparent from the previous year rather than as a regular event. These symptoms could include weak growth or yellowing, assuming that these were not caused by drought or waterlogging. Blood, fish and bonemeal makes a good lawn feed as it supplies nitrogen (which encourages leaf growth) and phosphates (to build up roots). Apply it if required at 70g/sq m (2oz/sq yd) in April (not in the autumn). Potash(K) need not be applied on a regular basis but if the lawn seems prone to disease, or the soil is known to be low in potash, this can be applied in the autumn. Seaweed meal would be an ideal source, also supplying some Nitrogen and trace elements. Some organic gardeners use a liquid seaweed extract to give the grass a tonic in the spring. There are various 'bagged' animal manures on the market now that could be used on lawns - though this could work out quite pricey. Watch out though for those that are sold as 'organic' but do in fact contain added chemical fertilisers. Liming Liming is not required as a regular part of a lawn care programme. Lime need only be applied when the pH is going below about 5.5. Signs of high acidity include thin sparse grass and the appearance of weeds such as woodrush, sheeps sorrel and moss. Apply ground limestone in the autumn or winter at a rate of 70g/sq m (2oz/sq yd). Top Dressing Top dressing is the application of bulky organic material to the lawn. This is always done in the autumn. It can be heavy work and is not a technique often used by gardeners, but it is well worth doing if you want a good lawn. Top dressing can improve soil texture (which helps drainage and waterholding), help thatch to decompose, fill in hollows and may also add nutrients. It is most important that materials used for top dressing do not contain high levels of nitrogen as this would encourage lush growth which might well not stand the winter. Mixtures for top dressing Parts by volume Soil type Sand Loam Leafmould Heavy 4 2 1 Medium 2 4 1 Light 1 4 2 Notes: a. Sand should be of a medium grade and lime-free. b. The ideal loam is that from a turf stack; ordinary garden soil, garden compost, used potting compost are alternatives. Sift before use. c. Leafmould should be well rotted. Peat is an alternative. Apply the top dressing at a rate of around 1.6kg/sq m (3lb/sq yd), spreading it as evenly as possible, using the back of a rake. If you have a large area to cover you can make a spreader using a plank. if you do not have the energy or suitable material to treat the whole of the lawn in one go, aim to treat a part of the lawn each autumn - or concentrate on one prominent area where you will notice the benefit. If bare patches appear after top dressing - because a large hollow has been filled in, for example, these should be re-seeded to pre-empt the weeds. Weed control An all grass sward is not essential for a good looking lawn. If you take a closer look at many lawns that look quite acceptable you will find that in most cases the sward consists of a whole variety of plants (both grasses and broad leaved species) other than those that were originally sown. This mixed flora is much more acceptable to the organic grower than an all grass monoculture because it will support a greater variety of wildlife. And a mixture of species can help to keep the lawn looking green in conditions where an all grass lawn would not look so healthy. Meadow grasses for example will grow in the shade, clover will thrive on poor soils and yarrow will keep going in very dry conditions. Unless you are prepared to spend a great deal of effort on your lawn, it is much easier to accept a certain level of weed infestation and sit back and enjoy it! If you follow a good programme of lawn maintenance, as described above, to keep the grass growing well, the majority of weeds should be kept in check. Some of the commoner so called weeds are listed below and methods of control dealt with in more detail. Clover: a sign of a poor soil, low nitrogen. To eliminate clover, feed with a nitrogen rich fertiliser (such as blood, fish and bone) in the spring, and top dress in the autumn to improve the soil. The clover will soon be crowded out. The alternative is to leave the clover for the bees to enjoy. Daisies: a common weed where the soil is compacted and/or the pH is high and/or where the lawn has been mown too short. To eliminate daisies remove the cause or causes. Too many daisies can spoil a lawn, but leave a few for making daisy chains! Thistles, plantains and dandelions: these perennial weeds have leaves which grow flat against the surface of the lawn, avoiding the mower and shading out the grass. The only organic control of these weeds is to hand weed. If the soil is moist and friable, individual weeds can be loosened with a fork and pulled out without causing too much damage. An alternative is to cut the weeds off a few inches below ground and remove them. An old kitchen knife is ideal for this. It may seem like a mammoth task, but if you remove a few weeds every time you go out into the garden you will soon make an impression. Yarrow: an indicator of a lawn in poor condition on a soil low in nitrogen and humus. Improve general lawn care. Moss: one of the worst lawn weeds. Contrary to popular opinion, moss is a symptom of a whole variety of adverse conditions - not only a waterlogged soil. Moss can also be a problem on infertile sandy soils; on acid soils; in the shade; when the grass is mown too short and as a result of periods of summer drought. Eliminate any of these problems that occur on your lawn and the moss will gradually disappear. Remove patches of dead moss by raking and if bare patches are left as a result, these should be sown up with grass seed before the weeds get in. Annual meadow grass: some of this mixed in the sward is quite acceptable as it grows under trees and in compacted areas where other grasses will not. Large patches of meadow grass alone are not really acceptable as it is more susceptible to disease and drought. Deal with compaction problems and reduce shade to help eliminate this weed, and keep the grass box on when mowing so that the seeds are removed. Broad leaved perennial grasses: perennial grasses such as Yorkshire fog will survive regular mowing. Small patches can be dug up by hand and the space filled with a turf, or reseeded. For larger areas, slash the clumps of weed grass with a knife or edging 'half moon' before mowing, to reduce the strength of the plants. Lawn pest control Leather jackets (crane fly larvae): these larvae feed on the grass roots; symptoms of attack are patches of yellow or brown grass in dry weather. If your lawn is often covered in starlings pecking away at the soil, this is also an indication that leather jackets are present. You can check by watering a patch of lawn and leaving it covered with a sheet of polythene overnight; this will bring the legless grey/brown larvae (2.5cms/l in long) to the surface. Leather jackets are commonest on poorly drained lawns, so improving drainage and aeration should help to reduce their numbers. Chafer grubs: these flat, curved grubs also cause small patches of grass to die, which are easily pulled away from the soil. Rolling the ground in the spring can help to reduce their numbers. Worms: traditional gardening books will describe worms as pests of the lawn because their surface casts can look unsightly, bring up weed seeds and smear when the grass is cut. If you are worried by these casts they can be swept away over the lawn when dry. Any method used to eliminate worms would not be acceptable to an organic gardener. Diseases Fusarium or 'snow mould': the commonest disease of lawns. It shows up mostly in autumn, and sometimes in spring, after snow has melted, as small patches of yellowing grass. These patches will increase in size and may merge, resulting in a large areas of dead brown grass. In moist conditions you may see a white or pink mould at the edges of the diseased patches. To avoid this disease, make sure that you never apply a nitrogen fertiliser in the autumn, make sure that the lawn is well spiked and never walk on it when it is covered with snow. Fairy rings: These are extremely difficult to eliminate - the only real answer being to remove the turf and about 30cm (1 ft) depth of soil for a distance of 30cm (1 ft) either side of the edges of the ring, then fill in the hole with clean soil and returf. A less extreme alternative is to keep the whole lawn growing well so the ring is less obvious, or perhaps to go and dance in it with the fairies? Strengthening the lawn If your lawn is subjected to a lot of wear and tear, even the toughest growing grass species may find it difficult to survive in some places, such as well used pathways. If you still want these areas to look basically grassy, it is worth considering strengthening the lawn. Some form of 'stepping stone' path is the simplest answer, with the 'stones' laid level, just below the surface of the existing lawn to allow for easy mowing. A tougher surface can be made by laying bricks or similar in an openwork pattern and allowing grass to grow in the spaces between them. You may be able to purchase paving material specially designed for this purpose. The result is a much more hard-wearing surface which will look, from a distance, like grass. The wild lawn If you are fed up with endless mowing and your lawn isn't used as a play area, you might consider a 'wild' lawn. The bulk of the lawn is left uncut for the first few months of the growing season; the only mowing required is to cut access pathways through it. If these are cut regularly the effect can look very smart and not at all messy. Unless yours was a 'perfect' lawn, you will be amazed at what appears when you let the grass grow. Plants such as plantain and yarrow that crept flat to avoid the mower will grow up and flower, as will a multitude of grasses. The flowers will in turn attract butterflies and bees and other insects to the garden. This situation is also ideal for growing bulbs 'naturally' through the grass. Wild flower meadows are not a natural feature - they arose as a result of land management practices in the past. Many meadows were, for example, left to grow until July when they were cut for hay. Animals were then allowed to graze the field until early spring. This form of management is ideal for a good show of spring flowers. If you are going for summer flowers, a later cut is necessary. The point is though that you must still cut the grass at some point to maintain the flower population. Wait until the flowers have seeded, then cut the grass with shears or a 'strimmer', and remove the 'hay'. If you just leave it to grow and die back on its own you will not create a meadow. If you are attempting to make a wild flower lawn, don't be tempted to feed it. The poorer the soil the better the show of flowers. In fact if you are introducing wild flowers into grass it may be necessary to reduce the fertility of the soil by taking off all mowings for a year first. The flowers will not compete with vigorously growing grass. The best way to introduce flowers into an existing lawn is to raise them in pots first. Select meadow species that are suitable for your soil type. Do not mix spring and summer flowering ones in the same area as they need different mowing regimes to succeed. Chris Baines's excellent book is recommended for further reading on this subject. Sowing a wildflower lawn If you are sowing a wild flower lawn or meadow from scratch, remember that an infertile soil is essential to ensure that grasses and weeds do not swamp the flowers. If the planned site has grass on it, remove the turf and as much of the topsoil as you can manage - if you can find a supply of subsoil to replace it with. (The meadow site at Ryton was filled up with subsoil removed when digging out the lake next door to it.) Choose a mixture of fine grass and wildflower seed to suit your site. These are available from various sources which are listed at the end of this leaflet. Don't expect your 'meadow' to look particularly attractive initially. It will take some time for the plants to cover up all the bare soil. References The Living Garden : Michael Chinnery How to make a Wildlife Garden : Chris Baines The Lawn Expert : Dr D G Hessayon (full of useful information if you ignore the chemical bias). Henry Doubleday Research Association, April 1987 HDRA, National Centre for Organic Gardening, Ryton-on-Dunsmore, Coventry >JJJN wrote: > > >Hello folks, any organic lawn experts out there? I have been > >encroaching out 75% of my lawn with food plants for both wildlife and > >humans, but I still have this 25% and living in town I need to keep > >it lawn. the question is how does one raise a great lawn without weed > >killers etc? I have been wondering , can you take compost and grind it > >really fine and spread it on the lawn water it in? Would this be good? > > > > > > I don't think this is "off topic", as it relates directly to the >mentality of "dirt as a growing medium" that is so pervasive and lies at >the root of much difficulty in our society. I've actually had a "lawn >professional" suggest that I rip out my lawn and replace it with >garden. "You seem to be more successful at growing vegetables than >grass," he said. > > I've aereated my lawn this year and watered with mixture of compost >tea and "organic compost enhancement liquid". It's much greener and >healthier than it's been in the past, but this method still smacks of >replacing chemical fertilizers with non chemical fertilizers. > > It's not that I hate grass, but I'm NOT pleased with the monoculture >mentality that insists it must be of a uniform species. When we first >bought this property it was covered in grasses that were long and made a >lovely sound as the seed heads touseled in the wind. But now, I keep >the motley collection of grasses that pass for lawn on my property >trimmed to 55 millimeters. If anyone has better ideas for lawn >maintenance that will not raise the ire of my neighbors (who already >think I'm weird), please let me know. > >robert luis rabello >"The Edge of Justice" >Adventure for Your Mind >http://www.newadventure.ca > >Ranger Supercharger Project Page >http://www.members.shaw.ca/rabello/ _______________________________________________ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
