Do It Yourself Organic Lawn Care 1

The economy and the pride of doing it yourself				� 6.7 – 6.8
have prompted many people to consider organic				BENTGRASS
DIY lawn care. Many who contemplate it				COLONIAL & CREEPING 5.6
Aren't sure what is involved.				�
Don't have the equipment needed to dethatch,				� 6.3
aerate, fertilize or the knowledge required to use				BERMUDA HYBRIDS &
them.				COMMON
Don't know how to overcome the dangers to				5.6
their health and the environment.				�
Think it is much more involved than it actually is.				� 6.3
Organic lawn care is not only less likely to harm				BLUEGRASS
people, animals, and the environment than lawn
care that uses chemical, and in the long term, it is				�
more cost effective. Chemical/synthetic				� 6.5 – 6.6
fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides often do more				�
than good to the lawn itself.				�
What are the benefits of organic lawn care?				� 6.3
It is safer for humans, pets and the environment				CARPETGRASS
than synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.				�
It improves the quality of the soil, which will have				5.5
an increased ability to retain water and				5.3
nutrients.				CENTIPEDE
You will enjoy significant financial savings by				4.3
transitioning from synthetic to organic lawn care,				�
especially after the first year of use.				5.8
Organic products will significantly reduce pests by				5.0 – 5.1
restoring balance to your lawn's ecosystem. You				FESCUE RED & CREEPING 5.6
will benefit from reduced maintenance in mowing,				� 6.8
watering and fertilizing because you will have a				6.2
naturally stronger and healthier lawn.				FESCUE TALL
A report by the National Academy of Sciences
shows that the health of 1 in 7 people is				�
negatively impacted in some form by lawn				7.0
pesticides.				6.3
Numerous studies link lawn chemicals to cancers				ST. AUGUSTINE
and other long-term diseases.				�
Several studies also link exposure to artificial lawn				7.8
chemicals to an increased risk of cancer and other				7.0 – 7.1
health problems in pets.				ZOYSIA
Children are especially at risk for negative health
consequences due to their size, physiological				5.5
development and proximity to the ground.				� 7.0
Synthetic pesticides and fertilizers destroy the				6.2 – 6.3
naturally present beneficial organisms in a healthy
lawn's ecosystem. This destruction then				The ideal pH is the value that is most beneficial to
transforms your lawn into an increasingly needy				the health of the grass.pH is easy to control.
"junkie," requiring more and more chemicals to				Lowe's caries an electronic pH meter for about
sustain it.				$5.00 that is very accurate and easy to use.
Organic lawn care focuses instead on soil				Know the reasons for fertilizer and the various
management techniques and long-term results,				types.
building up the nutrients and organisms in the soil in				Fertilizer whether chemical, synthetic or organic
order to make your lawn better able to withstand				comes in two basic types – fast acting and
drought, pests, and other common problems.				slow acting.
Organic lawn care also eliminates damage to the				Most people believe fertilizer makes the greener
environment and to human and animal health				and healthy. The truth is, green grass is not
caused by synthetic lawn care products.				necessarily healthy grass! This is kind of
Organic products function by building up "life in the				self-explanatory. What isn't though is how
soil," or soil biology, their payoff is more long-term				chemical/synthetic fertilizers are rated. They are
and lasting.				rated by the N-P-K (nitrogen, phosphorous, and
Synthetic products, by their nature, are				potassium) equivalent. A 9-8-5 fertilizer is 9%
instantaneous and must be frequently re-applied in				nitrogen, 8% phosphorous and 5% potassium.
greater amounts to maintain the appearance of				These are called macronutrients. The other 78%
the grass due to the need for frequent				is filler mostly salt and chlorine.
re-applications and the reduced effectiveness of				Organic fertilizers contain the above
synthetic chemicals.				macronutrients plus many micronutrients,
The user of organic products will spend				elements and vitamins and minerals. Most
considerably less money on lawn care over a				grasses actually need these additional components
two-year period than the user of synthetic				more than the macronutrients for resistance to
fertilizers and pesticides.				stress, drought and insect infestation. In other
The Organic Lawn – What to Expect				words, for healthy turf.
The time of using chemically processed synthetic				Because plants need nitrogen, phosphorus, and
fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides is ending.				potassium in large amounts, these elements are
Already, regulations and restrictions prompted by				known as primary macronutrients.
numerous studies of the adverse health effects				What macro and micronutrients due for your lawn
of these, especially in children, groundwater				Nitrogen (N)
contamination, food source contamination, and soil				Nitrogen is always listed first in the fertilizer grade
analysis (humus, soil structure and soil bioactivity)				(or N-P-K ratio) on nutrient product bags, boxes,
are limiting the scope of their use.				and bottles because it is one of the biggies. (For
An organic lawn cared for correctly and naturally,				example, if the ratio on your nutrient package
will eventually begin to take care of itself in many				reads "11-13-3″ that means it contains 11
ways. Good bio-active, nutrient rich, soil requires				percent nitrogen.) Plants use nitrogen to produce
less fertilization, irrigation, and weed and insect				new, green growth. Different turf grasses have
control saving you time and money. Organic lawn				different nitrogen requirements. For example,
maintenance practices eliminate imbalances in the				Centipede should not get more than 9% nitrogen
soil, which are the initial causes of disease, weed,				more than twice a year; Zoysia should not get
pest and stress problems in your lawn. By				nitrogen more than 16% twice a year.
eliminating these causation factors, you eliminate				Phosphorus (P)
the time and money spent dealing with these				Phosphorus is listed second in the N-P-K ratio.
types of problems. In the end, you have to look				(That nutrient package with the "11-13-3″ ratio
at the big picture. A little extra time and money				contains 13 percent phosphorus.) Phosphorus is
spent this year will save you a great deal of time				essential to turf grass root growth. When you
and money down the road.				supplement the amount of phosphorus, you'll likely
Organic lawn liquid fertilizers are supplemented				notice more vigorous growth overall.
with a natural nutrient package derived from				Potassium (K)
seaweed and humic acids (One gallon of humic				Potassium takes up the last spot in the N-P-K
acid is equivalent to 7 tons of manure in terms of				ratio. (So an "11-13-3″ nutrient ratio contains 3
soil bioactivation). What this means you is get a				percent potassium.) Because grasses use
soil improving fertilizer with added vitamins,				potassium to build cells and tissue, supplementing
bio-stimulants, and trace elements. Each product				this nutrient contributes to overall grass hardiness.
contains vitamins B-1, B-12, gibberellins, indoles,				Stronger, more durable plants are usually more
auxins as well as trace elements of boron, iron,				tolerant of temperature extremes and are more
zinc, cobalt, copper, manganese, molybdenum and				pest and disease-resistant.
sulfur. The nutrients in these liquid fertilizers are				*****************************************
chelated, meaning they are instantly available to				Plants require smaller amounts of the secondary
the plant.				macronutrients-sulfur, calcium, and magnesium.
Season One				Iron, manganese, zinc, copper, chlorine, boron, and
One of the things that will be happening as you go				molybdenum are still essential for growth but are
through your first season using organics is that				required in even smaller amounts. They are often
your lawn maygo through "withdrawal" symptoms				referred to as micronutrients or trace elements.
because of the reduced nitrogen. The intensity				Each of these macro and micronutrients serves
of this withdrawal is related directly to the				specific purposes for our grass.
number of years you have applied chemicals, the				Boron (B) Grasses don't need much of it, but
frequency of previous chemical applications and				boron does facilitate nutrient uptake and it helps
the application rate of those chemicals.				plants to grow new tissue.
Chemical fertilizers typically contain about 20 to 35				Calcium (Ca) As with sulfur, grasses also need
percent nitrogen. Organic fertilizers will be more				calcium to make proteins. Calcium promotes new
like 8 to 16 percent. That is a huge drop in				root growth and facilitates overall plant vigor.
nitrogen, and your lawn could go into shock if you				Copper (Cu) Copper contributes too many natural
don't compensate. You can double the amount				processes including plant metabolism and
of organic fertilizer or increase the frequency of				reproduction.
application without causing any harm to your lawn.				Iron (Fe) Iron makes for healthy, dark green
Season Two				growth. As with magnesium, iron is essential for
Over the next season or two, simply start cutting				photosynthesis. Iron is necessary for chlorophyll
back on the amount of nitrogen you're applying.				formation, and without it, plants wouldn't be able
As the soil is built up by use of organic fertilizers				to carry out essential cellular functions.
and soil amendments, the lawn will require less and				Magnesium (Mg) Even though it's classified as a
less supplemental nitrogen.				secondary macronutrient, magnesium is still critical
Depending upon how long you've been using				for growth. Without magnesium, plants can't use
chemical fertilizer and how much you've been				light to make food through photosynthesis!
using, this process may take longer or may go				Plants also need magnesium to be able to take in
much more quickly than is outlined above.				their other essential nutrients and to make
Organic methods tend to expose imbalances in				seeds.
the soil and other detrimental situations that				Manganese (Mn) In short, manganese makes
chemical fertilizers hide (and generally make				things happen. Manganese is necessary for
worse) and correct them. Namely soil				chlorophyll formation, and without it, grasses
compaction, weeds, insects, disease, drainage,				would not be able to carry out essential cellular
poor Brix levels, and above all Humus level.				functions.
Where to start your DIY organic lawn care				Molybdenum (Mo) Grasses need molybdenum to
project:				produce essential proteins. Make sure the
First, know the pH of your soil. Different lawn				nutrient solution is well aerated and not too hot or
turfs have different ideal pH properties. Why is				too cold. A good temperature range for most
this important to you? One of the most				solutions is 60 to 65 degrees F.
important reasons is natural weed control. Most				Sulfur (S) One of the secondary macronutrients,
broadleaf weeds like soil pH above 7.0. With the				sulfur helps plants maintain their dark green color.
exception of St. Augustine grass, ideal pH is a				Mainly, plants use sulfur to create essential
deterrent to broadleaf weeds such as Crabgrass				proteins. In grasses, sulfur is essential for
and Dandelion.				nitrogen-fixing nodules, and necessary in the
Grass pH Ranges pH Low				formation of chlorophyll. Plants use sulfur in the
pH High				processes of producing proteins, amino acids,
Ideal				enzymes and vitamins. Sulfur also helps the plant's
BAHIAGRASS				resistance to disease, aids in growth, and in seed
ARGENTINE, PENSACOLA,				formation.
TIFTON				Zinc (Zn) Plants use zinc in conjunction with other
6.0				elements to carry out many natural processes
� 7.5				including forming chlorophyll.

TifttonInfo

Do It Yourself Organic Lawn Care 1