Summer has arrived! That means backyard bbs, pool parties and always late night get-togethers but unfortunately, it also means active lawn care service amongst other things. However, achieving and maintaining the perfect lawn is more than just looks now which makes it a job all on its own; now effective lawn care service is an expected custom as is remaining environmentally responsible. It’s easier said than done especially if you want to maintain a chemical free lawn and have front and back lawns that not only looks good to the world but is also good to the world. The idea of the perfect lawn came about around the same time companies began selling insecticides, pesticides and fungicides. We know better now that lawn care service and maintenance is more efficient -read: better for the environment- with organic lawn care and not spraying deadly chemicals everywhere. The Virginia Cooperative Extension in its publication “Nutrient Management for Lawn Service Companies” states that some fungicides and pesticides can kill 60% to 90% -or more- of the earthworms where they are applied. So if everything you know about lawn care service is wrong then where do you begin on transitioning to organic lawn care? Below are 4 tips on creating that chemical free lawn that also looks good too.
1. Plant Grass Seeds
In a well maintained, thick 10,000 square foot (929 square meter) lawn there will be 6 turf plants per square inch (25.4 millimeters) 850 turf plants per square foot (30.45 square meters) for a total of 8.5 million turf plants. Plant grass seeds evenly on your lawn in early spring when the weather is still cool and this will allow your lawn to achieve germination in a timely fashion. The early months of spring allot for plenty of rain and sunshine allowing for maximum growth in grass seeds. The ‘turf plants’ grow alongside the grass seed for a stronger looking yard. They need to be spread evenly, no more than 16 seeds per square inch to allow them all their fair chance of receiving the proper nutrients. Grass seeds are just the beginning, however, fertilizing your grass properly is the next process.
2. Fertilizer
When late spring/ early summer hits, applying fertilizer to your yard will help your gras receive the necessary nutrients to give you a thicker, healthier lawn. Your grass will stay greener for longer and have a healthy, organic flow to it with the use of the proper nitrogen applications. 40%-60% of nitrogen from fertilizer runs off or leaches away, ending up in ground or surface water, including wells. Applying fertilizer as nutrients is a lawn by lawn basis and cannot be given to you by someone else. The proper research on your individual lawn must be done and understood to provide the proper combination of nitrogen and phosphate and there are many options to choose from. However, remember when applying fertilizer less is more and there is such a thing as too much.
3. Setting Mower Blades High
By leaving your grass a little longer — usually between 2 1/2 and 3 1/2 inches — you can usually improve your lawn’s health. Maintaining longer grass helps lawn care service provide a thicker root, of course leaving your lawn thicker in the process. Studies also suggest that lawn care works just as good, if not better than pesticides.
4. Water Your Grass Frequently
Watering your grass in the morning helps prevent fungal growth, preventing the need for fungicide altogether. It also helps illustrate a thick, greener lawn. Grass plants are 75%-80% water, by weight, much like us, they need, frequent and daily access to water. Not so much that it will drown your lawn, however, lawn care service and maintenance is still required in this phase as well. However, a dense health lawn prevents run-off, absorbing rain-fall six times more effectively than a wheat field and four times better than a hay field