The Process of Organic Lawn Care
Organic lawn care is a process, not the substitution of products. That process is the combination of various proven lawn care and turf management techniques. Our programs and services are oriented around the following primary goals:
- Increase the height of the blade to 3" to maximize photosynthesis and minimize sunlight to the soil surface. This helps prevents new weed growth.
- Manage thatch to no more than 1/2". Excessive thatch provides a safe haven for disease and pests.
- Maximize root development. Deep, thick, strong roots are the single most important factor that will result in a naturally disease, pest and drought resistant lawn.
People do not typically use dangerous pesticides for the fun of it. They are trying to eliminate pests, such as weeds, in the lawn. By controlling the conditions that create pests, their presence is minimized. Ultimately the perceived need to use pesticides is eliminated.
Stop Weeds and Disease Before They Start
When observing a lawn that has weeds or declined to the point of weed infestation the casual viewer often thinks weeds have caused the problem. Actually, a yard overrun with weeds is symptomatic of deeper issues. It indicates turf grass is not thriving and the root cause of the grass decline should be investigated. Things people commonly do to cause weeds include:
- Planting the wrong grass - e.g. putting a sun loving plant like Kentucky bluegrass in a shady yard; it will quickly die and thin out, opening the door for weeds. Solution: overseed.
- Mowing too short (below 2.5") - causes reduction in root depth, which impairs uptake of water and nutrients; reduces leaf area for photosynthesis; ultimately leads to weak, thin, noncompetitive grass. Solution: mow properly.
- Infrequent mowing - chops off too much leaf; leads to reduction in root mass as described above. Solution: mow properly.
- Underfertilizing - leads to thin, slow growing grass that exposes the dirt to light and water, which leads to weed growth. Solution: fertilization program.
- Overwatering - deoxygenates the soil, promotes shallow, thin roots and reduced heat and drought tolerance; keeps thatch wet, which provides amenable environment for disease and pests. Solution: water properly.
- Thatch - dead roots and blades build up to prevent water, air and nutrients from entering the soil, essentially choking out the lawn. Solution: power rake.
- Soil Compaction - prevents flourishing root development and impairs turf development. Solution: core aeration.
- Poor Soil Chemistry - Soil that has improper pH, high sodium or other imbalances will cause grass great difficulty in utilizing nutrients, which results in poor root and blade development. Solution: soil analysis and amendment.
