Fertilization:

Within two weeks, nitrogen from the clippings can be found in new  grass. Grass clippings can also reduce water evaporation from the lawn and keep the soil temperature cooler. Don't turn your lawn  into a  chemical "junkie"  waiting  for  it's next nitrogen fix.  Only fertilize with organic fertilizers to maintain growth -not create an advertising agency's version of a perfect landscape!
                        
Good soil grows good grass. Improve your soil, then add clover and  other  nitrogen  fixing  plants to your lawn seed mix to make lawn self-fertilizing. Other organic fertilization options include dehydrated cow manure, dried poultry manure, fish emulsion, bloodmeal, cottonseed meal and mixed organic fertilizers, all widely available. Since natural fertilizers are not as concentrated as chemical fertilizers you may want to apply them more than once per year. Fall fertilizing is important in this climate, so that grass can build up its carbohydrate level and get off to a good start in the Spring.
         
When you use natural fertilizers your lawn doesn't grow as fast. Eliot Roberts, director of the Lawn Institute says "Once you get heavily involved with chemical fertilizers, you're increasing the growth rate of the plant and growing it to death." This lush growth caused by excessive fertilization makes grass an easy prey to disease.

Pesticides:

$1.5 billion is spent on chemical pesticides annually. Yet, nearly all  of the popular lawn pesticides are suspected of causing long-term  health problems. Broad-spectrum weed killers are poisonous to  many kinds of life besides weeds - like you, your kids, your pets,  your trees and shrubs, your garden plants, as well as birds and other wildlife. Pesticides may remain active for a month to a year or more. Even after drying, pesticides release toxic vapors. And you can have a good looking lawn without these dangerous looking  chemicals!

Eliot Roberts says "The more chemicals you use, the more you  disturb the natural biological processes that convert organic matter  into nutrients to keep the lawn going. Insects shouldn't be a big  problem in a natural lawn. The soil is alive with natural "predators"  -the good bacteria and fungi that work to keep disease-causing  fungi in check by competing with them for food. Don't attack the insects that aren't doing damage to your lawn. Correct any  problems at the source, instead of using a "quick-fix" chemical.  Water during daylight hours. The more often grass is wet ( and the  longer it stays that way ) the greater the chance for disease.

Liquid seaweed is good natural disease fighter. Naturally occuring  hormones in seaweed act as fungal inhibitors. Dandelions should be  pulled out the old fashioned way - by hand! Despite the ads, most  won't grow back if you cut them out several inches below ground  at their root. As for Crabgrass: Studies at the University of Rhode  Island that high mowing alone reduced crabgrass on a test plot to virtually nothing in 5 years. High mowing combined with heavy fertilization eliminated crabgrass in just one year.

Proper Mowing:

Proper mowing is the most important thing you can do for your  lawn! Mowing correctly can kill weeds, save water, cure diseases  and provide fertilizer. For Kentucky Bluegrass in northern climates,  leave grass at 2 1/2" tall during spring and until summer droughts  and hot weather arrive. Then reduce the frequency of mowing and  let grass grow to 3" before cutting. In late summer as temperatures  drop and rainfall increases, go back to 2 1/2" and mow more  frequently during this growth spurt. A final mowing of the season  could be a 1 1/2". By mowing high, you're reducing stress on the  grass. The longer the top growth, the deeper the root. The longer  the root, the healthier the grass. It will compete better against weeds. There is a larger volume of roots to store food, withstand  droughts and fight diseases. Make sure your mower's blade is  sharp. And mow often enough so that you cut off no more than  30% of the grass blade at any one cutting.

While a weed-free lawn is not practical, weeds are a symptom of problems. Unless those conditions are changed, the weeds will  return. Weeds love compacted soil, improperly fertilized plots,  areas that are too wet or too dry, shady spots, areas mowed too  closely during the grass's dormant season, heavy use areas and  accumulated thatch ( over 1/2" ). Thatch is a tightly-packed layer  of organic debris that develops between the soil surface and the  green growth. It can keep water, sun and air from penetrating to  the roots.

A regular program of aeration reduces thatch and improves soil  tilth. Use aerator with spring-loaded tines which removes plugs of  soil and deposits them on the soil surface ( allow plugs to  decompose naturally ). Soil should be moist, but not wet. Do not  aerate in hot, dry weather. Damaging turf insects prefer a  protective layer of thatch. Reducing thatch controls these pests.  Grass converts carbon dioxide into oxygen even more efficiently  than trees. The sight of a healthy lawn should give you cause for a  deep sigh of satisfaction!

Brief Lawn Tips:

Mowing - Let it grow! Close frequent cutting stresses grass plants  and exposes weed seedlings to the life-giving sun.

Fertilizer - Chemical fertilizers add salt to the soil, kill soil- building microorganisms, promote soil compaction, shallow roots, thatch and fungus growth. Substitute grass clippings, compost and manure to return needed bacteria and enzymes to the soil with nutrients.

Plant Earthworms - They'll eat the cut grass, aerate the soil and  provide castings for free fertilizer.

Water - During dry periods, allow your lawn to enter a natural  dormancy. Or, plant tall fescue, which is adapted to drought conditions and does not require summer irrigation.

Pesticides - Healthy lawns don't have insect problems. Weed  killers can harm gardens, trees, shrubs and breed resistant weeds.  Pesticides kill worms and beneficial insects.

Dandelions - Cut out by hand at the root, several inches below  ground. If you can learn to tolerate them, they only look "bad" twice a year, and a quick mow fixes that.

Fungus - A problem only in wet, thatchy, over-fertilized lawns.  Drain, dry-out, de-thatch, re-add soil bacteria with compost or manure.

Aerate - Compacted soil promotes weeds. Aerate twice a year  and add a soil loosener like gypsum or compost. Reseed bare spots.

Test - Compacted soil's ph, composition and nutrient level to  determine its condition.

Species - Choose the proper grass to plant for your area. Pick  varieties that resist drought, disease, need little mowing or fertilizer,  choke out weeds and are suited to foot traffic. Switch to  groundcovers in hard to maintain areas

Think!- Make America a safer to place to live by beginning in your  own back yard.

Presented by the Education Committee of the McHenry County Defenders.