BUILD OR RENOVATE AN ORGANIC LAWN

The last two articles dealt with the reasons, the importance and the moral obligation to owning an organic lawn. This article is going to deal with the how to build a new lawn or how to renovate an old suffering lawn. The first step is to determine which approach you will take.   

To own a good lawn you need to have good soil.   Most soils are heavy clay and it is difficult for roots to penetrate heavy clay. Lawn roots stop growing and struggle in such a situation. The strength of any plant is in its root system. If we can develop a deep root system we will have a good sustainable lawn. To develop a good lawn soils should be conditioned with organic material mixed into the top 6 inches of soil.  Many gardeners and contractors when they go to build a new lawn will bring in 1 to 2 inches of good top soil and after removing the existing grass and weeds; spread the top soil and seed into it. In most instances the grass will germinate quickly and a good lawn is on its way to growing.

The problem is the root system can only penetrate so deep before it hits a clay base. A shallow root system will never develop a good lawn. Once the lawn becomes stressed insects, disease and weeds will take over. The battle for survival evolves and often grass is the loser. Lawns are a monoculture and the battle for dominance is a continual one. In time that battle can be waged and won but you need to know how to win the battle. My formulas will give you the tools you need to wage this war. The first and foremost step is a good soil. Once you have incorporated these organic products into your soil you will develop a strong soil food web.  The microbes in the soil will work for you day and night and they will help you develop a deep root system. When this happens you will have a fighting chance in developing a great lawn.

The first test to do is take a large plug of soil out 6 inches deep.  Keep it intact and then analyze your layers. You may find your soil is heavy clay and roots will not easily penetrate it. It is time to bite the bullet and build and develop a healthy soil to grow turf in. Some may find the top 2 inches of soil are rich black organic soil and the next 4 inches are heavy clay. This is not acceptable for your roots will remain in the top 2 inches of the soil. On the other hand you may find you have a good soil that will crumble in your hand and will allow roots to penetrate it. This is a soil that is a candidate for a renovation program. The time for action is now for this is the right time to seed your lawn. If you plan to do either of these follow the formulas I have listed below and get to work.

In  summation, if your lawn looks good but you have a few bare spots, reseed these areas with the proper seed, cover the seed with a 1/8in. of  top soil and water three times a day. If your lawn looks poor, and your soil structure is poor; it is time to build a new lawn. If you’re lawn looks poor but you have a good soil structure, follow our  renovation program. . To grow a good lawn you need a good organic soil filled with microbes, earth worms and organic matter.

FORMULA FOR BUILDING A NEW LAWN

This process should take place from mid August on.

• On top of your existing lawn evenly spread 3 bales of peat moss, 2 bags of. Coir. 6 bags of Lobster Compost, 10 lbs. of Bio-tone Starter Plus and 2 bags of Penobscot Blend per 1,000 square feet. 
• Apply and evenly spread Magical at the proper rate
• Rent a Rototiller. Make sure it is large enough to till to a depth of six or more inches.  Till the area twice making sure the ingredients are well mixed into the soil. On small areas, hand digging can be done. 
• Rough rake the lawn area to remove large rocks, clumps of weeds and to establish your desired grade.
• Apply  Jonathan Green Humates (Love Your Lawn Love Your Soil )  evenly over the area. Add mineral rock dust (Azomite).  Apply Myke evenly over the complete surface.
• Finely rake your area establishing the final seeding bed.  Do not allow the prongs of your iron rake to penetrate too deeply into the soil and use the opposite side of the rake to develop a smooth bed.
• Seed your lawn using the proper seed mixture. Bring us details of your exposures and the lay of the land and we will advise you. Use a hand-held spreader and seed walking backwards.
• Lightly rake in the grass seed, covering it with only 1/8th of an inch of soil. Cover seed with a sterile Straw mulch.
• Water the seed 3 times daily: 10AM, 12Noon and 4PM. Do this for three weeks until all the grass has germinated.  Set yourself up with sprinklers and automatic timers.
• Cut the grass as soon as it is 4 inches long. 
• Follow our Organic Lawn Program which is listed in my book “12 Steps to Natural Gardening”.

 

MY FORMULA FOR RENOVATING AN EXISTING LAWN

• To renovate an old lawn, I have developed a formula for you to follow. Cut your lawn slightly shorter just prior to this procedure to allow better contact to soil, but set your blades back to 3–3½ in. for the next cut.
• Rent an aerator. This will plug holes into your grass and bring oxygen down into the soil. It will open up areas for mycorrhizae and seed to enter.
• Apply gypsum at the rate of one bag per 1,000 sq. ft. Gypsum will break up heavy soils.
• Add Myke Turf to the soil. Myke Turf contains mycorrhizae fungi, which improve root development and plant vigor.
• Add Jonathan Green “Natural Beauty” Organic Lawn Food to supply the necessary nutrients.
• Add seed. For all difficult areas that have sun to part shade, I am recommending
• Black Beauty or Black Beauty Ultra at double the recommended rate. Black Beauty Ultra has blue grass added to its mixture. I am recommending the Black Beauty mixtures in my renovation program because they add genetically superior lawn grasses from three different families of grass that are bred to be drought and disease resistant. These grasses root deeply to reach available water underground. There are a lot of other great mixtures that have been developed. Pick the right grass seed mixture for the area. For shady areas, choose a grass seed such as Shady Nook. Remove lower branches on trees to allow more light in. There are many formulations of seed on the market. Study the ingredients and apply the right seed to the right location.
• Spread the grass seed and rake or broom it in so that the seed comes in contact with the soil.
• Top dress the area with 8 bags of topsoil per 1,000 sq. ft. Here again, rake or broom it in.
• Water your seed 3 times a day for five minutes. 10:00 a.m., Noon and 4:00 p.m.

As always, follow my monthly recommendations listed in my book ‘12 Steps To Natural Gardening’