Practice Natural Lawn Care and Proper Mowing Techniques

The following is a maintenance guide for a lush, healthy, green lawn sourced from the K-State Extension Office. There are more thorough publications available on their website at www.ksuturf.com. There are also natural ways to sustain the ideal yard that suppress weeds, pests, and pollution as well as save water and reduce ground-level ozone.

Mow High - 3 to 3.5 inches

• This is crucial to natural lawn care. The grass will shade the weeds and suppress them as well as absorb more sunlight, lengthening their roots and thickening your turf. A deep root system will also lessen the amount of watering necessary.
• Be sure to let your grass grow out to 4.5"- 5" which follows the 1/3 rule: cut one third off the top, leaving 2/3 of the grass blade.
  

Mulch Your Grass Clippings

• The clippings act as a free natural fertilizer, returning the needed nitrogen to the soil as well as building depth to your topsoil.
• Mulching your grass clippings can account for 25-50% of the nitrogen needed per year.
  

Water Less Frequently

• Water when the grass begins to wilt or turn bluish-green in color. Less frequent watering encourages deep root growth of grass and reduces weed competition.
• It takes about 1" of water per week, however some soils require more or less. A good method to follow is to soak your soil to a depth of 6-8". Use a screwdriver or a rod to measure the depth of water penetration.
• Water early in the morning to prevent mildew disease and minimize evaporation.
• Collect rain water from your roof for watering! To purchase or build a rain barrel visit Bridging the Gap.

Natural Fertilizers

• Most natural yards do not need heavy amounts of fertilizers. Building up your top soil and the soil life is the best remedy to preventing problems. It is also important to fertilize at the correct rates and times.
• Natural compost adds high levels of nitrogen fertilizer without the NOx emissions that are formed from the production of synthetic fertilizers. It is best for your lawn and your pocketbook to not over-fertilize. The idea, "if you add more fertilizer, you will see more of the result" is incorrect. Excess fertilizer actually gets washed away with storm water and has adverse effects on the environment. When synthetic fertilizer builds up in water systems, it causes dead zones where the marine life cannot survive.
• See what you need before you add anything! First test the soil. The Johnson County K-State Extension Office will perform a soil test for just $10. Call 913-715-7000.
• Only add fertilizer/compost in the spring or the fall. The recommended application is in September, November, and May, in that order.
  

Organic Pesticides

• Chemical pesticides, herbicides and fungicides, if not properly applied, can be dangerous to the environment and sometimes expose the lawn to more infestation problems. Chemical applications affect more than just the target organism, they also affect non-target organisms that are beneficial to the soil. By building up your top soil with the above suggestions, your lawn may be less susceptible to pest and weed infestation.
• If you decide to apply chemical pesticides, it is important to use the proper amount and apply them at the proper time. Avoid overuse of pesticides and apply per label instructions.
• There are several options for organic pest control depending on the specific problem. Here are some suggestions for common problems:
• Grubs, ants, chiggers, fleas, ticks – Nematodes are a beneficial biotic organism that live in healthy soil. Adding nematodes will eliminate these pests by eating them! You can order a solution containing nematodes online, further instructions included.
• Crab Grass (Digitaria) and other weeds – Corn Gluten Meal is an organic herbicide that inhibits the growth of roots in germinating plants, but does not affect established grass or bulbs. Do not apply the corn gluten for three weeks after planting new grass seed.
  

Natural Professional Lawn Care Services

If you use a professional lawn care provider to tend to your lawn care needs, consider hiring a natural professional lawn care service. Several companies in Kansas City specialize in natural lawn care. Here are some that we found using Google and Yahoo:

• The Natural Choice Lawn Care, Overland Park, KS (913) 888-7140
• BioTurf, Kansas City, (816) 444-1930
• Natural Lawn Care of America, Kansas City, (913) 543-3300
• True Green Lawn Care, Shawnee, KS, (913) 441-5122 – Note: This company uses chemical lawn treatments too, so be sure to specify that you want their organic program.

The Johnson County Environmental Department does not endorse these lawn care companies, nor is criticism implied for those businesses and products not listed.