How to have a nice lawn organically? Is it possible?

[Faithr]

I've been noticing that our front lawn is in bad shape.  Our next door neighbor's lawn is very plush and green.  Ours has lots of patches, etc.  But I really don't wanna go toxic chemicals and artificial fertilizers.  

 

Anyone else good at this kind of thing?  What do you do?

 

Thanks!

[fairfarmhand]

I'd think that spreading a layer of organic compost would help. Adjusting the height of your mower deck helps because taller grass shades out "weeds" in favor of grasses. The thing is this:nature abhors a monoculture. In nature there's a wide variety of plants grown in a grassland, many of which we consider weeds. So lawns kind of go against the laws of nature and it is an uphill battle. Organic farming and gardening is tough! It requires lots of physical labor instead of chemical labor.

 

 

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[Bluegoat]

Yes, though it will depend on what you define as "nice".  A plush lawn is often a very difficult to maintain thing, using a lot of chemicals and water, because it has only one or a few types of grass.  It's very unnatural.

 

My lawn is always green and healthy and I never water it, but I do what was common in the first half of the 20th century and it is almost 50% clover.  The organic lawncare guys tell me that I should not need to do much - spread compost one or twice a year if it looks dull, possibly aerate.  Don't cut too short and keep the clippings on the grass, don't rake them.

 

You might have to reseed the patches, unless they are caused by bugs in which case you have to take a different approach.  I'd just get rid of the grass in that case, myself, it's hard to get rid of those pets otherwise.

[maize]

Our organic lawn is a lovely green carpet of dandelions...

[SamanthaCarter]

Wondering this myself. We bought a house last spring with nice grass. I'm positive it was that way due to chemical treatment. We've been mowing high and pulling out weeds by hand when we notice them pop above the level of the grass. How do you spread compost on lawn? When?

 

 

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[SquirrellyMama]

Yes, though it will depend on what you define as "nice".  A plush lawn is often a very difficult to maintain thing, using a lot of chemicals and water, because it has only one or a few types of grass.  It's very unnatural.

 

My lawn is always green and healthy and I never water it, but I do what was common in the first half of the 20th century and it is almost 50% clover.  The organic lawncare guys tell me that I should not need to do much - spread compost one or twice a year if it looks dull, possibly aerate.  Don't cut too short and keep the clippings on the grass, don't rake them.

 

You might have to reseed the patches, unless they are caused by bugs in which case you have to take a different approach.  I'd just get rid of the grass in that case, myself, it's hard to get rid of those pets otherwise.

 

 Our lawn is awful :(  I would love to do something easy to maintain without chemicals. Maybe I'll have to find an organic lawn care guy too :) Our backyard is mostly Creeping Charley, and some really pretty dark purple and light purple flowers (don't know what they are). Our front yard is moss, grass, and dirt patches.

 

Kelly

[StephanieZ]

Ha, well, it's POSSIBLE. 

 

You can aerate the lawn.

 

You can use organic fertilizers.

 

You can spread compost. 

 

You can re-seed.

 

You can hand dig out (pocket knife works well) dandelions, etc. 

 

We had a lovely organic lawn. . . . when our lawn was the size of a large beach blanket.

 

 

Now days, with a big lawn . . . nope. Scotts's Weed & Feed, lol.

 

[Bluegoat]

Our organic lawn is a lovely green carpet of dandelions...

 

Which means you can safely eat them....

[Faithr]

Thanks all!

 

I echo the question of SamanthaCarter, when does one compost?  Won't that look really icky?

 

We have these big patches of yellowy string looking weeds in the middle of so so green grass.  I don't even know what type of grass.  In our old yard, we had that zoysia grass, which browns in the winter so it doesn't look so good then, but it is so thick that weeds aren't much of a problem.  The problem is our current front lawn is big.  We sit way back from the street, but the front yard is part of a pie shape strip of lawn that includes both us and the neighbors.  Our neighbors sit closer to the street than us; our house is kind of past theirs and there's no fence between our yards.  So you can see where our lawn ends and their beautiful lush green lawn starts.  

 

When I was growing up no one in our neighborhood cared about their lawns.  Ours was covered with clover and dandelions.  We didn't care.

Edited April 21, 2017 by Faithr

[Bluegoat]

http://cdn.c.photoshelter.com/img-get2/I0000DByP80GDklw/fit=1000x750/koke-dera-1.jpg

Wondering this myself. We bought a house last spring with nice grass. I'm positive it was that way due to chemical treatment. We've been mowing high and pulling out weeds by hand when we notice them pop above the level of the grass. How do you spread compost on lawn? When?


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You can do it any time, but I might avoid very dry periods.  If you have a spreader use that but otherwise by hand or shovel.

 

 Our lawn is awful :(  I would love to do something easy to maintain without chemicals. Maybe I'll have to find an organic lawn care guy too :) Our backyard is mostly Creeping Charley, and some really pretty dark purple and light purple flowers (don't know what they are). Our front yard is moss, grass, and dirt patches.

 

Kelly

 

 

If the flowers are pretty and good for how you use the lawn, I'd keep them.  The things you have are probably what grows well.

 

It sound though like your front and back may be shady?  I wouldn't try and grow grass, it will always be a battle.  I love mosses, so I would tend to want to cultivate those and go for a kind of woodland garden - those can be easy care if you life and very beautiful.  You can have fun killing the grass.

 

Here is a great moss garden.

 

[Bluegoat]

And clover is great for your lawn, it is a nitrogen fixer and doesn't go brown, and it is good for bees as well.

 

ETA - compost on lawn will soon disappear, worms will pull it in.

Edited April 21, 2017 by Bluegoat

[Mrs Twain]

Here is some advice for mid-Atlantic grass.

 

By far the best time to work on your yard is the fall.  At that time you can aerate, add a top-dressing of soil (or compost I suppose), and reseed.   

 

You should also fertilize in the fall.  "SOD" is the way you can remember when to fertilize--September, October, and December.  

 

As far as weeds, you can hand-dig them out if you have a smallish yard.  To get a smaller yard, you could turn more of it into mulched flower beds, which we have done.  My dh often thanks me for putting in so many flower beds so he has less grass to take care of.

 

We have too much grass to control the weeds by hand, so unfortunately we have to rely on chemicals, especially because our HOA doesn't allow our yard to have many weeds.  

 

[Mrs Twain]

A couple more things--

 

I agree with cutting the lawn the proper length.  Many people cut their grass too short which harms the grass and promotes the weeds.

 

Also water during the dry spells in summer.  This is critical to keep the grass alive and inhibit the weeds from taking over.  Water is organic, right?

[mellifera33]

A lush, verdant, organic, all-grass lawn seems like a full-time job. I'm happy with green and not too obviously weedy. Clover and claytonia are fine, dandelions and lamium not so much. But I'm not a lawn person, and am spending my time digging it up and putting in flower/vegetable/fruit beds. 

[itsheresomewhere]

Yes you can do it. I am redoing our lawn now due to tree removal and line replacement. I put fertilizer down, next I will apply top soil and reseed. The top soil I will be using will have a mix of our compost in it. I will rent an over seeder for reseeding to help it take better. I will still pull weeds but that is not a big deal as my kids help me. We harvest our dandelions for our animals so it pays for us to pull them.

 

Fertilizer applied spring and fall. Test your lawn to see what it needs. Local ag center will do it for free or buy a kit and make it a science project. If you have any local nurseries- ask what local fertilizer companies they have. I ended up with one that is doing some neat things and since it is locally produced, much cheaper. I bought grass seed from them as they. It in bulk and it was much cheaper.

Edited April 21, 2017 by itsheresomewhere

[wintermom]

Buying new sod is a guaranteed way to have that lush lawn organically. ;)  Maintaining it may be more difficult depending on what your neighbours use and can use. 

 

In our city, we're not allowed to use chemical fertilizers on our lawns. Most people let their lawns go to the dandelions eventually because even if you put in all the extra work to get rid of them, the seeds are constantly floating onto your lawn from all the lawns around.

 

For us, a green "lawn" is good enough. When you mow it, there isn't a huge difference between lush grass and lush weed/grass combo.  :laugh:

 

 

Edited April 21, 2017 by wintermom

[Woodland Mist Academy]

The lawn culture of various neighborhoods we drive through is interesting. Some neighborhoods have plush green monoculture lawns, and some have meadows or flower beds and/or vegetable gardens. I can think of one particular urban neighborhood where yard as garden is the norm. It's really interesting to drive through -- full of birds and bees and other life. 

 

Unfortunately some neighborhoods have HOAs or just an unspoken agreement and people frown upon anything but a well-tended monoculture lawn. 

 

When we lived in a neighborhood with plush green lawns, we let various flowering ground covers spread. I loved seeing a blanket of bluish purple against the otherwise unbroken green. I'm not sure how the neighbors felt about it, though...

 

The previous owners had chemically treated the lawn. As we watched the lawn change (the neighbors would probably choose the word "decline"...) we also noticed the return of toads etc. We were elated. Some of the neighbors -- not so much...   Everyone has different priorities. 

 

We eventually decided to move back to the woods. (*Cue Stevie Nicks* -- Back to the gypsy that I was...)  I missed wildflowers and was tired of hearing them called weeds with disdain. 

 

Good luck, OP! It's a tough decision. I wrestled with it over and over for a few years. Not sure about your neighborhood lawn culture, but neat and tidy ground covers might be worth considering.

Edited April 21, 2017 by Woodland Mist Academy

[fairfarmhand]

I love clovers in a lawn. Sitting on the porch listening to the honeybees humming as they work...That's the sound of summer!

[Woodland Mist Academy]

I forgot to mention that ground covers can look planned and polished (thus perhaps more acceptable), and they also choke out many unacceptable weeds.

[maize]

I love clovers in a lawn. Sitting on the porch listening to the honeybees humming as they work...That's the sound of summer!

Sadly not so pleasant when you have a child who is allergic to bee stings and hates wearing shoes :(

[Woodland Mist Academy]

Which means you can safely eat them....

 

Or make dandelion wine...

[Catwoman]

Our organic lawn is a lovely green carpet of dandelions...

Okay, now you're just showing off. :glare:

 

;) ;) ;) ;)

[maize]

I've tried eating dandelions, but even the young ones are just too bitter. I'm a bitter taster genetically so it may not be so bad for some people.

 

The flowers aren't bitter but feel sort of powdery in the mouth.

[maize]

Okay, now you're just showing off. :glare:

 

;) ;) ;) ;)

When not in bloom they really do make the lawn a lovely deep green color...

[regentrude]

We have a very nice lush green lawn without chemicals - but it is not monoculture; there are some leafy weeds, dandelions, etc.

I hand weed bad patches of certain weeds that overpower the grass; it is a pain, but doing a little bit each day helps.

I also think that grass needs to be happy and allowed to grow a bit and photosynthesize, so we keep it a bit longer and go somewhat longer between mowings, which seems to make a difference.

[solascriptura]

You can do things organically to improve it, but if you want a "nice" lawn the only way is with the bags of fertilizers and weed killers.  If you insist on organically I suggest sprinkling compost and aerating the lawn.  

[Bluegoat]

A lush, verdant, organic, all-grass lawn seems like a full-time job. I'm happy with green and not too obviously weedy. Clover and claytonia are fine, dandelions and lamium not so much. But I'm not a lawn person, and am spending my time digging it up and putting in flower/vegetable/fruit beds. 

Every year when I dig my beds in the Spring, I make the beds just a bit bigger.  I figure eventualy there will just be beds and no grass at all!

[Bluegoat]

I've tried eating dandelions, but even the young ones are just too bitter. I'm a bitter taster genetically so it may not be so bad for some people.

 

The flowers aren't bitter but feel sort of powdery in the mouth.

 

Dip them in pancake batter and fry them.  You can eat the roots too but they are more work.

[itsheresomewhere]

I've tried eating dandelions, but even the young ones are just too bitter. I'm a bitter taster genetically so it may not be so bad for some people.

 

The flowers aren't bitter but feel sort of powdery in the mouth.

Try it with hot bacon dressing and slices hard boiled eggs. So good.

[maize]

Every year when I dig my beds in the Spring, I make the beds just a bit bigger. I figure eventualy there will just be beds and no grass at all!

I do this too! I was just digging out more grass/dandelions in the front the other day.

[Happy]

Talk to a local organic nursery...they will have specific suggestions for your area. Knowing when to fertilize helps a lot--there are organic type fertilizers these days. I've learned weeds are a sign of a hungry lawn....when I see henbit in my lawn I know it's hungry.

 

In my neck of the woods, we fertilize April, June, and September.

[KungFuPanda]

My weed carpet is green all summer while my neighbor's golf green tends to get brown and fried during August. It all looks like grass when it's mowed. I'm now seriously considering foodscaping. I just snuck some cabbages into my front flower bed :-). I may experiment with pumpkin or sweet potato ground covers :-)

[maize]

My weed carpet is green all summer while my neighbor's golf green tends to get brown and fried during August. It all looks like grass when it's mowed. I'm now seriously considering foodscaping. I just snuck some cabbages into my front flower bed :-). I may experiment with pumpkin or sweet potato ground covers :-)

Oh yes, I put edibles wherever I can. The front strip between the sidewalk and the road has roses, phlox, tulips, strawberries, chives, filberts, and a few other herbs. There's a bit of grass in front of the house surrounding a bed with strawberries, blueberries, some bulb flowers, lots of herbs, and pear and walnut trees. I've got some peas In there too. In the triangle between the driveway and the neighbor's property I have prickly pear, pistachio, blackberry, and plum. The backyard has more weedy lawn and lots more fruit trees with garden plots mixed in. And grape vines on the fence.

 

Growing things, especially edible things, makes me happy.

Edited April 22, 2017 by maize

[KungFuPanda]

Oh yes, I put edibles wherever I can. The front strip between the sidewalk and the road has roses, phlox, tulips, strawberries, chives, filberts, and a few other herbs. There's a bit of grass in front of the house surrounding a bed with strawberries, blueberries, some bulb flowers, lots of herbs, and pear and walnut trees. I've got some peas In there too. In the triangle between the driveway and the neighbor's property I have prickly pear, pistachio, blackberry, and plum. The backyard has more weedy lawn and lots more fruit trees with garden plots mixed in. And grape vines on the fence.

 

Growing things, especially edible things, makes me happy.

Oh man, you're my hero. I just started gardening a few years ago, so I'm not quite up to that level. It is the goal. I have blueberries in the mail right now and have expanded my veggie boxes. I've gotta bite the bullet, take down a few trees, then see what the sun is like before I expand anymore. I planted some bare root strawberries, but they're showing no signs of life thus far.