Maintaining a nice green yard can be a chore. Cutting, fertilizing, weed, insect and disease control, where does it end?
Maintaining your yard can be simple... Go Organic!
The use of organic products on the lawn takes all the guess work out. By using natural products that come from the earth, you don t need a chemistry degree. One does not need to worry about applying too much and burning the turf. Organic fertilizers are naturally balanced, easily absorbed and leave no residual chemicals that are harmful to people, pets, water or wildlife. They also release evenly and over a period of time so less applications are needed. Organic fertilizers can be applied most anytime during the growing season, even in summer.
Compost is also another great way to keep your lawn healthy naturally. By spreading a thin layer of compost over the yard, you are putting back valuable, natural nutrients into the ground.
Using natural products on your lawn, the turf will become healthier and stronger, thereby becoming disease and insect resistant naturally. The healthier the turf the easier it is for the lawn to resist infestations. The lawn will also have less weeds. A strong thick turf will choke out weeds. If the grass is thick, the sun can t reach the weeds seeds, and they simply don t germinate.
Using a mulching lawn mower or a reel type mower is actually healthier for the lawn than bagging the grass. By leaving clippings (not when the grass is long) on the lawn, it acts as a natural fertilizer as the grass decomposes. The blades of the grass are the nutrient center of the grass itself. It is important not to cut more than 1/3 of the turf at a time, as this is where photosynthesis takes place and allows the turf to grow and be healthy. When too much of the blade is cut off the grass cannot grow effectively.
Turf that is strong and healthy will also be more drought resistant than weak, stressed turf.
Watering is also a key element to a strong, healthy, green lawn. It is important to know how and when to water the lawn. Watering the lawn deeply and infrequently is the best for the lawn. By watering deeply and only once or twice per week, the roots will grow deep into the soil thereby becoming more drought resistant. If you water for short periods of time 4 or 5 times per week, for example, the roots will stay at the surface of the ground, where the water is. During periods of drought and water restrictions, your lawn won't have a fighting chance. Watering frequently also causes thatch to build up and the turf will become thin and weeds will begin to invade.
So, with that said, I ve just cut down your lawn chores by about half. You will save money on fertilizers, control product and your water bill. By using organic products, not only are you going to have a beautiful, lush lawn naturally...you will have the time to enjoy it!
This article may be reproduced and/or distributed. This article was written by Vera Pappas, Owner of http://www.greennationgardens.com, a web based garden center, selling organic garden supplies and sustainable outdoor living products.
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