Chemical Free Lawns

. . . Gardens off Drugs . . .

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All Creatures have the Right to Live - Nature knows Best

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4. 10 Steps For A Naturally Healthy Lawn

1.Overseed
Overseeding your lawn, particularly on the thin patches in the spring or fall, followed by a light application of compost will thicken your lawn and crowd out weeds. Ensure soil/seed contact by tamping with a rake or rolling. Be sure to keep seed/seedlings moist but not overly wet until established.

2.Mow High
Set your lawn at 7.5 cm (3 inches) and mow your lawn when it reaches 11 cm (4.5 inches) in height to encourage deep roots. Never remove more than one-third of the grass blade at one mowing, as this will weaken the grass. Sharpen the mower blades regularly because dull blades tear and stress grass increasing the chance for disease.

3.Grasscycle
Leave clippings on the lawn as a natural mulch. This decreases weeds by up to 60%, provides 30% of fertilizer needs and keeps soil cool and moist.

4.Spread Compost
Top-dress lightly and frequently with compost, ideally after aeration. This helps reduce weeds, lowers water requirements and decreases winter injury (if done in the late fall.) Adding compost improves the soil which is where plant health begins.

5.Water Roots Deeply
Your lawn needs only 2.5 cm (1 inch) of water per week for deep, healthy root growth. If there's no rain, water your lawn once a week in early morning or late evening to avoid evaporation. Be sure to target turf/plant material and not hard surfaces as this is wasteful. Excessive watering is harmful to plants.

6.Help Your Lawn To Breathe
Soil can get compacted from ordinary use. This restricts air, water and compost from getting to the plant roots. The most effective method to relieve compaction is core aeration where small, deep plugs of soil are removed (minimum depth (6cm/2.5 inches), then broken up by raking and left on the surface.

7.Feed The Soil
Use organic fertilizer which provide a natural slow-release nitrogen along with top dressing and grass-cycling. Available at garden centers, organic fertilizers can include bone and blood meal, fish emulsions and seaweed. Soil tests are recommended to determine p/k (phosphorous/potassium), pH and micro-nutrient needs.

8.Protect Your Helpers
Your lawn's soil is home to many living things. Most of these organisms are beneficial to your lawn and many are killed when pesticides are used.

9.Control Pests Naturally
There are alternatives to pesticides! Weeds can be removed by hand. Nematodes, small worms purchased from garden centers, can be used for grub control.

10.Try Something Different
Consider alternatives to grass such as shrubs, vines, perennials and ground covers. Some native plants including wildflowers may be suitable for your yard. Ask your garden center.

Information courtesy of the Naturally Green Brochure produced by Partners For Naturally Green. For more information go to: www.region.halton.on.ca

5. Ecolawn: A Naturally Healthier Lawn

Close up of Ecolawn

Replacing your typical Kentucky Blue grass lawn with any of the fescue grass varieties will also result in a hardier, more maintenance-free lawn.

Alternative groundcovers for lawns:

Ecolawn: Many garden centres sell a seed mixture called ecolawn. See links below. It is a mixture of clover, yarrow and hardy grasses, and the resulting lawn is resistant to grubs and chinch bugs.It is best sown in the spring or early summer.

Clover:Gardening expert Marjorie Harris recommends a lawn of clover as one of the loveliest. White or Dutch clover are good choices. White clover draws nitrogen from the air into the soil thereby improving the soil. A bag of white clover seed is inexpensive and easy to apply. In the spring or fall, sprinkle the seed on top of existing lawn, or in areas to be newly seeded, and cover with a light layer of top-dressing mix{available at Petrie's or similar sources}. Keep watered{if it doesn't rain} until the seeds start to sprout{about ten days}.Clover stays green during hot, dry weather and requires little mowing.

Thyme: The use of thyme to replace grass is best done if the area is several hundred square feet or less. All grass and weeds must be removed first. Broadcast thyme seeds over the area and keep moist until the seeds have sprouted. It will take 6 to 8 months to establish as a "lawn". Most garden centres sell thyme plants but using these will be more costly than using seeds. Thyme tolerates only light foot traffic.

Different Eco Lawn seed mixtures are available from:

Wild Flowers Farms

William Dam Seeds

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