Spring Lawn Prep Tips: Earth-Friendly Lawn Care

If you want to have a lawn that is easier to take care of, safe to play on and beautiful to look at, then follow these tips from the pros this spring.

Ditch The Chemicals

Since 1994 Paul Tukey, author of The Organic Lawn Care Manual and founder of SafeLawns, has helped homeowners get beautiful lawns without harmful chemicals. Tukey became a leader in the natural lawn care industry after becoming sick himself from excessive exposure to pesticides. Tukey says in addition to keeping pets and children safer, “organic lawn care also conserves resources, saves money and ultimately saves time.”

Start with the Soil

Your first step to a beautiful lawn is a soil test, says Tukey. “Get a soil test and check the most important three factors: Organic matter should be 5 to 8 percent, the Ph level should be 6.4 to 7.0, and the calcium to magnesium ratio should be 7 to 1. You can get your soil tested at your local soil lab or agriculture extension office.”

Bring in an Expert 

Once you have your soil sample results, you can look for a lawn and landscape resource to help you whip that lawn back in shape. Jeff Tant has a MS in Horticulture and is the owner of the Charleston, SC-based Full Circle Gardens and Landscapes, an organic lawn care and landscaping service. You can find a resource like Tant in your area by searching on “organic” plus “lawn care.” 

Get Rid of Weeds and Pests Naturally

Homeowners wage a constant battle in the south against both weeds and pests in the lawn, says Tant. “Weeds like to grow in bare spots where there is light,” he says. So growing a thick, healthy lawn is one of your best defenses against weeds. Start by treating the lawn with corn gluten, available from horticulture suppliers, which will inhibit production of weed seeds while providing vital nitrogen to the grass, says Tant.

To get rid of pests such as fire ants, Tant says to try neem oil, a naturally occurring pesticide found in the seeds of the neem tree. You can purchase neem oil online from Amazon or order from your local garden supply store.

Feed Your Lawn

Don’t start fertilizing your lawn too much, too soon. Start around April when the grass is actively growing. Tant says you can include in your fertilizing process a spray mixture of black strap molasses and compost tea, which will feed the microorganisms in the lawn and provide it with potassium and calcium.

Tant says mushroom compost, available at garden stores and online, will over time “green up a lawn, feeding the grass down to the roots and give your grass that wow factor.”

Also avoid overfertilizing your lawn. “Too much fertilizing and too much nitrogen in the soil will lead to pest problems.” 

Set Your Mower On High and Leave the Grass Clippings On the Lawn

One of the most common mistakes Tant says that homeowners make in the spring is putting the mower on too low a setting and bagging up the grass. “Make sure your mower blades are sharp and then leave the setting on high,” he says. Also, “leave the lawn clippings on the lawn which will provide 1/3 of the nitrogen your lawn needs for the whole season.” You can rent a lawn aerator at your local tool resource, says Tant, and aerate your lawn yourself to provide more oxygen to the growing grass.

When to Water

Tant says to water your lawn early in the morning as the sun is coming up, not during the day when much of the water will evaporate and not at night. “If you water late in the day, some of the water stays on the grass all night, and that makes the grass more vulnerable to disease.

Consider Alternatives to an All Grass Lawn 

Tant says to consider inviting more wildlife and birds back into your yard, reduce your time spent on lawn care and water usage, and create a more beautiful and interesting yard by “returning it back to nature” by replacing part of your grass lawn with native plants, garden beds and trees.  He admits this is a recent trend and “men still like a big lawn, just like their dad had.” But he says there is more interest these days in people taking up parts of their lawn to plant fruit trees and gardens, which gives families “great places to grow stuff,” and rain gardens to keep water on site. A landscape designer or architect can help you get started on remodeling your lawn.