Looking After Your Lawn The Natural Way

Lawns are extremely beneficial for the ecosystem – a 50m2 lawn will produce enough oxygen for a  single person’s needs every day. That little patch of grass is extremely valuable, and this is why it’s important to look after it. In America, we use a staggering 80 million pounds of pesticides on our backyard grass every year, but you don’t need to use harmful toxins and chemicals in order to get a great-looking lawn. You can use natural, organic fertilizers, and even get the family involved in a little lawn maintenance, to make sure that the grass is always green on your side of the fence.

Lawn aeration is a simple, and easy way of helping your grass to get all the nutrients it needs. By perforating the soil, you are allowing air, water and nutrients to penetrate the roots of your grass. Lawn aeration will also help you to remove thatch and moss from the grass. You can use a rake to make holes, or invest in a pair of lawn aeration sandals, which can be worn over your ordinary shoes. All you need to do then is walk around your backyard. It’s a simple job – getting children involved in lawn care couldn’t be easier. You should aerate your lawn every six months to keep it looking good.

Your lawn needs three ingredients to thrive – potassium (K), phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N). These elements can easily be found in organic matter. You don’t need to use commercial lawn care treatments that often have toxic chemicals in the ingredients, such as benzoic acid, phenoxy and mecoprop (MCPP). Five cups of organic Epsom salts and two tablespoons of vinegar, diluted in 5 liters of water, contains all the nutrients that your grass needs. It is enough to cover a 50m² lawn, and you only need to fertilize the lawn twice a year. For an extra treat, mix in a cup of organic molasses. The sugar in molasses boosts plant health and feeds soil microbes. It also contains iron, which helps with cellular metabolism and assists in the process of photosynthesis. Once your lawn is fully grown, you’ll of course have to mow it regularly in order to keep it healthy and tidy. A ride-on mower makes mowing easy which is why it’s such a plural choice. Besides mowing however, you might also need to feed your lawn every now and again with the aforementioned three ingredients.

If you find that your lawn is looking patchy, or there are weeds growing in the grass, then you should overseed your turf. A good quality, organic grass seed will grow in 7-10 days. You should choose your grass carefully though – rye grass is a good “all purpose” choice, as it is hard wearing and will withstand drought. Bent grasses will produce a rich, lush texture, but they need plenty of water. It would help the bees to mix in a little clover too, which has the added bonus of locking the nitrogen into the soil.

You don’t need to use harsh pesticides and chemicals to keep your lawn healthy. It’s easy to look after your grass the organic, natural way.