4 Steps To An Organic Lawn

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Do you have a beautiful front yard? Are you worried about your pets or small children getting into all the potentially hazardous chemicals that can be applied to the lawn? Switching to an organic lawn may seem like a lot of work at first, but it's probably less work than you might have thought. Here are some of the steps you need to take to start turning your land into organic sod:

Build a compost bin: Your grass uses nutrients in your soil to grow and when you throw your grass clippings away, you're throwing away those nutrients. Instead of throwing away those nutrients and replacing them with potentially hazardous chemical fertilizers, compost your grass clippings and other household waste. A compost bin can be simple, made from an old trash can with holes drilled into the sides for air circulation or it could be an expensive one you purchase specially at the store. If you're afraid of the potential smell, a well-maintained and stirred compost bin or pile will have no odor except for that of moist soil.

Find nontoxic pest repellents: Marigolds are well-known among organic gardeners for repelling many unwanted insects, but not everyone realizes that they may also be able to help fend off deer that are interested in eating your grass down to bare sod. If aphids are a problem in your area of the country, you may want to add petunias and nasturtiums to the mix. For maximum effect, add a flowerbed with these and other plants around the perimeter of your lawn and at the base of any trees in your lawn. 

Add beneficial insects: Ladybugs, praying mantises, and lacewings are all known to prey on harmful insects while leaving your lawn alone. Praying mantis will eat a wide variety of insects, while ladybugs and lacewings are mainly used for aphid control. If you live in an area that experiences severe grub infestations, there are region and pest-specific beneficial nematodes for use on your sod. If your local lawn and garden center doesn't carry these beneficial insects, they are available from many gardening websites.

Mow less: While you certainly don't want to have an unkempt lawn, one key to keeping your sod healthy is not to use the lowest setting in your lawn mower. The correct height for most grasses is going to be between 1 1/2 to 2 inches after mowing. It's also recommended that you avoid cutting off more than 1/3rd of the grass height at one time. Experts say that this could cause your lawn to die and require you to buy new sod.

For more information about maintaining your sod, or if you're interested in expanding or updating your lawn, contact a company like California Sod Center.

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2 December 2014

Edible Landscaping and Decorative Fields: Agriculture and Art

Hi! Thanks for stopping by my blog. My name is Courtney, and my passion combines art and plants. I have been a fiber artist for years, and recently, I moved to a farm. As I planted roots both literally and figuratively, I decided to revitalize farming from an aesthetic standpoint. In this blog, I am going to post entries of everything related to landscaping, planting, farming and the visual arts. Want to know how to make a field beautiful or how to inject classic edible plants into your landscaping design? If so, stick around. I hope to address all that here. Have a beautiful life!