Author: Jeffrey Evans
Company: Evans Consulting

BY JULIE McMAINE EVANS

THE BASICS OF NATURAL

LAWN CARE
   You want a healthy lawn that's resistant to weeds, disease and pests. You don't want to use hazardous chemicals. You don't want to spend unnecessary time and money on your lawn. But you want your lawn to look nice and be an attractive example of chemical-free lawn care in your neighborhood.
Is all that possible? Yes. But it will take some planning and commitment.
Don't neglect your lawn and let it become barren or weedy while wondering how to deal with it in a nonchemical way. Start right now mowing high, watering deep, and using other simple, basic techniques and products that will make your grass healthier.

MAKE A COMMITMENT TO YOUR LAWN
Start by getting to know your lawn. Walk around it and really look at it. Even draw a sketch of it. Now note the grasses, weed problems, soil type, shade versus sun, drainage, how you use each area of lawn (since that affects plant choice), thatch, pests, etc. Next, prioritize your problem areas. Tackle the emergencies as soon as possible and the lesser problems as you can. Then, make a conscious decision about what level of lawn maintenance you'll provide.

MAKE FRIENDS WITH LAWN EXPERTS
Lawn care advice differs for every area of the country. Books are one source of help, of course. But for more personal help, your local County Extension Office (through the land-grant university in your state) is an excellent source of information about your region: 
grass varieties best for your location, typical soil types, typical problems and solutions, etc. The extension office is one source of soil sampling. You can also take (or mail) samples of grasses, weeds, and bugs to the extension office for identification and advice.
Your extension office may also have an active "master gardener" program of amateurs who have special training, love to share their knowledge, and must do a certain number of volunteer hours per year to keep their certification. You'll soon know whether your agent or neighborhood master gardener understands your concerns about chemicals. (Our agent maintains his own lawn without harsh chemicals. One master gardener has multiple chemical sensitivities.)

Don't neglect your lawn and let it become barren or weedy while wondering how to deal with it in a nonchemical way.
Personnel in stores that carry
alternatives to pesticides and herbicides and personnel at mail-order sources of these products are also wonderful sources of information.

MOW HIGH WITH SHARP BLADES
If you don't remember anything else about lawn care, remember that the lower you mow, the more work you'll have to do on your lawn, says Bob Mugaas, a horticulturist with the University of Minnesota Extension Service. Shorter grass means shorter roots and weaker grass . . . and more weeds and disease and pests to deal with.
Mowing at a height of 2 to 3 inches will help screen out light to the soil surface and help keep weeds such as crabgrass from germinating. Also, a higher cut will encourage a slightly deeper root system, giving the grass better stress tolerance. When grass becomes long, such as during rainy seasons, it is better to lower the height gradually rather than all at one time. Never cut off more than one third of the grass blade. Studies show that if you take off more than that, it literally slows or stops growth, and the plant has to recover. Rotate your mowing pattern to prevent compaction and stress on the lawn. Warning: A single heavy mowing can literally shock a lawn to death, writes Warren Schultz, author of an excellent book, The Chemical-free Lawn.
If you cut the grass short, you will not have to mow it less often. Research shows higher heights actually delay mowing, Mugaas says. Make sure your blades are sharp, because a sharp cut will minimize water loss and potential for disease.
The Scotts classic mower, one 
source said, is the only push mower that will mow as high as three inches.

LEAVE CLIPPINGS
Leave clippings on the lawn whenever possible. They do not contribute to thatch build-up and are valuable sources of nutrients, says Mugaas. Yearly nitrogen applications may be reduced by one-third to one-half when grass clippings are returned to the lawn. A mulching mower or blade reduces clipping size and rate of decomposition but is not necessary. Clippings start breaking down and providing nitrogen to the soil within a week. Clumps of clippings should be removed from the lawn, however, because they'll kill grass. You may also want to remove clippings from the last mowing of the year to prevent disease. And be sure to remove clippings when you are converting from a chemical to a nonchemical lawn.
Do rake leaves (they'll kill grass) or run over them numerous times with the mower. Use them for mulch, or compost them.

UNDERSTAND THATCH
Thatch, a dense layer of grass stems and roots on the surface of the soil, can lead to insect and disease problems and increased susceptibility to cold, heat, and drought. Thatch is not caused by grass clippings, say the experts. Chemical fertilizers and herbicides are the worst contributors to thatch. But overwatering, compaction, and improper mowing can also contribute to the problem. Thatch up to a half-inch may even be beneficial, says Schultz. More than that is one of the worst things that can happen to your lawn.
Thatch is reduced by aeration, 
topdressing or vertical mowing with special power equipment. Power dethatching causes temporary aesthetic damage to the lawn. Dethatching with hand dethatching rakes is labor intensive and can stress the grass. Topdressing, Schultz explains, is covering the lawn with up to three-eighths inch of organic matter or soil and is worthwhile on most lawns once a year.
WATER INFREQUENTLY AND DEEPLY
You may have heard that your grass needs at least an inch of water a week. Mugaas points out that this belief is at odds with water conservation practices. Instead, he suggests choosing to let cool-season grasses go into a state of summer dormancy to reduce the need for irrigation. Check with your county extension service or another expert to see if your grass will tolerate this practice. Cool-season grasses need to be "toughened up" to withstand dry and hot conditions, however, by gradually reducing water supplies to the lawn. Do not water heavily and then abruptly stop the application. In Minnesota, we apply one-fourth to one-half inch of water approximately every three weeks on a heavy soil to keep plant crowns from dehydrating totally and yet not bring the plant out of dormancy. Shorter intervals may be needed on sandy soils and during periods of drought.
Overwatering causes fungal diseases. Watering early afternoon to mid-afternoon is generally better than late in
the evening, when water would stay on grass blades and encourage some fungi. (A hose timer can be set.) Frequent shallow watering promotes the development of a shallow root system.

CONCLUSION
It's stressful for chemical sponge lawns to convert to healthier lifestyles. Expect that your lawn may look worse before it looks better.
If your lawn is older than 25 years old, chances are your grass is old fashioned. New "miracle grasses" come out frequently. Talk with your county agent or a turf expert. You may need to consider overseeding with a hardier grass. Sodding is often not a good choice, because the types of grasses in sod have traditionally been high-maintenance grasses. Sod can be overseeded with other varieties, of course. (Exception: Sod may be a good choice on a slope to prevent erosion.)
Check out the resources in this article for more details on lawns, flowerbeds, shrubs, trees, and gardens.

Julie McMaine Evans holds a master's in technical communications and business from the University of Minnesota and consults in public relations and chemical sensitivities from her home in St. Cloud, Minnesota. In 1998, she organized a community-wide seminar on "Environmentally Friendly Lawn Care."

SOURCES
 Fact sheet "Least Toxic Control of Lawn Pests," and other information, packet of information on lawn care from Beyond
    Pesticides/National Coalition Against the Misuse of Pesticides, 701 E Street, SE, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20003-2841. $3.
 Mugaas, Bob. Law Input Lawn Care pamphlet, Minnesota Extension Service. Also seminar on topic, April 1998.
 Schultz, Warren. The Chemical-Free Lawn. Emmaus, Pa.: Rodale Press, 1996. (Highly recommended by NCAMP and this writer) 
    To order, call NCAMP at 2021543-5450.)
 Talbot, Mike. Lawns Without Chemicals, seminar transcribed and edited for Gardens Alive!

RESOURCES
 Bio-Integral Resource Center (BIRC), P0. Box 7414, Berkeley, CA 94707, phone 510/524-2567. Lawn care packet, $14. A nonprofit organization with least-toxic methods of lawn care and pest control.
 Carr, Anna, and Fern Marshall Bradley, editors. Rodale's Chemical-Free Yard & Garden: The Ultimate Authority on Successful Organic Gardening. Emmaus, Pa.: Rodale Press, 1995. Corn gluten information, from Iowa State's web site: www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/hortnews/6-20-l997/cornglut
 County Cooperative Extension Service usually listed in the telephone directory under county or state government. Has a range of resources on lawn care and landscape maintenance, including plant selection, pest control, and soil testing.
 Ellis, Barbara, and Frances Tenenbaum, editors. Safe & Easy Lawn Care: The complete Guide to Organic, Law-Maintenance Lawns.    
Taylor's Weekend Gardening Guides. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1997.
 Franklin, Stuart. Building a Healthy Lawn. Pownel, Vt: Storey Communications, 1988.
 Healthy Lawn, Healthy Environment, booklet EPA, 1992, available from EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs, Field Operations   
    Division (H7506C). 401 M. St., SW, Washington, DC 20460 or on this web site: www.epa. gov/epahome/publications
 NCAMP-recommended product sources:
 Fairfax Biological Laboratory, Inc. Clinton Comers, NY 12514 (Bacillus popilliae, milky spore disease for white grubs)
 Namatec Co., P.O. Box 758, San Leandro, CA 94577 (parasitic nematodes)
 Safer, Inc., 60 William Street, Wellesley, MA 02181 (herbicidal soap)
     These products can also be ordered through the mail from: Necessary Trading Company, New Castle, VA
    24127 or Natural Gardening Research Center, Hwy. 48, P.O. Box 149, Sunman, IN 47041
 Raymond, Dick. Down-to-Earth Natural Lawn Care. Pownel, Vermont, Storey Communications, 1993.
 Roberts, Tom. Organic Pest Control for Home & Garden. Summertown, Tenn., Book Publishing Co., 1998. (Lists current mail order 
    suppliers of beneficial insects and organic products.)
 Schultz, Warren, editor. Natural Insect Control: The Ecological Gardener's Guide to Foiling Pests. 21St Century Gardening Series,   
    Handbook No. 139. Brooklyn: Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, 1995.
 Gardens Alive! – Good source of yard, garden & pest control products – (812) 537-8650; 5100 Schenley Place, Lawrenceburg,  IN  
    47025  (Wild Bird Crossing stores sell Gardens Alive! Products.)

Controlling Weeds and Other Lawn Pests the Natural Way
Developing healthy soil, using the right grass varieties, mowing high, and so forth, all certainly help with weed control, but what do you do when that's not enough? Hand weeding is an option. Special tools can be used for dandelions. Spot treatments with safer herbicides is an option. Safer, Inc. (See Resources) has a new fatty-acid soap product called 5harpshooter™ that is an effective, broad-spectrum herbicide. BIRC also recommends using flamers for some weed control. After reading about machines that use hot water on roadside weeds, I've also used boiling water for weeds, especially in sidewalk cracks.

CORN GLUTEN: A FEED-AND-WEED THAT'S SAFE
Want a feed-and-weed safe enough to play in? Corn gluten, a byproduct of the corn-milling process (typically used in pet and chicken feed), is an effective early weed killer for dandelions, crabgrass, and several other weeds. And it's safe if you're not allergic to corn. The University of Iowa has interesting information about the product on its web site and also lists distributors. One nice bonus to using corn gluten is that it's also a source of nitrogen. A word of caution: Corn gluten keeps grass from germinating, so you cannot sow grass seed for a period of time after using it.  WOW! ®Plus is organic fertilizer and corn gluten from Gardens Alive or Wild Bird Crossing.
Properly maintained and healthy turfgrass will tolerate low levels of insect pests without suffering permanent damage. As with weeds, if an insect problem exists, look for the "root" cause. Just getting rid of the pest won't solve the problem.
Regularly monitor your lawn. Get to know your good and bad insects. When insect pest problems are above a level you can tolerate, choose the least toxic method to combat the problem. Talk to organizations that advocate alternatives to pesticides or companies that sell alternative products. White grubs, for example, can be controlled by applying the bacterium Bacillus popilliae (milky spore disease), which will provide good control for decades. (Moles feed on grubs, so your mole problem likely will also disappear.)
Disease problems are often linked to improper nutrient or moisture conditions. For example, dollar spot, characterized by bleached spots about the size and shape of a silver dollar, is found in lawns with insufficient nitrogen. For moisture-linked problems, try altering your watering practices or improving drainage. -JME 

So You Want a New Lawn?
You can have a new lawn without ripping up the old one by overseeding with a new grass. Overseeding means planting new seed on top of the existing grass and top-dressing with soil or sand for best results. Talk with local lawn care experts about the best time to sow grass seed - it's dependent on your geographical area, your climate, and the type grass you choose. Typically, the best time to sod or seed is fall in the north and spring in the south.
If you need to start from scratch, research how to kill weeds naturally before seeding. One way is to till the soil two or three times, a week apart. Another is to leave clear plastic on the site for a week or so. Whether you're renovating or starting from scratch, be sure to use good quality grass seed. It contains fewer weed seeds. It also contains fewer annual grasses, which won't necessarily come back next year. Use new seed. Use enough seed. And keep the soil moist until seedlings are established. I cover my seeds with soil or shade with a bit of straw. When you have a bare spot, weeds tend to fill in unless you plant grass seed (or cut a piece of sod from elsewhere in your lawn).
A word about shady areas: Grass simply doesn't grow well in shade no matter how hard you try. Gardens Alive! suggests pruning low tree branches to allow sunlight to reach the lawn at least a third of the day. Or try ground covers for shady areas. -JME

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