Revisiting Organic Lawn Care

July 2006

Organic Lawn Care in 6 Simple Steps

By Erica Myers-Russo

Conventional lawn care is a vicious cycle. Since World War II, American backyards have been awash in synthetic fertilizers, herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides, all of which wreak havoc on your environment, your health, and (ironically) your lawn. That’s right, typical lawn care practices turn a relatively self-sufficient lawn into a needy wreck with shallow roots, excess thatch, compacted soil, and decreased disease resistance.

The solution is to go green: build and manage a lawn the organic way. It can be done, but it means rethinking the ecosystem from the ground up.

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I've kept hard copy of this article with me since the first Spring season in our home. I'm trying to work this way, but I have to admit it's tough - having the neighbors lawns perfectly green while yours is perfectly healthy is not necessarily a visual win-over. However, I have no fear of planting the organic garden I mention in the article below, nor am I worried in the least about chemical exposure in my lawn - unless it comes in from the neighbors' yards.

I am, however, going to bag clippings a bit this year - so I can compost them and use them as organic mulch in my gardening.

Happy Spring!

Rev. Dan