The first step is to test the soil’s pH – it should read between 6.5 and 7.0, which is slightly acidic. Soil that is too acidic will need a sprinkling of lime; sulfur can be added to soil that’s not acidic enough. You can buy a pH test kit for less than $15 which also tests nutrient levels. Another solution is to have your soil tested professionally. First call your extension office: they often provide soil testing as a free service.

Lawns grow best in loamy soils that have a mix of clay, silt, and sand. Too much clay in the soil mix, or heavy use, can compact the soil and prevent air and nutrient flow. Compacted soil may need aeration (see below), a process of lifting small plugs of turf to create air spaces in the soil.

Organic matter, such as compost and grass clippings, will benefit any type of soil; it lightens soil that is heavy in clay, and it builds humus in sandy soils, which helps retain water and nutrients. Some lawn mowers are equipped with mulching attachments that break up the clippings and disperse them as you mow. To add minerals to your soil, consider products like glacial rock dust.

Grasses vary in the type of climate they prefer, the amount of water and nutrients they require, how much shade they can tolerate, and the degree of wear they can withstand. Ask your local garden center to recommend the grass that is best adapted to your area.

If your soil is clayey or compacted, your lawn will benefit from annual aeration. Half of any healthy soil should be pore space, which allows the circulation of water, nutrients, and air. When soil particles are compressed so there aren’t enough of these spaces, plants can’t get the nutrients they need to thrive.

Aeration helps re-create these important spaces by removing finger-sized plugs of soil throughout the lawn. For best results, rent an aerator from your local garden center or tool share, or hire a lawn service to do the job. It’s best to aerate your lawn before top dressing and fertilizing.

Giving your lawn a “Marine cut” is not doing it a favor. Surface roots become exposed, the soil dries out faster, and surface aeration is reduced. As a general rule, don’t cut off more than one-third of the grass at any one time. Most turfgrass species are healthiest when kept between 2.5 and 3.5″ tall.

When the lawn is finished growing for the season, cut it a bit shorter, to about 2″. This will minimize the risk of mold build-up during winter.

Thorough watering encourages your lawn to develop deep root systems, which make the lawn hardier and more drought-resistant. Let the lawn dry out before re-watering; as a rule of thumb, the color should dull and footprints should stay compressed for more than a few seconds. When watering, put a cup in the sprinkler zone; it should get at least one inch (2.5cm) water. Most healthy lawns require only 1″ of water per week.

The best time for watering is early morning; less water will be lost to evaporation. Ideally, it’s better to water the first half-inch or so, then wait for an hour or two before watering the second half-inch.

Overseeding is the process of adding grass seed to an existing lawn, which can be helpful for filling in thin or patchy areas of grass. In cooler climates, overseeding can be done in spring and fall when the soil is warm enough for the type of seed you’ve selected; in warmer climates, late spring to midsummer is the best time to plant warm season grass.

Begin by preparing the area you intend to overseed by mowing grass very low and raking away grass clippings and other plant matter, so the seed can contact the soil. If possible, aerate before overseeding. Next, follow the directions on your seed mix package to determine seeding rate, since these will vary by type. After sowing keep seeds moist to encourage germination. Once the seeds have sprouted, follow your normal watering schedule. Wait to mow the overseeded area until grass has grown to at least one inch in height.

Thatch is the accumulation of above-soil runners, propagated by the grass. This layer should be about 1/2″ ( 1.25cm) on a healthy lawn, and kept in balance by natural decomposition, earthworms and microorganisms. Too much thatch prevents water and nutrients from reaching the grass roots. Before you resort to renting a dethatcher, however, effort should be made to improve aeration to control thatch build-up. Aeration brings microorganisms to the surface that will eat most of the thatch.

If you don’t aerate, the roots stay near the surface, contributing to thatch build-up. When you aerate once a year it breaks down the thatch, allowing the roots to get deeper in the soil. This leads to thicker grass, which naturally kills weeds too. While a dethatcher will reduce thatch build-up, it can also strip and thin the grass so much it allows weeds to germinate more easily. Ensure you don’t overuse your dethatcher. You can also reduce thatch with a steel rake.

A number of pests can affect the health of your lawn, so keep an eye out for areas that look damaged. Moles are notorious wreckers of turf grass. If you see their tell tale tunnels poking up into your lawn, drive them away with granular mole repellent, which makes your yard taste bad, or try a sonic mole repellent. Both methods also drive away the voles that like to tunnel in your yard as well.

If you have insect damage, an application of beneficial nematodes or some BT (Bacillus thuringiensis galleriae), a nontoxic insecticide made from naturally occurring soil bacteria, can help eradicate grubs, beetles, and other common pests. Milky spore is also an effective way to target grubs. To determine exactly which insects are destroying your grass, pour a soap solution on the affected area and see which insects come out to escape drowning in soap. Different regions have different pests, so it’s best to consult with your local extension service for guidance.

Areas people walk on repeatedly can get compacted and worn, and may be better off as paths. You can lay paving stones or gravel for a no-maintenance path. Mulch can also work, but will need replenishing regularly, making pavers or stepping stones the more ecological and potentially more cost-effective option.

You can cut the lawn anytime without disturbing the neighbors or the wildlife. Listen to the birds as you cut the lawn!

The savings in fuel is significant to both the environment and your wallet. No more dead spark plugs, messy oil changes or stored fuel.

Today’s reel mowers are lighter, easier to push and more effective than the old push mowers. Their light weight also makes it easier to move from front to back yard, or to lift into a pickup.

Aside from the occasional drop of oil and blade sharpening, there’s little maintenance required. Some models have blades made of hardened steel, which do not require sharpening. These blades will last up to ten years before needing replacement.

With prices ranging from $100 to $350, the cost of a reel mower is less than half that of a lower-end power mower.

If you have a small to medium size lawn, switching from a gas mower to a reel mower may be the biggest environmental savings you can make from your home. If your lawn is large, you can use a reel mower for small or isolated sections, or for a helper to use. Whenever your reel mower is being used, the result is cleaner air.

For more information, read our article Switching to a Reel Mower, a first hand experience changing from power to push.

Much of the water from daytime watering is lost to evaporation. Avoid overwatering your lawn: it’s more damaging than not watering enough.

Grass will grow at different rates when temperatures and moisture levels vary. Many lawn companies and homeowners mow weekly, even when it’s not needed. This wastes gas, money, and time, and makes our neighborhoods unnecessarily noisy. Mow when the lawn looks like it needs a trim and leave it be when it doesn’t.

Sometimes referred to as “grass-cycling”, this provides nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, water) equivalent to one application of fertilizer. Clippings do not cause thatch. Mulching mowers are also available which help the clippings hide in the grass. For effective grass cycling, wait until the lawn is 3″ tall, then set the mower height to remove 1″. The clippings left on the lawn will quickly disappear from view. Of course this technique also saves hauling yard waste to the landfill – some states have banned yard waste from landfills. For more information, read our article Grasscycling – The Easiest Way to Nurture Your Lawn.

Dandelions thrive at a pH level of about 7.5, and are a sign to add gardeners sulfur to lower the pH. Clover and medic are sign that your lawn may be nitrogen poor, and needs compost or a nitrogen-weighted fertilizer. To learn more, read our article about How to Read the Weeds for a Healthier Lawn.

Before the introduction of weed-killers in the mid twentieth century, people expected to see a mix of plants in a lawn. Many common plants like clover and dandelions actually benefit your lawn. Clover is a nitrogen-fixer, adding nutrition to the soil, and the long taproot that makes dandelions so difficult to eradicate is actually an effective aerator. Deep roots also bring useful minerals up to the surface where they can be used by other plants. Additionally, the flowers of these plants provide food for pollinators that don’t find much to eat in landscapes dominated by monoculture grass.

Lawn grasses have an effective coping strategy when water is scarce: dormancy. While brown grass is not perhaps everyone’s ideal, letting plants go dormant can save a lot of water. Give grass a half-inch of water every other week during dry times and it should bounce back when conditions improve. It’s best to stay off drought-stressed grass.

You can tell when your mower blades are dull by looking at the grass tips. If they are brown and ragged, your blades are dull. Sharp mower blades not only make your lawn look greener, they help develop a healthier lawn.

This is sufficient for an attractive lawn. Cool season grasses are semi-dormant in the summer; fertilizing during summer will be ineffective. Fertilizing in early fall promotes vigorous lawn growth the next spring.

Where only a few scattered broadleaf weeds such as dandelions or plantain are present, consider spot-treating individual weeds with household vinegar rather than applying a broadcast treatment of an herbicide over the entire lawn. Mix 5 parts white vinegar, 2 parts water, 1 part dish soap, and apply with a hand pump sprayer. (Vinegar can burn grass and garden plants, so be sure to spot treat weeds only.)

For a commercially available, nontoxic “spot treatment” for weeds, we recommend Burn Out Weed and Grass Killer.

If you are adding seed to cover bare spots or a thin lawn, use hardy perennial ryegrass and drought-tolerant fescue seed mix. Alternately, reseed with a drought-tolerant, low-maintenance Eco-Lawn seed.

For lawn grubs, there is a natural remedy called milky spore. The granules are spread on the soil and cause the grubs to contract a disease that kills them. Only the grubs are affected, leaving beneficial organisms unharmed. Milky spore multiplies over time and will sit inactive, waiting for grubs to infect. One treatment is said to last 40 years. The grubs are actually the larvae of Japanese beetles. So, when you kill the grubs you kill the beetle.

If the clippings are too long and must be raked, try hand raking. This light aerobic exercise will save you a trip to the gym. If you have fallen leaves to rake, don’t burn them – they make excellent mulch for flower or garden beds, or can be added to your compost pile where they’ll be converted to rich, organic humus for the garden.

If there are areas in your yard that never get used for recreation, consider replacing them with perennial plants or trees that are more environmentally beneficial. Most yards have grassy areas that homeowners only set foot on for weekly mowing that might be put to more productive use capturing rainwater, storing carbon, or even growing food. A mixed planting of berry bushes and native flowers, for example, can provide food for your family and endangered pollinators.

If growing and maintaining a lawn on your property is proving too difficult or requiring too much water or other resources, you may want to consider alternatives to the standard grass lawn. We have prepared several articles to help you with alternative approaches to keeping a standard lawn. To learn more, please read:

How to Establish a Clover Lawn
Lawn Alternatives

Pros

• Cost effective
• Greater variety of seeds available suited to different growing conditions
• An easier DIY project than hauling in and laying heavy sod

Cons

• Timing is important to encourage germination of grass seeds, but not weeds
• Establishing a dense lawn can take awhile and may require reseeding

Pros

• Quick: sod provides an instant carpet of green
• Few weeds
• Reduced dust and erosion caused by exposed soil
• Can be planted any time during growing season as long as water is available

Cons

• Expensive: sodding can cost ten times as much as seeding
• Limited variety
• Typically not suited for shade
• Contact with soil is not always successful, and sod must be replaced

All-natural pre-emergent corn gluten weed control adds nitrogen to your beautiful organic lawn while preventing new weeds from sprouting!
Apply in early spring, 3 – 5 weeks before weeds begin to sprout. Apply again in late fall.

A 40 lb bag of Corn Gluten, treats 200 sq. ft. of lawn.

Produced to USDA standards, Milky Spore is the safest material ever developed for control over the larvae (grubs) of Japanese Beetles. Milky Spore is not harmful to beneficial insects, birds, bees, pets or man. It is safe to use around wells.

A 10 oz. Milky Spore box treats: 2,500 square feet
A 40 oz. Milky Spore box treats: 10,000 square feet

Eco-Lawn™ grows in full sun, part shade and even deep shade! Eco-Lawn™ is highly drought tolerant once established, and has a beautiful green colour. Eco-Lawn™ does not require fertilizing.

Purchase Eco-Lawn

Convert your lawn clippings to valuable compost in as little as 13 days. Our line of fully sealed composting systems are also ideal for urban gardens and homes with small yards.

Visit our shop for more information or to buy compost tumblers.