If you’ve ever felt caught in a lawn-care cycle of weed killer, insect killer, more weed killer and winterizing fertilizer, Paul Tukey can help you bring your yard back to the land. In his book The Organic Lawn Care Manual: A Natural, Low-Maintenance System for a Beautiful, Safe Lawn, Tukey shows us that it’s not only possible, but healthy and cost-effective to grow the “greenest” lawn on the block—in all senses of the word. 

A child of the “weed ‘n’ feed” generation, Tukey started mowing lawns in his early teens with the then-popular notion that keeping your yard beautiful requires chemicals. Years later, working with his own lawn-care company, Tukey experienced nosebleeds and shortness of breath. When his doctor ordered a cease-and-desist on his use of synthetic chemicals, Tukey had an epiphany of sorts. His health improved, and he made it his mission to help people grow their own “luxuriant swath of green” in the most natural way possible.

The Organic Lawn Care Manual takes lawn enthusiasts step-by-step through lawn projects, with tailored instructions for the various climates in the U.S. Complete with a glossary, in-depth descriptions of lawn products, and several success stories, Tukey’s book proves organic lawn care can be cost-effective, healthy, and even fun.

So the next time you reach for that spray can, consider the tips below, selected from The Organic Lawn Care Manual—chances are there’s a natural way to give your pests the boot.

1) For the healthiest lawn, make sure you see about six inches of rich topsoil when you dig beneath the surface.

2) For a cheap, green way to retain moisture and return nitrogen to your soil, leave grass clippings on your lawn after mowing. Better yet, add white clover to your mix. It’s high in nitrogen and stays green year-round.

3) If your neighbors offer their leftover grass clippings, be sure to ask what they use on their lawns. You could be adding unwanted weed-killers!

4) Never add fertilizer without testing your soil first. A lawn that’s about 5 percent clover, with recycled clippings, could supply enough nitrogen without adding anything extra.

5) If you’re starting a new lawn, try a cover crop of “green manure.” Returning clover, barley or wheat to the soil enriches and prepares your land for a healthy lawn.

6) If you’re seeing too many dandelions on your lawn, it may be a sign of low calcium levels in your soil.

7) Working on your home’s insides as well as out? A quarter inch of sawdust raked into your lawn is a great source of organic matter.

8) Before racing away with your latte-to-go, ask your local coffee shop what they do with old coffee grounds and filters. When applied directly to your lawn with wood ash or lime, coffee grounds are a good source of nitrogen and other important nutrients.

9) Blades of grass fold in half lengthwise to conserve moisture when they’re dry. If you notice this, or visible footprints long after you walk across your lawn, it’s time to water.

10) If you’re giving up showers to water your lawn, it’s time to conserve. Put your mower on a high setting since taller grass shades itself and the ground below, keeping soil from drying out quickly.

11) Better yet, lay off mowing until it rains when your area is experiencing a drought. Tall grass is the best natural protection against drought.

12) For best results, water in early morning hours so the ground can dry throughout the day. A constantly wet soil surface promotes fungal diseases.

13) Frequent watering keeps grass roots close to the surface, and more susceptible to drought and disease. Watering infrequently but deeply, saturating about four inches below the surface, encourages roots to grow down.

14) Be sure to turn your sprinkler off if you see puddles forming. Continue watering when the puddles are absorbed. And if you can’t stick around to turn off the water, be sure to use a sprinkler with a timer.

15) If your problem is weeds, not water, taller grass could again be your saving grace. Tall grass can shade out the seeds of weeds, giving your lawn a cleaner, greener look.

16) Compost or peat moss? The Northeast Organic Farmers Association recommends against using peat moss, which is a limited resource and comes from rare bog habitats. Compost is a free, renewable resource that’s easy to cultivate in your own backyard.

17) Spray “compost tea,” a compost-brewed water mixture, directly on your lawn for an extra nutrient boost.

18) In general, your mower’s blades will need sharpening every 8 to 12 hours of use. Mowing with a dull blade leaves ragged edges on grass, increasing susceptibility to insects or disease.

19) Vary the direction of your mowing. Alternating between vertical, horizontal or diagonal mows prevents tire compaction on your lawn.

20) If you don’t need a grass lawn for sports or other activities, try low-maintenance, low-fertilizer xeriscaping. Xeriscapers replace thirsty, non-native plants with natives and drought-tolerant varieties.

Posted on Jun 25, 2007 at 4:22 PM
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