Sparky's Safe Lawn Tip - Consider adding compost and soil amendments

Healthy body, healthy mind, healthy spirit...healthy soil.

Just the same way all of us don't look like Brad Pitt, we can't all be blessed with perfect soil.  But don't fear: with a little ingenuity and the addition of healthy soil amendments, your soil can get a lot closer. 

Understand your soil test
To start, you've got to understand the outcome of your soil test.  If your soil has less than 5% organic matter, is damaged by chemicals and is compacted, then use 1/4-1/2 inch compost.

Become a composting captain!
Compost is an ideal soil amendment, filling in that much-needed organic content to your soil and suppressing any grass pathogens.  In addition, compost helps your soil by helping neutralize the soil; and keeping in nutrients and water by adding water and microorganisms.  One more great thing about compost: by helping along any other issues your soil may have, this frees you up to do to the gardening you love.  Great, right?

How composting happens
Organic matter is transformed into compost through the work of microorganisms, soil fauna, enzymes and fungi.  Your compost should give these beneficial organisms the best environment to flourish.  To make this happen as quickly (and effectively) as possible, you need to balance four key ingredients:
1. Carbon - Carbon-rich materials are like the power bars for microorganisms.  Examples are dry leaves, straw and rotted hay.
2. Nitrogen - High-nitrogen materials add protein so microorganisms can multiply.  Examples are fresh weeds, grass clippings, overripe fruits and veggies.
3. Water - Moisture's important; but as a rule of thumb, keep your soil like a well-wrung sponge.
4. Oxygen - Your little microorganisms need O2 to do their best.  Be sure to keep turning and aerating your compost pile.

More resources
Gardener's Supply did a great article on "All about composting" - check it out here.  Composting is fun, and also a great way to work with our environment...and get a healthy lawn in the process.

What are some of your composting recipes?       

Sparky's Safe Lawn Tip - Get a soil test and choose the right fertilizer

OK, OK, the lawn care season is getting closer! :)

So, what now? Get ready for the season by getting a soil test. You should never spend any money on any fertilizer or soil amendment without first checking out the results of a soil test first.

All lawn care fertilizers are comprised of three main ingredients:
1. Nitrogen - Helps keep your grass healthy, vibrant green and helps keep it nice and thick! A healthy lawn can naturally ward of bugs and pests, too.
2. Phosphorous - Nutritionally helps strong roots in your grass.
3. Potassium - It also bolsters the strength of your blades, which helps your lawn weather particularly dry or hot spells.

When choosing the right fertilizer, you want to get the right combination of these three key nutrients to the soil at a rate that's optimal for growth. You also want to mind your budget, personal time investment (like hiring a pro).

Whatever your path, testing your soil first and selecting a fertilizer with the optimal makeup of the three key nutrients will give you the best shot to a more emerald, stronger and fuller lawn you can be proud of.

A Great Foundation: 10 Essential Tips to a Natural Lawn

Lawn season is right around the corner! And, if you're thinking of going organic or organic-based for your lawn, there's definitely a lot to think about. Where do you start? Like any worthwhile project, getting the right foundation is key.

Here's a great foundation from our friends at SafeLawns.org:

THE 10 ESSENTIAL TIPS FOR A NATURAL LAWN
1. Obtain a soil test - Never spend money on any fertilizer or soil amendment without first consulting the results of a soil test first.
2. Grow the right grass - The most common lawn grasses in North America, Kentucky Bluegrass and Bremudagrass, also need the most water and fertilizer to grow well. Other species such as perennial ryegrass, fescue, seashore paspalum and centipede grass may be better for your region of the country.
3. Water well - Morning watering is always recommended so that the surface of the lawn dries off during the day. Water deeply and infrequently so the roots of the grass learn to grow down into the soil to get the water they need.
4. Think of your soil as alive - "Dirt" is what you track into your house. The material that grows on your lawn, the soil, is alive with organisms large and small. Nurturing that life through proper use of natural materials will lead to a successful natural lawn.
5. Mow properly - Recycling your grass clippings by leaving them on the lawn will provide approximately half your lawn's fertilizer needs for the season. Keep your mower blades sharp. Depending on the species, lawns should be mowed no lower than 2.5 inches, even higher in the summer.
6. Avoid synthetic materials - Fertilizers manufactured in a laboratory often burn lawn grasses and soils. Fertilizers and soil amendments should come from materials that were once living plants or animals, or mined materials such as lime or sulfur.
7. Add compost - Nature's most magical soil additive, compost, contains all sorts of beneficial microorganisms that add life to the soil. These organisms will interact with the organic fertilizers to provide the green lawn many of us covet.
8. See weeds as messengers - Weeds usually appear on lawns only when something is wrong with the soil. Even if we kill the weeds, they'll come back unless we fix the underlying problem with the soil.
9. See insects as messengers - A rush of new grass growth caused my synthetic fertilizers will often attract insects. Predatory insects are rarely a problem in a natural system that's in balance.
10. Overseed regularly - In nature, all plants produce seed to reproduce themselves. In a lawn system, where we mow regularly, grass is not allowed to reproduce and even the healthiest plants get tired. By overseeding in spring and fall, you're introducing robust young plants that will fill in bare areas and compete aggressively against weeds.

At Natural Turf, we exclusively use natural and organic lawncare products that strengthen your lawn to handle summer stress while helping to reduce your water consumption. Call our natural lawn care specialists today for a consultation, or to learn more about our seasonal and year-round lawn care programs.