Your soil
Like Greening Your Garden, the basics of lawn care start with the soil. If you haven’t had a soil sample taken in the last 5 years, this is where you should start. Many local garden centers carry soil kits. DIY kits will provide you with a minimum of information. You really should send a soil sample to a lab for “organic” analysis. An organic analysis will tell you exactly how much of each “amendment” you need to add to your soil to improve it. A “regular” soil test tends to include only the PH level and the three main nutrient levels that you can correct with fertilizers: nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium. Ideally, you should take your soil sample in the spring.
Soil pH
Most grasses like a pH level of 6.5, which is slightly acidic. A pH of 7.0 is neutral. Dandelions, on the other hand, like soil with a pH level of 7.5, slightly alkaline. Therefore, a proper ph level will support the growth of your lawn and, at the same time, retard the growth of dandelions. Dolomitic lime is used to increase the alkalinity of the soil, where magnesium and calcium are also needed. High-lime lime increases alkalinity where the soil has adequate magnesium. Flowers Of Sulfur is used to increase the acidity of the soil.
Organic fertilizers
Fertilizers list the percentage of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in the bag, as 7-7-7. The soil also requires other macronutrients such as sulfur, calcium and magnesium and trace elements such as iron, boron and zinc.
Organic Nitrogen Sources:
Canola seed meal: (6-2-1) maximum of 5 kilograms / 10 square meters (10 pounds / 100 square feet). It lasts 5 months.
Fish meal: (10.5-6-0) max 2.5 kg / 10 sq mtr (5lb / 100 sq ft). Lasts 6 to 8 months.
Blood meal: (12.5-1-3) max. 1.5 kg / 10 square meters (3 pounds / 100 square feet). It lasts 4 months.
Sources of organic phosphorus:
Bone meal: (3-20-0) plus 20-30% calcium. Maximum 2.5 kg / 10 square meters (5 pounds / 100 square feet). Lasts more than 12 months.
Simple superphosphate: (0-20-0) plus 20% calcium and 12% sulfur. Maximum 2.5 kg / 10 square meters (5 pounds / 100 square feet). Starts to launch in 2-3 months.
Organic sources of potassium:
Seaweed flour: (1-0-1.2) plus 33% trace elements. Maximum 0.5 kg / 10 square meters (1 pound / 100 square feet). It lasts from 6 to 12 months.
Wood ash: (0-0-1 to 0-0-10) Also increases the PH level. Maximum 1 kg / 10 square meters (2 pounds / 100 square feet). Lasts more than 12 months.
Compost – that old black magic
All soils benefit from nutrient-rich compost applications at any time. Rotten compost is the best overall soil conditioner. Improves drainage, provides nutrients to plants and provides beneficial microorganisms. Apply at any time of the year and frequently.
Watering
Most people over water their lawns. Lawns need about an inch of water per week. If you haven’t received enough rain in the last week to make up a full inch, you can add your own rainwater from your rain barrels. Deep watering is much better than short streams of water. Soaking the soil once a week will encourage deep root growth that will better resist dry spells.
Water early in the morning before it gets hot and the water evaporates. Do not water in the evening as this leaves the grass damp at night, which can lead to illness.
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Do not cut the grass shorter than 3 inches. Longer grass displaces weeds and can resist pest attacks better. Leave nitrogen-rich grass clippings on the lawn to feed it.
Aeration
One of the main causes of weed problems is compact soil. Compact soil stresses and kills the roots of your grasses, allowing weeds to enter and take their place. Aerating the soil allows oxygen to penetrate and restores proper drainage. Most lawns should be aired at least twice a year, once in early spring and once in fall.
After spring aeration, cover with mesh compost and pest resistant grass seeds. Immediately after aerating in the fall, apply organic fertilizers as needed. Mid-season aeration is recommended for lawns with heavy thatch.
Use an aerator that leaves a “plug” of dirt in your lawn. By removing some of the soil, you are sure that air and water get into the soil. Aerators that only use “thorns” to make a hole could further compact your soil and the holes can quickly fill up again.
Remove straw
Straw is a dense layer of dead grass stems and roots compacted to the surface of the soil. It is resistant to decomposition. A thick layer of straw tends to prevent water from penetrating the soil.
Straw, larger than half an inch, encourages insects and disease. Remove thatch in the AUTUMN. If you discover in spring that you have a thick layer of straw, ventilate and wait for autumn. Removing thatch will create some stress on your lawn. It will help if you add a layer of compost afterwards.
Insects
Ants
Ants are attracted to dry, nutritionally poor soils that are low in organic matter. Generally, if you increase the organic matter in your soil by covering it with compost, your soil will retain more moisture and the ant problem will fix itself. You can also apply sand, borax, or bone meal to the mounds.
Bedbugs
Bed bugs like a lot of straw, dry grass roots, and low-nitrogen soils. Aerate in spring and summer and remove thatch in fall. If you have hordes of bed bugs and they are killing parts of your lawn, put a lid full of dish soap on a can full of water and soak the problem area. Next, place a piece of white flannel over the problem area. Bed bugs will stick to the flannel as they try to escape the soap. In 15 to 20 minutes, vacuum the flannel or rinse in a bucket of insecticidal soap. It sounds crazy but it works.
Lawn Cobweb Worm Moths
If you notice small whitish moths moving quickly, you probably have grassworms. The best action is to aerate and cover with endophytic grass and remove thatch in the fall. If you need more help than this, you can try introducing beneficial nematodes as a “natural” control.
White larvae
These larvae are soft and white, with a C-shaped body. They can be from a quarter of an inch to 3 inches long. And they can cause parts of your lawn to brown and die. The best defense is a dense and healthy lawn. Remove thatch, aerate, and keep surface moisture to a minimum by watering deeply and infrequently.
Milky Spore Disease – A naturally occurring bacterium will control the white larvae for years once it is well established in your soil. You can also try introducing beneficial nematodes.
Beneficial nematodes
Beneficial nematodes are nature’s way of effectively controlling the larval stage (white worms) of the common chafer, European chafer, Japanese beetle, Asian garden beetle, black vine weevil, root weevil of the strawberry and the beetles of May and June.
They are a safe and sensitive way to reduce infestations of white worms and other insect pests without damaging your lawn or beneficial insects.
How to apply: normally you just add them to the water and spray on the lawn. Follow your provider’s instructions. A 50 million nematode package will cover 2,500 square feet. foot or 250 square feet meters.
Weeds
Most weed problems can be attributed to poor soil conditions. Take care of the soil and also take care of the weeks. Aerate, remove straw, control PH levels, add compost.
Chickweed
This annual plant produces tangled stems that quickly take root in moist, acidic soil. Check your ph level and adjust the acidity. Pull the weeds by hand and your problem will be gone soon.
Clover
All clovers are extremely beneficial for lawns. Nitrogen is fixed in the soil and is often planted as “green manure”. Clovers attract beneficial insects that feed on nectar. Think twice before deciding to get rid of this “weed”. If you are determined to get rid of clover, make a solution of one part vinegar and one part liquid fertilizer (fish fertilizer is best). Spray the clover patch with this mixture. The clover and grass will turn brown, but the fertilizer will return the grass.
Crabgrass
This is a sign of short pruning and poor aeration. Improve your soil to get rid of crab grass and pull by hand.
Charlie crawling
Charlie likes most of the shady areas. To get rid of it, increase the drainage by aerating, removing the thatched roof, and adding sifted compost. Let the soil dry out in the affected areas between waterings.
Lion teeth
Dandelions attract the parasitic wasp that helps control populations of caterpillars, worm flies, and earwigs.
You can control dandelions by pulling by hand, checking soil ph levels, and mowing the lawn before the dandelions turn to seeds.
Thistle
Thistle has a deep root that cannot be easily destroyed. It must be completely dug up, as the bits left in the ground will grow back. Fill in the holes with topsoil and sprinkle with ryegrass.