ECOLOGICAL LAWN CARE

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If the thought of analyzing and mixing organic products yourself doesn't appeal to you, try one of the ready-mixed natural fertilizers, such as Fertrell or Erthrite (from Zook and Ranck) instead. Even Faesy and Besthoff, a major chemical manufacturer, now offers a blended, organic fertilizer. Other companies sell high quality, finely shredded compost.

One of the beauties of an ecological lawn care program is that the long-lasting nature of natural fertilizers drastically reduces the number of applications needed. A Northern lawn needs only one application of such fertilizers in the late summer or early fall, when grass root development is at its peak. To maintain a high-quality turf or to crowd out weeds, make a second application of fertilizer in the early spring. All this assumes that lawn clippings will be left right where they fall (unless they're so long they'll smother your grass). Such clippings can supply as much as half of a lawn's nitrogen needs. A tolerance for white clover in the lawn can fill much of the remaining requirements.

In warm-season areas, where grasses such as zoysia, Bermuda grass and even tall fescues put on their greatest growth spurt in summer, the time to feed is late spring. Higher maintenance grasses such as saint augustine grass and Bermuda grass could handle another light, high nitrogen summer application. But let these grasses go dormant in fill without any unwanted stimulation from a late summer or fall fertilization.

Another excellent lawn fertilizer and stimulator is the family of seaweed products. Organic gardeners and farmers have used them for years, but research has now demonstrated their benefit for lawns as well. Experiments using liquified seaweed (at about 15 ounces per woo square feet per season) showed a reduction in harmful nematode populations and fusarium and other wilts, as well as a healthier, lusher appearance. The trace minerals, gibberellins and auxins in seaweed make grass green up faster in spring and better survive heat, cold and drought stress. Seaweed also appears to make other fertilizers more effective by acting as a chelating agent.

Liquid seaweed applications are certainly not essential (unlike regular fertilization), but they can help your lawn achieve that quintessential green look that chemical lawn care companies claim they alone can provide. To prove it to yourself, dilute about seven ounces of liquid seaweed with too gallons of water, and apply it once in the early spring (for a faster green LIP), Once in midsummer (to improve drought tolerance and disease resistance as well as color) and once in late summer (to increase cold tolerance and stimulate root growth).

All lawns, even organic ones, require maintenance, especially mowing. Proper mow ing is critical for ecological lawn care; poor mowing weakens the roots and your plants become vulnerable.

Mowing

All lawns, even organic ones, require some maintenance, especially mowing. Mowing makes the lawn look neat, keeps the grass from going to seed and produces a dense, lush growth by encouraging the plants to spread by rhizomes.

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