Many home gardeners are worried about putting chemicals on their lawn due to the potential impact on the environment and the health of their families.  At the same time, they wonder whether giving up synthetic fertilizers and herbicides means that they must sacrifice an attractive lawn.  They will be pleased to know that it really is possible - and not very difficult - to have a fine grass lawn that adds value and eye-appeal to the property.  Here are the secrets to a healthy, great-looking lawn without the use of harmful chemicals.

Prepare the soil - All organic gardening methods place great emphasis on improving the soil.  If you’re starting a lawn from scratch, then you must prepare the soil by digging in organic matter and removing weeds.  Even if you are working with an existing lawn, there are still things you should do each year to build up the soil and keep it in excellent shape for growing grass.

Choose the right grass varieties - This is a vital consideration.  Grass that is wrong for your climate will grow poorly and be harder to maintain.  It may need more watering and be more vulnerable to attack from disease and pests.  How you use plan to use the lawn should also factor into the choice of grass.  Some varieties can handle the stress of children running and playing on it all summer long.  Other varieties are too delicate to hold up to even a moderate amount of foot traffic.

Give plants what they need - This includes feeding and watering the grass.  Instead of using synthetic fertilizers, you can feed the lawn with grass clippings and slow-release nitrogen fertilizer.  Watering should be done thoroughly and infrequently to encourage deep root growth.  Avoid over-feeding and over-watering - both can diminish the health of the lawn.

Follow good lawn care practices - This encompasses a few simple but important tasks to keep the grass healthy and looking good.  If any task is left undone or not done properly, the condition of the lawn will eventually suffer.  For example, mowing the grass frequently helps it grow thicker.  Aerating the lawn once or twice a year allows air and nutrients into the soil.  Adding a top dressing of organic matter once a year makes the soil more fertile and improves its texture.

Finally, learning a bit about organic methods of weed, pest, and disease control will let you handle problems without resorting to harmful chemicals.  The nice thing is that if you’ve taken the other steps to keep grass healthy, the lawn will be highly resistant to all of these threats.

Some home owners are reluctant to give up using chemicals.  But there is nothing particularly complicated about building and maintaining an organic lawn that looks great.  The hardest part could be making the necessary attitude adjustment.  By following these lawn care principles, home gardeners can create the kind of lawn they want without any need for harmful chemical fertilizers or herbicides.