Green Gardening

How to Get Your Lawn Off to a Great Start by Preparing the Soil

A lush, green lawn enhances the beauty of any garden or property.  However, building a new lawn is a major undertaking that should not be rushed.  It's important to get the soil preparation right because once the grass is planted, you will find it much harder to correct any major problems.  Here are the steps you should take to prepare the soil before seeding or laying down sod. Test for pH Soil destined for growing grass should be neutral to slightly acidic.  A pH between 6.8 and 7 is best, but if you can achieve a pH somewhere between 6.5 and 7.2, that will do.  Use a home test kit, sold at nurseries and garden centers, to get a pH reading.  If the soil is too acidic (pH too low), apply ground limestone several months before planting.  Faster-acting lime products are available if you're in a hurry.  On the other hand, if the soil is too alkaline you can lower the pH by applying elemental sulfur. Correct potential drainage problems Both heavy and sandy soil can lead to lawn problems.  If the soil is heavy and clay-like, it may retain water instead of letting the excess drain away quickly.  This cuts off air circulation ...

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How to Keep Your Lawn Healthy

You might be under the impression that lawn care is nothing more than fertilizing, watering, and mowing.  Of course, all of these practices are necessary.  But there is still more to do if you want to keep your lawn healthy and vigorous.  Here are a couple of important lawn care practices that should be part of your gardening plan each year. It's easy to forget about what's underneath the lawn.  But all the wear and tear on the grass - walking, running, standing, pushing heavy mowers - can cause soil compaction.  This is a situation where the earth is packed down so much that air and water can't circulate freely through the soil.  Deprived of these essentials, grass grows more slowly. Gardeners prevent soil compaction in vegetable and flower beds by turning and loosening the soil before planting.  Obviously you can't do this with a grass lawn.  There is, however, a special technique for correcting lawn compaction called aeration.  This is the process of making holes in the lawn by removing small plugs of sod.  Doing this creates room for air, water, and nutrients to get back into the soil.  The plugs removed from the ground are broken up and left on ...

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Tips for Mowing Your Organic Lawn

Mowing your lawn isn't just an ordinary chore that has to be done every weekend.  It's one of the most important ways to keep grass healthy and attractive.  Done correctly, mowing makes the lawn thicker, cuts down on weeds, and even fertilizes the grass.  Here are some pointers for getting the best results from mowing the lawn. Mowing helps grass divide and grow thicker, which in turn chokes out weeds.  Mow the grass frequently, taking no more than a third of the grass blade off at a time.  Depending on the type of grass in the lawn, the optimal height can range from half an inch to four inches high. Plan to mow more often in warm, humid conditions and during times of active growth.  When the weather is hot and dry, or when grass is in a phase of slow growth, you should reduce the frequency of mowing. Instead of raking up grass clippings, you can leave them on the lawn.  They make an excellent and free fertilizer.  However, if the clippings are too thick and don't break down quickly, they can contribute to the buildup of undecomposed organic matter over the soil.  This buildup is called thatch.  A thin layer of ...

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Tips for Watering Your Organic Lawn

Watering the lawn is a basic part of lawn care, but you'd be surprised at how many homeowners get it wrong.  They are unaware of their lawn's actual water requirements, thinking that more is better.  They are oblivious to the way that watering affects root growth, assuming that a frequent sprinkling will produce a greener lawn.  But water is a valuable resource and it's important to use it thoughtfully.  Here are some tips for watering your organic lawn the right way. How much water does the typical grass lawn need?  If you are growing the appropriate type of grass for your climate, then one inch of water per week is sufficient to keep it healthy.  In many areas, this amount can be provided by rainfall alone for at least part of the growing season.  Supplemental watering is necessary only when there isn't enough rain to meet water requirements.  Instead of automatically turning on the sprinkler every Tuesday, stop and consider whether your lawn truly needs a drink.  This simple change of perspective will save water. When it's necessary to give the lawn some water, it's best to water deeply and slowly.  It's pointless and wasteful to stand outside and spray the grass ...

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Tips for Controlling Moisture in the Compost Pile

Keeping moisture levels in a working compost pile within a specific range is critical for proper decomposition.  The rule of thumb you often hear is that the materials should feel damp but not soaked, like a wrung-out sponge.  However, the pile can sometimes dry out or become waterlogged.  Either of these conditions will affect the composting process in a negative way.  Here are some tips for maintaining the optimum level of moisture in your compost pile. First, let's talk about why moisture content is a concern.  Too much moisture can turn the compost into a smelly mess.  When this occurs, it's because oxygen is no longer getting into the pile.  The microorganisms that need air have died off and a different type of bacteria has taken over.  These "anaerobic" bacteria can decompose material without oxygen, but they produce foul-smelling gases in the process. On the other hand, if there is too little moisture in the compost pile, the microorganisms don't have the water they need to operate.  They die off and the rotting process slows right down.  If it seems like nothing is happening with your compost, lack of moisture could be the reason. Your main challenge is getting the right amount of ...

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