I don't think that I'm alone. Many people are changing their standards for the ideal lawn. The pampered, overfed, and overwatered grasses have given way to a more realistic approach. Most of us understand that routinely spraying or spreading our lawns with pesticides and weed killers is also harming the butterflies, birds and the many other summer visitors that we have come to enjoy.

I've found that the best (and cheapest) weed control, is grass competition. A strong lawn will crowd out existing weeds and limit the invasion of new weeds. There are some compromises, such as clover. In England they include it in some grass seed mixtures because it adds nitrogen to the soil. Here, most people still consider it just a weed. It's all in your perception, so I choose to think of it as lawn and don't worry if it spreads a little. I've also discovered that the bunnies favor clover over almost all my flowers and vegetables.  They chew everything up until the clover starts to bloom and then they pretty much leave my gardens alone.

I've also found a natural product that has all but eliminated the foxtail and crabgrass that were taking over large areas of our yard. Corn gluten is a by product of the corn milling process and researchers at Iowa State University discovered that for some reason it works effectively at stopping many weed seeds from germinating.  I use it once in early spring for crabgrass and then again in Mid August for winter annual weed seeds.  Spread the product evenly, at a rate of twenty pounds per 1,000 square feet of lawn and then water it lightly into the soil to activate it.

A nice bonus to using the corn gluten is that it even adds some nitrogen, so between the gluten and the grass clippings, we don't need to spread fertilizer until autumn. I apply one feeding around August 25th and then apply a second one again October 20th.You might think that spring is the most important time to fertilize, but fall is actually the best time.  Why? When you give your grass too much nitrogen in the spring it can grow too quickly making it more susceptible to drought or other summer stresses. I heartily recommend doing a soil test to see what your particular yard requires and then following the recommendations given when your test comes back. For info on taking a soil test call your local extension office.

You can also improve the health of your lawn by aerating every few years. Weedy lawns are often a result of poor drainage. Aerating the soil helps fertilizer and water penetrate down to where it is needed. Dethatching is also recommended. Up to 1/2 inch of thatch is beneficial, because it retains moisture and shades the soil during hot weather. When more then that accumulates, use a dethatching rake or an attachment on the front of your mower.

Another good rule is to mow high and often. Lawns mowed too low are less vigorous and more prone too weeds. Never mow off more the 1/3 of the blade at one time. If you leave the clippings on the lawn they will supply at least 1/3 of the nitrogen it needs.

Your lawn requires one inch of water every week. This can be either in the form of rain or your sprinkler. To get an idea of how much water your sprinkler delivers, put a bowl or shallow can in the spray pattern and then measure the water after an hour. An occasional drying out won't hurt and may even help by stressing the moisture- loving weeds and fungi.

As I said before, a perfect lawn isn't a real priority for me. I will admit though, that lawn work does keep my husband busy and out of my hair when I'm out all day--every day--gardening.  So it can't be all bad!

Websites with more information on lawn maintenance

The Natural Lawn
Yardcare.com
The Home Lawn
Responsible Fertilizer Use
Have a Healthy Lawn the Natural Way
Ecological Lawn Care
Watering your Lawn
Lawn Diseases

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