Chemical-free Lawns
Is your lawn green? Not just in appearance, but environmentally?
Gardening in an Environmentally Friendly Way ... Safe Alternatives for Weed Control, Pesticides / Insecticides ... Create a Backyard Habitat
Growing health and environmental concerns have some people turning to the search of organic, nontoxic lawn care alternatives.
Fertilizers provide nutrients that may not be supplied by the soil, but excess nitrogen and phosphorus in fertilizers can be a huge source of water pollution. An eco-friendly, non-toxic lawn is initially more labor-intensive as you are focusing on restoring the soil. Once you have healthy soil, it is lower maintenance and cost-effective.
Going organic means a change from a quick fix to a long-term approach. Instead of relying on a chemical mix to kill weeds, natural material is used to improve soil biology so weeds and pests get less of a foothold.
Organic Lawn Care Tips:
- Here are some easy ways to add nutrients to your soil that are safe for the environment.
- Build good soil. Healthy soil, rich in organic matter, grows healthier plants and reduces the need for additional fertilizers. Add compost to your soil to improve soil quality and increase populations of beneficial organisms.
- Powdered kelp (a kind of seaweed) can be used to fertilize the lawn and stimulate plant growth.
- Corn gluten controls crabgrass in the spring, Corn gluten is a protein-based portion of corn. But corn gluten, which keeps seeds from sprouting, takes several years to work, unlike a chemical herbicide that kills crabgrass immediately.
- Use Epson Salts on your lawn and in your garden to safely get rid of plant pests.
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