Natural and Sustainable

Getting a green, healthy and eye-appealing lawn takes patience and care. But does it have to come at a chemical expense? No. Here are four ways to get that lawn you want, without going the chemical route and even making it worse for the environment and you wallet.

1. Choose the right fertilizer: Synthetic fertilizers damage the health of the lawn by offering a quick burst of nutrients that quickly dissipate. In turn this leave your grass weak and wanting more, and more. And the run off from this synthetic fertilizers will eventually run off into the water ways and ground water supply. Natural and organic fertilizers like manure, compost, seaweed, however, release nutrients slowly, allowing the grass to take them up over a long period of time. This preserves the quality of the soil and encourages earthworms and healthy microbes.

2. Remove the thatch: Thatch is that brown layer of old grass and other debris that builds up ion the surface of the soil under you grass. If it is left to remain on the grass it can prevent water and even fertilizers from reaching the roots of the grass in your lawn. Be sure and remove the thatch in the early summer or around the end of spring. Be sure and sue a sturdy rake to remove this.

3. Top-dress your lawn: Adding a fine layer of homemade or animal-based composted manure to the lawn surface during the same time you go to remove the thatch will help stimulate the growth of new shoots on the grass shaft. This in turn will help the quality of the soil in your yard as well.

4. Control the weeds in an organic and natural way: Pulling by hand is the best way to combat weed issues, but if your lawn is way to big to be going around and pulling the weeds, be sure and use organic and natural weed killers on the market today. There are ones that are specifically made for crabgrass, dandelions and even other types of weeds such as clover.

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Victoria’s Secret is going all-organic in their “Pink” line of women’s clothing. This is just one more way that Victoria’s Secret is still the favorite among men.