Organic Lawn care-- I need an intervention!

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Permalink Reply by A.Valentine on April 16, 2009 at 9:27pm

I'm having the exact same issue!!!! I converted last year too and I live in the same type of neighborhood. Seriously, it is like you vented for me.
I don't know what to do.

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Permalink Reply by Susan V on April 17, 2009 at 1:30pm

lo-- well.. that's no help.. the wagon is just getting crowded! I did get out there yesterday and had a tete-a-tete with my yard. I told it to shape up. That I was going organic for it's own good, and I don't care what all the other yards say... to just keep working on germinating that seed and soaking up the stuff I put down last week. That is when I realized that if I did fall off the wagon and put down some herbicide that it might prevent the new grass from developing. Can't have that! Then took the long way around the 'hood to go get my kids and found a few yards that looked worse. I know,not the greatest method of affirmation, but a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do.

I mowed down the henbit and bigger dandelions ( scattering the seed,,, heavy sigh). It looked better. I know that my intentions are honorable and in the long run, it will look great. Right now it is just a work in progress.

That's all I've got. Let's see what happens after this weekends rain and all this glorious sunshine! Hold strong... oh, and I figured that if my dandelions did go to seed and scatter more on my neighbors their lawn care companies would zap it.

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Permalink Reply by kctomato on April 18, 2009 at 11:42pm

It takes a while to "win back" conditions favorable for the grass. Remember there are still residual weed seeds in your soil so any bare spots they are going to show up. You have to keep working that soil and work on getting the grass to choke out the weeds.

I would aggressively go after all dandelions and do not let those yellow flowers turn to puffballs! Ie weed popper them out.

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Permalink Reply by Craig Swank on April 20, 2009 at 1:26pm

Savor the darling yellow flowers while they last, they (the flowering part) will be gone soon, like a fresh spring shower. Consider forgetting about the neighbor's lawn, as most good things once started with one person iintent on making a diiference and quitely "modelling" the proper approach. Perhaps look at it as "planting a behavioral seed" for others to notice, consider ........and one day take action on. SNAP OUT OF IT, YOU ARE doing the right thing. besides from my veiwpoint, your yellow spotted yard looks much better than their turf like manicured synthetic "plastic looking" lawn.

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Permalink Reply by Susan V on April 20, 2009 at 2:42pm

aww. thanks for the pep talk! My kids pointed out that our yard is now sporting our schools colors ( yellow and green) so in addition to doing the right thing-- I'm also showing school spirit! Go Warriors ( lawn and sports!)

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Permalink Reply by Susan V on June 21, 2009 at 5:33pm

I CAVED! All the " lawn food" really did help the grass.. but the weeds ( clover and that morning gloryesque-thingy especially) seemed very pleased with it.They thrived! I caved and put spot herbicide on the weeds. I know. I'm so weak. But I was imagining what it was going to look like in Aug when the grass goes dormant and all the clover is still bright green.... I could just imagine the letter the HOA would pen about my lack of lawn care. My hope is that by this time next year I won't have to use it, but this year Weed-B-Gon got a few bucks from me. Some words of encouragment for falling off the wagon would be helpful about. Right. Now.

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Permalink Reply by A.Valentine on June 21, 2009 at 7:56pm

The weed you are referring to is bindweed, it is a noxious perennial vine. I too am having problems with it. The neighbor behind me is loaded with them and them creeping under the fence and seeding in my lawn.

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Permalink Reply by Susan V on June 22, 2009 at 6:59am

Yup, that's the stuff!

Are you holding strong going chemical-less? What are you doing?

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Permalink Reply by A.Valentine on June 22, 2009 at 10:53am

Yes, I have stayed strong but my husband is yelling at me about the bloody clovers. He is driving me nuts!! I have been using vinegar to spot kill some weeds, especially the bind weed.

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Permalink Reply by Susan V on June 23, 2009 at 3:02pm

I actually like clover in my yard, it smells so good when I mow it. But things were getting a bit out of control. I don't like having a yard OF clover, just some.

What are you using for fertilizer?

Do you just spray the weeds with the vinegar? Does it kill the grass, too?

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Permalink Reply by T on July 26, 2009 at 8:31pm

i think the best thing to fertilize a lawn of tall fescue is an interplanting of white clover.

and for killing weeds, i'd just pull em'. or you could spray them, let them die, then you'll proby wanna pull em' anyways right? unless they're too big to pull...

the greener it is, the faster it will break down in the compost...

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