grass is greener

GRASS IS GREENER

organicgreenlawn care inc

first a disclaimer
i dont have any grass that i water fertilize mow weed

after the first year of living here at the country n
i did all that to a st augustine lawn
and thought this is crazy
spending all this time money energy and wasting tons of water
in the summer to keep this grass all green
so
i scalped the grass real well
by the way thats not recommended for your grass
covered it with a thick black plastic
yes all of my front yard
then went to the mulch place and got me some native hardwood
mulch and covered it all up
and waited
and waited
and waited
then
over time i dug a hole appropriate for planting a tree
and planted two burr oaks in the front yard
and dug up small beds
brought in good garden soil
i used the ladybug brand hill country garden soil
and
made a raised bed just large enough for a native plant
got large rocks from my pasture which seems to grow them
to make a border around the bed
then gradually over time i made raised beds usually 3 ft wide
for
germander salvia greggi oregano texas moutain laurel
texas native plum texas native persimmon sage thyme
lavender mexican oregano 4 oclocks anacacho orchid tree
plumbago 4 nerve daisy turks cap rosemary shrimp plant
and
some plant a little lady on my meals on wheel route
gave me that is texas drought heat tolerant and has
purple flowers

i removed over time all of the black plastic and left the mulch
so now i have a front yard with multiple small raised beds with
paths in them and no grass

oh i also have a keyhole garden in there also
a small water pond
and a small patch of some original prairie grasses
that flow in the breeze all the time
and the birds love them

this is all hummingbird and butterfly heaven

now if i had a yard of grass that i need to maintain
here is what i would do

first never ever ever use weed and feed fertilizer
doesnt work pollutes and can harm your trees and shrubs
and your kids and your pet
see that kid in the picture at the beginning of this blog
you wouldnt want him lying on grass this stuff was used on

google atracine and read about it
its banned in many countries


after you have mowed your grass twice in the spring
apply your fertilizer
i recommend an organic fertilizer
in this area the 3 good ones are
medinas growin green
gardenvilles lawn fertilizer
or
 lady bug brand 8-2-4
apply according to directions

the commercial non organic fertilizers wash off into the water system
accumulate salts in the soil
the plants like the organic ones better

you can reapply in the fall if you want but its not necessary

each spring apply a thin layer about 1/4 inch of a good compost

for weed control if they are there mow them or dig them up
dont roundup them


in the fall in october and in the spring in february apply corn gluten
to the yard
this will inhibit seed germination for the winter and the spring
it is also a mild fertilizer


if you have problems with grubs or fleas or ticks in your yard
in the spring and fall go to the nursery and get some nematodes
they come in a sponge you keep in the refrigerator until you
are ready to use them
put in water and spray it on the lawn
it kills the larva of these bugs

also water your yard on a regular basis
ideally water it once a week well
to train the roots to go deep

if youll follow this organic method you will notice your lawn
like my garden
will be the best in the neighborhood

or
just cover it all up with plastic and make it all xeric like i did

the organicgreen doctor