Originally published March 13 2010
How to Have an Organic Lawn and Garden
by Maddie Ellison
(NaturalNews) With winter finally winding down it's time to start thinking about spring and all the lawn care that will need to be done. Everyone wants a beautiful yard they can be proud of. Many people rush out and buy fertilizers and weed killers to spray on their lawns in hopes to have that beautiful coveted green yard. What they don't realize is that all of those chemicals are not only bad for our Earth, but they are also bad for our health. Thankfully there are many organic solutions to pesky lawn and garden problems that are safe, effective and totally organic.
An organic lawn or garden contains three elements:
1)Soil that does not contain any chemicals or synthetic fertilizers.
2)Healthy soil through the use of aeration and organic fertilizers that not only enrich the soil with nutrients but also keep the soil moist.
3)Native plants, preferably purchased from local gardening stores, which are carefully watered.
When many people think of organic products they immediately think they must be costly. Thankfully there are many things you can use that are completely free! One of the best free fertilizers is grass clippings. Next time you mow your grass leave the clippings on the ground or bag them and spread them on your garden. Sometimes you can even get bags from your city free of charge. Using grass clippings not only provides your soil with nutrients, but putting just half an inch on your ground will also cut down on weed growth and conserve soil moisture.
Compost is another free source of fertilizer. You can make compost from your kitchen, garden and yard waste. If you have a large garden you may need more compost than you are able to make. Ask around your community to find out if you can buy compost from farmers or to find out if your community offers free yard waste compost. Using compost not only fertilizes the soil, but like grass clippings, it also helps the soil hold on to more moisture.
Unfortunately, if your lawn is used to chemicals it might be addicted to them and turn brown once you stop using them. Patience is key when changing your lawn from a chemical one to an organic one. Once you stop using chemical products begin using your organic products immediately. This reduces your chances of having a brown yard.
Even though organic gardening and lawn care take a little extra time and patience in the beginning, you'll end up with something you can truly be proud of. Not only will you have a beautiful yard but you'll also have the satisfaction of knowing you did it without harming your health or your planet.
Resources
"Build a Better Soil with Free Organic Fertilizer!", Mother Earth News magazine, Spring 2010 issue
http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/4000/4031.h...
http://www.douggreensgarden.com/organic-lawn...
About the author
Maddie is a health and fitness enthusiast who likes to research and write about all health and green living topics. She writes about herbal remedies for Sassafras Station, a health and fitness website, and edits the blog at http://www.sassafrasstation.com/blog/ .
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