Proper lawn maintenance and lawn care is one of the best ways to keep your lawn healthy and green, while minimizing weeds. This means assessing the condition of your lawn, and deciding whether de-thatching, aerating and overdressing can help improve its condition.

De-thatching. Thatch is a dense layer of dead and living organic matter that separates grass from the soil surface underneath it. A 1/2-inch layer shouldn’t be a problem, but any thicker than that and thatch can keep air, water and fertilizer from reaching the grass roots. Thatch is usually a mixture of grass stems and roots that accumulates because they’re building up faster than they can break down. Over-watering and applying excessive nitrogen fertilizer can lead to thatch buildup. And contrary to what many people think, leaving grass clippings on the lawn, or “grasscycling,” does not cause thatch buildup. To de-thatch a lawn, Ecoyards will bring in a motorized de-thatcher and remove the thin layer of thatch buildup on your lawn. Then we’ll over-seed (basically add lawn seed) so grass can grow to thicken the lawn in bare areas. 

Aerating. Sometimes your lawn may feel compacted under your foot. That’s because over time, your lawn has become compacted through heavy foot traffic from kids, pets and other activities. Soil compaction essentially squeezes out the pore spaces in the soil that normally holds airs. Roots need oxygen to grow and absorb nutrients and water. When your soil is too compacted, it reduces your lawn’s ability to take in water, nutrients, air and fertilizers. Spring is a great time to aerate your lawn, and Ecoyards provides this service as part of our natural lawn care program. We’ll use a power aerator to remove small plugs of soil from your lawn to improve root development. Left on the lawn, the cores of soil will also help decompose excess thatch layers in the lawn.

Top dressing and over-seeding. After de-thatching or aerating, we often recommend top dressing the lawn with a thin layer of mature compost and planting new grass seed to encourage thicker lawns. Over time, the top dressing benifits the lawn as it builds up the quaility of the soil.  For over-seeding, we use a grass mixture that is blended specifically for the Northwest. Thick lawns discourage weeds by crowding them out.

1. Avoid using weed and feed products, which broadcast herbicides on
every inch of your lawn. Instead, choose a “slow-release” or “natural
organic” fertilizer, which gradually releases nutrients into the soil
to prevent runoff.

2. Plant drought-tolerant plants such as rosemary, lavender and sedum
that need little water once established. Efficient water use keeps
water in the rivers, creeks and streams for salmon and other fish,
especially during crucial summer months.

3. Think twice before reaching for herbicides. You can control weeds by
hand-pulling them or by building healthier soil to allow the grass or
plant you have there to out-compete weeds. Pulls weeds when they’re
early and young.

4. Plant a tree, or two or three. Trees catch rain and allows it
evaporate before reaching the ground. This reduces runoff, the main
source of pollution in the Puget Sound. Learn more from the Puget
Sound Partnership: http://www.psp.wa.gov/stormwater.php

5. Build healthy soil, which helps absorbs more runoff and filters out
pollutants. Amend your soil with compost, whether home-made or
purchased from places like Cedar Grove (which recycles most King
County residents yard waste into compost).

6. Mulch garden beds annually with compost, leaves, bark or wood chips
to cut down on weeds and watering.  Mulch also helps prevent erosion.

7. Choose the right plants for the right spot to reduce the need for
excess watering, pruning, and fertilizing. Consider native plants.

8. Water plants deeply but infrequently. This helps grass, trees and
plants grow deep roots and prevent disease. After soaking the roots,
let the top few inches of soil dry before you water it again.

9. Install a few rain barrels. Seattle, King County and other
cities provide discounted rain barrels that you can install near your
downspout. The barrels allow you to catch rainwater into 55-gallon
barrels to water your plants at a later time.

10. Mulch mow, as we do at Ecoyards. Leave grass clippings on your
lawn. It not only saves time and yard waste, but returns water and
nutrients to your lawn.

At Ecoyards, we get lots of calls from customers who need help renovating their lawns. Their grass may be thinned in some areas, diseased in others. Sometimes, it’s so overrun by dandelions and weeds (more than 50 percent) that it’s just better to start from scratch. A healthy new lawn drains properly, and discourages moss. It also requires less maintenance, water and fertilizers over time.

Once we decide that your lawn needs renovation, here’s what Ecoyards does:

1. Remove the sod. We remove the old turf and haul it away for composting. Some people recommend killing grass by spraying it with herbicide. We don’t do this, as we try to avoid herbicides where possible.

2. Improve the soil. Healthy soil is the key to healthy lawns. Grass grows taller and thicker, and competes better with weeds. We’ll mix in mature compost,  abundant in nutrients and microorganisms, with your old soil about six inches deep, so you’ll have a good thick  layer of rich topsoil.

3. We roll out sod that uses mostly a blend of ryegrass, which is very well-suited for western Washington. Voila. Instant lawn.

4. Once the sod is in place, water it enough over the first few months to maintain healthy conditions. Once it’s established, water deeply every week, so you get about one inch of water. Water it in the early morning, preferably before 10 a.m. to reduce the amount of evaporation.

5. Fertilize the lawn about 30 days after we install it, using a slow-release organic fertilizer which releases nutrients gradually into the soil and reduces the amount that runs off into our streams, rivers and Sound. Use fertilizers moderately. Look for the words “natural organic” or “slow release.” Please avoid weed and feed products, which broadcasts weed killer on every inch of your yard. That excess runs off into the waters, harming salmon and other fish.

A telltale sign that you’ve got moles in your yard are the presence of mole hills. Pesky moles form mounds with dirt forced up in a cone shape.   The dirt is usually cloddy, rather than smooth, and the hole won’t be open (gopher mounds have open holes).

Moles are commonly found in western Washington, and can damage yards and plants as they tunnel or push up soil in search of worms and other food. The most effective way to get rid of moles, however, is no longer legal in Washington state, since a law passed in 2000 banned the use of body-gripping traps.  “Common rat and mouse traps” are allowed but aren’t very effective.

According to the Washington State University Cooperative Extension, mole-baits and chemical repellents aren’t very effective either. Here’s more from WSU:

Digging moles out or killing them with a shovel when they are actively mounding can be effective but is time-consuming. Repellent plants, chewing gum, flappin windmills, and other reputed remedies don’t work.

So the short answer is: you may have to learn to live with the pests. But if you must get rid of them, this handout from WSU suggests trying one of the non-body-gripping traps recommended on this site.

It may be too early to start planting, but there are plenty of things that can keep you busy in your garden in January.  Here are a couple things to put on your to-do list:

Sharpen your mower blades and tune up your mower (we recommend Aurora Lawnmowers, 7323 Aurora Ave Seattle, WA 98103).

Snowbound in Seattle

While you’re at it, try to stay off soggy or frozen grass to keep it from being compacted.  Be sure to keep wet and soggy leaves from piling up on the lawn as they can smother the grass.

It’s never too early to pull weeds. Get them early, get them young.

Clean up landscape beds. Pull out or dig up annuals after they have been killed by a freeze and cut herbaceous perennials to the ground. With the beds clean and open, it’s a good time to top-dress landscape beds with mulch as long as the ground is not frozen.

Now is a good time to plant or move trees and shrubs.

Selective pruning of evergreen and deciduous shrubs and trees can be done at this time of year.  Cut out deadwood, crossing branches, and branches that are damaged by storms.

Link to Industry News

The Ontario government’s new lawn pesticide ban -which should come into effect in early 2009 -will do much to protect human and environmental health. But it’s also becoming clear the legislation will be a boon to our economy -boosting business and creating green jobs.

Communities across Canada which already have pesticide restrictions have enjoyed a major expansion of their lawn care sector. For example, in the five years following a pesticide ban in Halifax the number of lawn care firms in the city grew from 118 to 180 -an increase of 53 per cent, according to Statistics Canada. The number of employees in the sector also grew. Stats Can also reports the number of landscaping and lawn care businesses in Toronto has grown each year since its ban.

Why does the non-toxic route help the economy? For one thing, it relies less on chemicals and more on workers -meaning it creates local employment. It also requires some specialized knowledge of plant and soil ecology which homeowners often lack -hence their increased reliance on organic professionals.

Ontario’s organic lawn care providers are booming. Barriebased Turf Logic Inc. will be doubling its business by next spring. Oshawa-based Environmental Factor has grown its business 10- fold over the last eight years.

It’s also the case that many organic lawn products (such as corn gluten meal, horticultural vinegar, compost, and beneficial nematodes) are produced right here in Ontario -which means more business for our manufacturers. (By contrast, many of the toxic lawn chemicals are made in the U. S. or Europe.)

Two questions often raised during discussions of market change are, “Will the transition happen smoothly and will the new services be affordable?” In this case, the answer to both is yes.

More than five million Ontarians live in municipalities which already require non-toxic lawn care, Peterborough among them. So the industry already has the know-how and products to provide pesticide-free services province-wide. As well, major retailers are now committed to the non-toxic approach, meaning do-it-yourselfers have everything they require.

What about costs to the consumer? A recent survey of Ontario lawn companies showed the price of pesticide-free services is competitive with traditional services and is sometimes exactly the same. (One company charges $159.88 to treat a 2,500 square foot property – whichever service the customer picks.) And as more firms go organic, prices will drop. Non-toxic lawn care not only produces beautiful properties -just look at the Stratford Festival lawns, the campus of Trent University, or the grounds of the Ontario legislature -but is also very cost-effective.

Scientists have long told us that pesticides are associated with cancer (such as non-Hodgkins lymphoma), neurological illness (such as Parkinson’s disease), and birth defects. Health authorities – including the Canadian Cancer Society, the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario, and the Ontario College of Family Physicians -have long supported cosmetic pesticide bans.

But now we know that, in addition to its health benefits, going pesticide-free also makes good economic sense.

GIDEON FORMAN Executive Director, Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment

It was by accident 10 years ago that an Iowa researcher discovered the effectiveness of using corn gluten to suppress weeds.  Since then, more organic lawn care companies and home owners are turning to corn gluten as a safe, organic way to control crabgrass, dandelions and other weeds in their yards.

What is corn gluten? It’s a byproduct of processing corn to make corn starch and corn syrup.  Corn gluten, often available in powder or pellets, contains about 10 percent nitrogen.

How does it work?  Corn gluten inhibits the root formation of sprouting seeds, according to Iowa State University researcher Nick Christians, who has been studying it for the past decade.  “The weed will germinate and usually forms a shoot but does not form a root,” Christians says on his Web site.

Experts say timing is everything if you want to effectively control weeds.  You have to get weeds as they’re germinating, broadcasting about 20 pounds per 1,000 square feet.  After the weeds germinate, a short drying period is needed to kill the weeds that have sprouted but haven’t formed a root.  If the area is too wet following the corn glutton application, the weeds will form a root and continue to grow.   Here at Ecoyards, we spread corn gluten in mid March – or around the time forsythia bloom – and again around mid August, to control fall dandelions.

While corn gluten will work well on pre-emergent weeds, it won’t kill established weeds.

Some of the weeds controlled include crabgrass, dandelions, smart weed, redroot pigweed, purslane, lambsquarters, foxtail, and barnyard grass.

Be sure to look for corn gluten that is produced from organically-grown corn.  To find licensed dealers in the country: http://www.techtransfer.iastate.edu/en/for_industry/technology_search/cgm_licensees.cfm

In Seattle, Walt’s Organic Fertilizer Company is a good source for organic corn gluten: http://www.waltsorganic.com/

To read about the research behind corn gluten: http://www.hort.iastate.edu/gluten/

For more information, read the Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides report: http://www.pesticide.org/pubs/alts/cgm/cornglutenmeal.html

Link to Industry News

From U.S. EPA Pesticide Environmental Stewardship Program

The National Lawns and Environment Initiative began in 2002 with the goal of encouraging environmentally-responsible lawn and landscaping practices in residential landscape design and maintenance. The U.S. EPA is a member of the steering committee, along with USDA, the Center for Resource Management, the San Antonio Water System, the National Gardening Association, the University of Florida, Audubon International, Professional Landcare Network, and Golf Course Superintendents Association of America.

In 2005 the Initiative produced the Environmental Guidelines for Responsible Lawn Care and Landscaping (28 pp, 428 K, about PDF). These practices include appropriate uses of pesticides, fertilizers, water, plants, and stewardship principles that will enhance the value and benefits of residential landscapes to homeowners, communities, and wildlife.

The Initiative’s mission is not only to develop consensus-based guidelines, but also to encourage the public to adopt them. It has supported demonstration projects in EPA’s Region 3 and the San Antonio Water System. These projects will measure their success in comparison to neighborhoods that do not undergo public education campaigns.

Read rest of story…

Seattle’s wet winters provide the ideal growth conditions for moss in lawns.  For many homeowners, moss is an unwelcome annoyance in their little patch of green

Too much shade

Most grass varieties do not like shade, even “shade-tolerant” varieties.

Pruning overhanging trees and shrubs may increase some sunlight on the lawn, but this is generally a losing battle, and may ultimately damage the trees and shrubs.

Why not replace the shady lawn with shade-tolerant ground covers or a shade garden? Many Western Washington native plants like wild strawberry, ferms and bunchberry, to name a few, are perfect for shady spots in our region.

Poor soil drainage/soil compaction

Think of all the footsteps that have walked over your lawn. Every step compacts the soil beneath lawn, and ultimately water and fertilizer can’t reach the grass roots. Give your lawn a lift by aerating it.

Core aeration, followed by topdressing, loosens soil and improves drainage.  How does it work?  Core aerators remove small soil plugs or cores from the lawn, allowing water, oxygen, fertilizers, and other nutrients to penetrate the soil and better reach the grass roots.

Topdressing is the process of adding a thin layer (1/8 to 1/4 inch) of soil or compost over the aerated lawn.  Over time, topdressing benefits the lawn by improving the fertility and drainage of the underlying soil.

Low fertility

Moderate lawn fertilization during appropriate seasons will improve the health of the lawn, which promotes denser grass cover and allows the grass to out-compete moss and weeds.  Be sure to use a “natural organic” or “slow-release” release fertilizer to reduce leaching or runoff into our local streams.

Fall is here and that means one thing for gardeners and homeowners: leaves and lots of them.

What should you do with all those fall leaves?

Before you bag it and leave it on the curb, consider ways to recycle the leaves on your property. You can use the leaves as a mulch around your plant beds or add them to your compost pile to create rich fertile soil that you can use in several months.

Here’s what you can do:

1. If you use the leaves as mulch, which helps suppress weeds, be sure not to pile them on too thick. Too thick a layer on the grass or around your plants can smother it, lead to pests and rot your grass or other plants.

2.  Use a mulch-lawn mover to shred the leaves into tiny pieces (no thicker than 1-inch) and leave them on your lawn to decompose, returning nutrients to your lawn without smothering it.

3.  Leaves can also be composted by simply leaving them in a pile in your backyard. This is a simpler, but longer compost process.

4.  Mix the leaves with other organic matter in a compost pile, the leaves will break down faster. Good compost piles need a balance of nitrogren and carbon, which creates good conditions for microbes that decompose the plant materials.  Leaves, shredded newspapers, dead flowers and corn stalks all provide needed carbon — the “brown” — to balance out the nitrogren-rich “green,” including grass clippings or plant clippings.  The smaller the pieces are, the faster they’ll compost. The pile will need a proper amount water and air. If it’s too wet, it’ll become anaerobic and start to smell. Too dry, and the pile won’t do much.

5.  Be sure to rake up and remove leaves from fruit trees and roses as they can harbor diseases.

For more information about composting —

http://www.seattle.gov/UTIL/Services/Yard/Composting/index.asp

http://www.seattletilth.org/resources/compost