Nice lawn without chemicals

Q. Can I grow a nice lawn without chemicals? What should I do this spring to start?

Dan from Youngstown

A. Yes you can! There are lots of options for natural lawn care. When it comes to natural lawn care, it doesn’t mean your options are limited, it means you have to pay more attention to what you are purchasing and how you are caring for your lawn on a regular basis.

It’s not as difficult as you might think. Here are some items for your to-do list this month.

The first thing is to figure out the condition of your soil with a soil test. Poor soil conditions are the reason for most lawn issues. The correct pH will determine if the nutrients in the soil are available to the lawn. A pH that is too high or too low can limit the uptake of nutrients. If nutrients are too low, everything from rotted cow manure to compost is available, as are many granular and liquid fertilizer options.

Sharpen the blades on your mower, or have them done professionally. Sharp blades make a clean cut that heals quickly. Dull blades can result in grass plant injury that takes longer to heal, leaving the grass more susceptible to diseases.

As soon as it gets nice outside, take the time to rake up any lingering leaves to prevent suffocation of grass and start to mow once the grass is above 3.5 inches. Mow the lawn even if the entire lawn isn’t that high. Keeping the grass mowed at a higher level will reduce broadleaf weeds up to 80 percent – the easiest thing to do. This will limit the amount of light getting to the soil level, preventing most weed seeds from germinating during the spring season. More grass blades means more area for photosynthesis, resulting in a healthier grass plant overall.

Leave the clippings on the lawn to recycle the nutrients within the cut grass blades. Avoid mowing wet grass so that clumps of clippings do not form.

In general, weeds are managed by prevention. That is, employing cultural practices that discourage them from growing. When it comes to tough weeds, there are some all natural, non-selective herbicides to use in these areas. After weeds are killed, rake out the area and reseed with your chosen turf grass variety.

When it comes to fertilizer, limit the use of spring fertilizer. Cool season grasses love to grow in spring anyway. Some fertilizer is OK in late spring, based on the soil test. Wait until fall for the main fertilization.

Wait until fall for reseeding or renovation.

To learn more on this topic, go to http://go.osu.edu/naturallawn

Eric Barrett is OSU Extension educator for agriculture and natural resources in Mahoning County. Call the office hotline at 330-533-5538 to submit your questions. Regular clinic hours begin April 4, on Mondays and Wednesdays from 9 a.m.-noon.