Does Organic Lawn Care Work? Pros, Cons & Best Practices

Many environmentally- friendly homeowners are switching to organic lawn care from age-old traditional methods. Organic lawn care is a preferred option among the new and the seasoned gardeners because it reduces the use of harmful pesticides and fertilizers, saving the health of animals, insects and humans. Many homeowners look for an answer to their query “does organic lawn care work”? The answer is subjective as it depends on multiple factors discussed later in the article. We have compiled different aspects of organic gardening, including its advantages and disadvantages.

What is Organic Lawn Care?

The idea of organic lawn care is all about using products derived from animal and plant sources.

The companies which make organic fertilizers use organic materials such as:

• Compost and leaf mulch

• Alfalfa

• Cottonseed meal

• Compost tea

• Manure

• Seaweed

• Bone char

• Bat guano

The companies who make organic herbicides use organic materials such as:

• Fatty acids

• Citric acid

• Cinnamon oil

• Eugenol

How Do You Plan for Organic Lawn Care?

There are steps to develop an organic lawn care plan. Here is the list:

Choose the Right Grass

Select the grass that suits your region to fight disease and adapt to the weather conditions.

Buy Organic Herbicide

Buy organic herbicides to manage the weeds in the lawn.

Opt for Organic Lawn Fertilizers

Treat soil in your lawn with organic fertilizers to provide essential nutrients.

Cut the Grass to Its Right Height

Cut the grass to its right size. The size depends on the regions and the weather, so consider all the factors and cut the grass.

Cut the Grass With a Sharp Mower Blade

Cutting grass with a sharp blade mower makes the lawn look beautiful.

Leave the Clippings After Mowing

Clippings have nitrogen, so leave them on the soil to boost the soil condition.

Aerate the Lawn Regularly

Regular soil aeration keeps the lawn healthy.

Water the Grass According to the Requirement

A proper watering schedule is vital for lawn maintenance as over or under watering, both can hamper the growth.

Advantages of Organic Lawn Care

Before switching to an organic mode of lawn care, it’s important to understand the advantages and disadvantages. Whether organic lawn care works or not depends on its advantages and disadvantages. It’s important to map the advantages and disadvantages before concluding. Here are some of the advantages:

Reduces the risk of chemical exposure - Organic products have minimal or no exposure to pets, kids, and other family members. Unlike chemicals, you don’t have to avoid the lawn for a particular period after organic matter is used.

Provides extra nourishment to the soil - When organic fertilizer is applied to the soil, fertilizer breaks down slowly and goes into the soil directly, providing nourishment. The lawn and soil quality improves over the years.

It retains the natural by-products of the soil - Unlike chemical products, organic fertilizers improve the soil quality without killing microbes and earthworms, which are essential for a healthy lawn.

Soil’s function gets a boost - Organic lawn care treatment improves the quality of the soil and helps retain water and other nutrients required by them.

Environmentally sound - Organic fertilizers don’t have negative effects on the soil, and unlike chemical fertilizers, they don’t suck the soil of its groundwater.

Disadvantages of Organic Lawn Care

Organic products are undoubtedly better than chemical products, but they too has some flaws which we discuss below:

The effect of organic products is not accurate - The results of organic products vary from brand to brand. You can request the local landscaper to run a soil test to check the compatibility of the fertilizer with the lawn.

It takes time to work - Organic fertilizers take time in releasing the nutrients, so you should consider it as a long-term and healthy option to improve the soil fertility. It may require multiple applications though.

Organic herbicides may not be very effective - Organic herbicides are not effective in killing mature weeds and controlling the growth of newer weeds. It succeeds in merely controlling the small weeds.

High initial investment cost - Organic lawn care products may cost more. However, the cost will be off-set in the long run with the improved quality of soil and the yield.

There’s no legal definition of organic - Some of the organic products which claim to be organic may contain harmful ingredients. The best way to check the organic fertilizer is by taking a close look at the ingredient list and checking the NPK (Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potassium)ratio. If NPK is greater than 15, it indicates the presence of inorganic material and vice-versa.

Organic Lawn Care vs. Conventional Lawn Care

Comparing conventional lawn care with organic lawn care will give a clear insight into both methods.

Conclusion

Organic lawn care is a good idea or not depending on various factors like choosing the right grass, weed control and many more. After considering the factors and pros and cons discussed in this article, you can reach an informed decision of whether or not to opt for organic lawn care.