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A Safe & Natural Lawn for your Children & Pets
You can have a safer, healthier lawn naturally without the use of chemical herbicides or overuse of fertilizers. RainGrow™ is committed to creating a healthier environment for all and here are some practical tips on lawn care!
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Cut higher, more often!
Keep your lawn height higher than usual, 3 to 4 inches is great! Never cut more than a third of the height. By cutting your lawn too short you weaken it as it has less surface area for photosynthesis, and this may stop their roots from spreading. So allow for a taller lawn to increase photosynthesis, and this greater capacity for photosynthesis translates into greater root growth, and better access to water and nutrients. Mow high but more often to create a healthy lawn. Also, the taller grass shades out the weed seeds!
Keep mower blades sharp!
By keeping your mower blades sharp it cuts the grass cleanly without tearing them, reducing lawn stress and susceptibility to diseases.
Mulch with grass clippings!
Grass clippings are a wonderful source of nitrogen. By leaving the clippings and allowing them to break down naturally and the lawn will receive about 2 pounds of extra nitrogen per 1,000 square feet!
Don't over fertilize!
Over fertilizing can cause unnatural growth of grass roots which forms a thick dense matting called thatch.This thatch stops water from going into the soil, keeping the surface very wet which becomes a breeding ground for all types of diseases. Your lawn generally needs about 4 pounds of nitrogen a year per 1,000 square feet. By leaving the grass clippings and composting, the lawn’s need for nitrogen is reduced to 1 or 2 pounds. It is best to fertilize in the early and late spring and the fall.
Use organic fertilizers!
Organic fertilizers release nutrients slower than conventional fertilizers and also provide organic matter as well. Choose organic fertilizers that have close to a 3-1-2 NPK ratio (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium), where the nitrogen is the highest, the phosphorus lowest, and the potassium a little lower than the nitrogen. RainGrow™ Organic Fertilizer 4-2-3 has this ratio and the larger 2 Kg and 4 Kg sizes (where available) come equipped with a convenient hose-end attachment for easy application!
Water appropriately!
The volume of water on lawns and how often depends a lot on the climate and the type of soil you have. In heavy clay soils heavy watering once a week may be fine, but in lighter sandy soils the lawn will need less volume and more frequency as the water will drain away quickly. However, watering too much can contribute to diseases and damage the lawn more than by watering too little.
Weeds!
Although safe, effective and organic weed control is difficult to find, by mowing the grass high but often, fertilizing properly, and increasing organic matter, there will less weeds! The key word here is "less". It is not possible to eliminate all undesirable plants but consider the trade-off. Your lawn is being maintained without the use of toxic pesticides and will be a far safer environment for your children and pets.
Aerate!
In the fall aerate your lawn with an aerator. You can usually rent these from your local rental centre. Aerating allows air and water to better penetrate the soil thus improving soil microbial action.
Compost!
Applying compost on your lawn in the spring and fall adds additional nutrients as well as organic matter.
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