Organic lawn management
Encyclopedia
Organic lawn management is the practice of establishing and caring for a garden
lawn
using organic horticulture
, without the use of chemical inputs such as pesticide
s or artificial fertilisers. It is a component of organic land care and organic sustainable landscaping
which adapt the principles and methods of sustainable gardening
and organic farming
to the care of lawns and gardens.
and natural predators such as nematode
s to prevent infestation of lawns with pests such as crane fly
larvae and ants, and preventing fungal infections through physical maintenance such as effective mowing and raking. Other 'environmentally friendly' techniques for caring for a lawn include irrigation
only when the lawn shows signs of drought stress and then watering deeply - minimizing needless water consumption. Using low volume sprinkler
s provides more penetration without runoff
. Lawnmowers with a mulching function can useful in reducing fertilizer use by allowing clippings that are cut so minutely that they can settle into the grass inconspicuously to decompose into the soil
.
and compost tea to reduce the need for fertilization and to encourage healthy soil that enables turf to resist pests. A second element is mowing tall (3" - 4") to suppress weeds and encourage deep grass roots, and leaving grass clippings on the lawn as fertilizer. Additionally, fertilize in the fall, not the spring.
Synthetic (inorganic based) fertilizers are made in a chemical process that uses fossil fuel and contributes to global warming. They also greatly increase the amount of nitrogen entering the global nitrogen cycle which has a serious negative impact on the organization and functioning of the world's ecosystems, including accelerating the loss of biological diversity and decline of coastal marine ecosystems and fisheries. Nitrogen fertilizer releases N2O, a greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere after application. Organic fertilizer nitrogen content is typically lower than synthetic fertilizer.
, by definition, when they contain more than one or two grass species. Examples of additional lawn and grasslike species that can be encouraged in organic lawns include dozens of grass species (eight for ryegrass alone, sedges, mosses, clover, vetches, trefoils, yarrow, ground cover alternatives, and other mowable plants.),. Biodiversity increases the functioning and stress tolerance of ecosystems. Lack of biodiversity is a significant environmental issue brought up by the use of lawns with grassroots groups emerging to promote this method of lawn care.
Garden
A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the display, cultivation, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The garden can incorporate both natural and man-made materials. The most common form today is known as a residential garden, but the term garden has...
lawn
Lawn
A lawn is an area of aesthetic and recreational land planted with grasses or other durable plants, which usually are maintained at a low and consistent height. Low ornamental meadows in natural landscaping styles are a contemporary option of a lawn...
using organic horticulture
Organic horticulture
Organic horticulture is the science and art of growing fruits, vegetables, flowers, or ornamental plants by following the essential principles of organic agriculture in soil building and conservation, pest management, and heirloom variety preservation....
, without the use of chemical inputs such as pesticide
Pesticide
Pesticides are substances or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling or mitigating any pest.A pesticide may be a chemical unicycle, biological agent , antimicrobial, disinfectant or device used against any pest...
s or artificial fertilisers. It is a component of organic land care and organic sustainable landscaping
Sustainable landscaping
Sustainable landscaping encompasses a variety of practices that have developed in response to environmental issues. These practices are used in every phase of landscaping, including design, construction, implementation and management of residential and commercial landscapes. Issues of...
which adapt the principles and methods of sustainable gardening
Sustainable gardening
Sustainable gardening comprises a disparate group of horticultural interests that share, to a greater or lesser extent, the aims and objectives associated with the international post-1980s sustainable development and sustainability programs...
and organic farming
Organic farming
Organic farming is the form of agriculture that relies on techniques such as crop rotation, green manure, compost and biological pest control to maintain soil productivity and control pests on a farm...
to the care of lawns and gardens.
Techniques
Alternatives include the use of beneficial insectsBeneficial insects
Beneficial insects are any of a number of species of insects that perform valued services like pollination and pest control. The concept of beneficial is subjective and only arises in light of desired outcomes from a human perspective...
and natural predators such as nematode
Nematode
The nematodes or roundworms are the most diverse phylum of pseudocoelomates, and one of the most diverse of all animals. Nematode species are very difficult to distinguish; over 28,000 have been described, of which over 16,000 are parasitic. It has been estimated that the total number of nematode...
s to prevent infestation of lawns with pests such as crane fly
Crane fly
A crane fly is an insect in the family Tipulidae. Adults are very slender, long-legged flies that may vary in length from though tropical species may exceed to ....
larvae and ants, and preventing fungal infections through physical maintenance such as effective mowing and raking. Other 'environmentally friendly' techniques for caring for a lawn include irrigation
Irrigation
Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
only when the lawn shows signs of drought stress and then watering deeply - minimizing needless water consumption. Using low volume sprinkler
Irrigation sprinkler
Irrigation sprinklers are sprinklers used on farms, golf courses, and yards, to provide water to vegetation and plants in the event of drought. They may also be used for recreation, as a cooling system, or to keep down the amount of airborne dust....
s provides more penetration without runoff
Runoff
Run-off or runoff may refer to:* Surface runoff, the flow of water, from rain, snow melt, or other sources, over land* Runoff model , a mathematical model describing the rainfall-runoff relations of a rainfall catchment area or watershed...
. Lawnmowers with a mulching function can useful in reducing fertilizer use by allowing clippings that are cut so minutely that they can settle into the grass inconspicuously to decompose into the soil
Soil
Soil is a natural body consisting of layers of mineral constituents of variable thicknesses, which differ from the parent materials in their morphological, physical, chemical, and mineralogical characteristics...
.
Organic fertilizers
A primary element of organic lawn management is the use of compostCompost
Compost is organic matter that has been decomposed and recycled as a fertilizer and soil amendment. Compost is a key ingredient in organic farming. At its most essential, the process of composting requires simply piling up waste outdoors and waiting for the materials to break down from anywhere...
and compost tea to reduce the need for fertilization and to encourage healthy soil that enables turf to resist pests. A second element is mowing tall (3" - 4") to suppress weeds and encourage deep grass roots, and leaving grass clippings on the lawn as fertilizer. Additionally, fertilize in the fall, not the spring.
Synthetic (inorganic based) fertilizers are made in a chemical process that uses fossil fuel and contributes to global warming. They also greatly increase the amount of nitrogen entering the global nitrogen cycle which has a serious negative impact on the organization and functioning of the world's ecosystems, including accelerating the loss of biological diversity and decline of coastal marine ecosystems and fisheries. Nitrogen fertilizer releases N2O, a greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere after application. Organic fertilizer nitrogen content is typically lower than synthetic fertilizer.
Biodiversity
Organic lawns contribute to biodiversityBiodiversity
Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Biodiversity is in part a function of climate. In terrestrial habitats, tropical regions are typically rich whereas polar regions...
, by definition, when they contain more than one or two grass species. Examples of additional lawn and grasslike species that can be encouraged in organic lawns include dozens of grass species (eight for ryegrass alone, sedges, mosses, clover, vetches, trefoils, yarrow, ground cover alternatives, and other mowable plants.),. Biodiversity increases the functioning and stress tolerance of ecosystems. Lack of biodiversity is a significant environmental issue brought up by the use of lawns with grassroots groups emerging to promote this method of lawn care.
See also
- LawnLawnA lawn is an area of aesthetic and recreational land planted with grasses or other durable plants, which usually are maintained at a low and consistent height. Low ornamental meadows in natural landscaping styles are a contemporary option of a lawn...
- GrasscyclingGrasscyclingGrasscycling refers to leaving grass clippings on the lawn when mowing.The term is a portmanteau word combining "grass" and "recycling", and had come into use by at least 1990 as part of the push to reduce the huge quantities of clippings going into landfills, up to half of some cities' summertime...
- Grasses
- List of organic gardening and farming topics
External links
- Lawn care and how to get the very best from your lawn.
- Important and Easy Mowing and Watering Tips
- Natural vs. Chemical Lawn Care
- More organic lawn care tips
- Natural lawn care - aerating, pH soil levels, compost, natural fertilizers, pest control and more.
- Organic Lawns For America - An effective and easy to follow organic lawn care program that gets delivered right to your door.
- NOFA Organic Land Care - A non-profit program providing organic land care education and professional accreditation.