Thoughts on Lawn Care

Regular readers of my column know that I’m not a fan of turf grass.

I hate mowing grass. I would much rather use my yard to grow food I can eat or ornamental plants that are much prettier than grass.

But I know a lot of people enjoy their lawns.

Right now, you may have noticed big stacks of lawn products at all of the garden centers and farm and ranch stores. This is the time of year when people who don’t know any better spend a bunch of money on terrible products that end up harming their yards. Don’t fall into the trap.

Those stores love to sell so-called “weed and feed” fertilizers. Such products are the absolute worst thing you can put on your yard. The biggest reason is because fertilizers and herbicides should not be applied at the same time. Fertilizing too early in the spring can do more harm than good to your grass. But if you wait to apply the product, the preemergent herbicides in weed and feed products won’t do anything to the weeds. Even the chemical pushers admit it. Here’s some advice from a lawn care guide published by Texas A&M University:

“Combination products containing both herbicides and fertilizers (i.e., Weed and Feed) are commonly used as a means of ‘hitting two birds with one stone.’ While there are appropriate times to use these products, be mindful of appropriate fertilizer and herbicide timings discussed throughout this newsletter. Remember that the application of fertilizer products, particularly nitrogen, too late or too early in the year can be detrimental to turfgrass health. During transition seasons such as spring and fall, individual, rather than dual, herbicide and fertilizer products can sometimes create the greatest opportunity to time applications appropriately and optimize lawn management practices.”

Furthermore, those preemergent fertilizers can kill any trees or shrubs planted around your yard, especially ones with the toxic chemical Atrazine. One of the most popular products with this preemergent herbicide is Scott’s “Bonus S.” Avoid it like the plague.

Also, notice the fertilizer contents on these products. Scott’s Bonus S has a fertilizer composition of 29-0-10. That’s not exactly balanced. So what should you use instead? Lawns, like all plants, prefer balanced fertilizers made from natural ingredients, not harsh chemical salts.

I think the best thing for a lush, green yard is compost. Applying a ¼ to ½ inch of compost to your yard every spring is probably about all you need to do for a healthy yard. That’s a lot of work, though. You can accomplish the same thing by applying MicroLife Humates Plus, which is basically concentrated compost in a bag. Apply at a rate of 5-10 lbs. Per 1,000 sq. ft. If you feel you really need some actual fertilizer, use MicroLife’s Multi-purpose 6-2-4 fertilizer. Apply at a rate of 20 lbs. per 1,000 sq. ft. You can purchase both products in 40 lb. sacks at Sutherland’s in La Grange.

What about weeds?

There is an organic “weed and feed” fertilizer – corn gluten meal. This is the protein fraction of the corn kernel – not whole ground cornmeal. I’ve never used it before, mostly because I prefer to spend my time caring for ornamentals and edibles. But I know organic landscapers swear by it.

The great Texas organic gardening guru, Howard Garrett, has written extensively on this product. Garrett says corn gluten meal can be broadcast to prevent grassburs, crabgrass, and other annual weeds that germinate from seed. However, he says it is only effective if applied before the weeds germinate from seed. That usually means early March in our area. It also contains about 10 percent nitrogen. Garrett says it should be applied at a rate of 15-20 lbs. per 1,000 sq. ft.

Don’t use it in your garden or flowerbeds, however, since it’s pre-emergent herbicide qualities will probably prevent any seeds you plant from sprouting

If you can find some corn gluten meal, give it a try and let me know how it works for you.