Hi,
Our lawn needs help. We are wanting to sell this summer so it really needs to look good fast. We have been using only organic stuff on our lawn and garden for a few years and not really cared that our lawn was less than stellar. We just didn't want to put out the effort although dh does dig dandelions quite a bit.

We have a lot of clover in our front yard and that is the biggest problem, well that and the dandelions. I feel just sick about going the chemical route but if it means the difference between selling in a month and it taking all summer well...

Also I have a one year old and I feel sick about her being on the lawn w/ those chemicals. Not playing in the yard really isn't an option with her.

HELP!!!

If we do need to do chemicals I want the safest ones possible. I am wondering if anyone else has been in our predicament and how you dealt with it.

Thanks for any ideas.

Patty

HI!
our local nursery has an organic fertilizer that's made from molasses and kelp meal. I have both bought it there, and used those items separately, and it seems to work pretty well. The big depot guys don't have anything organic, but the little guys sometimes do... it's definitely worth a call. I get the 50lb bags of molasses at the farm supply store, and the kelp meal from Gardens Alive. It also really helps to aerate the grass first. get a pitchfork and stick holes all over (no big holes, of course) then a layer of compost and a really good watering.
I'm in real estate and that's what I always recommend for a quick clean up.

Thanks!!

Can you give me more specifics?

How much of each? How do you apply it?

How thick a layer of compost? I really don't have enough compost to do my front yard. Can you buy compost? Would something else that you can buy work?

There is a earth worm castings place near me. Would that work like compost? I live in suburbia but there are still some farms arround so I'm sure I can find a farm supply store.

Thanks!

Patty

The castings would be fabulous! It's a lot finer than some composts, and would absorb easier. You don't really have to be too careful about how much of any of those things, none of them would burn the lawn or anything.
I do the aerating and thick sprinkling of compost (or castings) (maybe 1/4-1/3 inch) then water really well. Then wait a day or so (this will get the good bacteria into the soil. Then molasses I sprinkle by handful. Not really enough to measure, this will add sugar to the roots and encourage the good worms and buggies to move around in search of the sugar... further aerating it also. Then again after a few days do the kelp spray as a foliar helper. If you could do that spray every week or so, that will really help the greening. It will encourage the chlorophyll process. (See mom, a horticulture degree CAN be useful in real estate... )

Thank you again.

I just called about worm castings. The guy wouldn't even give me a price, just said it was way more that i would want to pay.

He does have compost though so I'm getting that.

Patty

Inless you have a couple of years to really work on that lawn nothing short of some really strong and bad stuff will help.
You could put down a good quality organic lawn food, such as Ringers Lawn Restore or something similar, mow as high as your mower will allow, and water as necessary and that may well aid in hiding the "weeds".