The Myth & Misconception of the Well-Kept Lawn

Healthy lawns conserve water and are better for the environment. #lawncareweek

First off…Happy Lawn Care Week! We’re excited for our industry pros, the National Association of Landscape Professionals, chose this week to be the focus of lawns: the benefits and how they should be cared for properly. An emerald green lawn that grows thick and lush, and is weed, disease and pest free can often draw criticism from neighbors. Why? Here are a few reasons we hear:

• How much water are they wasting?
• They must use tons of pesticides, fungicides and herbicides!
• That homeowner must care more about their perfect lawn than the environment!
• A fortune must be spent to keep up such a gorgeous lawn?

If these are remarks you’ve made about another person’s lawn, or heard them made about your own lawn, we’re here to offer up another perspective. Beautiful lawns aren’t always maintained with chemicals!

Sure, in many cases across DFW, homeowners do indeed use chemical additives to keep their lawns healthy and green. But when you focus on building healthy soil and take care of your lawn using a scheduled organic maintenance plan and products, you too can have a gorgeous green lawn – a lawn you can feel great about.

Now, when you grow your lawn organically, there are a few things you’ll need to get used to – like a few weeds here and there now and then. A perfect monoculture lawn (only one species) can be very challenging to create without the use of chemical pesticides. But a healthy lawn that is maintained organically and grown in bio-diverse healthy soil will be better able to choke out weeds naturally. But that doesn’t mean you won’t see a few now and then. Best thing to do is yank them as soon as you see them to keep them going to seed.

As your soil gets healthier, your lawn will develop deeper, stronger roots, use less water and be better able to stand up to common pests and diseases. Which means it will also look better. Feed the soil and it will do a better job of feeding your lawn without toxins.

A Green Lawn is more than just a Pretty Place to Play

While lawns can seem like a waste of resources, you might be surprised to learn some of the ways your lawn can also be an essential part of a healthy ecosystem.

• Lawns clean the air. They capture dust and other pollutants.
• Lawns reduce water runoff and soil erosion. ‘
• They provide oxygen (enough said!).
• Lawns bring communities together. A soft green lawn free of disease and pests makes a great place for neighbors and families to gather and relax.
• Lawns absorb carbon dioxide then break it down into carbon & oxygen!
• Did you know…a 50’x50’ patch of lawn produces enough oxygen for a family of four.
• Without a lawn, where would your children or pets play, while the adults relax?
• Want to know more soil facts? Visit this fun post HERE.

No lawns? No good.

We do understand that in some parts of the country, including here in North Texas, lawns can be considered controversial. But often, it’s the lack of understanding of the benefits lawns can bring to urban environments that fuels the controversy. The lawn itself isn’t the culprit – it’s how it’s maintained and what types of toxins or pollutants are used to keep it looking good that should draw a critical eye.

The truth is, if we banished lawns from our urban environment, this would be a true danger to our environment and Ecosystem.

Healthy Soil = Healthy Lawn.

While we love and admire strong green grass, we know that focusing on soil health is truly the only way area lawns will thrive long term. While our soils in North Texas are full of nutrients they are mostly bound up in the the tough clay texture. Our Soil Building Plan uses amendments such as our homemade compost extract, earthworm castings, humic acid and dry fertilizer so your soil is able to feed the plants and microorganisms growing in it. The end result will be a robust, gorgeous lawn that you, kids, pets and friends can roll around on without the concern of toxic chemicals.

So if you aren’t up to speed on your lawn facts, Lawn Care Week is a great time to get caught up! If you have questions about how to transition your lawn to an organic care plan, or are more interested in our services and how we do what we do, our website and blog is full of information so stick around a bit and read up.

lawn care,lawns,organics,turfgrass