WeedsWeeds happen, let's just face it. There is no such thing as a weed free lawn so why get all stressed about it?Want to know the SECRET? It has nothing to do with killing them! It is about growing healthy grass that is so thick and lush that it overuns any threat. (If you doubt this talk to someone who fights to keep it out of thier gardens.) This is a foundational principle to organic gardening so I am going to spell it right out so there is no misunderstanding. Your focus should be on growing not killing.
Do you have more crabgrass than lawn? What you need to remember is that weeds are symptomatic of a soil imbalance. Focus your energy instead on creating healthy, fertile soil. You don’t want to get caught up into a killing frenzy! What you really want to learn to create a growing frenzy! You want to be building micro organism populations not destroying them. Remember, all those chemicals that you are using are going to kill other things as well. The first to die are friendly Bacteria and Fungi. The result is that the life in the soil is destroyed by synthetic chemicals and becomes unable to support healthy grass plants. It also degrades the pH levels and raises sodium to toxic levels. Before you know it, you have dirt instead of soil and weeds instead of healthy turf. Isn't time to start working in harmony with nature instead of trying to cheat it?
I do not know why some get so animated (even angry) about weeds. Is it because of slick advertsing or do people somehow feel that it is a bad reflection on themselves?
You are not powerless! You can take that aggression right out to your front lawn, grab that weed and show it what for! Some days you can only shake your head. Today she knows to just squat down and pull the weed instead of watching it multiply! If for some reason you are not physically able, there are alternative ways to get at a pesky plant. Like geting your wife or kid to do it. Yea that is funny, huh? I get a lot of questions about herbicides. Both organic and chemical. So many people are looking for the miracle cure. They've heard so much on the radio and have seen the slick television ads and it's as if they wish hard enough and believe it will happen. That's not FAITH! That's called DENIAL! Somewhere along the way people get suckered into the marketing “fluff” about a maintenance free lawn. “Just put this magic chemical on your grass and it will make it wonderful AND it’s going to give you problem free lawn” Do you really believe it? An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of herbicides. So just pull the weed!
New! CommentsAre you a Fan of Organic Gardening? Post your comment in the box below. |
Bokashi Buckets
This Fall I have been working on some new raised beds for use this coming Spring. They have provided a convenient spot to put all those leaves falling off the maple tree.Earlier this year I began using Bokashi Buckets to recycle all our kitchen waste. I always thought it was a shame that I couldn't do something constructive with all the orange peels we generate in our household. Bokashi Buckets have provided a perfect solution and a great way to build soil in the raised beds all throughout the winter. Bokashi Buckets are a great alternative to composting, especially in the winter months.
Read more about Fall activities over at the
Organic Gardening Blog.