Organic Lawn Care Blog

Not Too Late For Spring Lawn Aeration

Tue, 15 May 2012 20:15:27 GMT

It's not too late to do a spring lawn aeration! We still have good conditions for aeration. If you've done an early spring core aeration already, your turf may be taking a little longer to recover because it's been very dry here in Ontario. With some of the recent rains we've had, hopefully those areas will start to fill in nicely. Building a strong root structure for a healthy, thick lawn, is a great practice for organic lawn care.

Is Carpetgrass the same as St. Augustine grass?

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 23:07:24 GMT

Jim, I have St. Augustine grass, but you can not seed that type of seeds here in Texas. I need to know is carpet grass the same or almost like St. Augustine?

Spring Lawn Aeration

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 13:13:31 GMT

Now is a good time to consider a lawn aeration. It's also a great time to add some grass seed to those thin areas on your lawn. Well, doing these two applications at the same time is the best of both worlds. Read the full post about lawn aeration for all the details.

Spring Lawn Care Crabgrass Prevention

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 10:21:15 GMT

It's the ideal timing to put down Corn Gluten Meal, the organic weed control that acts as a pre-emergent crabgrass control. When the forsythia is in full to late bloom, it's the best time for this early spring lawn care application. If you can plan it when some rain is expected in the forecast, that's the best option. If not, water it in a couple of days after application.

Crab grass removal question

Mon, 09 Apr 2012 13:55:12 GMT

Hi Jim, We've bought a house with a big lawn (~6000 sq feet) which doesn't look good. We moved in December (Kitchener-Waterloo area), then in May we

Best Early Spring Lawn Care Advice

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 00:44:42 GMT

It's time for the early spring lawn care regime. Get tips and advice on the right garden rake, general spring clean up techniques, and so much more.

Summer Lawn Care

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 00:39:13 GMT

Our summer lawn care tips give you the advice you'll need to adjust to the hot, dry, conditions of summer and how they affect your lawncare maintenance.

Dandelion Risotto

Sun, 11 Mar 2012 21:17:31 GMT

When I lived in Toronto I would see ladies beside the entrance ramp in the green area at 401 and York Mills and I knew what they were doing: picking

I Think I Have White Lawn Grubs - How Do I Know For Sure?

Sun, 11 Mar 2012 20:41:03 GMT

Hi Jim I think I might have white lawn grubs on my side yard. There are a few patches of dead grass that I see the birds pecking away at. There is

Is this a weed or flower?

Sun, 11 Mar 2012 20:14:19 GMT

Hi Jim We get these pretty little flowers on our lawn from time to time in the spring and early summer. We see them in the flower beds as well, where

Can I use Corn Gluten Meal with established weeds?

Sun, 11 Mar 2012 19:44:00 GMT

Can I use the Corn Gluten Meal now in late June with established weeds? Our lawn is crazy with weeds. The Corn Gluten weed control looks like the product

Lawn Care Forum

Sun, 11 Mar 2012 17:38:21 GMT

Welcome to our organic lawn care forum, It's our social networking community of sharing our best questions, answers, photos, and ideas about lawn care maintenance and lawn care problems.

Raking Leaves - Fall Lawn Care Maintenance

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 16:47:39 GMT

Raking leaves is a vital part of fall lawn care maintenance. It's a chore you either love or hate, but nevertheless, it's an important one that you shouldn't ignore.

How can I get my lawn back on track?

Wed, 05 Oct 2011 20:24:58 GMT

Dear Jim: Help! My lawn is more weeds than grass! It started as Bermuda grass, and I won’t go into detail about how and why it has deteriorated—only

Fall Lawn Care Assessment

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 00:21:56 GMT

Fall is a great time to look back over the season that has past with thoughts of how to remedy problem areas on our lawns that happened over the summer. While we can't control the weather, we certainly can impact other environmental issues that affect our lawns. So, have a good look at your growing environment, drainage, shade, irrigation, high traffic areas, with thoughts of how to improve any of these for a better lawn next year.

What Does Crabgrass Look Like - Crabgrass Identification

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 22:03:09 GMT

What does crabgrass look like? Crabgrass identification is the first step in dealing with this stubborn lawn problem.

Crabgrass Explosion

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 22:01:50 GMT

We're seeing an explosion of crabgrass on home lawns here in Ontario. Due to the dormant grass in August, followed by heavy rains and high temperatures. Make note of the areas you see it on your lawn now, to treat it in your spring lawn care maintenance. Getting Corn gluten down in early spring will be your best bet.

Soil Evaluation

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 21:47:34 GMT

Soil evaluation is the first step in the process of having a healthy lawn.

Raking Leaves

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 21:45:40 GMT

Raking leaves in the fall is an important part of good lawn maintenance. Find out why here.

Pythium Blight Known As Grease Spot

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 21:45:15 GMT

Known as pythium blight or grease spot, it's one of several fungal diseases that can attack our lawns during high temperatures in the summer.

Powdery Mildew Lawn Grass Disease

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 21:44:47 GMT

Powdery mildew, one of several fungal diseases that infects the blades of grass, leaving a white powder-like patch.

Plantain Recipes

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 21:44:22 GMT

Here's an interesting collection of plantain recipes to try for both medicinal use as well as something different from the kitchen.

Plantain Leaves For Medicinal Use

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 21:43:57 GMT

Plantain leaves and plantain seeds have many useful medicinal herbal uses.

Lawn Soil Preparation

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 21:41:19 GMT

The first step to a healthy lawn is the lawn soil preparation itself. A good foundation means years of easier lawn maintenance.

Lawn Diseases - Fungal Diseases. Maybe It's Both

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 21:39:35 GMT

Improper care breeds lawn diseases that are caused by fungal diseases on your lawn.

Fairy Ring - The Mystery of Lawn Diseases

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 21:35:17 GMT

Appearing as a dead grass circle within a dark grass and mushroom ring, fairy ring is one of many fungus lawn diseases.

My Cordless Electric Lawn Mower Review

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 21:34:52 GMT

Should you get the affordable Black and Decker CM1836 electric lawn mower? My lawn electric lawn mower review says yes! Here's why.

Dollar Spot - One Of Several Lawn Fungal Diseases

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 21:34:26 GMT

Dollar Spot is one of several fungal diseases that severely damages lawns if left unattended.

Dandelion Coffee Recipe

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 21:30:43 GMT

Dandelion coffee is an excellent caffeine free coffee substitute that tastes very similar to regular coffee. Try this recipe.

Creamed Spinach Recipe

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 21:30:13 GMT

Substitute plantain leaves in this creamed spinach recipe for truly unique wild cooking treat.

Crabgrass Killer

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 21:29:52 GMT

Our best organic crabgrass killer methods and recommendations. With a little work and know how, you'll be enjoying a healthy, crabgrass free lawn again.

Corn Gluten Weed Control - Natural Lawn Weed Control

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 21:29:07 GMT

Corn gluten weed control in the form of corn gluten meal, is mother nature's own 100% organic weed inhibitor.

Brown Patch Lawn Disease - One of Several Lawn Diseases

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 21:28:40 GMT

Brown patch lawn disease is one of several lawn diseases. It forms rather large brownish-gray spots with wet looking edges.

Broadleaf Plantain

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 21:28:12 GMT

The plantain weed, commonly known as broadleaf plantain, is actually a perennial herb that provides us with many medicinal and culinary uses, despite being a despised lawn weed.

Spotty Lawn Overseeding

Tue, 16 Aug 2011 01:05:36 GMT

Hi Jim - Most of my lawn is doing quite well, but directly before the front porch (an area of approx 1200 sq ft), it's a disaster. As part of my spring

Fall Lawn Care Renovation

Tue, 16 Aug 2011 00:53:39 GMT

How do I manage crabgrass and nutsedge during late summer for a fall lawn care renovation

Nectrotic Ring In These Prime Weather Conditions

Tue, 26 Jul 2011 18:59:06 GMT

We're again advising you to be on the look out for Necrotic Ring/Summer Patch on your lawn. With the thunderstorms and heat wave we've been experiencing here in most of Southern Ontario, Canada, the lawns are pretty stressed. The drought conditions along with the earlier wet spring are prime factors for the emergence of Necrotic Ring - also known as Summer Patch Disease.

Pythium Blight And Heat Waves

Wed, 20 Jul 2011 00:47:57 GMT

We're in a heat wave here in the Kawartha's of Ontario. Add record low rainfall to the mix and above normal night time temperatures, and you've got some pretty stressful conditions for our home lawns. Home lawn turf that's not equipped with automatic watering, is going into dormancy in many areas. Due to the high heat, even irrigated lawns are under stress. Brown patch is active on the lawn now, as well as Pythium blight. With the forecase of continuing heat, humidity, and thunder storms, it's a perfect environment for it.

Watch For Summer Patch

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 22:15:02 GMT

Be on the look out for Summer Patch or Necrotic Ring Fungus on your lawn. Recent hot, humid conditions, along with thunderstorms, make the perfect environment for it.

Strange Grass Growing In My Yard

Mon, 30 May 2011 02:01:40 GMT

What can I do to take care of the strange grass growing in my yard? We bought the house 3 years ago and last year had a bad case of crabgrass. So,

Is this crabgrass?

Mon, 30 May 2011 01:04:29 GMT

I have recently laid down zoysia sod. I now have these weeds sprouting up all over the place. They are growing faster than I can pull them. I am not sure

Leaf Spot Lawn Fungal Disease

Mon, 23 May 2011 12:34:02 GMT

Warmer weather, along with some good rain is in the forecast. Here in the Kawartha's we're looking at temperatures ranging between 18 - 24 degrees celsius during the day, then falling between 10 - 15 celsius at night. This is making the perfect conditions for some turfgrass diseases. We're seeing some leaf spot showing up on home lawns.

Lawn Mower Maintenance

Sat, 07 May 2011 22:48:09 GMT

It's that time of the year again...time to get the lawn mower out of the garage and fired up. Here are our best tips about the proper maintenance needed before you begin the cutting season.

Share This Lawn Care Site

Fri, 29 Apr 2011 19:52:52 GMT

Do you have a website or blog? Please share this lawn care site with others interested in diy lawn care (do-it-yourself organic lawn care).

Welcome To Our Lawn Care Forum

Fri, 29 Apr 2011 14:24:28 GMT

We're excited to welcome you to our newly made Lawn Care Forum! It's where we connect as a social networking community to share lawn care questions, experiences, and answers. Check it out and join us with your own questions, posts and comments.

Corn Gluten Weed Control For Crabgrass

Thu, 28 Apr 2011 15:07:52 GMT

Corn gluten weed control is effective in the fight against crabgrass prevention. Because corn gluten is one of the first spring lawn care applications, it's key to get it down on those areas where you've seen crabgrass growing in the past. It will suppress those thousands of seeds before they get a chance to germinate.

Early Spring Corn Gluten Meal Application

Tue, 26 Apr 2011 22:14:41 GMT

Here in the Kawarthas, and perhaps most of South Western Ontario, we are about 2 weeks behind a normal spring. Applications of Corn gluten meal, the earliest of spring lawn care chores, are delayed due to the weather. Remember, a good indicator is to wait until the forsythia has started to bloom. Putting it down any earlier will be a waste of time and product. The temperatures need to be warm enough to activate the product.

Lawn Rolling And Lawn Aeration Questions

Mon, 25 Apr 2011 21:27:00 GMT

I rolled my sandy soil lawn today with a manual roller in a crisscross pattern. We will get a bit of rain this week. Will I be fine if I do a lawn aeration

Is This A Good Crabgrass Killer?

Mon, 25 Apr 2011 20:48:03 GMT

I plan on using your advice re: corn gluten meal, but have some questions. I have a recipe for a homemade crabgrass killer that includes baby shampoo,

Spring Lawn Care Assessment Time

Fri, 15 Apr 2011 15:14:02 GMT

The snow has finally gone, the birds are singing, and it's time for your annual spring lawn care assessment. Have a look at our assessment guide listing what to look for, along with some helpful tips and advice for all your spring lawn maintenance.