Don’t clean yard mess up too early

By Bev Johnson | The Daily Journal

Published Saturday, April 26, 2008

After the last few weeks of hurricane type winds, Bunkey's yard is littered with twigs, broken branches, leaves, a hunk of the Trib with an address from three blocks away, and treats his dog has retrieved all winter or just deposited.

Penunia has been nagging Bunkey to get out and clean up the mess, but he knows it is too early.

If you can't sit on your lawn without getting a wet butt, it is too wet to walk on. Raking too early just tears up the grass leaving bare spots for weeds to pop up.

According to the “Organic Gardening” magazine, more land in the U.S. is planted to grass than corn.

The typical lawn uses 10,000 gallons of water (not rain water) each year. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that about 80 million households dump 90 million pounds of herbicides on our lawns each year.

They say that lawn care is as much a danger to our health and environment as farming. This stuff washes off the grass into our lakes and streams. In other words, you end up drinking the chemicals you put on the grass.

So, if Bunkey wants to "go green," how can he do it? First of all, use corn gluten meal. Put down about 20 pounds per 1,000 square feet when the daffodils begin to show color — now in other words.

Repeat when the lilac buds begin to color up. This will kill any annual weed seeds.

Secondly, thicken up your grass. Thick grass will shade out many weeds. If your grass is thin, over-seed it. Fall is the best time but early cool spring will work. Cut the grass short first so the new seed gets sun.

Next, add compost to your lawn. This not only increases the organic matter in the soil but also helps hold water. It should be about one-fourth inch deep. If you need to water, do it early in the morning and soak it well. Most plants, including grass, need an inch of water a week.

Next, cut your grass high — about three inches. This will keep crabgrass down as well as herbicides, according to research done by the University of Maryland.

Be sure the blades on the mower are sharp. Ragged grass blades lose more water. Leave the clippings unless they are particularly heavy. As clippings decompose, they add two pounds of\ nitrogen per 1,000 square feet each season.

This will not cause thatch, which is caused by over-fertilizing.

You can fertilize and still be "green." Just switch to organic fertilizers. Apply a low dose early spring and fall. Do follow directions. Organic fertilizers release nutrients slowly but even they can be overdone.

Wait until the lawn is dry to do anything. The wet-butt test is easy and quick. Walking on a wet lawn just packs it down leading to more problems.