How do I achieve a beautiful natural Lawn?

Remove thatch.

The first step in natural organic lawn care is to dethatch your lawn. Thatch is usualy a normal and healthy part of the lawn system. It is comprised of undecomposed organic matter such as grass clippings, roots, stolons and other plant parts. Because it has high lignin content, it resists microbial breakdown. Thatch will accumulate if the growth of the crowns and lateral stems (rhizomes) exceeds their decomposition

Excess thatch develops when the soil's microbial activity is insufficient to break the thatch down to a healthy level. Overfertilisation and pesticide use contribute to thatch build-up by forcing too much growth and then killing the delicate soil life that breaks it down. Manage thatch to no more than 1/2". Excessive thatch provides a safe haven for disease and pests.

Correct mowing

• Adjust your height of cut to 60mm.
• Remove just one-third of the blade each cut
• Keep the mower blade balanced and sharp
• Mow regularly
• Vary the cut
• Periodically return the clippings on the lawn

The next step is the simplest way to achieve and maintain a lush healthy and dense lawn.

Increase the height of the blade to 2.5 to 3" to maximize photosynthesis (enabling the plant to obtain more sugars and starches for optimum root mass development) also minimising sunlight to the soil surface. This helps prevent new weed growth. And shades the grass plant roots. This will help Maximize root development. Deep, thick, strong roots are the single most important factor that will result in a naturally disease, pest and drought resistant lawn.

People do not typically use dangerous pesticides for the fun of it. They are trying to eliminate pests, such as weeds, in the lawn. By controlling the conditions that create pests, their presence is minimized. Ultimately the perceived need to use pesticides is eliminated.

Mowing too short (below 2.5") - causes reduction in root depth, which impairs uptake of water and nutrients; reduces leaf area for photosynthesis; ultimately leads to weak, thin, non-competitive grass.

Incorrect procedures

Infrequent mowing – removes too much leaf, stressing the plant thus leading to reduction in root mass as described earlier.

Under fertilising - leads to thin, slow growing grass that exposes the soil to light and water, which leads to weed growth.

Using pesticides over fertilising- (the chemical approach)

Creates the following problems…

Thatch - dead roots and blades build up to prevent water, air and nutrients from entering the soil, essentially choking out the lawn. Overfertilisation and pesticide use contribute to thatch build-up by forcing too much growth and then killing the delicate microbial soil life that breaks it down.

Soil Compaction - prevents flourishing root development and impairs grass plant development.

Poor Soil Chemistry - Soil that has improper pH, high sodium or other imbalances will cause grass great difficulty in utilising nutrients, which results in poor root and blade development and weed proliferation.

Over watering - deoxygenates the soil, promotes shallow, thin roots and reduced heat and drought tolerance; keeps thatch wet, which provides an amenable environment for disease and pests.

Beware of organic based fertilisers they can be as much as 85% synthetic in content.

Also beware of Organic fertilisers that boast an overall N:P:K analysis higher than fifteen it is not possible to obtain an overall N:P:K analysis higher than 15 organically For example 16:4:12= 32 not truly organic. Always read the label and ingredients before you purchase.