Discussion Board

I live in a neighborhood and we need to keep the lawn looking nice (if I got my way, our front lawn would instead be one huge garden ).

Lawns seem to have more dandelions this year than I've ever seen, and everyone I've talked with who doesn't have them, uses chemicals. From what I've read, dandelions like a pH of 7.5, and lawns like a pH of 6.5--so my plan is to get the soil tested at our extension office (I already have the stuff for it), and then work from there with trying to adjust the ph. Right now I've been pulling them out with a weed hound, which works really well, but it's hard staying ahead of them! I'm also going to check to see that our mower is set to 3", since I read that weeds won't grow as well when the grass is taller.

So, I'm just curious to know what others here do with their lawns. I was disappointed to hear people talk about putting chemicals down, like it was no problem.

Ours are much worse this year too. I noticed that we are surrounded by dandylion filled yards. The neighbors are way worse than we are. Neighbors are enjoying theirs I guess. I'm doing you like and pulling them out. I need to find a dandylion tool. Some of mine I'm not getting all the roots.

http://www.permies.com/permaculture-forums/3.0

This is a forum I've just started searching through to get some info about what to do. So far it seems to have a no-nonsense tone to it, which I like. They talk a lot about mowing high and having the right pH and fertilizer.

Take a look at the products from "Gardens Alive" for lawn care,
http://www.gardensalive.com/category.asp?c=10

They have a weed product that is based on corn (I think it's the WOW product) which is supposed to work really well. I am reporting this just from hearsay, as I have not used these lawn products myself. (We live in a rural area and don't bother fussing with the lawn, just mow it high.) I think even our Extension people were praising this stuff, and they usually like chemicals.

It might be too late this year to apply the pre-emergent weed control stuff, but check into it anyway. Maybe there's a fall application? ?

I have been a long-time customer of this company but as I said, haven't used their lawn products. They are reliable to buy from and they often have coupons and discounts for regular customers.
--Anna.

The first thing I did was accept that a "perfect" lawn was not necessary. Perfect is in the eye of the beholder. I pulled dandelions daily in the spring with a tool that looks like the one on the left in this article. Sorry, I no longer have a house or the tool, so I can't look up the name. http://www.pesticide.org/dandelions.html Dandelions are tap rooted perennials, so you must get the entire root. They also produce massive quantities of viable seeds, so I'd go out daily and find everything that was blooming and pull it, much easier to do when the lovely yellow blossoms are shouting "here I am"! This article I found is pretty cool. http://www.pesticide.org/dandelions.html Once you are sure that there are no chemicals in your lawn, you can eat the dandelions. Of course, drift from the neighbors is a concern. Some fun information. http://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/Plants ... elion.html

Cutting the lawn high, 3" or so, with a mulching mower is definitely the right way to go. The longer grass shades the plants, decreasing the water loss. It also shades out non-desirable plants. A notable exception to this is crabgrass, an annual that also produces massive quantities of viable seeds. Crabgrass has the annoying capacity to grow low and well. That's another one I policed the lawn for by hand. Oh, and it likes your flower and garden beds as well. I didn't like the pre-emergent chemicals, but a neighbor who chose an organic lawn used a corn gluten product with very satisfactory results. He is a golfer and needs a perfect lawn. Snicker, my violet laden one must've driven him nuts. He also used a product called milorganite, if I remember correctly. Stinks to high heaven, but man, his lawn is a beauty. They did not want their dog playing in the lawn chemistry, and although it stinks, it didn't harm the dog. A comment on the pre-emergents treatments for crabgrass, I do believe that it also inhibits the germination of grass seed. Man, my turfgrass class was a long time ago.

Make sure you have the right grass variety or mix for your local conditions. Your local extension service can help with that information.

If your soil has a great deal of clay in it, trying to significantly alter the pH is an exercise in futility, as clay has an amazing buffering capacity. Again, ask the extension agent.

Oh great Dandelion experts - do the yellow ones go to seed too? I only thought the white fluffy ones did. I thought maybe it was a male female concept.

I don't worry about the grass and weeds much, Mom does though. I worry when they are close to my garden. The crude that was thrown down in our yard to act as grass is brutal to me and the garden.

Those garden friendly products looked like they had some that you could use in the veggies gardens too.

This has been interesting! The use of corn gluten was discovered here at Iowa State University (fitting, of course, since so much corn is grown here). I've read mixed things about it--it's expensive, and you have to have the right timing and amount of water or it won't work. It's something I'm going to look into for fall, though, since you can apply it then (I think the two times are fall and spring). I got the stuff from the extension office, so I'll be gathering up some soil and sending it in--curious to see what I learn from it.

Faith, yellow dandelions turn into the white ones. Once they turn white, the wind can carry the seeds everywhere. Its why its so much easier to pick the yellow ones.

I put down corn meal gluten for the first time this spring. This is a cumulative product, meaning that it may take a few years to see the results. It doesn't work instantly like putting down Scott's. I'm working with a local organic gardening place in the Cincinnati area and within the next 4 weeks I'll be putting down step 2 of their organic lawn program. (don't ask me what it is). Ask me in about a year how its going. I, too, have concerns for my kids, dogs and garden. Don't want the chemicals near any of them!

You will tell us what each of the steps are as you do them, won't you LJ? Sounds interesting.

LJ I'd like to hear also. Heck it may work for other things also.