Question
Dear Charlotte:

I am too new to the organic lawn concept to take in all the wonderful advice you have given to others, and make it apply to my situation.  So please forgive me for taking up your time!!!
We moved last summer.  We have an acre of land that is rolled out sod that is 9 years old. I have been told the soil is only 6-8 inches deep because it sits on rock bed (Rockland County, NY).  It was beautiful last year when we moved in, but that was because of frequent chemical use by the previous owners.

I have cancer, and allowed no chemicals to be applied to the lawn after July 1,2006 when we moved in.  I have since learned that chemicals were used in the flower beds throughout the summer.  So no chemicals on the lawn since last spring.

I wish to go organic and realize that gardening services I have interviewed, do not know what they are talking about.  I realize that the first year of transition does not look very good.  I also have large bare spots where underground drains were laid into the soil.  The bare spots zigzag in 5 places across the lawn.  

I would like to seed the missing lawn, but read that putting down weed discouraging agents, will kill the new grass.  Should I wait until Fall to re-seed and take care of the majority of the lawn this summer, which has to transition?  (I expect a lot of weeds if I don't act pretty soon).  

What standard things should an organic landscaper do to encourage better soil and not kill the current lawn during transition?  After this year, I expect to be more involved and educated.  Could you name brands that are an absolute no-no, such as fertilizers that have cadmium, lead, etc. in them.  (I have lead and mercury poisoning).

The sprinkler system was set by the former owner to run 3 times per week, starting at 1:30 am and turning off at 9:30 am (20 mins. for 14 zones).  I now realize that may not be optimal.  Our water bill was $1,000.00 for a month!!!!  

I am reading that 1 inch per week will encourage deep root growth of the grass, or does sod never have deep roots. As mentioned above, the former owner was watering the grass from 1 am to 9:30 am 3x's a week, and the people who cut the grass said that was okay.  But I really question this now.

Some zones are primarily flower beds.  Maybe those should be run 3 x's a week for 20 minutes.  There was no mulch in the beds and we plan to apply mulch to retain water..  That would mean running water only 1 time per week for the zones primarily covering the lawn.  What times are optimal for lawn watering?

Cordially,

Deborah Jindela

Answer
Hi Deborah;
Ok, I am not wanting ti tire you with reading for an eternity.
I can't say anything in less than a thousand words.LOl
Since there has been no chemicals on the flower beds either since the fall, it should all be worked out, unless they put down a pre-emergent product.
These do keep seeds of all kinds from germinating.
They will also keep bulbs from producing flowers.
My husband had his second surgery to get rid os a rare liver cancer that does not respond to any treatments except surgery.
I really think the reason we have so much more cancer, allergies, Asthma and everything else is because we have been too careless with which chemicals we use and how much of them we use.
The organic program is so simple. You jusy allow the way God designed it in the beginning, to take place.
For every harmful nematode ets that can come to your soil there are hundrens of beneficial ones that will feed on the harmful ones.
Toads, lizards and grass snakes will, if you provinde a safe home for them to live, eat all the harmful insects that invade your lawn and plants.
Chemical fertilizers and all those other products kill them off.

Watering deeply, to a depth of at least 6 inches, encourages a deep root system. Deep roots protect from heat, cold and drought damage.
I water once a week.
I have Neuropathy, so my muscle strength is practically nill. I cannot stand there, or even sit, and hold a water hose for 30 minutes.
I law out my soaker hoses.
I have noe that is laid against the foundation of the house. That one stays there all the time, so I only have to attach the hose to it, and turnm it on, and let it run till it gets to the end on that grassy part and starts to run off, then I turn off the water for an hour or so, to let it soak in, then turn it back on again.
I do this until it has soaked in to a depth of about 6 inches.
If I still have some energy, I may lay out the soaker hose for the mowed area of the lawn. They do have to be taken up to mow, so I have to lay them out each time, and I water that area the same way.
If I don'tt get it all watered one day, I can do an area each day, and my energy will allow. I water once a week, even in our hot Texas summers. If the temp get up in the 100+s, and stays there for a few weeks, then I may have to water every 5 or 6 days during that time.
I have timers on my fauces, so I can set them to turn my soaker hoses off. I have done them enough to be able to tell how long to set each one for, so I don'thave water running off my lawn and wasting.
I just set them, and turn them on. When I know they have been off long enough, I go turn it on for that time again. So it takes very little effort for me to get my lawn watewred.
I can even set the times, and take a anp, or even go to bed for the night, and it will take care of itself.
With organics, you are not working on a tight time frame, you can do it when you get around to it.

Put sugar ( plain tanble sugar) on your lawn at the rate of 4 to 5 pounds per 1000 sq.ft. Water it to disolve it, and if you have the time and energy, water deeply.
You can do the area that you have the energy to do, and if you are too tired, so the other parts another day or another time of that day.
   Sugar does absolutely nothing but nourish the beneficial microbes that will work constantly enriching and improving the soil. Weeds like poor soil so when the soil is nice and rich, if they even come up, they will not thrive. Make rich soil, weeds will not grow there.

For fungus diseases in lawns, apply Corn Gluten Meal at the rate of 10 pounds per 1000 sq.ft.
I uyse baking soda disolved in water in a garden sprayer to treat roses and other shrubs susceptible to black spot funfus, powdery mildew etc.
It can also be sprayed on the lawn to control fungus..

Some other things to apply to the soil to add more nutrients.
  Lava sand. This is full of nutrients, and this is what makes those gorgeous flowers grow on islands where there have been eruptions.  I get lava sand at Walmart, Home Depoit and the nurseries.
  A;falfa meal. I have to go to a feed store to get this, but it is also full of all sorts of nutrients, and it is especially good for flowering plants and shrubs . It encourages more and larger blooms.
You can also toss some of it on the grass.
Lava sand, sugar and alfalfa meal can be put on grass, flower beds, veggie gardens, container plants, house plants, ANTWHERE!!!
That is all I am currently using. I used nothing but sugar and deep watering for about 9 years, and I had a gorgeous lawn, now weeds or insects. I have a lot of toads. lizards and grass snakes.
Last year I found out about the alfalfa meal and lava sand and started using them.
You don't need a lot of them.
I used one bag of lava sand, and about 3/4th bag of alfalfa mea.
I treated my front lawn twice, the roses and other shrubs a couple more times, added some of each to the soil of all the containers I planted, and make alfalfa tea several times.
Alfalfa tea can be sued to water things, including houseplents, or it can be straned and used as a foliar feed in a garden sprayer.
   Alfalfa tea:
Mix 1 cup alfalfa meal to 5 gallons water. Let set over night, stir and use.


Times for watering.
I use soaker hoses, so they don't soak the grass blades and plant leaves, so fungus is not a problem made worse.
I water all the time, because I have to catch a time when I can move well enough to do it. The heat of the day is the worst time.
Generally early morning to about noon, and fram early evening, after the temp starts to go down a little.
I even water at night.
Watering with a spronkler that sprays into the air is a terrible waste. When they temp gets up to about 90, you can lose half or more to evaporation.
With a soakes hose, All of it goes into the ground, if you turn it off before it starts to run off, and then let it soak in before watering more, so you use ALL the water you pay for, for the benefit of the plants.

1 inch water per week, as in a rain, or by sprinklers ( if it all falls on the ground) will produce a soaking to about 6 inches deep. Yes, that will encourage deep roots.
So when the weather forecaster says yougot 1 inch of rain, and it fell over a longer peoiod that day, not all in 30 minutes or an hour, you got a good, deep soaking.

If you put a mulch on the flower beds, it will help retain water.
Use hardwood mulch. Pine bark mulch will blow around and it is not worth bring home, really.
Cedar bark mulch is best because it repels a ton of insects, including fleas, ticks and termites.
I put a trail of cedar bark mulkch about 3 or 4 inches wide and an inch or two deep around the foundtion of the house to keep termites away from our house.
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Well, this is getting really long.
this is my persaonal email address. If you want to write me there, with specific questions, I would be glad to help you that way. I have several that have so many questions, and the posts here were getting so long, that they email me, and we communicate that way.
Because I cannot get out and physically plant all I want, and work all day in my yard and garden, answering questions here and by emails, and helping others get good results in their gardens, is the way I can satisfy my love of gardening, so don't be concerned about taking my time. I am more than happy to do this.
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I have some ways t help with the shallow soil over the rock too.
Write me back here, or email me at    [email protected]
And I will be glad to help all I can.
Charlotte