General Lawn Care

You mean a good lawn needs to be taken care of?

     Absolutely! Yes, there’s no doubt that grass will grow on it’s own, but is it good grass, weedy grass or weeds? If it’s weedy grass and/or weeds, I personally don’t want that in my yard as people walk by and snicker! So much needs to be done to have a nice stand of grass.

What kinds of things need to be done to have a healthy, happy lawn?

     Proper fertilization and watering is number 1. Most lawns require about 4# of N or Nitrogen per 1,000 sq ft of lawn to keep things green. A general 1” of water per week in the growing season is a good amount of moisture for your lawn, whether naturally with rain or with YOUR irrigation. And it’s best to split that 1” into 2 applications if you are irrigating. But for a really healthy lawn, the first step is a soil test. And it is so important to follow any recommendations that accompany the test results.

What’s a soil test?

      A soil test is simply taking samples of your soil from various locations on your lawn and sending it out to a qualified lab that does that kind of work. When the results come back to you, it will tell you what your pH level is, and 6.5 is neutral, which is what we strive for. The test will also tell you if amendments are needed like Lime, Gypsum, Potassium etc.

 Why is it important to follow test recommendations?

     As stated above, we want that 4# of N, but that’s not all that healthy lawns require. And nutrients like Nitrogen are independent of soil test results. Organic fertilizer, which of course we use and recommend, adheres to soil and feeds the grass slowly for extended months, unlike cheap, synthetic fertilizer like most companies use which feeds the turf quickly and washes through the soil profile quickly as well, getting into the water shed and your wells. So, the organic fertilizer and amendments will break down slowly and feed the grass slowly, and that’s ideal. Those amendments serve a purpose. They regulate pH, add micronutrients and keep soil healthy and less compact in many cases.

 Anything else?

     Well, we’ve talked watering, we’ve talked about fertilizer, we’ve talked about soil tests and amendments…what does that leave? Aeration! Aeration is when we pull plugs of soil in fall with our machinery in Fall. Temps are typically cooler, especially at night with warm daytime temps and water is abundant thus making it the best time to aerate and seed. The holes we make not only break up soil tension from a long season, but they also allow for air circulation, water infiltration and nutrient uptake.  It’s such a great operation and your lawns will thank you for it.

If you do these general, simple things, you will have the greenest lawn on your side of the street. And your family and pets will love being out there and enjoy it for years.

*** Plant Health Organics is a 100% Organic land care company serving Central NJ and Bucks County PA. We are PROUD of the work we do and know full well that what we do is BEST for you and our world. Contact us at 908-335-0553***                    

-Joe Gentile, Owner Plant Health Organics, LLC