Are You a Pawn of Big Lawn?
Buy more fertilizer.
The Lawn maintenance industry has brainwashed millions of Americans into thinking they need to continuously spend money on grass.
Another summer is on the horizon. The annual cycle has already started. Fertilize, mow, rake and bag. Rinse and repeat. Does that sound about right? If so, then you may be a pawn of Big Lawn
Fertilizer is Horse Sh*t
Who says that you must fertilize your lawn? “Lawn Professionals” of course, is the answer. So run out and get a bag of fertilizer. Oh Yeah, you have to water it in, you have a underground sprinkler system right? No, then you better get a hose and sprinkler system. Hose systems and sprinklers can be cheap and plastic. They can also be expensive and metal. Guess what? They both only last for about one season. Ok you have fertilizer and hose which you get going as the ‘Lawn Professional” suggests. About two weeks later you have to cut the grass. You have a lawnmower right?. Better get one or repair the one that you have.
A week passes--time to cut the grass again. Cut Cut Cut--rake and bag--drag to curb. This cycle continues all summer.
Lets look at what would have happened if you cut a few steps out of the above process. Don’t buy fertilizer. You probably don’t need it. If you don’t need fertilizer, then you don’t need a hose and sprinkler system. You will need to cut the grass eventually. Stay away from the fancy mowers that catch the grass and thatch. Don’t worry thatch will not kill your lawn as suggested by the ‘Lawn Professional”. There are no heavy bags grass to take to the curb. You may have to cut the grass in another week or so, but it will have grown at a natural pace instead of a juiced up nitrogen-ized monster lawn.
Fertilizer will make your grass green and grow nice and lush. It grows, you cut it and then take all the nutrients over to the curb to go to the landfill. Grass clippings will breakdown in a healthy lawn in a few days. As they breakdown they will revitalize the lawn and actually create a bit of top soil instead of stripping it away and out to the landfill. None of the salts or filler that fertilizer companied use will accumulate in the soil of your yard.
Free info and Free Fertilizer
The best thing that you can do is talk to your county agent about what type of grass will do well in your area based on the shade or sun composition of your lawn.
If you want free fertilizer, collect the grass and leaf bags around your neighborhood compost it and sprinkle that on your yard. It will grow just fine as it conditions the soil for the long term.
