RE: animal-free AND organic lawn products

[Guest guest]

Hi Kim,

Oh, we have struggled with this! We use compost (make it ourselves, or

try to find an organic vegetarian kind which is tough since most has

some sort of manure in it and thus the antibiotics and stuff and you

don't know which farm that manure was from - even a factory farm is a

possibility, and now we do pit composting in our veggie garden, where we

just dig a hole and dump the stuff in, so that doesn't help the lawn).

We also use worm castings, from local farms that we know are organic and

gentle to the worms. And we've used things like cottonseed meal, and

other vegetarian meals like that - and the greatest thing for the lawn

is kelp. We've gotten organic kelp concentrate, and put it in one of

those sprayer dispensers you put on the end of the hose - and spray the

whole lawn. You could actually see the areas we missed as the

kelp-sprayed grass got really green and the spots we missed were

dramatically less green! It was great. But, we are busy people and

haven't done that in the last year. And by the way, we haven't found

something that really greens up the grass in the worst of the summer

heat or the coldest part of the winter. Spring and fall aren't so hard,

as they're lawn growth times anyway - but the extremes are tougher to

deal with (and really, we're in Southern CA, so the extremes aren't that

extreme here at all - in our area, maybe a range from 3 or 4 days below

freezing in the winter and about a week or two over 100 degrees in the

summer). You can also start mixing in lawn seed that is more tolerant

of weather ranges. Spring and fall are good times to do that - just

cast the seed out at the same time you're fertilizing, and the lawn can

start getting stronger for the next summer or winter. And then if none

of that works - clover and wild flowers are beautiful. :-)

Best of luck!!

Lorraine

 

 

On

Behalf Of KIMBERLY KAUFFMAN

Monday, March 08, 2010 4:26 PM

 

animal-free AND organic lawn products

 

 

I'm gradually moving from a vegetarian diet to a vegan diet, for myself

and my 2 1/2-year-old son. My trouble is. . . . .this is my first year

in my first home. The lawn needs TLC, and I'm not ready to live grass-

or lawn-free. I found some really effective " organic " fertilizer and

weed killer that I used in the fall. However, I learned both products

have animal by-products in them, which I am not comfortable with. Can

you recommend animal-free and organic lawn care products?

Thanks!

Kim.

P.S. This list is the best thing since sliced bread!!!

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

I tried the kelp fertilizer in the fall and forgot about applying it in February

and went with a Garden Alive organic fertilizer/weed suppressant instead.

 

I want to plant some grass seed this spring and would love to use the kelp

fertilizer as a starter, but was wondering if adding the kelp would hurt - in

other words, can you overfertilizer with kelp?

 

 

[Guest guest]

Hi,

I think the only problem with overusing kelp is wasting your money.

It's not caustic like chemical fertilizers, it only feeds . so I'd think

it wouldn't be a problem. Plus, you're not overusing it since you

haven't applied it since the fall. You can always do more research like

on the Organic Gardening website, or with your local university

extension program.

Good luck!

Lorraine

 

 

On

Behalf Of admartin5

Wednesday, March 10, 2010 6:31 AM

 

Re: animal-free AND organic lawn products

 

 

 

I tried the kelp fertilizer in the fall and forgot about applying it in

February and went with a Garden Alive organic fertilizer/weed

suppressant instead.

 

I want to plant some grass seed this spring and would love to use the

kelp fertilizer as a starter, but was wondering if adding the kelp would

hurt - in other words, can you overfertilizer with kelp?

 

 

[Guest guest]

Life has been crazy, and I am trying to get caught up with groups.

 

Vinegar (industrial strength, if you can get it) is great for killing weeds; I

use a spray bottle.

 

When you cut the grass, either leave the cuttings or sprinkle them around the

base of trees (this is what we do).

 

We never water the lawn; it just makes it grow faster.

 

 

 

 

________________________________

Lorraine <ldemi

 

Tue, March 9, 2010 10:41:56 AM

RE: animal-free AND organic lawn products

 

 

Hi Kim,

Oh, we have struggled with this! We use compost (make it ourselves, or

try to find an organic vegetarian kind which is tough since most has

some sort of manure in it and thus the antibiotics and stuff and you

don't know which farm that manure was from - even a factory farm is a

possibility, and now we do pit composting in our veggie garden, where we

just dig a hole and dump the stuff in, so that doesn't help the lawn).

We also use worm castings, from local farms that we know are organic and

gentle to the worms. And we've used things like cottonseed meal, and

other vegetarian meals like that - and the greatest thing for the lawn

is kelp. We've gotten organic kelp concentrate, and put it in one of

those sprayer dispensers you put on the end of the hose - and spray the

whole lawn. You could actually see the areas we missed as the

kelp-sprayed grass got really green and the spots we missed were

dramatically less green! It was great. But, we are busy people and

haven't done that in the last year. And by the way, we haven't found

something that really greens up the grass in the worst of the summer

heat or the coldest part of the winter. Spring and fall aren't so hard,

as they're lawn growth times anyway - but the extremes are tougher to

deal with (and really, we're in Southern CA, so the extremes aren't that

extreme here at all - in our area, maybe a range from 3 or 4 days below

freezing in the winter and about a week or two over 100 degrees in the

summer). You can also start mixing in lawn seed that is more tolerant

of weather ranges. Spring and fall are good times to do that - just

cast the seed out at the same time you're fertilizing, and the lawn can

start getting stronger for the next summer or winter. And then if none

of that works - clover and wild flowers are beautiful. :-)

Best of luck!!

Lorraine

 

 

@gro ups.com [@gro ups.com] On

Behalf Of KIMBERLY KAUFFMAN

Monday, March 08, 2010 4:26 PM

@gro ups.com

animal-free AND organic lawn products

 

 

I'm gradually moving from a vegetarian diet to a vegan diet, for myself

and my 2 1/2-year-old son. My trouble is. . . . .this is my first year

in my first home. The lawn needs TLC, and I'm not ready to live grass-

or lawn-free. I found some really effective " organic " fertilizer and

weed killer that I used in the fall. However, I learned both products

have animal by-products in them, which I am not comfortable with. Can

you recommend animal-free and organic lawn care products?

Thanks!

Kim.

P.S. This list is the best thing since sliced bread!!!