Not a long read at all.

You're way too fancy with your HTML coding. Since Houzz took over GardenWeb, it's easy to just use the tools they give you in the comment editing area below the text. Unfortunately they don't accept any HTML - at least not that I've found.

If you are going to stick to your organic guns, the best thing you can do to help green up your lawn in the spring is to apply a dose of CGM after the grass stops growing in the fall but before it goes dormant. Morpheuspa, one of the gurus here, uses all organics all year except for the last drop of winterizer. Then he uses a quick release high N with low to no P or K. The claim is that the last winterizer helps bring it in faster in the spring. He's not alone in this claim, by the way.

I've tried using CGM to protect from weeds and did not find that it has any effect. If you read the original research they had to apply two apps of 20 pounds per 1,000 each to get a percentage control of weeds. I don't remember what the percentage was, but it definitely was not near 100%. I applied 20 pounds per 1,000 every month of the growing season beginning in April and really never saw anything but stupendous growth and color.

I promise you that nobody is looking. You can be as organic as you want to be; however, sometimes you can save yourself a lot of time and effort with the occasional use of a spot spray herbicide or that high N fertilizer that morph uses. In fact I believe he uses urea, which is chemically organic - if you're looking to rationalize your use of a product not approved by OMRI. You won't get into any trouble on this forum for running an imperfect organic program. I would suggest, though, if you have a problem that you think you might need to turn to chemistry, please ask here. For example most people are quick to run for the GrubEx when they see grubs in the lawn. You don't have to. The organic solution is called beneficial nematodes. These tiny creatures carry a disease to the grubs which kills them in about 24 - 48 hours. For insects there is usually an organic solution. For weeds, maybe not always.

Thank you for reading. Check out some of the soil test posts.

Your lawn will come out of dormancy once temps raise. The biggest bang for the buck for early Spring green-up is an application of a winterizer the previous year. Because a winterizer is applied once temps have dropped below that at which the biology needed to break down organic fertilizer has stopped working, organics aren't usefull. That's why most people apply a synthetic source of N. 46-0-0 urea or something like a 37-0-7 fast release. You might be able to use professional Milorganite as a substitute. It has 2.5% fast release N, but you would need to apply it at 2 1/2 times the normal application rate to get 1# fast release N.

@dchall:

I appreciate the response! I completely agree, the use of chemicals does have its place, just hoping to get the lawn to a great spot there through mostly organic methods. Getting it to Morphs standard would be my ultimate / fantasy goal.

But, do you apply pre-em or just spot spray when pest show up? I have not applied any pre-em yet and might just use post-herbicide when they appear. Although I am partly worried that I may regret this decision haha. I have access to CGM for $26 for 50lbs.... but it is proving difficult to find just straight pre-em w/out fertilizer in my area.

@yardtractor1:

I applied 2 rounds of Ringer organic towards the season. I will try UREA this season and hopefully come spring 2017 things will start out better.

Unless you plan on eating the grass, there is no need to subject yourself to the tortures of "organic" lawn care. Corn ultimately still breaks down into the same "chemicals" found in the fertilizer. It is these "chemicals" that the plants need to thrive, not corn. You can grown plants in sterile water devoid of any bacteria or any other living thing as long as they are provided the "chemicals" they need. It's called hydroponics and it's practiced on a large scale.

Having said that, put down pre-emergent right away, you will be fighting a losing battle against weeds which will outcompete your grass because they are well adapted to the local conditions.

Zeus, I don't have a specific answer to your question, but I will agree with j4c11 on this. Your grass will eventually need chemicals at some point each year or at least every other year, depending on how picky you are. I have tried many forms of lawn care and the best system that I have found personally are a combination of both organics and chemicals. And I modify them each year depending how the Spring season opens and the Fall season closes. The reason I started using organics years ago was because my dog was affected by the chemical applications. So, I went to sole organics for a few years and now I have combined the two. I use chemical/organic in the early Spring (Michigan, as if there is Spring). Late Spring I use chem for any broad leafs that may have found a spot. Summer I use organics because I never leave my irrigation system on automatic. Fall I use organics and sometimes chemicals too. I am always open to each year modifying slightly and I have learned a lot with the variations. Good luck