To grow a lawn organically there are many things you need to know.

What is your soils pH? Most all turf grasses, especially the cool season grasses common up north hare, prefer a soil pH in the 6.0 to 7.0 range. Never add lime unless you know how much, and which type, to add following a good reliable soil test.

How much organic matter is in that soil? Organic matter does many things depending on the soil type. In clay soils OM separates the soil particles so moisture can flow easier, allows plant roots to move easier, and changes the soil chemistry so nutrients are not locked up and are more available to the plants growing in that soil,
In sand the OM fills in the pore spaces and helps retain moisture and nutrients.

How well does that soil drain? Soils that retain too much water exclude the air plant roots also need to do what plant roots do, supply the top growth with the nutrients needed. Along with that is how well does the soil retain moisture? Soils that dry out too quickly do not allow plants to uptake needed nutrients, moisture is necessary.

What kind of life is in that soil? The presence of earthworms is one indication that there is life in the soil and a good healthy soil will have abundant life in it.

A good reliable soil test from Rutgers will be a start and these simple soil tests may help as well.

1) Soil test for organic material. From that soil sample put enough of the rest to make a 4 inch level in a clear 1 quart jar, with a tight fitting lid. Fill that jar with water and replace the lid, tightly. Shake the jar vigorously and then let it stand for 24 hours. Your soil will settle out according to soil particle size and weight. For example, a good loam will have about 1-3/4 inch (about 45%) of sand on the bottom. about 1 inch (about 25%) of silt next, about 1 inch (25%) of clay above that, and about 1/4 inch (about 5%) of organic matter on the top.

2) Drainage. Dig a hole 1 foot square and 1 foot deep and fill that with water. After that water drains away refill the hole with more water and time how long it takes that to drain away. Anything less than 2 hours and your soil drains’ too quickly and needs more organic matter to slow that drainage down. Anything over 6 hours and the soil drains too slowly and needs lots of organic matter to speed it up.

3) Tilth. Take a handful of your slightly damp soil and squeeze it tightly. When the pressure is released the soil should hold together in that clump, but when poked with a finger that clump should fall apart.

4) Smell. What does your soil smell like? A pleasant, rich earthy odor? Putrid, offensive, repugnant odor? The more organic matter in your soil the more active the soil bacteria will be and the nicer your soil will smell, to a point. Too much organic matter can be bad as well.

5) Life. How many earthworms per shovel full were there? 5 or more indicates a pretty healthy soil. Fewer than 5, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service, indicates a soil that is not healthy.

Once you know what you need to do to make the soil into a good and healthy soil that will grow strong and healthy plants and get that soil into a good and healthy condition the grass will grow in and crowd out the unwanted plants ("weeds"). This will not be as easy as going to the garden center and purchasing some poisons nor will it be as fast, but it will be better for you and yours and the rest of us word wide.

kimmq is kimmsr

Thanks kimmq. I've seen your comments on this while reading other posts. I have to do some of those things and get a more current soil test for our dense clay soil. I'm looking for more than generic soil testing info though.

I understand about living matter in the soil, but haven't found much specifics on how to increase it (step-by-step instructions/materials) and still need to address the rampant weed onslaught. Just amending the soil will take many years for the grass to overcome the quick spread of weeds. Currently, the grass is losing, clearly soil improvement will help, but the weeds outpace the grass.

There must be some things/products similar too chelated iron or corn meal that will make a difference while the soil improves.

Steve, take a soil sample. That is the best thing to do in order to find out what is needed in your soil. Low organic matter means you will probably need to add compost. pH results in the soil will tell you if you need to apply dolomitic or calcitic lime. Also, the soil test will tell you exactly what you need to apply on your lawn. Without it, there is no way to know what products you need. It is probably too late to re-seed your lawn, but try to keep the grass tall for the rest of the season.

Organic takes time. 3 to 5 years on average (at least to me)to have a self sustainable lawn.

Check on NOFA.org and look for accredited professionals there.

Good luck

Compost is one form of organic material that can be added to soils, even while a lawn is in place. Mulch mowing the grass clippings and the leaves that fall, many of the grains people often use to fed the soil, any form of organic matter can be used just do not apply that material too thickly so it smothers the grass growing there. An application of not more than 1/2 inch at any one time should be sufficient.

Cool season grasses, those that grow best in New Jersey, are best sown in late summer (after mid August) to early fall (late September) because just as spring sown grasses are just beginning good growth when the hot, dry summer weather that stresses grasses arrives.

Getting adequate amounts of organic material into the soil (a residual amount of 6 to 8 percent is a good level of organic matter to have) will lead to a thriving colony of the Soil Food Web that will digest the proffered organic material into the nutrients plants need to grow and create the conditions that will allow other members of that Soil Food Web to feed those nutrients to the plants growing in that soil.

kimmq is kimmsr

I'm a bit late, but I would stop pulling weeds, and do not aerate. That pulls soil out of the ground, and along with that soil are weed seeds that have been buried and waiting for their turn to get to the surface to grow.

The only thing I would put on the lawn until I had a soil test would be milorganite or the like.

Mulch mow frequently, especially during the growing season. Mowing more frequently cuts off the tops of the weeds and helps prevent them from going to seed.

Michael

Mowing may cut the tops of some "weeds" but not all. Crab Grass, Black Medic, the spurges, chickweed, and many other grow so low that no mower will cut the seed heads off those plants but may well spread the seeds they produce.

Mowing high will leave more of the grass blade there to collect more sunlight which will promote more growth of that grass while shading the soil so unwanted plants ("weeds") will have a tougher time growing. Mowing higher may also help reduce the frequency needed to keep the lawn looking good.

kimmq is kimmsr

This article

http://www.rodalesorganiclife.com/wellbeing/mowing-weed-control

talks of a Purdue University study that looked at mowing more frequently for weed control, and crab grass was one of the specific weeds that was looked at.

If the study could be found directly from Purdue, maybe it says how high and how often they mowed.

I did not say anything about height in my post, but I agree mowing taller is better for keeping down weeds.

IMO weed control in a pure organic lawn has to be the most difficult and fustrating part.

Michael

Thanks for more feedback.

Been mowing at 3 inches, not often though due to immense heat. At first the very long grass (before cutting) would lay over. Now, it seems to be strengthened and cuts nicely at 3 inches (was 2-1/2 previously). Nevertheless, many weeds still are totally out of control. Wild strawberries travel by rhizomes as does clover, so they just laugh at tall grass and keep going. And there is some weed that shoots up super fast like 10 inches or more. Just brushing against it lightly launches the seed about 2-3 feet as if they are spring loaded.

Still, I'm looking for something better than corn gluten, like chelated iron as a weed killer.

Corn Gluten Meal is a good pre emergent unwanted plant growth regulator, when applied properly. Chelated Iron is a post emergent weed control that works supposedly because those unwanted plants growing in turf grass areas uptake the Iron differently than the grass does. Perhaps the article linked below might be of some use.

http://lawncare.about.com/od/weedcontrol/a/organic_weed.htm?utm_term=scotts%20pre%20emergent%20weed%20control&utm_content=p1-main-4-title&utm_medium=sem&utm_source=msn_s&utm_campaign=adid-93a8f2a0-befc-4e42-b4a0-99e886d4f740-0-ab_msp_ocode-28791&ad=semD&an=msn_s&am=phrase&q=scotts%20pre%20emergent%20weed%20control&o=28791&qsrc=999&l=sem&askid=93a8f2a0-befc-4e42-b4a0-99e886d4f740-0-ab_msp

kimmq is kimmsr

I am going through the same thing as the OP. I live in Florida and battle weeds constantly. What I am finding in the war on weeds is to minimize the presence/dispersal of seeds. Before mowing, remove as many seed heads as possible. And do not mulch mow if you have a lot of weeds - bag the clippings (and all the weed seeds), dump them in a plastic trash bag and securely close the bag before putting it out for the trash (you would be surprised how many weed seeds get dispersed just by the garbage guy dumping a trash can full of grass clippings). Once you get a handle on the weeds, you can return to mulch mowing. Otherwise you will just be helping the weeds get dispersed. And in bare areas, do not disturb the soil surface - many weed seeds are just below the surface waiting for some sunshine.

Consider. Weed seeds move about the universe on the wind, in bird droppings, and by attaching themselves to the fur of animals that transport them to new areas so mulch mowing your yard is not going to contribute that much more to what comes in from elsewhere. The presence of unwanted plant growth ("weeds") may be an indication of a problem that needs to be looked at.

kimmq is kimmsr

Yes, weeds come from many sources. But there is a higher probability of seeds in one location germinating in the same location, especially weeds like wood sorrel/oxalis and purslane whose seed pods burst open when disturbed such as when mowing. Bagging the clippings or hand pulling the seed heads before mowing will definitely lessen the chances of dispersal.

Hi Steve-I am in Upstate NY and have had great success with 1. various Johnathan Green organic products & following a specific application schedule provided by the regional sales rep 2. Cornmeal and molasses 3. Gardens Alive Iron X for spot week control 4. Garden's Alive Moss Aside for moss and mildew. 5. Gabriel Labs Burnout when necessary 6. Vinegar when necessary. It took me a while (around 5 years) to get things under control from the previous owner as the lawn was forced via chemical treatments vs naturally supported via organic products. I am happy to report that my lawn is now thick and lush but I still handle weeds with spot spraying with Iron X or Burn Out or straight vinegar, especially on these vine like weeds that come out from the forever wild on the back of my property. When I first moved in and started this program, doing manual spot weed control was a must even above and beyond the JGreen weed & fert , and now my weeds are fairly minimal. But it was the schedule provided by JGreen that gave me a starting point put me on the path of an effective, targeted program for my specific geography.

I have been mulch mowing my lawn for 40 plus years and have not seen an increase in the amount of "weeds" although at times there have been some new species appear. The concept of bagging the grass clippings comes from those that promote the synthetic lawn care products and not from true organic growers.

kimmq is kimmsr

baahstun....good to hear of your success with JP products...I have looked at them & wondered how they are. I've used Garden Alive's products which are really good. I've had great luck with kelp spray and meal too. These organic products along with bagging your clippings initially will go far in rehabbing your lawn and minimizing your weeds.

Hi roses-I had tried so many of the other bagged organic products but the JGreen has really worked for me. I emailed with their regional rep who provided me with two diff programs...one option is if I am entering the season with a weed problem and the second option is if I am entering the season without weeds so immediately get into grow grow grow mode. I have only needed one application of Mag-I-Cal but their organic Natural Beauty and also Love Your Lawn Love Your Soil was what REALLY gave a boost to my program. Their Natural Beauty (the organic version) is unreal and my lawn just loves it. Thanks to finding this site, I went to the local Ag center and bought both cornmeal and molasses and not only did that clear up what I think was a fungus but wow, did it ever green up my lawn. Plus love it cause it's cheap...$14.00 for a 100 bag of cornmeal and $16.00 for 50 lb of molasses. Anyway, I am interested in your experience with the kelp products and would love more about where and how you are using it...is is just in garden bed or do you somehow use it on your lawn?

Hi baahstun...I will definitely look into JGreen products..thanks for sharing your experiences. In regards to kelp, I use the liquid as a foliar spray for the lawn and flower beds and as a tea component (with alfalfa, fish emulsion, molasses, etc.). For the meal, I mix it with potting soil for containers (unfortunately it is a little too expensive for me to broadcast it). I have experimented with using seaweed washed up from our local beaches but the ritual tends to be a little time consuming for me with collecting, rinsing, drying, etc.

I haven't found an inexpensive local source for bulk cornmeal (cheapest is .79/lb!) so I use cracked corn from a local feed store. I am sure it is not as good as corn gluten, but I think it helps. I assuming you are using dry molasses? I cannot find a local source for this either, so am limited to using liquid. It's a pain...my hose end sprayer constantly clogs unless I really, really water down the molasses beforehand.

Hi roses-Yes, I am using cornmeal (no corn gluten) and mix in the dried molasses which means it easier to spread. The cornmeal is such a fine powder that mixing it with the molasses plus changing over to a drop spreader makes it so much easier to apply. If worse come to worse, I see bags of cornmeal and also molasses on Amazon so perhaps that might be an option. So with the kelp liquid, are you hand spraying your entire lawn? What does it do for the grass?

Hi baahstun...I use a hose end sprayer for the kelp as well as fish emulsion and sometimes molasses. Kelp contains micronutrients that help during heat and drought stress plus it's great to build up soil microbes & earthworms.

Kelp and molasses may help build up soil microbes if there is a sufficient amount of organic matter in the soil for them to feed on once they are there. If a soil lacks adequate amounts of organic matter nothing will help keep the microbes or earthworms there since they would have no food source to live.

But then if there is adequate amounts of organic matter in the soil the microbes and earthworms will move in without the aid of kelp.

kimmq is kimmsr