Does anyone have suggestions for organic lawn fertilizers and pesticides that actually work? We recently moved to a home that backs up to a large pond. We have St. Augustine grass but it needs to be fertilized as the weeds are taking over. Also have grubs and ants. I've always used non-organic in the past, so I'm new to this since we now have a pond with lots of wildlife and fish to protect. We want to maintain a nice lawn, but not to the detriment of the pond. Any advice would be much appreciated.
Suggestions for organic lawn fertilizer?
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Your state agricultural center will have an extension service, or a state university will have one also, they can give you the guide lines for your area, potassium and phosphorus are the usual no no's.
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I use a lot of coffee grounds, & eggshells, probably because I have them & some manure. I'm not sure about an organic source of potassium but potassium is a natural thing. Depends on your definition of organic, I guess. Overseeding with grass seed helps with the weeds. I'm not a fan of pesticides, herbicides, but then I'm not a farmer.
Maybe you could get an inexpensive soil test kit fr. a garden store & find out what you need. Soil tends to be alkaline here, washed out. Look up the ingredients in most fertilizers and it will show Nitrogen, Phosphorus & Potash. Forgive me if you know this.
I just noticed that you said the weeds are growing so you need fertilizer? Fertilizer makes weeds grow. Maybe you could clarify?
Nitrogen from manure can hurt your pond if you have fish etc., in it, as can the other chemicals in fertilizer. Everything breaks down to chemicals; it's a delicate balance
Maybe you could get an inexpensive soil test kit fr. a garden store & find out what you need. Soil tends to be alkaline here, washed out. Look up the ingredients in most fertilizers and it will show Nitrogen, Phosphorus & Potash. Forgive me if you know this.
I just noticed that you said the weeds are growing so you need fertilizer? Fertilizer makes weeds grow. Maybe you could clarify?
Nitrogen from manure can hurt your pond if you have fish etc., in it, as can the other chemicals in fertilizer. Everything breaks down to chemicals; it's a delicate balance
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Well, for the fertilizer part anyway . . .
For the health of the pond, you need to manage your nutrient load no matter how it is derived. The suggests of getting advice from organizations such as agricultural, water management, conservation authorities, etc. is valid. A lot will depend on the amount of water exchange the pond has. They may also suggest some filter plantings such as cattails. I wish I had a pond - it was always something on my home shopping wish list but always fell off.
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I'll follow up the photo of the horse with my suggestions for organic lawn fertilizer, but my suggestions refer to what goes into a horse, not what comes out.
Twice a year I feed my lawn like a horse: I give it soybean meal in the spring, alfalfa pellets in the fall, both of which I pick up at a local feed store, usually for less than $20 for a 50 lb. bag. Apply at 10-20 pounds per 1000 square feet. This feeds the microbes in the soil, which in turn, feed the lawn. I also use a mulching mower and mow at the highest setting that will provide a manicured look. The result is that I have the best looking lawn in the neighborhood.
Weeds, I usually manually pull them as I spot them. Dandelions are the main culprit in my lawn, which are relatively easy to maintain if you don't let them get a foothold. Oxalis is more difficult, but Bayer makes a product for broad-leafed weeds called Natria Lawn Weed Killer. It's derived from iron and is reportedly more environmentally friendly than most weed killers. That might be worth checking out. Vinegar is also a good organic weed killer, but it's not selective and will kill just about anything you spray it on, including your lawn.
Best o' luck with your lawn.
-Ray
Twice a year I feed my lawn like a horse: I give it soybean meal in the spring, alfalfa pellets in the fall, both of which I pick up at a local feed store, usually for less than $20 for a 50 lb. bag. Apply at 10-20 pounds per 1000 square feet. This feeds the microbes in the soil, which in turn, feed the lawn. I also use a mulching mower and mow at the highest setting that will provide a manicured look. The result is that I have the best looking lawn in the neighborhood.
Weeds, I usually manually pull them as I spot them. Dandelions are the main culprit in my lawn, which are relatively easy to maintain if you don't let them get a foothold. Oxalis is more difficult, but Bayer makes a product for broad-leafed weeds called Natria Lawn Weed Killer. It's derived from iron and is reportedly more environmentally friendly than most weed killers. That might be worth checking out. Vinegar is also a good organic weed killer, but it's not selective and will kill just about anything you spray it on, including your lawn.
Best o' luck with your lawn.
-Ray
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That's really interesting. Turns out Natria is HEDTA. I'll be looking for that. Thanks.
Not sure if this is in Texas, but popular in Colorado is Richlawn Turf Food - It's organic 'based' - so not sure if 100% organic (I think it is - you can check out their website). It's pellets from dehydrated poultry waste. Website says made for western U.S. They have some other products so you might want to check em out. I've used it many times and personally think it's great (greens up lawn as good as any non organic fertilizer)
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I'd recommend checking out The Lawn Care Nut, on YouTube. He lives in the Tampa area and has lots of great advice for St Augustine grass. I use his highly recommended Milorganite fertilizer. It is an organic slow release fertilizer.
I use Milorganite as a fertilizer and highly recommend it. Even if you apply too much, it won't burn the lawn.
http://www.milorganite.com
Organic weed killers specially for St. Augustine Grass, they are safe for pets and wild animals, as the main ingredient is vinegar. Their content is different, so first you need to read more about the composition and purpose of use. The article contains all this information.
Top 5 Best Weed Killers For St. Augustine Grass [2020 Review] - Grass Killer
Top 5 Best Weed Killers For St. Augustine Grass [2020 Review] - Grass Killer
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Reminds me of the time our neighbor was cleaning out his horse barn and he asked me if I wanted some well rotted horse manure for my garden. I said yes. The next day when I got home there was a foot deep layer on my garden. It took a month to till it in. That year I had the most weeds I ever saw in a garden.
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Do the seeds survive going thru the gut? Isn't that where composting heat comes in? Nice of him to spread it out rather than dump a huge pile.
Alternatively, it could have been the enriched conditions that encouraged your already existing weeds & seeds to grow.
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@mich
Where are you? That's super important, because in some places you'll have to fall back on chemicals to have a nice lawn, in others more organic works. In wet places like Florida, bugs tend to go a lot wilder than in dryer places like California or Arizona.
Also, St. Aug is a pesty grass; I've not known anyone able to keep it looking good without a lot of chem warfare. Cinch bugs love it.
That said, grubs are easily dealt with using BT which is a bacteria that goes after their guts (caterpillars too). Ants you might be forced to just live with. Here's a general link for BT, which is short for one of those mouthful names that's hard to spell. StackPath
I'll ask people I know, maybe this old dog can hear of a new trick to pass on to you.
In any case, I join the chorus; pic-tures! Pic-Tures!
First, good on ya for wanting to be a proper custodian to your pond! Be warned, though that doing so might not be easy.
Where are you? That's super important, because in some places you'll have to fall back on chemicals to have a nice lawn, in others more organic works. In wet places like Florida, bugs tend to go a lot wilder than in dryer places like California or Arizona.
Also, St. Aug is a pesty grass; I've not known anyone able to keep it looking good without a lot of chem warfare. Cinch bugs love it.
That said, grubs are easily dealt with using BT which is a bacteria that goes after their guts (caterpillars too). Ants you might be forced to just live with. Here's a general link for BT, which is short for one of those mouthful names that's hard to spell. StackPath
I'll ask people I know, maybe this old dog can hear of a new trick to pass on to you.
In any case, I join the chorus; pic-tures! Pic-Tures!
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