Contents
- Organic Lawns: Care and Considerations
- Establishing a New Lawn
- Maintaining an Established Lawn
- Integrated Pest Management and Organic Lawn Care
- Renovating an Established Lawn
- Summary
- Acknowledgments
- Special Topics
- Appendixes
- Tables
- 1. Characteristics of Principal Lawn Turfgrasses Grown in North Carolina
- 2. Warm-Season Turfgrass Cultivars
- 3. Planting Dates and Rates for Cool- and Warm-Season Turfgrasses
- 4. Fertilizer Recommendations for New Lawns
- 5. Suggested Basic Maintenance Fertilization Rates of Nitrogen (N) for Established Lawns
- 6. Organic Fertility Sources
- 7. Weeds Associated with Various Lawn-Management Problems
- 8. Organic Insect-Control Strategies
- 9. Diseases of Cool-Season Turfgrasses
- 10. Diseases of Warm-Season Turfgrasses
- 11. Organic Disease-Control Methods and Products
Organic Lawns: Care and Considerations
Lawns are more than attractive recreational spaces for homes and communities; they also serve many useful purposes. Lawns stabilize the soil and prevent erosion. They reduce runoff of rainwater and filter surface water before it recharges drinking water supplies. Like other landscape plants, lawns absorb sound and reduce air pollution in our increasingly urban landscapes.
Although the benefits of an established lawn are numerous, some lawn maintenance practices have environmental side effects that merit attention. Technology has provided effective, relatively inexpensive means for managing our lawns. Applications of small amounts of chemicals can often reduce pest populations in a short time with little effort. With proper cultural management, use of some chemical pesticides can provide more thorough and longer-lasting pest control than strictly nonchemical methods. However, environmental effects of applying chemical pesticides and fertilizers are still being evaluated, and many people enjoy a sense of security when they use a nonchemical approach to lawn management.
Natural or “organic” methods of lawn care can provide more than just a sense of protecting the environment. Organic lawn care emphasizes selection of the right turfgrass for the location and good management to maintain a healthy lawn. If you adopt an organic lawn care strategy, you will not need to store potentially dangerous chemical pesticides around the home, and you will not have to find safe ways of disposing of empty containers. If you use organic fertilizers and biological and cultural pest management instead of pesticides, you will eliminate concerns about the effects of pesticide residues on people (especially children who play on grass), pets, birds, and other wildlife. Potential risk to applicators from exposure to pesticides is also reduced.
People who practice organic lawn care also can recycle resources by composting yard waste and using other available waste products in their lawns. An organic lawn can provide all the benefits of a healthy lawn without the use of synthetic chemicals. Establishing a healthy stand of turfgrass is the best way to defend against pests. Many problems with weeds, diseases, and insects can be prevented or minimized by good planning and careful management.
Keys to Successful Organic Lawn Care
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Select the right location for the lawn. Do not plant a lawn on a steep slope or in a poorly drained or very shady location.
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Prepare the site by following soil test recommendations and add organic matter to very sandy or very heavy clay soils to ensure good drainage.
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Select the right turfgrass for the location. Turfgrass species vary widely in color, texture, and density. Choose the one best suited to the region, intended use, and desired appearance.
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Plant at the best time and choose the best planting method for the turfgrass selected. Follow good management practices to prevent and minimize problems rather than trying to correct problems after they occur.
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Develop an integrated pest management (IPM) program that emphasizes the correct identification of problems and pests and the use of cultural, manual, mechanical, and biological controls when necessary.
Acknowledgments
The authors gratefully acknowledge the work on an earlier edition of this publication by H. Michael Linker, Professor Emeritus; Art Bruneau, Professor Emeritus; Leon T. Lucas, Professor Emeritus; Rick L. Brandenburg, retired Extension Entomology Specialist; and Fred Yelverton, Extension Weed Specialist Emeritus.
Publication date: Feb. 2, 2026
AG-562
Recommendations for the use of agricultural chemicals are included in this publication as a convenience to the reader. The use of brand names and any mention or listing of commercial products or services in this publication does not imply endorsement by NC State University or N.C. A&T State University nor discrimination against similar products or services not mentioned. Individuals who use agricultural chemicals are responsible for ensuring that the intended use complies with current regulations and conforms to the product label. Be sure to obtain current information about usage regulations and examine a current product label before applying any chemical. For assistance, contact your local N.C. Cooperative Extension county center.
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