Dave's Wholeganic Lawn Care Guide

Healthy lawns from healthier soil is the foundation of this guide. Focus on building life in the soil so your grass can thrive.

If you want your lawn to be in the best possible position to fight any fungal problem, pests or disease, infuse it with life (beneficial bacteria & fungi) which leads to all kinds of other life that naturally aerate the soil, and that’s how you have a lawn that doesn’t need much else other than proper mowing and watering.

How Do We Build Life in the Soil?

🌱 Use organic fertilizers like Milorganite to activate nature’s microbes and promote good bacteria. These microbes are the key to letting Mother Nature get your lawn healthy and green on autopilot.

🌱 Keep soil pH levels balanced to increase availability of essential nutrients for healthy grass growth. Soil pH also influences the activity of beneficial microorganisms in the soil, which play a vital role in nutrient cycling. The use of synthetic fertilizers and sprinkler systems make the soil acidic and therefore it is recommended to apply Lime annually to maintain balanced soil pH levels.

🌱 Allow air, water, and nutrients to reach the soil with core aeration in the Fall and dethatching in the Spring. Opening up the turf's canopy allows grass roots to grow deeper, withstanding drought and hot temperatures for longer intervals.

Early Spring - End March/Early April

Dethatch/Overseed & Fertilizer

Step 1: Mow extra low at about 2” and bag the clippings. The goal is to remove leaves, twigs, and other winter debris as well as suck up any weed seeds lingering in the grass. After mowing use a power rake or metal tine comb to dethatch and lift up matted down grass that might be suffocating the lawn.

Step 2: Fertilize immediately after dethatching with Lesco 19-0-6 Pre-Emergent Plus Fertilizer from SiteOne in Agawam. Apply a half rate of 2.5lbs per 1000 sq.ft. and then again 2-3 weeks later at the same rate. By applying two separate treatments it accomplishes two things. First, it gives better protection against weeds by broadening the timing of Spring weed germination. Second, it encourages the lawn to spread laterally and self repair by feeding it with two doses of nitrogen.

Step 3 Optional: If the lawn is really bad and you would like to enjoy grass without waiting until Fall, aerate and overseed with a blend of Kentucky Bluegrass, Perennial Ryegrass, and Fescue similar to Jonathan Green’s Black Beauty Ultra for improved drought and disease resistance. For best results do this no later than end of May to allow new grass to establish before hot temps arrive. Don't worry about pre-emergent affecting new grass seed from growing. Studies show there is no affect on seed germination as long as core aeration and overseeding is performed AFTER pre-emergent is applied.

Late Spring - Memorial Day

Organic Fertilizer & Weed Control

Step 1: Apply Milorganite 6-4-0 @12lbs per 1000 sq.ft. from Home Depot, Lowe's, or Rocky’s Ace. Milorganite works as a slow-release, organic fertilizer that feeds the soil microbes responsible for recycling grass clippings and converting them into more sustainable nutrients. It also delivers organically complex iron for a long-lasting, deep green color.

Step 2: Apply Dylox for grub control from SiteOne in Agawam or spread Scott’s GrubEx from Home Depot, Lowe's, or Rocky's Ace.

Step 3 Option 1: If there are a lot of weeds in the lawn, apply Lesco 18-0-4 Post Emergent Plus Fertilizer from SiteOne in Agawam. This is a granular weed & feed product that provides season long protection against weeds, especially when discharging the grass clippings because it continues to cycle the herbicide back through the root zone.

Step 3 Option 2: If weeds are minimal, spot spray them with SpeedZone broadleaf herbicide from SiteOne in Agawam or Ortho Weed B-gon from Home Depot, Lowe's, or Rocky's Ace.

Early Summer - 4th of July

Organic Fertilizer & Weed Control

Step 1: Apply Milorganite 6-4-0 @12lbs per 1000 sq.ft. from Home Depot, Lowe's, or Rocky’s Ace. Milorganite works as a slow-release, organic fertilizer that feeds the soil microbes responsible for recycling grass clippings and converting them into more sustainable nutrients. It also delivers organically complex iron for a long-lasting, deep green color.

Step 2: Broadleaf Weeds: Spot spray weeds with SpeedZone broadleaf herbicide from SiteOne in Agawam or Ortho Weed B-gon from Home Depot, Lowe's, or Rocky's Ace.

Crabgrass: Spot spray crabgrass with Quin-Way (quinclorac) from SiteOne in Agawam or Ortho Crabgrass Control from Home Depot, Lowe's, or Rocky's Ace.

Step 3 Optional: Apply Dylox for grub control from SiteOne in Agawam or spread Scott’s GrubEx from Home Depot, Lowe's, or Rocky's Ace.

Mid Summer - August

Weed Control

Broadleaf Weeds: Spot spray weeds with SpeedZone broadleaf herbicide from SiteOne in Agawam or Ortho Weed B-gon from Home Depot, Lowe's, or Rocky's Ace.

Crabgrass: Spot spray crabgrass with Quin-Way (quinclorac) from SiteOne in Agawam or Ortho Crabgrass Control from Home Depot, Lowe's, or Rocky's Ace.

Early Fall - Labor Day

Aeration/Overseeding/Starter Fertilizer

Step 1: Core aeration in the Fall is one of the best things you can do for maintaining optimal soil conditions. It relieves compaction and can be used to repair lawn damage when combined with overseeding. Be sure to mark sprinkler heads and any other surface objects with flags to avoid damage from the machine's coring tines.

Step 2: Overseed with a blend of Kentucky Bluegrass, Perennial Ryegrass, and Fescue similar to Jonathan Green’s Black Beauty Ultra for improved drought and disease resistance.

Step 3: Apply a starter fertilizer such as Lesco 19-19-19 @3lbs per 1000 sq.ft. from SiteOne in Agawam to ensure new seeds establish quickly and grow strong roots.

Late Fall - Thanksgiving

Organic Fertilizer & Dolomitic Lime

Step 1: Apply Milorganite 6-4-0 @12lbs per 1000 sq.ft. from Home Depot, Lowe's, or Rocky’s Ace. Milorganite works as a slow-release, organic fertilizer that feeds the soil microbes responsible for recycling grass clippings and converting them into more sustainable nutrients. It also delivers organically complex iron for a long-lasting, deep green color.

Step 2: Apply Dolomitic Limestone to maintain soil pH which is the foundation for all fertilizer applications to work efficiently. Do this every year after leaf cleanup so the Lime can break down over the winter months and work its way into the soil.

*I know all these steps seem overwhelming but with the right tools (push spreader & pump sprayer) it will get easier with practice. Alternatively, you can keep your current fertilizer company or program and in addition give us a hire for the Milorganite organic fertilization, aeration and overseeding in the Fall, as well as dethatching in the early Spring.

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