Project details
Skill
1 out of 5Easyrequires lots of walking back
and forth across the lawn, but
no part is particularly strenuous
Cost
$140 to $180
Estimated Time
4 to 6 hours for average-size lawn
In this video, This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook shows an environmentally safe way to grow and maintain a greener, healthier lawn
Steps for Growing an Organic Lawn
- Start by mowing the lawn very short.
- Next, use a gas-powered aerator to punch air holes into the lawn.
- Use a shovel to broadcast ½ to 1 inch of compost over the lawn.
- Rake the compost into lawn using a garden rake.
- Check the health of the soil with a test kit; for acidic soil, add pelletized limestone with a broadcast spreader.
- Add chicken-manure fertilizer to the lawn with broadcast spreader.
- Spread grass seed over the lawn using broadcast spreader.
- Use the back of a leaf rake to work the grass seed into the lawn.
- Lightly water the lawn two or three times per day.
- Once grass germinates, return to normal watering: irrigate the lawn with 1 inch of water per week.