Organic matter in your soil is the key to healthy plant growth
Summary points:
- Grass thrives in fertile, organic-rich soil, which is why it often grows aggressively in well-maintained garden and flower beds.
- Thin or patchy lawns with bare spots often result from neglecting the soil beneath the turf, which lacks the organic matter needed for robust grass growth.
- Healthy turf requires building soil quality through organic methods, such as topdressing with compost or using organic fertilizers like alfalfa meal or lawn-specific blends.
- For optimal results, organic amendments should be applied twice a year—in spring and late summer—to align with the grass’s primary growing seasons.
Grass is a naturally resilient plant. Its ability to spread and dominate areas like gardens and flower beds, where it is often unwelcome, highlights its aggressive nature. This tenacity is largely due to the fertile, well-maintained soil found in these spaces, as gardeners regularly enrich it with compost, mulch, and other amendments to support their plants.
However, the same vigor is not always observed in lawns. Thin, patchy grass and bare spots are common, and invasive weeds often take over in areas where grass struggles to thrive. The disparity lies in soil health. While significant effort is made to improve the soil in garden and flower beds, the soil beneath lawns is frequently overlooked.
Achieving a dense, healthy lawn requires a focus on soil quality, just as it does in gardens. Synthetic chemicals provide temporary improvements but fail to address the root issue: the lack of organic matter in the soil. To grow strong, resilient grass, it is essential to incorporate organic matter through organic fertilization and topdressing with compost.
Adding organic matter can be achieved through methods such as:
For best results, these practices should be implemented twice a year—in spring (April/May) and late summer (late August to mid-September)—to coincide with the grass’s peak growing seasons in Michigan.
Investing in soil health with organic amendments ensures your lawn develops the same tenacity as that pesky grass that thrives in fertile garden soil and flower beds.
However, the same vigor is not always observed in lawns. Thin, patchy grass and bare spots are common, and invasive weeds often take over in areas where grass struggles to thrive. The disparity lies in soil health. While significant effort is made to improve the soil in garden and flower beds, the soil beneath lawns is frequently overlooked.
Achieving a dense, healthy lawn requires a focus on soil quality, just as it does in gardens. Synthetic chemicals provide temporary improvements but fail to address the root issue: the lack of organic matter in the soil. To grow strong, resilient grass, it is essential to incorporate organic matter through organic fertilization and topdressing with compost.
Adding organic matter can be achieved through methods such as:
- Fertilization with Organic Materials: Use products like alfalfa meal, spent distillers grains, kelp, or Good Sweet Earth's Alfalfa Blend Lawn Fertilizer.
- Topdressing with Compost: Spread a thin layer of compost over the lawn to improve soil structure and nutrient content.
For best results, these practices should be implemented twice a year—in spring (April/May) and late summer (late August to mid-September)—to coincide with the grass’s peak growing seasons in Michigan.
Investing in soil health with organic amendments ensures your lawn develops the same tenacity as that pesky grass that thrives in fertile garden soil and flower beds.