Grass Note on My Personal Perspective: FYI I have an Agronomy Minor, spent time as a greenskeeper and have been down the chemical path so I am not just an anti-chemical anything… Is it possible to have a healthy vigorous lawn without chemicals? Absolutely. Is it easier? No. It will take some investment of time to learn what is truly the CAUSE to a specific unhealthy lawn. TIP: A Healthy SOIL will produce a Healthy Lawn. Simply throwing a bunch of lawn chemicals on will not produce a healthy balanced soil…but neither will throwing on a bunch of bagged compost from the box stores… I hate to burst a bubble but not all compost is created equal… This approach simply treating the SYMPTOM and not the CAUSE…. Much like us taking an aspirin or a Rolaids for a tummy ache. (FYI- annual aeration is also simply addressing a symptom.) The reality is that ‘doing nothing’ will also not generate a healthy lawn. In most cases some soil amendments are needed to bring a soil into balance. These are generally not available in the box stores and they are not a quick fix, but rather a long term solution. It may take several years to fully correct your soil balance, but once you do you will not believe the results. That said I will share some individual options from both sides of the fence. I will post some References in the Misc. section if you wish to learn more. Also note that ‘occasional equipment’ can generally be rented very affordably.
