Organic lawn management or organic turf management or organic land care or organic landscaping is the practice of establishing and caring for an athletic turf field or garden lawn and landscape using organic horticulture, without the use of manufactured inputs such as synthetic pesticides or artificial fertilizers. It is a component of organic land care and organic sustainable landscaping which adapt the principles and methods of sustainable gardening and organic farming to the care of lawns and gardens. Since the late 20th century, a number of municipalities and large properties have required organic land management and have banned synthetic pesticide use.
Techniques
A primary element of organic lawn management is the use of compost and compost tea to reduce the need for fertilization and to encourage healthy soil that enables turf to resist pests. A second element is mowing tall, e.g. to a height of 80–100 mm (3–4 in), to suppress weeds and encourage deep grass roots, and leaving grass clippings and leaves on the lawn as fertilizer. Additional techniques include fertilizing in the fall, not the spring. Organic lawns often benefit from overseeding (adding more seeds over top of the existing vegetation), slice seeding (slits are made in the soil into which seeds are deposited) and aeration more frequently due to the importance of a strong root system. Well-maintained organic lawns are often drought-tolerant. If a lawn does need watering it should be done infrequently but deeply. Other organic techniques for caring for a lawn include irrigation only when the lawn shows signs of drought stress and then watering deeply – minimizing needless water consumption. Using low volume sprinklers provides more penetration without runoff. Lawnmowers with a mulching function can useful in reducing fertilizer use by allowing grass clippings and leaves that are cut so minutely that they can settle into the grass inconspicuously to decompose into the soil.
Clover lawns Grass seed mixes used to contain white clover, which provides natural fertilizer, but this practice fell out of favor with the rise of synthetic fertilizer and businesses profiting from the sale of this fertilizer. In recent years, homeowners have returned to the use of clover as a natural fertilization source for lawns. In 2022, The New York Times reported on the growing popularity of clover lawns. The New York Times reported "#cloverlawn has over 65 million views on TikTok."
Organic pesticides Organic land managers may use registered pesticides approved under the National Organic Program in their lawn care programs. These pesticides are generally derived from natural materials and are minimally-processed. Alternatives include the use of beneficial insects and natural predators such as nematodes to prevent infestation of lawns with pests such as crane fly larvae and ants. Pesticides are allowed under the NOFA Standards for organic land care but not always used in organic lawn care because proper cultural practices can keep pest populations below action thresholds, such as preventing fungal infections using physical maintenance techniques such as effective mowing and raking.
Organic fertilizers Synthetic (inorganic based) fertilizers are made in chemical processes, some of which use fossil fuels and contribute to global warming. They also greatly increase the amount of nitrogen entering the global nitrogen cycle which has a serious negative impact on the organization and functioning of the world's ecosystems, including accelerating the loss of biological diversity and decline of coastal marine ecosystems and fisheries. Nitrogen fertilizer releases N2O, a greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere after application. Organic fertilizer nitrogen content is typically lower than synthetic fertilizer.
Biodiversity Organic lawns contribute to biodiversity, by definition, when they contain more than one or two grass species. Examples of additional lawn and grasslike species that can be encouraged in organic lawns include dozens of grass species (eight for ryegrass alone, sedges, mosses, clover, vetches, trefoils, yarrow, ground cover alternatives, and other mowable plants). Biodiversity increases the functioning and stress tolerance of ecosystems. Lack of biodiversity is a significant environmental issue brought up by the use of lawns with grassroots groups emerging to promote this method of lawn care. Certain low-growing grass species can also eliminate the need for mowing, thus also being environmentally friendly. Clover is often mixed with grasses for its ability to fix nitrogen into the soil and fertilize the lawn.
No Mow May No Mow May is a campaign to encourage homeowners to not mow their lawns during the month of May to support pollinators, native plants and wildlife diversity. The campaign was started in 2019 by Plantlife, a nature conservation charity based in the United Kingdom. In 2020, the city of Appleton, Wisconsin stopped mowing for the month of May. In 2022, cities around the United States participated in No Mow May. The campaign is supported by the Xerces Society through its Bee City USA program, and has described the movement as a "gateway" to creating better habitat for bees when adapted to local conditions and including native wildflowers.
Locations with organic lawns and pesticide ordinances Many small properties with lawns around the world are maintained using organic techniques. In the late 20th century, a movement to manage lawns organically began to grow. Some large properties and municipalities require organic lawn management and organic landscaping and have enacted pesticide ordinances. Locations with organic lawn management plans or pesticide ordinances include:
Ryton Organic Gardens, Ryton-on-Dunsmore, Warwickshire, England
In 1985, the nonprofit Garden Organic, formerly known as the Henry Doubleday Research Association, relocated to its present site where it operates organic, landscaped grounds open to the public. The property is owned by Coventry University.
Highgrove House estate, Gloucestershire, England In 1996, King Charles III, then the Prince of Wales, had transitioned the Highgrove House estate's farm and gardens to organic management.
Painshill, Cobham, Surrey, England In 1998, Painshill was awarded the Europa Nostra Medal for its restoration of the 18th century organic gardens originally designed by Charles Hamilton between 1738 and 1773 using what today are called organic methods.
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