Absolutely, but not overnight. First make sure you read the organic lawn care FAQ. It tells you every thing you really need to know. Let's do some math. You spent nearly a 1000 bucks per year on lawn service. If you feed 20#/1000 4 times a year at an average of $15 per 50 pounds of feed that is only $480. Take the other $500 and buy a good spreader and mower if you don't already have them. Follow the basics of mowing at the correct height for the grass and water deeply and infrequently. Calibrate your sprinklers by placing some empty tuna cans (or anything similar) about your yard. When it gets to 1" of water that is how long you should water. Pull the weeds. You won't see major results right away, but you will over the seasons. It is really as simple as deciding to feed the soil.

Until last year the cost for organic and synthetic lawn care were about the same. I guess it remains to be seen what it costs this year. I paid about the same this year for corn meal as I did last year. The cost of the synthetics seems to be going up, but we'll see how it all pans out. As long as you don't use compost, the cost should be about $2 per 1,000 square foot for a grain type, non-commercial, fertilizer.

I need to know where you live to comment on the bermuda and fescue. The organic program will not necessarily give you a beautiful lawn. Proper watering and mowing will do the most in that direction.

I am in Roswell Ga.

Thanks,
Sandy

Generally, the cost savings of a strictly organic program comes from the overall lack of use of pesticides, insecticides & fungicides as well as the use of bulk feed grains used for fertilizer as opposed to commercially packaged products labeled as organic fertilizers.

I manage my lawn 100% organically, I use no pesticides, herbicides insecticides or fungicides, I fertilize with feed grains (soybean meal & alfalfa pellets) and I use a Weed Hound for what little post emergent needs I have.

I'm pleased with my results as well as the small amount of money I spend each season (I'll spend approx $100 this year for all my fertilizer applications on my approx 3800sqft lawn.)

Good day, Dan

I totally agree with Dan. Organic lawn care should be cheaper and much better. Find a cheap source for soybean meal. It is sometimes easier to move into organic lawn care slowly, starting first with fertilizers. Apply about five times a year on the fescue, more on the bermuda. Although frowned upon in this forum, many use chemical weed control for the first year. Hopefully you have a riding mower and a tow behind spreader for your fertilizers. A three gallon pump-up sprayer and a can of broad leaf weed killer should take care of your weeds in one season. Cultural practices are most important. Mow fescue high and water deeply but infrequently. Bermuda should be cut short. Good luck with your lawn and gardens. Bill Hill

Here is a link that might be useful: Dan's Bermuda Lawn

If you want to see some great bermuda, click on okcdan's name or his My Page. He's the poster child for bermuda and that's his poster.

Yes, I showed his page to my husband. He was very impressed!

Sandy

You can have quick results foliar feeding along with a mulching mower and mowing the weeds regularly.

Mowing regularly will give the grass a chance to beat out the weeds.

Foliar feeding allows grass to take in NPK it needs through the foliage. I would suggest a good soil test to know what the soil needs. Then you can adjust the nutrient/PH content of the spray to meet the soil deficiencies. The spray I use has fish,kelp,bonemeal,bloodmeal,lime,sulfer,humates. I add them separately to meet my soil needs.

Foliar feed by using a hose end sprayer. You don't need a spreader.

It is cheaper, easier and more effective than any granular or solid out there. Also, all of it is used. Heavy rains can wash solid fertilizers out and pollute our waterways. Just make sure it stays on the leaves several days.

This is the fertilizing method of the future. Farmers are slowly catching on to this method. The most important part of this for farmers is how this reduces or stops any need for pest control.

Being so close to Atlanta you are firmly in the region where bermuda will do well. It is up to you how much work you want to put into it. Whatever you do, mowing it close to the surface is the first step to making it nice. The lower the better in my opinion. The golf putting greens in Atlanta are probably bermuda, so you can go to under 1/2 inch high easily. That requires a reel type mower. It probably also requires multiple mowings per week. And if you want the bermuda to be nice and green (not yellow), then it will require monthly feeding. So are you willing to try that?

If you want to stick with a rotary mower and lower it all the way, you still will not have a very nice feeling lawn under foot. It will be stemmy and prickly at the lowest setting.

Are you going to be happy with two different lawns?

aggrand_patriot, foliar feeding is an interesting concept. Can you please open a new topic so we can discuss it?

I built my house two years ago. I live on an acre (fully sodded), and have been sans synthetic since day one (Milorganite and CGM). The picture below was nearing the middle of last season (before the front yard planter had even been designed, let alone 'installed').

{{gwi:1101850}}

-Chad

Suh-WEET!

Looks like the neighbor's lawn on the far side is suffering a little.

Were the trees already planted? If so your landscaper, or whoever graded, did a perfect job.

No need for aftermarket flora; it came nicely appointed from the factory :-)

-Chad