How big is your lawn? Organics don't need to be more expensive and can be less expensive. I have a fairly small lawn (about 4000 sq ft) so I stop at Starbucks when I pass one and get used coffee grounds (UCG) and spread them on the lawn. UCG are fairly low in N, so it takes a lot to keep the lawn healthy, but I just spread them as I get them and the lawn has been thriving. I use a weed hound to get rid of weeds and have been using it for at least 3 or 4 years. That's about it for me.

Total cost: 0 for the UCG and $20 for the weed hound, but I'll be using that for years.

Not only is it much more environmentally friendly to not spread synthetic fertilizers on your lawn it is much less expensive. The one thing grasses do in the spring is grow, really grow, so it is not necessary to spread any "fertilizer", synthetic or organic, in the spring, unless you want to spend about twice as much time mowing as necessary. Maybe in mid June you might consider, if there is the money to do so, spreading some fertilizer to help the grass get through the summer, but as Rutgers states in its lawn care bulletin the best time to feed your lawn is late summer to early fall followed by maybe another feeding in late fall.
Possibly, as Bill has suggested, obtaining and spreading coffee grounds (Starbucks is not the only place to get lots of them) around.

I went organic two years ago and saved a ton of money.For example, last year I purchased about 2 bags of soybean meal for $20 each and that is my total cost, much less than I would pay for chemical fertilizers. The only other additional expense was a weed hound for $20. The soybean meal was in 90 lb bags so 2 bags was too much for me so I shared it with my friends. I still have about 1/3 of one bag sitting in the trunk of my car which I plan to throw on the lawn today. This year the bags are $16.50 for a 50 lb bag, so again I will purchase 2 for myself and a couple extra for friends/family. I occasionally get coffee grounds from Starbucks but mainly just mow high, mulch mow leaves in the fall and water as needed. Its environmentally good and so inexpensive!

An organic program is not cheaper than a synthetic one. That seems to be a huge misconception going on in this forum, and the other regular Lawn Care forum at GardenWeb. No, don't get me wrong, I'm switching completely to organic this year, and am very anxious to see the results. I just wanted to post the math to show that going organic is not cheaper than staying synthetic to clear that aspect of it up. So, here goes:

Scott's Turfbuilder for 14,000 sq. ft. = $45.98
50 lbs. Soybean Meal for 3333 sq. ft. (15 lbs. per 1,000 sq. ft.) = $16.50 (that's almost exactly what I paid per bag for mine around here)

Scott's price per 1,000 sq. ft. = $45.98 / 14 = $3.28
Soybean Meal price per 1,000 sq. ft. = $16.50 / 3.33 = $4.95

So, if you've got a 10,000 sq. ft. lawn like I do, it's going to cost you $16.70 more for organic, each time you fertilize. So, 4 times a year would be $66.80 more per year.

I don't mind spending the extra money trying to improve my soil, and although my lawn looks pretty good already I hope to see good results over the next few years from the organic program.

"An organic program is not cheaper than a synthetic one. "

It really all depends on what you use. I used to use ammonium sulfate and spent around $10 a year. Now I use coffee grounds from Starbucks and spend $0 a year.

0 I have a smaller lawn than you do, so the coffee grounds are more feasible for me than for you, but you could probably replace half of the soybean meal in your 10k sq ft lawn with coffee grounds, so the annual cost would be $99 for soybeans + coffee grounds vs 131.20 for the Scotts for a savings of $32.20 for the organic route.

Also, I could be wrong, but isn't SBM higher in protein so you only want to use 10 lbs per 1000 sq ft? If so, it starts out about the same cost ($.80 more for the year) and becomes much less if you use coffee grounds to replace half the SBM.

I've been reading this forum since it started and the lawns forum since 2002 and I can't remember anyone suggesting that a feed store based organic program was significantly less expensive than a chemical program. Usually it takes some convincing to show that prices are comparable. The strict cost of fertilizer comparison always shows they are on par with the usual finding that organic costs slightly more per 1,000 square feet. The comparison becomes more favorable for organics after you price in the chemical treatment for fungal disease and insects that a non-organic program might require. Prices vary with commodity prices every year, but on an annual basis, one is not significantly more than the other - if you use plain brown bags of stuff from the feed store.

If you persist in maintaining your lawn organically in the same manner as one does synthetically then the cost will be roughly the same and unsustainable. There is no good reason to spend large amounts of money maintaining a lwan when most all the necessary materials to feed the soil are available without cost.

kimmsr, by unsustainable, what do you mean? That word is becoming incendiary in some contexts.

Are you saying that a person with no income could use free materials like used coffee grounds and home made compost made from other people's leaves collected at the curb and have a great looking lawn? I agree.

What is the protein content of used coffee grounds? You can't compare SBM to UCG, as that's like comparing apples to oranges as far as how much you'd need to actually get the same benefit of improvement in the soil.

I also find it hard to believe that the majority of people who are organic with their lawns use much other than grains, and you're going to pay for grains. The pictures I've seen of outstanding organic lawns on here have been from members that have used CGM or SBM.

I've been reading this forum since it started and the lawns forum since 2002 and I can't remember anyone suggesting that a feed store based organic program was significantly less expensive than a chemical program.

Read some more then, starting with this one. :-) I'm not trying to get into a huge argument here, I'm just stating that there is a large group of people who think that organics are cheaper than synthetics.

The comparison becomes more favorable for organics after you price in the chemical treatment for fungal disease and insects that a non-organic program might require.

I have zero problems with insects, and have not had any fungal problems. Fungal problems are not specific to synthetically cared-for lawns either, and can be a caused by problems with cultural practice.

"What is the protein content of used coffee grounds? You can't compare SBM to UCG, as that's like comparing apples to oranges as far as how much you'd need to actually get the same benefit of improvement in the soil."

Please reread my post.

I didn't compare UCG to SBM. I said that I can fertilize my lawn solely with UCG so somebody with a lawn twice the size of my lawn could use UCG for half the fertilizer needs.

Here is a list of protein content for various grains. Coffee is not listed but I'm told it is very close to ordinary corn in protein content.

My lawn looks amazing using ordinary ground corn at under $10 per bag. I'd be a little crazy to spend $40 per bag to get soy bean meal. Those are my local prices.

Whether you get better benefit from one or another is yet to be proved as far as I know. It sort of depends on how you define 'benefit.' I think over time we will know more about what the individual grains are good for and will use them accordingly. Corn meal, for example, is effective against disease. Who knows what coffee, soy, or mung beans are good for?

skizot, I'm not arguing but I am curious because, with the exception of coffee users, I've never seen anyone claim that organic was even slightly less expensive. Usually people scream about the high cost. Of course they are usually unaware that there is something besides compost and that you can use brown bags of stuff to get good greening. I believe it is less expensive on an annual basis, but I've never said that, because it's only a belief. Prices for materials vary so much across the country that I don't think that blanket statement can be made. Sandyzz above believes there was a considerable cost savings. Besides, lawn care is a hobby, and saving money might be part of your approach to it, but not important at all to someone else. It is important to me but not many of my neighbors.

dchall,

Thanks for the protein content list. I'm sure glad that SBM isn't $40 / 50 lb. bag around here. You're in the Midwest, too, so I wonder why it's so expensive down there.

I'm in South Texas. We are slightly south of Houston, New Orleans, Jacksonville, and Mobile. Soy is not a popular crop around here so shipping is what kills us. In the Texas Panhandle, where I've been working awhile, it's more like $12 for 50 pounds.

I'd like to interject here that while attempting to make an "apples to apples" comparison as was done above, what is often left out of the equation, is the additional purchases typically made by synthetic fertilizer users which include items like Ortho Weed B Gon Max, and Bayer Advanced Weed killer, and Bayer Advanced Home Pest Killer, and Halts Crabgrass Preventer.... the list goes on & on...

My point is.... now that I use grains for fertilizer, follow proper cultural practices, and infrequently use my weedhound, for me, my lawn looks better than it ever has & my annual cost is lower than it's ever been.

My 2 cents,

Dan

Dan,

It's cultural practice, not synthetic vs. organic, that makes the difference with weeds. If you have poor cultural practices, you are going to have weeds regardless of which program you choose. So, saying you're going to need all of those pesticides/herbicides with a synthetic program couldn't be further from the truth. I am getting ready to switch to an organic program, but right now I have zero problems with weeds and I've been using the synthetic approach. I don't ever apply a pre-emergent or use weed and feed products.

"So, saying you're going to need all of those pesticides/herbicides with a synthetic program couldn't be further from the truth." and "I don't ever apply a pre-emergent or use weed and feed products."

Well, you're one of the minority, because the truth is, all you need to do is go look at your local big box store & look at the stuff people are walkin out with.... You'll see all those "other" products in peep's shopping carts... At this very website, there are countless threads with folks askin how to get rid of their weeds & improve their lawn... they're all lookin for the "easy button"... the magic bag of stuff to put on the lawn.... I know... many moons ago, I used to be one of em... and I see my neighbors doin the same thing....

Having said all that, I agree with you... because it's the cultural practices that really keep the weeds at bay... in spite of that, there are countless numbers of people that won't/don't do what we say here.... they cut their cool season grass too short, or their warm season grass too long, and water far too frequently & shallowly... and go to the big box store to go & buy the "weed stuff."

My next door neighbor is a perfect example. He's come to me numerous times over the last year asking about how I keep my lawn so nice..... we have the exact same turf that was put in by the builder many years ago... yet to look at the two lawns, they look completely different, and even after explaining to him how deep his bermuda roots are & that he doesn't need to water but every 10-14 days in the heat of summer... he's out there watering every day in the 100 degree heat... and then, as if I'd never explained anything to him previously, asks me how I keep all the weeds outta my lawn!

The bottom line is that it's currently no more expensive to fertilize with grains than with synthetics, or vice versa, but for the average homeowner, if they come here & learn & decide to switch to organics along with learning & following good cultural practices, they can save a significant amount of cash.

My 2 cents,

Dan

Dan,

We sound very much the same. :-) Both of my neighbors water every day for 5-10 minutes a zone. One doesn't fertilize at all, and the other fertilizes only once a year. They both scalp their TTTF to the ground. I've even seen where the blade of the mower has dug into the dirt when the one cuts her yard.

I wish more people would read this site, and take the advice given here. I've learned a massive amount since I've started reading this forum 2 years ago (lurked for about a year before starting to post). I guess in the end, it's up to the homeowner to make the decision. Like you've mentioned, you informed your neighbor about how to get their lawn looking as good as yours, and they just don't listen.

Like I said before, and you somewhat hinted on it in your last paragraph; the savings from not having to use herbicides/pesticides comes from good cultural practice, not synthetic over organic, or vice-versa.

LOL. Just writing this response reminds me of how many other people on my block cut their TTTF lawns at around 2" or below. I just don't get that. Aside from the very first mowing of the season (around March 1st), where I set the deck at about 2.25" and bag to get rid of the brown on top, I set it as high as it can go and mulch-mow the rest of the year. I think that's another big one people don't follow, and it's actually the opposite of what you'd think. Most people don't like cutting the lawn, so they want to do the least amount of work possible, yet many of them bag. Bagging is a pain since it takes much longer to cut the grass since you have to constantly stop and empty, not to mention it's a lot more wear and tear on the mower since you have to constantly restart it.

I agree too on the bagging.... The only time I bag up anything from my lawn is when I do my spring dethatch -- this year I filled about 20 of those big yard bags with all the brown grass & stolons I loosened in the dethatch process.

To add to your comment, not only is bagging a pain-in-the-@$$, but... we really should return the clippings to the lawn because...
a) Grass clippings are 80% water and decompose quickly releasing nutrients into your soil.
b) Mulching provides a portion of the lawnÂs fertilizer needs providing nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and trace amounts of micronutients.
c) Mulching reduces the amount of time you spend bagging and fertilizing.
d) Grass clippings donÂt cause thatch. (over watering and over fertilizing do)
e) Mulching reduces yard waste by 20-40%.
f) Mulching reduces the amount of water your lawn needs.

Dan