TestDIYOrganic

Days 9, 10 and 11 of my organic lawn renovation project were pretty tough. A lot of raking, digging and incorporating compost. I ran into some snags that made it even more difficult but hopefully it will all be worth it when my new lawn comes in.



I was expecting to have seed down by the 10th day but I ran into a few snags. I had the bright idea to do all the work with manual tools since it was only 600 sq ft that I was renovating but it wound up being more tiring than I expected.  This post is a few days late as a result. My whole body was sore and my fingers were too tired to type. It was a pretty good workout though. :)



The first major step was to kill off as much of the existing lawn as I could using two organic herbicides instead of RoundUP. (See BurnOut II vs Nature's Avenger.) That went pretty well and both killed a large majority of the existing grass and weeds. There was some weedy looking tall fescue that was coming back too fast and I decided to dig it up before I went on to amending the soil, leveling the lawn and seeding. Details discussed below.

Digging Out Tall Fescue

Composted Left/Not Composted Right

Because I was planning on killing and reseeding parts of my lawn last year I didn't take as good care of those areas as I should have. I didn't do anything about the weeds and didn't water regularly. As a result the lawn in one section in particular has gotten very bad and it wasn't great to begin with.



Three sections will be renovated in total. Two are in decent shape but one of the sections requires a bit of regrading and I might as well reseed the other since they're in close proximity and I feel the grass should match.



For the past few weeks I've been gathering all the tools I'll need for a lawn renovation as well as finalizing the supplies and methods I'll be using.



Below you'll find my lawn renovation plan as well as pictures of my existing lawn and description of some of the issues I'm having.

Why Kill The Existing Lawn?

The lawn is old and over the years different types of grass seeds have been used which give the lawn an uneven appearance. Some of the grasses grow very fast while others hardly grow at all and there are a bunch of weeds in one section. There are also sections with depressions as well as bumps that need to be smoothed out. Additionally the soil is a little low in organic matter and the soil structure could use some improvement by adding compost.



It's easier to tackle all the issues by starting fresh with some new grass seed.

The Plan

Day 1

Tomorrow I start killing my existing lawn. I'll be using two different organic herbicides instead of RoundUp/Glyphosate which is normally used in this step. Each of my three sections will be split in half and so that I can compare the effectiveness of each in this process under different conditions.



I'll be using BurnOut II from St Gabriel Organics and Nature's Avenger from Cutting Edge Formulations.



These products work best with full sun and temperatures above 80 degrees. I was going to start today but tomorrow will be even hotter as will the rest of the weekend.

Day2

The weed killers start working within hours. Any areas that I had missed on Day 1 should be apparent and I can spot treat using the appropriate herbicide for that area.

Day 7

Unlike glyphosate based herbicides like RoundUp, these organic alternatives are not systemic and will not kill the roots. They only kill the leaves of the plant but without the leaves the rest of the plant is susceptible. If there is enough stored energy in the roots for some of the weeds and grasses to grow back I will re-spray with herbicide to kill any new growth as suggested by St Gabriel Labs.

Day 8-9

At this point the existing lawn should be sufficiently damaged and if necessary I'll mow the grass at my mower's lowest setting and bag the clippings to remove some of the debris and/or use my Ames True Temper Thatch Rake to both clear plant debris and start cultivating the soil.



Using a combination of tools including rakes and a Garden Weasel Cultivator I'll start incorporating compost into the top of the soil, fertilize using an organic lawn fertilizer,correct grade issues and probably reshape the garden beds.



My soil's pH appears to be fine in those areas but since the organic herbicides I'm using contain acids I'll recheck the pH and add some Fast Acting Lime if necessary.

Day 10

On Day 10 of the process I will put down new grass seed. My initial plan was to plant a good Kentucky Bluegrass mix but I've changed my mind and will be going with a Turf-Type Tall Fescue mix. Unless anything changes I'll be using Jonathan Green Black Beauty grass seed. There might be some better TTTF grass blends out there but there were a number of reasons why I decided to go with Black Beauty. One of the primary ones was that it's something I can find locally. TTTF doesn't spread like KBG does so every 2-4 years it might need to be overseeded if thin or bare spots develop. I decided it would be more convenient to use a seed I could find locally.



After seeding I'll follow an appropriate watering schedule. Depending on the weather the first week I might have to water lightly twice a day to keep the seeds moist for good germination. The second week I can probably cut down to once a day. After that I can slowly increase the watering times and decrease the watering frequency.

Existing Lawn Condition

Section 1

Section 1 is the largest as well as the worst section of the three. The soil structure is very poor, there is a wide mix of grasses including everything from fine fescue to tall fescue. This section is in full sun and gets little to no foot traffic.



Section 1 also has the worst weed problem. Weeds in this portion of the lawn include dutch white clover, wild violet, either purslane or prostrate pigweed, some dandelions, crabgrass, some veronica speedwell, something that looks like nimblewill and possibly goosegrass.



This section of lawn also has some issues with what I believe is red thread or some other type of disease which I've been able to successfully control with corn meal.



It gets little traffic and requires more water than I've been applying, especially this year, which caused the grass to suffer.

Section 2

Section 2 receives partial sun. It is shaded by a large tree for about 1/2 the day. The grass here is more consistent. I've been overseeding here regularly with a Kentucky Bluegrass Mix (Jonathan Green Sod Maker) and it normally looks good. There is a bit of crab grass at the edges but that's about it.

The area needs some serious regrading. Some areas are uneven and if I'm not careful get scalped by the mower.

The grass looks much better than the photo indicates but not as great as it usually because I haven't watered or fertilized as regularly as I normally would because of the renovation.

Section 3

This section was regraded and planted with a fine fescue mix because it receives little sun throughout the day. It has been slightly neglected because of the renovation plan but otherwise looks pretty good. The photo also doesn't look that great because of the mix of sun and shade throwing off the colors and brightness. (See my post on how to take great lawn photos for more info.) As with Section 2, Section 3 looks pretty good and just a little bit of care and a little reseeding would make it look great but because these sections can be seen at the same time I'd like more consistency. I also feel Black Beauty might do better in shade than fine fescues.



I'm excited to finally get this process started and will be posting updates as I go.

Linda asks:



I think I need to add something to the lawn to help dethatch naturally.and maybe help the soil.  Would spreading a commercial packaged manure mixture be helpful?  At 98 cents a bag I could cover the lawn with 30 bags.



Also would you suggest an application of ammonia sulfate in the Fall to help balance the ph from years of chemicals?



thanks! ;-)




There are a few different questions here and I'll answer them one at a time. This is general advice when converting to organic lawn care.

Naturally Dethatching

First, thatch isn't a bad thing to have in your lawn. It's when you have more than a 1/2" of thatch that it can be a problem. Take a spade or shovel and cut out a square of your lawn to inspect the profile and measure the thatch layer. If it's more than 1/2" then you'll want to do something about it.



The problem with thatch is that it can prevent air, water and nutrients from going down into the roots. There are two ways to resolve this problem. One is to mechanically dethatch, the other is to core aerate. I discussed aerating vs dethatching previously. Basically dethatching removes the thatch layer and aerating creates holes in the lawn that allow air, water, etc to penetrate into the root zone.



Soil microbes and other organisms in your soil such as earthworms will help break down the thatch but lawns that have had years of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides applied will have poor soil biology and likely soil compaction. Adding compost to the lawn will improve the soil biology as well as add organic matter in the soil.

Adding Compost

Compost does a lot of great things to the lawn. It improves the soil structure, adds organic matter, helps relieve compaction, adds nutrients and enhances soil biology. It is the best thing you can add to your soil when converting from synthetics to organics. Some microbes found in soil and compost help break down the chemicals in the lawn from synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.



The EPA has published this information sheet on compost describing it's use for bioremediation, disease control and other issues. Compost was even effective in remediating soil that had explosives in it!



From what I've learned it's best to use a mix of compost from different sources. Compost from plant material and composted manure. I would personally go heavier with the plant based compost because if the composted manure is not composted completely it can cause problems.



30 bags of compost at I'm assuming 2 cubic feet per bag is 60 cu ft is over 2 yards. I think you'll be better off having that compost delivered in bulk. Find a local source of plant based compost that will deliver. Lay a tarp on your driveway for them to deposit it on so it doesn't create a mess. I haven't used one but I've been thinking a Bagster Dumpster in a Bag might be good to use. Buy a few bags of composted manure and mix it in. A pitch fork works well but you can do it with a shovel too.



If you don't have a wheelbarrow, borrow, rent or buy one to help you distribute the compost and use a rake to spread it in. The Ames True Temper Kodiak Forged Level Head Rake is a good rake for this purpose.



To figure out how much compost you'll need determine the square feet of your lawn area and how many inches of compost you'd like to apply. Use the following formula.



(square ft of lawn) X (inches of compost) / 12 / 27 = Yards of compost.



If you had 5000 sq ft of lawn area and you wanted to apply 1/2" of compost it would be:



5000 X .5 / 12 / 27 = 7.7 cubic yards of compost.



It's roughly 3/4 of a yard of compost per 1000 sq ft for every 1/4" of compost you want to apply.



To determine the square footage of your lawn you can use the property survey that's likely attached to your mortgage (or you can get it from your local tax assessor I think) and use that as a guide. You can even try downloading Google Earth and using the satellite images and measuring tools to measure your lawn but going out and taking direct measurements would be the best.

Soil PH

I wouldn't add anything to the soil to adjust the pH unless I knew what the pH was. Don't guess. Send a sample of your soil to get tested by your local university cooperative extension for analysis and use that information to adjust the pH of your soil. Most likely you'll need to add lime.



The soil report you receive will give you recommendations on nutrients in your soil but will most likely recommend synthetic fertilizer applications. You can use organics instead but will need to calculate how much fertilizer to apply. For example if they tell you your soil needs 1.5 lbs of potassium per 1,000 sq ft then you need to figure out how much of your organic fertilizer to apply to give you 1.5 lbs per 1k sq ft.

What I Would Do If I Were You

Right now is the best time to start the process.



1. Determine your soil pH either by sending a soil sample to your extension office or by using a consumer soil pH tester like the Luster Leaf Rapitest Mini Soil pH/Moisture Tester. If you use the soil tester it's important that the soil is moist to get an accurate reading and you should test different locations and take an average.



2. If you have more than 1/2" of thatch I would dethatch the lawn. I don't have a large lawn so I use a manual dethatcher that also helps remove ground ivy and gives a good workout. :) If you have a larger area rent a gas powered dethatcher.



3. Whether you dethatch or not I would core aerate the lawn. Again, I have a small lawn and like to sweat so I use a Turf Hound manual aerator. Based on how much compost you're thinking of getting I assume you'd want to rent a core aerator. Many rental places will carry them. Make sure it's a core aerator and not a spike aerator. You'll want to run the aerator over your lawn multiple times in different directions. How many times you go over your lawn will depend on your model. You want to get at least 9 holes per sq ft but as many as 20 holes per square foot if your soil is very compacted or heavy clay. I'd shoot for at least 16. Leave the plugs on your lawn, don't rake them up.



4. Apply lime and organic fertilizer as needed. I've had good results with Espoma Bio-Tone Organic Starter Fertilizer. It has a good ratio of nutrients and contains beneficial microbes. Do not use corn gluten meal at this point if you plan on overseeding which I would.



5. Spread compost on your lawn. Get bulk compost delivered. If you can get a mix of composted plant material and composted manure that's your best bet. If not get the composted plant material and mix in some composted manure. Plain composted plant material is fine too. Because of the core aerating I would shoot for 1/2" of compost.



6. Spread a good quality grass seed over the lawn and water it as recommended to get good germination.



Starting next Spring use organic lawn fertilizers 3-4 times a year. Corn gluten meal in the early spring and late summer, Ringer Lawn Restore in late spring and mid fall would be a good star. Also using a pump sprayer (I like the Smith 2-Gallon Max Contractor Sprayer)  to apply soluable kelp and humic acid in late spring and a one or two times during the summer would be great. You can mix the kelp and humic acid and apply them at the same time.



Also read my mowing tips for a healthier lawn.



Hope this helps!

Encap, the makers of the Fast Acting Lime which got a positive review from me a few years ago (because it helped green up my white grass!), is running 2 sweepstakes this year including 3 lawn makeovers and daily 3-in-1 Soil Meter giveaways. A couple other giveaways have already ended.

3-in-1 Soil Tester

Is Using Cornmeal to Treat Lawn Disease a Myth?

Not only does Dr. Linda Chalker-Scott consider the use of cornmeal as a fungicide a myth, an article from 2010 claims the myth is busted. Dr. Linda Chalker-Scott is the author of The Informed Gardener and numerous articles on horticultural myths



When I discovered Dr. Chalker-Scott's myth articles online a few years ago I read threw them all and found myself mostly agreeing with a lot of the content and was able to find corroborating work in other studies from what I remember. I even referenced her when I was asking myself... does SuperThrive work?



In this case however I find I can't agree with everything she says. Sadly, from the time I first started writing this piece, some of the links I originally quoted are now broken but I've tried to find similar research. The original article wasn't meant to be a rebuttal to Dr. Chalker-Scott but I tried to incorporate her opinions in the new version.



Note I actually started writing this article one or two springs ago which is why I have reference to all the rain. Right now it's the middle of summer and there hasn't been much if any rain but I'm leaving that verbage intact to illustrate what I was seeing at the time. I decided to finish it after seeing Dr. Chalker-Scott's article recently.



Well, it's been raining here for quite some time and it's going to continue for another week it seems. I've touched on the issue of lawn disease recently and it should come as no surprise considering the wet weather.



In the few breaks in the rain, I've managed to get in a few bike rides and there are plenty of brown, yellow or orange tinged lawns throughout the neighborhood. Brown and yellow could just be a result of lawn crews waiting too long to cut the grass as they try and squeeze what they can in between downpours but most likely a good bit of it is due to fungus caused by all the moisture and landscapers that are mowing the grass when it's wet because they can't afford to wait for dry weather.



As I look over my lawn and compare it to the neighbors there is a vast difference in color. Mine is a nice dark green, theres is a mixture of light green and orange (grorange?) Part of the reason for that is a much discussed organic fertilizer that tends to make people laugh or look at me funny when they hear what it is.



In the early morning when other's are mixing up cornmeal for muffins, I'm out spreading it on my lawn. Plain old corn meal that you can get from the supermarket. (Not corn gluten meal.) I've posted about corn meal recently (where to buy big bags of corn meal, how to get organic corn meal delivered every month or two) but with so many grorange lawns out there I thought it might be good to explain it a little more about how it works and how to use it as well as some other organic fungicides.

How Corn Meal Cures and Prevents Lawn Disease

Well the truth is, corn meal doesn't kill fungus. In fact, it does the opposite. I can hear you now saying "But you said...." Hear me out.




With organic lawn care, you're not usually solving the problem in one step. Instead you create a condition where beneficial organisms can thrive and/or add beneficial organisms. Such is the case with cornmeal.



The beneficial organism in this case is trichoderma, a family of cannibalistic fungi that kill other fungi. When you apply cornmeal to your lawn you're not killing lawn disease, you're supplying the troops of trichoderma so they can multiply and wage war on lawn disease.



The video isn't in a language I speak but I'm pretty sure based on the title and the footage that this is a video of trichoderma killing sclerotinia. A form of sclerotinia occurs in lawn and is commonly referred to as Dollar Spot.







Trichoderma are found in most soils and grow well on corn meal. Corn meal, like everything else that hasn't been sterilized, also harbors bacteria and fungi and trichoderma is a common fungi to find on cornmeal (I think from what I read). Even if it's not on the cornmeal it's a fungus that's commonly found in soil.



Three of the species of trichoderma that are used to fight plant and lawn disease are trichoderma harzianum, tricoderma viride and trichoderma hamatum. They are parasitic and feed off other fungi in a variety of ways. Trichoderma harzianum for instance can excrete and enzyme called chitinase under the right conditions. Chitinase breaks down, hydrolizes, digests, whatever you want to call it, chitin which is what the cell walls of fungi are made of. It basically disolves other fungi.





There are (were?) ongoing university studies that have shown promise using corn meal to treat plant diseases such as this study on controlling fungi in peanut fields with corn meal (link no longer works but is available on archive.org referenced here). My emphasis added.

It is known that certain fungal species in the genus Trichoderma feed on
mycelium and sclerotia of Sclerotinia minor. Sclerotium rolfsii and Rhizoctonia
sp. All peanut fields in Texas tested to date have a natural population of
Trichoderma. For several years, tests have been conducted in Texas using corn
meal to stimulate Trichoderma development as a way to control the major
soilborne disease fungi. When yellow corn meal is applied to fields in the
presence of moist surface soil, Trichoderma builds up very rapidly over a 5 to
10 day period. The resulting high Trichoderma population can destroy vast
amounts of Sclerotinia, Sclerotium and Rhizoctonia. This enhanced, natural
biological control process is almost identical to the processes that occur when
crop rotation is practiced. The level of control with corn meal is influenced
by: 1) organic matter source 2) soil moisture, 3) temperature, and 4) pesticides
used. Seasonal applications of certain fungicides may inhibit Trichoderma.
Testing will continue to determine the rates and application methods that will
give consistent, economical control.

The above quote is the reason why some of us started using cornmeal on our lawns in the first place. Dr. Chalker-Scott calls it "research" (with quotes) indicating it wasn't really following the scientific method. It's hard to say without being able to see the original report but from what I remember it seemed to have been conducted using sound principles. From what I recall, they didn't just guess that trichoderma populations increased, they actually examined the soil.



Dr. Chalker-Scott also claims the study just proved that crop rotation is a beneficial practice that can prevent disease. That's not what I'm reading here.



I'm not much of a conspiracy theorist but I do find it odd that the original paper and some of the others I linked to below are no longer online.



The study that led to the discovery of corn gluten meal as a weed control also had an interesting observation regarding corn meal and lawn disease. The original study was regarding pythium on bentgrass. Pythium was cultured in the lab on corn meal, which is a common growth media for such fungus. There were three plots observed. A plot which received the pythium and corn meal, a plot which received fresh corn meal without pythium grown on it and a third control plot which did not receive any pythium or corn meal. Pythium failed to establish in the treated plot where the pythium grown on corn meal was applied. It seems Dr. Nick Christians Ph.D. focused more on the lack of germination in the corn meal plot as I can't find any documentation that he tried to determine why the pythium may not have established.



The previous quote from Texas A&M doesn't say anything about lawns or common lawn diseases does it? Hmm... OK this is the problem with organic research. While it has been studied for a long time, it unfortunately hasn't been that long and you may not find direct evidence of exactly what you're looking for. So this is what we do, or I do at least. I'm not the type of person that likes to waste money and see if something works just because someone said it does. I want to see something that justifies the claim. Sometimes you can't get to it directly so you have to find corresponding research and peice it together without getting so convoluted that it looks like a Chewbacca defense.



Now that we know it's not actually cornmeal that's curing the lawn disease all we have to do is look for research that indicates trichoderma is effective at killing a particular diesease. That shouldn't be too hard because according to the Wikipedia article there's a strain of trichoderma that can kill almost any other fungus and trichoderma is found in all soil. Maybe not in soil that has been treated with some fungicides such as chlorothalonil (Daconil) but some species of trichoderma seem to be resistant to copper based fungicides.

Lawn Diseases That Corn Meal Can Treat

Well theoretically treat that is. I'll be updating this list as I have time but here's a quote from a Cornell publication on trichoderma:

So far as the author is aware, different strains of Trichoderma control every pathogenic fungus for which control has been sought. However, most Trichoderma strains are more efficient for control of some pathogens than others, and may be largely ineffective against some fungi. The recent discovery in several labs that some strains induce plants to "turn on" their native defense mechanisms offers the likelihood that these strains also will control pathogens other than fungi.

These are common lawn diseases that trichoderma attacks. If you can get trichoderma to grow on your applied cornmeal then there's a chance for corn meal to treat the following:



Sclertinia (Dollar Spot) - See video above and this paper found trichoderma provided up to 71% control of dollar spot and was able to delay disease development by up to 30 days.

Botrytis (Grey mold) - An interesting study at Cornell (link dead) using bees to disseminate Trichoderma harzianum to protect strawberries from Botrytis was effective. Here's a working link that discusses using trichoderma to suppress Botrytis of Begonia in a peat/compost potting mix.

Pythium - A nasty lawn disease can be controlled with trichoderma harzianum and trichoderma virens according to this PSU paper. There are even two products that contain trichoderma that are EPA registered for treating pythium. The link to the paper is gone but this PSU fact sheet indicates Trichoderma harziamum, Trichoderma virens as well as Bacillus subtilis, Candida oleophila, Gliocladium catenulatum and Streptomyces griseoviridis are biological controls of pythium.

Fusarium - There are a number of documents indicating trichoderma is effective against fusarium including this Colorado State study on trichoderma against fusarium on tomatoes.

Necrotic Ring Spot - This publication indicates trichoderma hazrianum is effective against necrotic ring spot in laws and that there is an EPA registered product.

Drechslera tritici-repentis (Leaf Spot) - In vitro study showed Trichoderma "inhibited significantly the mycelial growth ofD. tritici-repentis between 50% and 74%"

Rhizoctonia solani (Yellow Patch) - This in-vitro study showed that various strains of trichoderma were up to 81.8% effective at inhibiting mycelial growth of Rhizoctonia solani.

Organic Products With Trichoderma

In researching the topic I found a number of different products that contained trichoderma that were EPA registered fungicides.  The first time I used cornmeal on my lawn I did it without adding anything else and I found the application of cornmeal was beneficial to my lawn. It may have been the tricoderma, it may have just been that my grass needed fertilizer and the extra boost it got from the cornmeal allowed the grass to grow out of the disease or make it healthier so it could resist it. I'm not a horticultural specialist and I don't have the tools to know the difference.



These days, when I apply cornmeal to my lawn I also apply Organica Plant Growth Activator Plus using a pump sprayer that I filled up 2 days prior to allow the chlorine to outgas. Chlorinated water can kill the beneficial fungi I'm trying to spread. Humic acid and ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) are also said to reduce chlorine in water.



Organica's Plant Growth Activator Plus contains a number of beneficial bacteria and fungus some of which have been shown to prevent or control plant and lawn disease. It contains:

• Trichoderma hazianum 2,000,000 CFU per gram. 


• Bacillus subtilis 10,000,000 CFU per gram. 


• Bacillus licheniformis 10,000,000 CFU per gram, 


• Bacillus megaterium 10,000,000 CFU per gram, 


• Paenibacillus polymyxa 10,000,000 CFU per gram, 


• Streptomyces lydicus 2,000,000 CFU per gram, 


• 30% natural sugars, 


• 10% hydrolyzed soy meal 


• 4% humic acid (derived from leonardite), 


• 3% seaweed extract (derived from Ecklonia maxima). 

I can't find a link to the original Rutgers study but it's referenced here. Application of PGA+ every 2 weeks was able to control around 90% Summer Patch (Magnaporthe pose) on Baron Kentucky Bluegrass which is similar to the control rates of the other commercial chemical based fungicides. Even after application stopped the PGA+ test plot continued to provide effective control.



Organica's PGA+ is a product I looked into quite a bit and is something I apply in my garden regularly. The kelp and humic acid seem to work well together to reduce plan stress from what I've read.

Compost Helps with Plant Disease

So Does Cornmeal Cure Lawn Disease?

One comment Dr. Linda Chalker-Scott made which I do agree with is that there hasn't been enough scientific research to definitively prove if it does or not. She also stated that she can't prove a negative (that it doesn't work) and that it's up to those that are making the claims that it does work to prove it does.



I thought that's what the original Texas A&M group was doing and can't figure out why that link no longer works.



Here's what I do know:

• Various strains of trichoderma (as well as other fungi) are grown on corn or corn agar when researches need to cultivate a given quantity of the fungi. It is a good growth medium for such.


• Various strains of trichoderma have been shown in different studies to have effective control of various plant pathogens including ones that are found in lawns.


• Trichoderma are found in nearly all soils.

Here's what I assume:

• Since corn meal is a good base to grow fungi adding cornmeal to moist soil should be able to increase the population of those fungi.


• Since trichoderma is some sort of predator fungi that kills other fungi it's understandable that the population of trichoderma would outcompete the other fungi growing on the cornmeal medium since it will attack those other fungi. 

I think there's enough evidence related to using cornmeal and trichoderma to control lawn and plant disease that further research is warranted.

So what's the problem? Where's the research?

OK, it's time to put my tin-foil hat back on. Research isn't cheap. It takes time, resources and money. University research labs need to have funding to carry out their experiments. Who pays for that research? Some of it comes from government grants but I believe most of it comes from companies that are developing and patenting products for eventual sale. They work with university researches to determine if their new product works or not and try to improve it. They are willing to pay to have that research done.



Who is going to pay to research cornmeal? It's not patentable. It can't be sold as a commercial product.



You also need to be EPA registered if you claim your product is a fungicide. That's not free either.



More research needs to be done as fungicides are some of the more toxic things applied on lawns, but just because she can't verify the claims doesn't mean Dr. Chalker-Scott can call this myth busted.

So Does Cornmeal Cure Lawn Disease?

At least I hope I am. Because I started my fall lawn overseeding project late I ran into a problem. Leaves on an overseeded lawn. Normally I would just mulch mow leaves into the lawn but with the seedlings still small and fragile, they can't handle the mowing and leaving the leaves on the lawn would block the sunlight and air they need. After worrying about the grass seed germinating it finally started coming in.



I used my blower to concentrate the leaves in areas where I could rake without stepping on the lawn too much. I was careful to not disturb the soil and seedlings, just lightly comb the rake through the grass to remove the leaves. After seeing all the bags of leaves I had, it seemed like such a waste to put them out on the curb when they could be turned into a great soil ammendment for next year.



So I decided to learn about composting and determine what the best composter for me would be.



Maybe I shouldn't act like I'm completely new to composting, just using a different method. In previous years fall leaves get spread on the lawn, along with other plant debris from the vegetable garden, mowed to shreds, bagged and then spread over the garden beds as mulch along with grass clippings. This is the sheet composting method. By the next planting season the decomposed material is tilled into the soil. Even after doing that and mulching leaves into the lawn I still wound up putting a few bags to the curb. This year I decided to buy a bin and try hot composting. Because of the problems with tomato blight this year I figured the hot composting method might also help next years crop.



I previously commented on a compost bins review video I stumbled on which found that the best composters are the bin composters. The tumbler types didn't contain as much material or get as hot as the bins. While they may be prettier and easier to turn, I decided they just weren't worth the money for me.




The compost bin I decided on was the Geobin Composting System from Presto. It is similar to the Presto bin composter featured in the video review which performed the best. Amazon had the best price I could find and I received my order 2 days after placing it and using the free shipping option. Two days is a lot quicker than it would take my procrastinating butt to go out and find one locally.



Price was a big factor. I didn't want to spend a lot and for less than $40 and free shipping the GeoBin composter looked very appealing. It will pay for itself after two batches compared to buying bagged compost. I was considering just piling everything up but I liked the idea of having everything contained.



Size was another issue. I don't have a lot of space and the GeoBin composter only takes up a maximum 4' diameter space. It is also adjustable in size. Presto recommends a size of 3' to 3.5' in diameter. I think I'll only be using it in the fall so being able to hose it off, roll it up and stick it on a shelf in the garage in the spring is just perfect for me. Another option might be to just reduce the size substantially and have a smaller bin in the spring/summer. It's a very versatile bin!



There were quite a few negative reviews on the GeoBin Composting System. Most of them were about the stakes breaking and not being long enough. Based on the reviews and the pictures, it seems they might have addressed at least part of the problem. The stakes I received are definately not the same seen in the picture with the yellow tabs that people were complaining about. What came in the box are what look to be normal green garden stakes. They don't dig in deep into the ground but the weight of the materials inside should keep it from blowing over, especially if assembled in it's widest setting. If it's really an issue, longer garden stakes can be purchased seperately at most garden centers for a couple of bucks each. You also probably already have a few stakes you aren't using over the winter like I do.



The bin sides are made of a very thick plastic sheet that seems like it will last a long time. The issues people had with the stakes seem like they can easily be resolved so I didn't hesitate to make the purchase.



The one drawback I can think of is that it doesn't seem quite sturdy enough to use the sides to leverage a pitchfork or other tool when you turn the compost. Something like a Yard Butler Compost Aerator seems like a good tool to have to help aerate the compost in the bin. I'll see how it goes without one and buy one if I think I need it.



Assembling the GeoBin is pretty straight forward but the instructions could have been a little more detailed. So here's some tips in assembling the GeoBin Composting System that might help.



The bin comes rolled up and the plastic wants to keep that shape. When you first take it out of the box it may not want to cooperate. If it was earlier in the year I would unroll it on the patio on a sunny day to help it relax but the waather wasn't cooperating so I just unrolled it in a hallway for a few hours. This made it much easier to work with.



The GeoBin Composter comes with 6 bolts. They should be used 3 on each end. Think of a double breasted jacket. The nuts only need to be hand tightened. If you tighten them too much you might wind up breaking the plastic washers or stripping the threads on the plastic bolts.



Once it was assembled and staked into a corner of the backyard I didn't find it as offensive as I thought I would. It actually looks a bit sleek compared to other options such as chicken wire. Just make sure you line up the bolts properly so the sides stand straight and that the ground underneath is fairly flat.



Within a short period of time I was ready to start filling it up.



To help the material compost faster I shreaded up the leaves. Since I couldn't use the mower because of the new grass seed I remembered seeing a commercial leaf shreader that had a head like a string trimmer so I just used my Black & Decker NST2018 Cordless String Trimmer With Two Batteries. I would take some leaves out of one bag and place them in an empty bag then stick the string trimmer in like a giant stick blender. It worked out pretty well. After shreadding, the volume was a lot less than before. After the second bag I realized I could just dump the bag into the GeoBin and shred them in there. The larger surface area meant less reaching and pulling up which made it go faster.



Right now the bin is filled mostly with leaves and thatch that I pulled out when overseeding and some plants from the garden. Once the lawn can be mowed I'll add grass clippings and the rest of the plant debris that I'll shred with the mower. In addition I'll be adding used coffee grounds from my own coffee maker and ones I pick up at Starbucks, vegetal and fruit peels, etc. I'm going to need a lot of "greens" to add nitrogen to make sure the pile heats up. Just in case I threw in a bit of liquid organic fertilizer to get get things started.

For a long time, there was no manufacturer selling an organic starter fertilizer product and to be honest, not many people cared. The only benefit of having something marketted as an organic starter fertilizer is to help those that are transitioning from synthetic fertilizers that are accustomed to grabbing something with that label when it's time to seed. In this post I'll discuss the one new product that's labelled as an organic starter fertilizer and the role of starter fertilizers in organic lawn care.

What is a Starter Fertilizer

In the synthetic fertilizer world, anything labeled starter fertilizer has one unique characteristic. It contains a higher proportion of phosphorous than the other fertilizers. Phosphorous is the middle number in the NPK guaranteed analysis on the bag of fertilizer. A starter fertilizer might have a guaranteed analysis of 11-23-10 where another fertilizer from the same like would have an analysis of 26-1-12.

Why is Phosphorous Important When Seeding Lawns?

Phosphorous is an important nutrient for your lawn. Phosphorous is important for plant cell division and aids in root development. When soil is low in phosphorous the grass will not grow roots as deep as it would if there phosphorous levels were adequate.



Getting your new seedlings to grow and establish strong roots is exactly what you want which is why there is such an emphasis on starter fertilizers high in phosphorous.



An individual grass seed actually contains all the nutrients it needs to get started. Other than water, it doesn't need anything to go from seed to plant. The nutrients stored in the seed get depleted quickly and by the time the roots are forming it will need to get nurtrients, including phosphorous from the soil. If it doesn't find enough it will slow or halt it's development.

Why Are There No Organic Starter Fertilizers?

So if starter fertilizers seem to be so important in the synthetic fertilizer world, why has there been little development in the organic lawn care industry or demand from consumers until recently?



It's pretty simple actually. Organic lawn care isn't just about buying something that's not synthetic. It's also about maintaining a healthy soil. Once you have a healthy soil, you'll have a healthy lawn and adding phosphorous may not be necessary.



Phosphorous isn't used up as quickly as something like nitrogen. It also binds to the soil and doesn't leach out as much as nitrogen does so a little phosphorous can go a long way. Excess phosphorous serves no purpose, unlike excess nitrogen that will darken the grass and cause it to grow faster.



If your soil already contains an adequate amount of phosphorous, there is absolutely no reason to add any. The best way to find out what nutrients your soil needs is to send a soil sample to your local university cooperative extension office for analysis. Many people will find that they have adequate or even excess phosphorous levels in their soil. Unless your soil test indicates that you need to add phosphorous then adding it may not do anything.



Many organic lawn fertilizers are also already high in phosphorous compared to synthetic fertilizers. For example, Ringer Lawn Restore, which is a popular organic lawn fertilizer, has a guaranteed analysis of 10-2-6. Compared to the synthetic fertilizer mentioned above, that's more than 5x the amount of phosphorous by weight in relation to nitrogen. If you've been following an organic lawn fertilizer program chances are you don't have a phosphorous deficient soil.



There are also some environmental concerns regarding phosphorous, especially if you live near any body of water. Your local municipality may have also banned or restricted the use of phosphorous containing fertilizers. From what I've read, phosphorous doesn't seem to be so bad if used properly. Once it's applied and watered in it doesn't leach out much unless there is a large excess in the soil.

Organic Phosphorous Soil Ammendments

Not every soil is perfect and many people do need to add phosphorous to their soil after consulting their soil test results. There are very few organic soil amendments that are high in phosphorous. The most readily available high phosphorous organic soil ammendment is bone meal. It's one of the more expensive soil amendments but as stated previously, it's not necessary to apply as often. Espoma Bone Meal (pictured right has a guaranteed analysis of 4-12-0 which means it's 4% nitrogen by weight, 12% phosphorous and contains no potassium. If your soil test indicates you need to add 1 lb of phosphourous per 1,000 sq ft to your lawn, you would need to apply about 9lbs of Espoma Bone Meal per 1,000 sq ft to reach the achieve the appropriate level of phosphorous.

Finally An Organic Starter Fertilizer

I recently noticed that the Espoma Company has 2 organic starter fertilizers, Pro Granular Bio-Tone Starter and Pro Granular Bio-Tone Starter Plus. They are essentially the same except the Plus version contains endo and ecto mycorrhizae fungi, which I'll discuss further down.



The NPK of Bio-Tone Starter is 4-3-3. While not as high a concentration of phosphorous, it has a higher percentage of phosphorous than most other organic lawn foods. The full guaranteed analysis lists:



0.6% Water Soluble Nitrogen (N)

3.4% Water Insoluble Nitrogen

3.0% Available phosphate (P2O5)

3.0% Soluble Potash (K2O)

4.0% Calcium (Ca)

1.0% Total Magnesium (Mg)

0.6% Water soluble Magnesium (Mg)

2.0% Sulfer



These nutrients are derived from feather meal, dehydrated manure, bone meal, alfalfa meal, greensand, humates, crab meal, cocoa meal, and sulfate of potash magnesia.



In addition, they contain the following 15 strains of bacteria which are beneficial to your soil and plants:

Bacillus subtilis

fights fungus and is the main component of Seranade Garden Disease Control, an organic garden disease spray. According to Serenade it controls bacterial spot, powdery mildew, rust, gray mold, leaf blight, scab and more.

Paenibacillus polymyxa

is a bacteria that colonizes in the root zone and promotes plant growth and helps fix nitrogen.

Bacillus licheniformis

Another fungus fighting bacteria and helps cycle nutrients in the soil.

Pseudomonas alcaligenes

A bacteria used in bioremediation because it can degrade polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon which is found in fossil fuels.

Bacillus megaterium

Used in bioremediation of soil.

Pseudomonas chlororaphis

An anti fungal bacteria.

Bacillus marinus

I believe it helps break down organic matter into nutrients plants can use.

Pseudomonas putida

Used to degrade organic matter and in bioremediation.

Bacillus coagulans

Secretes acids which helps make phosphorous soluble and more readily availible to plants.

Acidovorax facilis

I think helps fix nitrogen.

Bacillus thuringiensis

A bacterial pesticide.

Arthrobacter agilis

This one's neat it can biodegrade a number of common herbicides such as glyphosate (RoundUP) and 2,4-D. (source)

Bacillus pumilis

Helps decompose organic matter.

Rhodococcus rhodochorus

I think is used in bioremediation.

Bacillus lentimorbus

Similar to Bacillus popilliae which is used in Milky Spore Disease type products which help control grubs.

I'm not a microbiologist but I have been looking into some of these bacteria that are found in some of the Organica products I use regularly



Bio-Tone Starter Plus also contains endo and ecto mycorrhizae. These are fungi which attach to the roots of plants which helps increase the root mass. They help the plant get water and nutrients from the soil.



Even though I decided to get Bio-Tone Starter Plus instead of the regular Bio-Tone Starter fertilizer, I'm not completely sold on the benefits of mycorrizae especially in the context of this organic starter fertilizer.



From what I read, when the plant needs the help of mycorrizae it secretes carbohydrates from its roots. These carbohydrates attract and feed the mycorrizae. If the plant is growing in a soil that already has adequate phosphorous levels, it will grow large, deep roots on its own and not need the help of the mycorrizae. Since the starter fertilizer is already high in phosphorous.



These microorganisms should already be in your soil and some people feel adding them is a waste of money. I think that they are beneficial, especially when it comes to soil that has been previously treated with synthetic fertilizers. I have personally seen good results with microbial containing products such as Organica Plant Growth Activator Plus which I now apply regularly to help prevent lawn disease.



Bio-Tone Starter Fertilizer seems like a good product to use when you're laying down new sod or seed. It can also be used for transplants and other areas of your garden. This is an interesting account of Jesse Eldrid that used Bio-Tone Starter to help boost his Amaranth plant's growth so he can acheive the world record height.



The smell isn't too bad, it smells a lot like ORGANICA BIO-MATRIX which is my favorite organic liquid fertilizer. The smell goes away in a couple of days.



There are no spreader settings on the bag or on Espoma's website. I just did what I usually do. I know the approximate square footage of each area of my lawn so I just determine how many lbs I need to apply to each area, set my spreader to a medium setting and make multiple passes until it's done. After the first pass I see how much is left in the hopper and adjust the spreader up or down accordingly. With organic fertilizers you don't have to worry about burning the lawn. Making multiple passes also helps insure even coverage. I start going north to south, then east to west. The bag has a couple of holes that act as a handle which I found convenient. Other big bags of Espoma products have the same built in handle. After spreading the fertilizer it's important to water it in.



The best time to apply Bio-Tone Starter Fertilizer is 2 weeks prior to seeding or sodding because organic fertilizers need to be broken down by the soil microorganisms before their nutrients are readily available to plants.



Before deciding to use Espoma Bio-Tone Starter I would recommend you do a soil test and see if you need that much phosphorous. If you don't, but you still need to add nitrogen and would like to add the bacteria found in Bio-Tone Starter you can use Espoma 30LB 7-2-2 Lawn Food which contains less phosphorous and all the microbials in Bio-Tone Starter, except for the mycorrizae in Bio-Tone Start Plus.