Organic Fertilizer Programs
Many people want to use organic products on their lawn, but find it hard to tolerate a lot of weeds.
We offer 2 options:
- Strictly organic - This would include only the humic acid liquid organic fertilizer that we have used for many It does not have any guarantees for weed control, but we have seen it reduce the number of weeds in a lawn. For best results, we need to apply 4-6 applications throughout the growing season.
- Modified organic – We use a chemical pre-emergent in the spring, along with a broadleaf spray, and then follow with organic fertilizer for the rest of the season. There may be some summer weeds, and we can spot treat or blanket spray if there are some serious weed issues that you want to eliminate.
This method takes advantage of the optimal early spring time application of chemicals, which is an effective time to prevent a lot of problem weeds, and it's a time of year when most people are not typically out in their yard much yet. With this program, you can feel good about choosing organic products, but you don't have to compromise the beauty of your lawn.
An application of lime is highly recommended with the organic programs. When your lawn is at it's optimal pH, grass grows better, and weeds will struggle. That's the ideal situation, and it's accomplished naturally!
Advantages of Organic Fertilizers:
There is a symbiotic relationship between microorganisms and organic fertilizers that is incredible. The microorganisms help create a living soil, which helps prevent lawn diseases. The organic programs help rebuild the soil health.
It is harmless to children and pets!
What to expect with the Organic Programs: Patience is required!
The product Rettmann Lawn Service, Inc. uses is naturally derived from beets. It is brown in color (like molasses) , and can cause some staining if it hits the driveway or other objects. We work to avoid that, but it could happen. In most cases, we can rinse the product off immediately, to avoid any long term effect.
The product is sticky, so pets can track it in on their paws. You will want to wash their feet if they are on the lawn before the product has dried.
Organic programs require patience. When transitioning from a chemically dependent lawn to an organic lawn it may actually look worse before it gets better. It may take a couple of months until the microbes fully establish themselves. Be patient! You'll most definitely be rewarded.
Initially, after our organic applications, the lawn will look browner because of the product, but once it is mowed, or if it rains, the lawn will look even greener. It will be thanking you!
Organic fertilizers themselves do not kill weeds. However, by sticking with the program, a healthy lawn can crowd out weeds.
***Two months prior to this photo, both lawns looked the same. I sprayed the lawn on the left with my organic fertilizer program, and spread lime once. Now, it's easy to see the difference between the treated and the untreated lawn. NO CHEMICALS WERE USED! We can't guarantee these results every time, but we work hard with every lawn to get the best results we can.