Frugal Lawn Care

Sometimes being kind to the environment is kind to your wallet, too. Studies have been done about using corn gluten meal as a pre-emergent weed killer/fertilizer (as the corn breaks down in creates nitrogen, fertilizing the soil). You can buy bags of 85% corn gluten/15% potassium sulfate. It's not much more expensive than chemical fertilizers, and is much safer - particularly if you have children or pets running around!

Or....you can do what my dad did. He found a nearby feed mill that sells bags of straight corn gluten. This is a very inexpensive - and environmentally-friendly/child-safe - way to fertilize and do general weed killing. Soybean meal can be used as a fertilizer as well.

What about those stubborn weeds? How can you get rid of weeds without using chemicals? There are a variety of vinegar-based recipes:
1 gallon vinegar/1 c salt/1 T dish detergent
3 parts vinegar/1 part dish detergent
1 c vinegar/1/2 c dish detergent

You can also try straight vinegar. Most vinegar, however, is only 5% acidic, and horticultural vinegar is 20%. The dish detergent helps the vinegar stick to the leaves of the weed, giving it more time to kill. If the weed has a very established root system, it may return, but with some diligence in repeatedly cutting off its access to sun, it will eventually die. Vinegar solutions work best with hot, sunny weather.

For weeds in cracks (driveway, sidewalk), pouring boiling water on them can work as well.

Other environmentally-friendly and frugal tips:
- Don't water your lawn more than once a week. Lawns will be able to withstand dry weather if they get a more established root system, which is better accomplished by giving them time between waterings.
- Keep your mower blade high. This helps prevent weeds and keeps the lawn healthy. When you mow, leave the clippings on the lawn to act as fertilizer as they break down. (Mow the lawn shorter in the spring to warm up the soil and in the fall to discourage fungi.)
- Consider replacing your gas mower with a manual one. This cuts gas cost and provides a better workout. Today's manual mowers are quite effective. Electric mowers are also a good option for saving on energy costs. Mowing the lawn produces the same amount of pollution as 11 cars.

Any other tips you'd like to share?