Susan’s Gardening Tips

Grasshopper chomping on grass

Quick… what pest controls should you use?  Wait! Not all bugs are bad… some actually contribute to lawn health. Only a few will actually damage your grassy corner of the world. 

Accept the fact that not all bugs are bad guys. Sure, we probably swat at them all. In reality, some insects are known as “biological insects”… they can act as exterminators against others. Some can even help control your lawn’s thatch level, and save you lots of time and energy… and money. Heck, a lot of them are gourmet meals to a lot of insect-eating birds.

If you see dead, brown patches in your lawn, then you probably have “bad” bugs. The first thing you need to do is figure out exactly what you are up against.  Read the rest of this entry

 Before mowing your lawn this year, watch this video for some excellent safety tips. Lawn care novices should definitely watch it… actually, everyone should. 

 This goes triple for kids! 

(click here if the video isn’t visible)

Happy gardening… Susan Nelson Hopkins 

 Here’s what Organic Lawn Care Techniques has to say… 

Adding an organic compost to soil achieves the optimum soil texture, because it adds nutrients in a natural, easy-to-absorb state… with several bonuses:

• Increases the soil’s organic content, hence it’s water-holding capacity;
• Improves the soil’s physical structure, allowing more air to get to the roots;
• Increases bacterial and beneficial fungal activity, making nutrients more available to grass roots;
• Organically derived plant nutrients are less likely to contribute to water pollution because they are very slow to leach from the soil. 

But here’s the “super” bonus… the response to this enriched soil is a deeper, stronger root structure that withstands drought and disease!

Happy gardening… Susan Nelson Hopkins
Check out all the lawn articles and videos at
Susan’s Lawn Gardens,
and the garden articles at all of
Susan’s Gardens

So, you want a green lawn… without being its slave?

Well, you absolutely can, just by using four K.I.S.S.S. lawn care tips. First, you need to answer one question… 

Do you need to revive, replace, or plant your lawn? 

Let’s profile your lawn: 

Revive… If your lawn has only a few brown or dead patches, and the color is fairly Ok, then count yourself very fortunate. Reviving lawns can be much less expensive then the alternatives. Results aren’t immediate, but they’re a sure thing. 

Replace… If your lawn is more here and there than everywhere, replacing it may be the way to go. This involves quite a bit of physical labor, so consider researching local labor sources.

Plant… If your yard is dirt and more dirt, it can be a very good thing. You’re starting with a clean (well, a dirty) slate. 

 Regardless of which of the above profiles matches your lawn, there’s still the consideration of HOW you will revive, replace, or plant your lawn. Here are the two common choices:   Read the rest of this entry

There are basically just 4 steps to designing a successful lawn…

1. Design your lawn as a garden…
2. Choose the right grass variety for your lawn…
3. Test and condition your soil…
4. Install sprinkler systems…

For how-to details, click this article “Design Your Own Lawn Landscape“.

Happy gardening… Susan Nelson Hopkins
Check out all the lawn articles and videos at
 Susan’s Lawn Gardens