Customer Reviews

The Organic Lawn Care Manual

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is the first organic gardening book I've purchased. And I literally read it the same way I read fiction - cover to cover. I found Paul's narrative style, with family pictures and hardcore science simply fun to read. While many of the statistics are scary (e.g., more gasoline is spilled refilling lawn and garden equipment than was spilled from the Exxon Valdez!) Paul avoids being preachy. The book follows a logical sequence with chapters focused on specific steps -e.g. evaluating what you have, pros and cons of different transitions, watering, weeds, pests, and even games to play on nice grass! He provides plenty of warnings of how initially your lawn may not look as good, but the end result is worth it. Although Paul's base is in Maine, he seemed to cover the country pretty well. As a result of reading this book, I plan to make the transition this year.

This book is like too many "green" or "organic" books lately. It spends as much time arguing for its existence (i.e. why you should manage your lawn organically) as it does providing practical information for how to do it successfully. OK, I bought the book already -- you don't need to convince me!

It was frustrating that, when I needed a solution to a real problem, all the book told me was: if you plant your lawn the way we've told you, you won't have this problem. Not much help!

On the plus side, I did learn about some good techniques like dethatching.

Paul describes in plain English how to break the synthetic chemical addition for our lawns and gardens. In the book, Paul explains how organic methods can be used to work with nature (rather than against it) to create a beautiful, healthy low-input lawn. The book is clearly organized and can be used as a how-to manual for people who are new to organic methods or an excellent resource for experienced readers who want to try other apporaches. Paul's book also has some fantastic photos of brewing up some compost tea!

I'm trying to get started on an organic lawn. I've been to lots of (sometimes contradictory) websites, talked to local contractors, and ordered another lawn book. This book is becoming my manual for an organic lawn. It has a lot of detail, great pictures that are truly illustrative, and offers a complete approach to creating a healthy organic lawn.

It should also be noted that the author is not a crunchy hippy who is happy with a weed-filled patch of land. He is/was a professional landscaper who understands the appeal of a beautiful green lawn. He also understands that it can be created, and created better, without the application of synthetic chemicals. I think this gives the book credibility, as the reader can start from the assumption that a beautiful, healthy yard is the goal...an organic lawn is not assumed or allowed to be a substandard lawn.

I bought this book elsewhere and just got it today, and I must say its great. It breaks down everything you need to know, from soil prep, pesticides, weeds (included diagrams of weeds and pests), irrigation, fertilizers, etc. The information overall is detailed and easy to read. As another reviewer stated, it does follow a logical course. In the back is a list of organic companies that sell a variety of products. It also has a basic timetable of what you need to do for the first 3 years.

The ONLY flaw I could see is that this book is an overall national one. By that I mean its not location specific. They discuss topics and how it affects different grasses in the north and south, but if you want a geographic specific, this book won't do, but its still great to get. I am in FL and the University of Florida puts out a FL lawncare book, only its organic section is 2 pages. I'd supplement this book on Organics to a more location specific if you want some detailed info.

Also, the organic fertilizers doesn't include Cornmeal, but does mention Corn Gluten Meal. It would have been nice to include CM too. However, consider CM the same as CGM only without the preemergence weed properties.

I highly recommend the book.

I have to admit, I first looked into organic lawn care for not-so-noble reasons. I have a pool in my backyard, which means that using any nitrogen-rich fertilizer back there risks getting nitrates in the pool water, which is a big no-no for pool owners. I hoped that organic lawn care could provide me with a way to care for my backyard without endangering the pool water. That's not to say that I didn't care about the environment; it just wasn't my first priority.

However, in reading this book, I've become downright enthusiastic about, not just helping the environment, but having a great yard *while* helping the environment. As other reviewers noted, the author does not ask us to settle for inferior lawns in order to help the environment. He is passionate about having a great lawn -- and doing it the right way.

There are essentially two ways to get great looking lawns: treat it with chemicals, or follow the organic route described in this book. They can both produce great looking lawns, but there is a difference. I liken the comparison to making a person look better through either plastic surgery or exercise. Plastic surgery is fast and can have some incredible results, though it does nothing to improve the actual health of the person. Whereas exercising can probably get to the same end, though with a bit more effort, especially at the beginning. However, even though the results may look similar, underneath the person who has been exercising is stronger, fitter, and more able to cope with the physical stresses of life. Similarly, with a bit more effort (at least, at the beginning), an organically cared-for lawn can look great and be healthier and stronger than a chemically cared-for lawn.

I'm ditching the remainder of my Scott's Four-step weed-and-feed lawn care process and embarking on *really* caring for my lawn. Thank you Paul Tukey for opening my eyes!

PS - as an added bonus, I *can* care for my lawn organically without endangering my pool water.

I run a tree maintenance firm in my hometown. I have begun to deal in turfcare, since trees and turf are generally at odds with each other in the urban landscape. This book reflects my own philosophy of "take care of the soil and the soil will take care of the rest". It only falls short in that tree care is not mentioned at all, and to truly maintain an organic balance, both lawn and woody ornamental plants should be considered in as equal parts in a plant health care program.

I've read quite a few books on organic lawn care, and this one is by far the best. It goes over everything you need to have a healthy, good-looking organic lawn. It contains tons of illustrations and easy to read summaries, as well as entertaining writing. It covers grass anatomy, building good soil, starting a lawn from scratch, overseeding, switching to organic fertilizers, watering the lawn, organic pest control, organic weed control, effective mowing, grass alternatives, and how to make it all low maintenance. It even includes an appendix on games you can play on your new lawn. I keep pulling this book out time and time again as I work on my lawn. The things I use the most are what organic fertilizers are equivalent to the chemicals recommended by a formal soil test, the lawn care calendar, and how to make compost tea so that it is aerobic and contains the most beneficial microbes for your soil.

The book is easy and enjoyable to read. The instructions are easy to put into practice. I now have the best lawn I've ever had (in over 30 years of maintaining lawns). I'm spending less money than I did on my old "chemical lawns" and maintaining this beautiful lawn takes less maintenance.

When I began following this book, I was REALLY skeptical. It just seemed like all of this was "too good to be true" but I tried it anyway. My lawn had been maintained chemically for many years and had deteriorated as described in the book. It had a weak root system, had been susceptible to some disease problems, and insect issues.....it had simply atrophied over the "chemical years" of pouring on the toxins. I was working harder and spending more money, while getting diminishing returns on my efforts. It was EXACTLY as described in the book.

Now I am VERY proud of the beautiful lawn that I have. It is low maintenance (certainly MUCH less maintenance than when I was using chemicals to artificially keep my lawn going). The children can play on the lawn without cancer causing chemicals endangering them.

I suspect that some day, all lawns will be organic and we'll all wonder why in the heck we ever used the chemicals. The chemical lawns were never needed in the first place.......a waste of time, money and resulted in a lawn that is not as beautiful as an organic one. I think of it as artificially trying to support something that is MUCH better in it's own natural ecosystem.

The book is fantastic. It's methods work. Period.

Whether it's the pictures or the easy reading style this book has become my goto book for getting my new lawn up and running without chemicals. Anyone just getting into it should find this book an excellent introduction to chemical free lawns.

Only drawback, the book is really an introduction. So for example if you really want to dive into creating different compost tea recipes or different ways to brew them, you would need to get another book.