Compost tea can quench your lawn's thirst this spring

Spring is here, and for Storey Slone that means it's time to mix compost tea.

Slone works in organic lawn care for Dave Leonard Tree Specialists. Compost tea is a lawn application that contains plant growth compounds and beneficial microorganisms that condition soil without the use of man-made chemicals.

Leonard, a well-known Lexington arborist, said he was drawn to lawn care after seeing a cluster of red oaks with leaves curled up "just like a fist."

The culprit was the toxic turf chemicals being used in the area, he said.

"I asked, 'Which would you rather have, dandelions or red oaks?'" Leonard said.

Organic lawn care can be a little more expensive than the standard fertilizer with a sock of chemical weed and pest control, but it also has a different focus, Leonard said. A base price for the Leonard program is about $65 per thousand square feet per treatment, plus $55 for soil amendments (first year cost only). The number of visits varies according to the program selected.

While some Lexington-area lawn care companies offer an organic program as an option with or without add-in chemical weed control, at the Leonard company which offers two all-organic lawn care plans organic lawn care is the preferred route.

Organic lawns can take several years to fully establish, but the goal is to feed the soil for the long term, with probiotics that help aerate the lawn and reduce compacted soil. Nourishing the soil helps the lawn squeeze out pesky intruders such as nutsedge, the wide-bladed weed that seems to tower over grass immediately after mowing. Also, it helps give grass deeper roots so that it can withstand weather stresses, Leonard said.

Nutsedge thrives in poorly drained, compacted soils, Slone said.

"A lot of these yards are just sterile," Leonard said. "We know for longevity you want an organic lawn. ... If you improve the soil you get a better lawn. Spraying it with a quick-release fertilizer does not improve the soil."

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Compost tea can quench your lawn's thirst this spring