Want to give your lawn an advantage over heat, drought, weeds and bugs?

Set your mower to one of the highest cut settings, advise the experts from Scotts, a company known for numerous organic gardening products.

Roots will remain deep, and water will reach soil more effectively.

Longer blades of grass also:

• Crowd out weeds
• Capture more rainwater
• Reduce moisture loss from soil
• Make your lawn look greener

And while we’re on the subject, be sure to keep clippings so you can mow and feed your lawn at the same time. Clippings break down quickly, recycling nutrients back into the soil.

If clippings land on your driveway or sidewalk, return them to your lawn so they can feed it naturally.

Image Credit: Camera Lass

From heat waves to rainstorms to droughts, climate change has a significant impact on your organic lawn. 

As hundreds of communities endure record-breaking temperatures, homeowners’ lawns are stressed out—brown, weakened and dying. 

There are, however, effective ways to reduce and reverse the toll climate change takes on your yard: 

1. Top Dress. This simple technique can reap huge rewards. This spring, use a rake to spread 1/4” to 1/2” of sphagnum peat moss over your lawn. This will gradually condition your lawn throughout the year, strengthening grass so it can resist weather damage, disease, weeds and thatch. Peat moss slowly releases water and nutrients as grass plants need it, so you won't need to water or fertilize as frequently.
2. Aerate. This season, remove plugs of sod to loosen soil and allow water, air and fertilizer to reach grass plants’ root structure. For smaller yards or concentrated trouble spots in larger yards, use a manual aerating tool to remove plugs from turf. If you have an extremely large yard, consider renting a power aerator.
3. Start from Scratch. Is your lawn so far gone that you need to scrap it and start over? Proper soil preparation can help lay the groundwork—literally—for a healthier, more trouble-resistant lawn. Before you seed or lay sod, dig or rototill 2” of peat moss into the top 6 inches of soil to help provide extra protection from the elements. The next time Mother Nature unleashes weird weather, your lawn will be better equipped to cope. 

For free online brochures and educational videos, visit the Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss Association.