Today I made my last attempt to manage the lawn organically. As with any "green" project this was another time consuming adventure. So I took to the clover with the flame weeder all the while paranoid that police were going to come by and fine me for not having a permit to burn. This got me wondering if flame weeding would be a "burning" activity that required a permit and if it is one those regulated activities how crazy to think people can just "willy nilly" pollute my air and the communal environment with nasty herbicides without any regulation whatsoever. Anyway this is my first summer using a flame weeder and I've learned a few things along the way. The flame weeder does not kill dandelions or plantain which are the most prolific in my lawn. Therefore over the summer my husband and I have been hand digging plantain and dandelions with the "weed hog." Today I approached the lawn recovery program first with flames hoping to extinguish most of the clover in the grass. Then I followed with the "weed hog" to get the remaining "tough" weeds. I also torched the "fairy rings" in the grass hoping to resolve that lawn phenomena. Lastly, I overseeded the lawn and watered. Now I will watch and wait for spring to see if my efforts paid off.
With all this lawn talk, one would think I'm obsessed with lawn or something. I'm really not and have actually removed much of my lawn in the past three years of owning this house. However the spaces still covered by lawn require attention to look "nice." I've been struggling the last three years to do this without chemicals or harsh fertilizers. I hope my efforts and sore back will see some rewards.
