Organic or DIY lawn care alternative to Scotts that is Pet Safe

[Beach_Stache]

We just got a dog (I know it's not very mustachian) and now I'm at a loss with what to do regarding lawn care.  I used to do the Scotts products and just go by the lawn app and do whatever it said.  Now with a pet I'm not sure what to do as I hear most products are not pet safe.  I can probably find a-la-cart products that do what the scotts ones do, but it probably costs a pretty penny as well.  Does anyone have any alternatives to each Scott product, or even better, a DIY product that you can make that works similar?  I realize the DIY and Organic stuff will probably not be as effective as the normal poison but I would like to get my lawn in order.  Right now the app is saying to apply the Scotts Green Max Lawn Food between April 15-May 12 and then teh GrubEx between April 15 -June 9.  Any help would be much appreciated!

[kimmarg]

ummmm try nothing. That's what I've been using for the past 5 years and my biggest issue with the lawn is it keeps growing whenever it rains and I have to mow it.

[YttriumNitrate]

With a dog, the best thing to do is nothing in my opinion. The section of grass closest to the door will be ridiculously over fertilized and (in the Midwest at least) grow super fast in the spring while being burnt to a crisp by August. Also there will be holes for random digging, plus holes to dug to pursue any subterranean rodent your new dog might hear.

[lizzzi]

+1 for doing nothing. The yard looks OK, and my dog is fine.

[JimLahey]

Look into Milorganite. It's organic and pretty safe from my understanding. Watch some YouTube videos by a guy named the Lawn Care Nut. He is an ex TruGreen employee that does lawn care videos. He loves Milorganite. I understand not wanting your yard look like shit. It's my first Spring as a homeowner and I'm trying to get mine into shape.

[The Guru]

Fertilizer: Espoma offers a line of organic fertilizers made in whole or in part from agricultural by-products. Milorganite is composted sewage sledge; as such it may or may not be strictly organic, and I believe it tends to be high in heavy metals, though probably not in high enough concentrations to hurt the pooch. At least it offers a practical way to dispose of the stuff.

Bugs: Good for you for avoiding traditional pesticides, which kill off the bad bugs (which you may not even have) and the beneficials that help aerate your soil as well. Milky spore is a biological control for Japanese beetle grubs= but that's the extent of its control.

Weeds: Corn gluten meal is a product that is supposed to control annual weeds by preventing germination. You're still stuck with perennial weeds though.

Combined, these products can produce a better lawn than what you'd get from no control at all, but it won't give the "putting green" look some homeowners covet.

[KungfuRabbit]

Green grass is one of mans worst obsessions ever.

It needs tons of water / fertilizer / fuel / chemicals / work just to look lame and pathetic.

My yard is a mixture of creeping Charlie, clover, crab grass, and some leafy stuff (the only stuff I get rid of is the spiky ones). I never water it, never fertilize it, never spray chemicals on it, I just mow it weekly. I honk it looks better than normal grass personally.

[boarder42]

Milorganite is what we use and works great.

Green grass - i was informed by my wife i do not have a choice.  So last year i came here looking for mustachian solutions.

There is a thread about it i cant find but in general its not nearly as expensive as people are indicating.

1 use milorganite as your fertilizer its cheap and stimulates root growth so needs less water. 2 applications 1 in late summer and 1 in may
2. water once maybe 2x weekly in the summer
3. cut your grass tall in the summer it helps it stay greener
4. use a winterizer fertilizer
5. put down pre emergent in early spring to preven weeds and crab grass

this all costs us less than 350 dollars a year to do once the lawn is back to health.

[MsPeacock]

Green grass is one of mans worst obsessions ever.

It needs tons of water / fertilizer / fuel / chemicals / work just to look lame and pathetic.

My yard is a mixture of creeping Charlie, clover, crab grass, and some leafy stuff (the only stuff I get rid of is the spiky ones). I never water it, never fertilize it, never spray chemicals on it, I just mow it weekly. I honk it looks better than normal grass personally.

This.

Let your grass be a little longer too. Helps choke the weeds out.  Pull weeds by hand, or spot treat them with concentrated vinegar. Don't bother with fertilization.

[Mgmny]

I just put down Weed and Feed (not scott's, but Lowe's brand), and I have a dog. For the first day or so we just kept him off the grass, but now I'm just watching him and making sure he doesn't try to eat the grass. After a week or so, i'm sure it will be so diluted down that there is no issue.