I just purchased this house last year (June 2002) and immediately started in with an organic program. Last June I fertilized with Bioform Dry in addition to generous amount of lava sand, humite, molasses and texas green sand. I have no idea what the previous owner had going on with the lawn but it looked to be in decent shape overall - about 10% weeds with some areas that were bare near the street/sidewalk.
This year I've used powdered corn gluten meal in the first week of March. I think I was a bit late with the application this time as there seemed to be a bit more weeds in the front than I remember there being last year. Nothing that doesn't "blend in" moderately well as to be unnoticeable unless you get to within 10 feet of the lawn - acceptable in my book. Next year I'll make sure to get the CGM down a little earlier.
Next came mollases, humate, lava sand, and agricultural corn meal in late March. Areas in the front also looked to have a good amount of thatch build up all last summer as well but this year it appears to be less wide spread. Last Fall and this February I had the yard mechanically aerated to help with that and was one of the reasons I laid out a heavy dose of mollases.
The areas between the sidewalk and street seem to be having problems with water retention so I'll hand water them a bit more often than the once a week the rest of the lawn gets. One side of my lawn (split by the sidewalk up the house) is less green than the other. One difference between the two is that the greener side gets a good deal more shade during the hottest hours of the day. Not sure about how to attack that problem, but it's probably something that only I'd really notice..
In the back yard things are looking fantastic other than a few small areas where I've got bermuda grass patches. I keep hoping that the St. Augustine will crowd it out, but I think that deep watering favors bermuda's deeper roots. Might have that wrong though.. If, after this year, the St. Augustine doesn't show signs of taking over then I'll likely try replacing those areas next spring with St. Augusting sod. In my book bermuda is weed!!
Some areas, both front and back, have compacted soil still even after the mechanical aeration, plentiful watering, and all the amendments I've applied over the course of a year. As per a recommendation from Dchall, I'll soon be spreading corn meal and some of the compost I've had cooking for the last 4 months on those areas to see it that helps jumpstart some microbal activity.
This weekend (July 4th) I'll be applying more Bioform Dry fertilizer, lava sand and some mollases in the remaining areas where thatch is evident. This being my first year of an organic program with this lawn it might seem that I'm applying more than the usual amendments. Hope to decrease some elements next season.
All in all I've got one of the better looking lawns in my subdivision and I've had a number of neighbors ask me about what I do to get it that way. One neighbor is already starting to phase in an organic program of his own! Woohoo!
~Dave Cluck