Category: Organic Lawn Care

Why Choosing the Right Grass Seed Matters – Especially in Minnesota

Posted on | by Organic Lawns by Lunseth

At Organic Lawns by LUNSETH we believe organic lawn care is about working with nature—not against it. And that starts with understanding the unique conditions of our state and selecting the right grass seed for the job. This month we review why the right seed matters, the best types of grass seed for Minnesota lawns, and red flags about generic seed mixes.

Minnesota’s Climate: A Lawn-Care Challenge and Opportunity

Minnesota lawns face a wide range of conditions throughout the year—icy winters, wet springs, humid summers, and dry spells in between. That means your grass seed needs to be hardy, adaptable, and suited for cool-season growth.

Unlike other parts of the country, Minnesota lawns do best with cool-season grasses—varieties that thrive in spring and fall, when temperatures are milder.

Why the Right Seed Matters in Organic Lawn Care

Organic lawn care relies on building long-term soil health and resilience. The wrong seed makes achieving those goals difficult by requiring more water, more fertilizers, or more pesticides—exactly what we’re trying to avoid.

Here’s why buying the right seed pays off:

  • Reduced Weed Pressure – High-quality, allelopathic, grass seed creates a thick, healthy lawn that naturally crowds out weeds..
  • Less Watering –  low-maintenance grass species require less irrigation.
  • Stronger Roots – The right grass seed means deeper roots, which equals better drought resistance and less stress.
  • Fewer Inputs – You won’t need to add synthetic fertilizers or harsh chemicals when your lawn is already thriving.

Top Grass Types for Minnesota Lawns

Our friends at the University of Minnesota Extension Service provide excellent guidance for choosing the right grass seed for your lawn.  Here are their recommendations.

Fine fescues

This species includes 5 fescues:

  • strong creeping red (most tolerant of tree shade)
  • slender creeping red
  • hard (the most drought-tolerant)
  • Chewings (most tolerant of tree shade)
  • Sheep (lowest maintenance)

Fine fescue is drought, shade, and salt-tolerant, but doesn’t do well in extreme heat. It has lower maintenance requirements, including less irrigation, mowing, and fertilizing. But, do not mow in the summer heat. Fertilize in the fall if needed.

A mix of strong creeping red, Chewings, and hard fescue is excellent for home lawns.

Tall fescue

Tall fescue is one of the most drought-tolerant turfgrasses for Minnesota due to deep, extensive roots. And it can be used in the shade. It also tolerates wear and traffic. Be patient, though, because it has a slow spring green-up.

Make sure to purchase turf-type tall fescues for lawns. Seeding in the spring helps the grass survive winter better in the first year. Do not plant in areas that hold ice in the winter.

Beware of Cheap or Generic Seed Mixes

Not all grass seed is created equal. Many big-box store brands contain:

  • Low germination rates
  • Invasive weed seeds
  • Species that don’t perform well in Minnesota’s climate

That’s why LUNSETH always recommend buying regionally appropriate, high-quality, and preferably certified organic grass seed from trusted suppliers. Our general rules include

  • When in doubt, buy the most expensive because it’s most likely to germinate
  • Don’t buy anything that includes unknown varieties
  • Try not to buy anything that says annual because it won’t overwinter
  • Look at the back of the seed bag and follow the below guidelines:

Purity > 85%
Germination > 85%
Weed seed < 0.3%
Other crop < 0.5%
Inert matter < 8%
Date tested = within the last 9-months

 

Need Help Choosing the Right Grass Seed?

Let our team take the guesswork out of grass seed selection. Whether you’re starting a new lawn or overseeding an old one, we help homeowners choose and sow seed blends that are tailored to their soil, sun conditions, and usage needs—without compromising your organic goals. Contact the experts at Organic Lawns by LUNSETH to take the first step toward a greener, healthier, chemical-free lawn

 

Hearty and Drought Tolerant Grasses

Posted on | by Organic Lawns by Lunseth

The Twin Cities has had consistent rainfall during the summer of 2025, with many of the storms being torrential.  Research shows that this is part of a new weather pattern created by climate change, and now we’re approaching the time of year when we can go for long stretches without significant rain. But you have options to help maintain your lawn during these extreme conditions.

Weather Extremes – More Rain & More Drought

The University of Minnesota Climate Adaptation Partnership predicts that as climate change continues, “we expect more frequent and intense heavy rain events, with long dry periods in between.” They go on to say that “the length of consecutive dry days (CDD) is projected to increase more in the Midwest than in any region in the United States, up to 25% by 2100. This means that if we historically expected a dry period to last 8 days, we might expect it to last 10 days in the end of this century. We also expect a decrease in overall summer precipitation and a decrease in light rain events, but an increase in moderate and heavy rain events.

Turf Options

This is the time when our yards are getting a combination of the most intense sunlight and extreme heat of the season.  Many grasses will reach their wilting point and will go dormant under these conditions.  Luckily, grasses won’t start to die until they have 40 days of no moisture. But there are many varieties of grasses that can tolerate these environments better, leaving you with a green lawn even during drought.

The University of Minnesota Extension Service recommends tall fescue and fine fescue for Minnesota lawns.  They state that “these grasses can remain green for at least 28 days without water. Tall fescue is especially known for its heat and drought tolerance.

“Among the fine fescues, hard fescues have excellent drought tolerance. Chewings fescue and slender creeping red fescue have good to excellent drought tolerance. And strong creeping red fescues have good drought tolerance.”

Contact the experts at Organic Lawns by LUNSETH to learn how to convert your turf to a drought tolerant lawn. 

Managing Crabgrass and Other Weeds

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The Twin Cities’ excessive rainfall this year has been great for our lawns. Weeds already compete with your turfgrass during the hot months of the summer, and the spring rains gave them a jumpstart. This month we’ll help you identify the most common weeds you’re seeing and provide natural best practices to control them.

Crabgrass

The University of Minnesota Extension Service describes crabgrass as a prolific weed that survives harsh conditions through its abundant tillering (creation of shoots other than the main shoot) and seed production. One crabgrass plant can produce up to 150,000 seeds in a single season. Crabgrass seed germination occurs in the spring, when soil has an average temperature high enough to support growth. These seeds produce even more crabgrass plants over the summer.

There are steps you can take to control crabgrass:

  • The best way to control crabgrass is in the early spring, applying a pre-emergent herbicide – Corn Gluten –  before the soil temperatures reach approximately 55°F.
  • Keeping your mowing height to a minimum of 3 inches helps decrease crabgrass seed germination. 
  • One of the best strategies to combat crabgrass, and other weeds in general, is to maintain a healthy lawn.

Chickweed

Chickweed is challenging because of its ability to grow in a variety of conditions.  PennState Extension says it’s found in both high and low maintenance turf, in sunny and shaded areas, and in many different soil types. Common chickweed stems grow close to the ground then turn slightly upright, producing leaves and flowers. It’s generally classified as a winter annual. It produces shallow root systems and long, branching stems that grow prostrate along the soil surface. Seeds can germinate during spring, summer, and fall. Common chickweed produces one or two generations per year.

Common chickweed can be controlled with three to four applications of liquid iron each year. However, mouse-ear chickweed can tolerate iron applications due to the trichomes on the leaves. Improving turf density through non-chemical fertilization, regular mowing, and use of turfgrasses well-adapted to site conditions also helps. The University of California Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources provides these guidelines for natural control:

  • Nonchemical controls include hand weeding, cultivation, and adding mulch to garden beds.
  • Chickweed should be controlled before it flowers. This can be difficult due to the short period between germination and flower production. However, regular monitoring and removal of plants from the site will prevent seeds from developing and accumulating in the soil (seed bank).
  • It’s important not only to remove the plants from the ground but also to remove them from the site. Common chickweed can re-root from stem nodes in moist areas.

Chances are, you see other weeds in your lawn. Some of the most common are:

Dandelions
Dutch white clover
Ground ivy (creeping Charlie)
Quackgrass
Wild violet (common blue violet)

Following the management guidelines we provided can help manage weeds.   Contact the experts at Organic Lawns by LUNSETH to create the best organic weed control program for your yard.

How Organic Compost Tea Improves Soil Quality and the Health of your Lawn

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Organic compost tea is a water-based extract of compost that can be effectively used in organic turf management. It’s made of just two simple ingredients: compost and water. Good compost is successfully aerated, alllowing it to maintain oxygen levels necessary for aerobic functioning. It’s also necessary that the compost consists of the right balance of chemical compounds, is rich in nutrients, and contains beneficial microorganisms.

Why Have Your Lawn Treated with Compost Tea?

Organic compost tea has a number of positive effects on your lawn, including:

  • Adds nutrients to your lawn.

Compost tea contains a number of important macronutrients that are beneficial to your lawn—including magnesium and potassium, while also containing helpful micronutrients, such as iron and zinc. Applying such nutrients can boost overall soil quality.

  • Reaches important areas of your lawn.

Compost tea reaches deep into the soil, it also comes into contact with leaves, and it’s absorbed through foliar feeding.

  • Helps to control weeds.

Adding compost tea improves soil quality, which in effect discourages weed growth (notably, some weeds thrive in lawns that don’t contain a sufficient amount of nutrients).

  • Helps with repelling insects.

Compost tea can contain microbes effective against chitin, a biopolymer that forms the exoskeletons of insects; it can also improve overall plant quality in a way that makes plants less susceptible to harmful insects in the first place.

  • Helps with plant disease control:

According to the Northwest Center for Alternatives to Pesticides, compost tea has shown some promise in controlling diseases in plants when applied as root drench—helping against some soil-borne diseases.

Applying Organic Compost Tea To Your Lawn

During the application process, LUNSETH blanket applies the aerated compost tea to your entire lawn. The lawn will green up quickly, so results are seen right away. This is a great way to give your lawn a mid-season boost.

Adding compost tea to your organic lawn care plan can be an effective means of increasing microorganisms, improving your soil quality and the overall health of your lawn. By applying compost tea you can trust that you’re utilizing a safe, organic solution that excludes pesticides and synthetic chemicals.

If you’re interested in having a yard filled with color this summer, contact the experts at Organic Lawns by LUNSETH to create the best program for your yard.

Your Yard will Bloom All Season with Pollinator Friendly Plants

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This summer and fall you can have continuous blooms when you design your landscape with native plants.The Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources has a great publication that explains how native plants are the prefered food sources of pollinators and – with the right plan – provide a yard full of color until the first frost. Here are their recommendations.

Most pollinators are adapted to native plant communities. Which is why native plantings provide the best support for native pollinator species.

  • Continuous bloom throughout the growing season helps ensure pollinators have food when they need it. This allows them to conserve energy by not having to travel long distances when blooms are scarce. Include an assortment of flower colors, sizes, shapes and scents to attract a variety of pollinators.
  • Grouping plants together looks amazing and can help pollinators find and access resources more easily. It also is a way to create a sense of order in your planting
  • Buy Locally Produced Native Plants: this helps protect nearby native plant communities and provides plant species that are sure to be compatible with local insect populations. (see plant lists and Wild Ones resources)

Where you buy your plants is very important. Some nurseries treat their plants with insecticides and fungicides that are harmful to pollinators in your garden.

  • Best Selections: LUNSETH can provide information on specific plant species that provide excellent pollen and nectar resources for native bees, monarchs, and other pollinators.

LUNSETH also recommends the best plants for your landscape based on your site conditions (soil, water, light, space). Our installations are planted with growth in mind. They will look great on installation and fill in over time to look better and better every year.

If you’re interested in having a yard filled with color this summer, contact the experts at Organic Lawns by LUNSETH to create the best program for your yard.

Maintaining New Lawns

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Last month we reviewed the process for a sustainable lawn renovation.  This month we provide tips to give your new yard its best chance of thriving. The University of Maryland Extension provides excellent guidance.

Watering

  • Once seed germination has begun do not let the seed dry out
  • A newly seeded lawn requires daily watering during dry periods. 
  • If there’s a stretch of windy and dry days, your grass may require several light waterings a day.
  • Sandy soils dry out quickly, require more watering, and using a light mist is best.
  • Mature grass seedlings require less frequent watering, but they should be watered longer when you do.
  • It’s best to water earlier in the day so the grass does not remain wet overnight.

Mowing

  • Mowing lawns too short or infrequently causes grass to become susceptible to drought injury, weed infestations (especially crabgrass), and foot traffic injury.
  • Mow new turf when it reaches a height one-third higher than your normal mowing height. Usually this is four to six weeks after seeding.
  • Remove only one-third of the grass’s height in each following mowing. Removing too much of the leaf blade at each cutting stresses the new lawn.
  • Soil should be dry enough so that ruts are not formed by the wheels of the lawnmower.
  • Mowing typically needs to be done on a weekly basis during the growing season.

Fertilizing

  • Follow-up applications of fertilizer are made as part of a regular maintenance program.  
  • Organic Lawns by LUNSETH’s organic fertilizer solution provides a proven alternative to chemically-based lawn care — delivering a number of benefits that aren’t possible when treating your lawn synthetically. Being 100% organic means our fertilizers contain a purely balanced food source and do not feature synthetic chemicals that can be detrimental to your health and harsh on your lawn. By hiring us to apply our 100% OMRI-certified organic fertilizer to your lawn, your grass won’t just look great, it’ll be healthy in a way that’s very environmentally advantageous.

Weeds

  • Weeds have been resting all winter and can’t wait to shoot through and start growing.  Thin or bare soil areas combined with sunlight and warm soil temperatures create a perfect opportunity for germination of many of our annual weeds. 
  • These weed seeds aren’t just perennials that lay dormant over the winter. They can be blown in by the wind or be carried in by our bird friends. Early spring is the time to start looking for these intruders and taking steps to reduce their spread. 
  • Read LUNSETH’s Blog Post, “Handle Spring Weeds Now or Pay the Price Later”, to learn about some of the most common weeds we see in Minnesota, along with our tips for getting them under control.

Traffic

  • Young seedlings are easily injured. Newly seeded areas should be restricted from foot traffic for a least a month after the seed has germinated or until the new lawn has been mowed at least a couple of times. 

If you’re interested in having a lush, organic lawn, contact the experts at Organic Lawns by LUNSETH to create the best program for your yard.

Organic Weed Control using Corn Gluten

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Corn gluten is an effective pre-emergent weed control that can prevent many annual weeds, like crabgrass, over time. 

Corn gluten is a byproduct of the wet-milling process of corn.  Organic Lawns by LUNSETH uses non-GMO, organic corn gluten meal (CGM).

The protein in the corn gluten acts on germinating seeds to inhibit root growth.

Corn gluten also contains 10% nitrogen by weight and has a slow-release fertilizing effect when applied to home lawns.

25% control of new weeds can be achieved in the first year; 50% in the second year; and 75% control by the third year. This is due to the reduction in weed seeds and from the effect of nitrogen in the corn gluten increasing the lawn’s density.

Timing and application rates greatly affect the success of corn gluten meal.  The best time to apply corn gluten is in the early spring.  Heavy rates are necessary for weed prevention.

Preparing Your Lawn Before Applying CGM

Before CGM can be applied to your lawn and work in an effective manner, it’s important that some preparation occurs.

A spring cleanup that can include raking leaves and cleaning up debris such as fallen tree limbs and sticks. The product needs to get to the soil to work, thus removing debris in the lawn is an important first step.

CGM & Seeding

Just as it does for weeds, a CGM application can inhibit grass seed germination.

  • If you’re planning to seed the lawn yourself, you should allow 3-to-4 weeks before CGM is applied.
  • If you’re planning to seed after CGM is applied, it’s important you wait 3-to-4 weeks after the CGM application to seed to ensure successful germination.
  • You can seed immediately after the corn gluten meal if you provide a barrier to avoid conflict.  Sowing seed into ¼” layer of new topsoil or compost will work to create this barrier and ensure successful germination. 

If you have a question using corn gluten on your yard or would like help getting your yard ready for spring and summer, contact the experts at Organic Lawns by LUNSETH.

Identifying and Controlling Grub Damage

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Chances are you’ve got some – or a lot of – grub damage this year. We’ve addressed this issue in a number of communities throughout the Twin Cities the past few years. How do you know if you’ve got grubs or not?  Our friends at the University of Minnesota’s Turfgrass Science Department have excellent guidelines in their recent newsletter.

Identifying Grub Damage

There are several indications that white grubs are damaging your lawn. These include:

  • Irregular patches of dead or dying grass that resemble drought stress.
  • Early signs of a white grub infestation are apparent when an irrigation system has been running or we have had regular rainfall and the drought symptoms are still present.
  • Moderate grub damage involves observing dead or dying turf with little to no roots when pulling on the turf.
  • More severe white grub damage is sometimes not caused by the grubs themselves, but by animals like racoons and skunks turning over the turf to feed on the grubs.

Controlling Grubs

What can you do about grubs? The good news is there are very effective organic solutions to get them under control. The Turfgrass newsletter references a biological insecticide, GrubGone (Baccilus thuringiensis galleriae), as the only known biological insecticide to work effectively. It works as a preventative treatment and needs to be applied in advance of a white grub infestation. 

You can find additional information about controlling grubs from our friends at #universityofminnesotaextension  Or, contact LUNSETH for a quote on our grub control services. We’ve helped people all around the Twin Cities get their grub damage under control.

Handle Spring Weeds Now or Pay the Price Later

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Weeds have been resting all winter and can’t wait to shoot through and start growing.  You probably already know that when they do, they start growing – well – like weeds!  This often happens so fast that by the time you try to get rid of them, they’ve already taken over.  Thin or bare soil areas combined with sunlight and warm soil temperatures create a perfect opportunity for germination of many of our annual weeds. 

These weed seeds aren’t just perennials that lay dormant over the winter. They can be blown in by the wind or be carried in by our bird friends. Early spring is the time to start looking for these intruders and taking steps to reduce their spread.  Below are some of the most common weeds we see in Minnesota. Along with our tips for getting them under control.

Crabgrass

Crabgrass is a summer annual that germinates inthe early spring and dies in the fall. The seeds germinate when soil

 temperatures reach about 55°F. Crabgrass can often be found along sidewalks and driveways because the proximity to asphalt and concrete allows the soil to heat up much faster. Areas of the lawn that are south-facing and have full exposure to the sun may also see more crabgrass than other areas. It is a warm-season species that easily out-competes the cool-season grasses during the high-temperature stress periods of midsummer. It is easily recognized by its distinctive seedhead, which looks like protruding fingers, thus its Latin name Digitaria (digits, or fingers). The seedhead branches from multiple locations on the seed stalk. This grass has a rolled vernation, and smooth crabgrass can be purple near the base. 

Crabgrass is generally controlled with preemergence herbicides that are applied before the seeds germinate. Organically, you can control crabgrass with an early and heavy application of corn gluten meal, aiming to get it down before the soil temperatures reach 55°F (3-years to achieve the best suppression).  There is no organic post-emergent control for crabgrass, but synthetic herbicides containing Quinclorac can kill it.


Prostrate Knotweed  

Prostrate knotweed looks a little like prostrate spurge, but it is easy to distinguish the two. The knotweed has symmetrical leaves that are arranged in an alternating pattern along the length of its runner. It also lacks the milky sap that is typical of the spurge. The knotweed germinates very early in the spring and can sometimes be found peeking through as the snow melts. It was identified at its earliest this year at the Turfgrass Research Center, in February! It looks a little like grass when it first emerges, and is sometimes mistaken for emerging crabgrass. The knotweed will usually show up six to eight weeks or even more, before crabgrass.

Prostrate knotweed can be controlled with pre-emergent weed control, but if it is applied early enough to control this species, it will lose its effectiveness before the later germinating species, such as goosegrass. Multiple applications of a synthetic post-emergent herbicide can have little effect. Knotweed is a sign of soil compaction, and it is usually found in compacted areas along sidewalks or in other heavily trafficked areas. Relieving the compaction through aeration and following other sound management techniques to produce a healthy lawn are generally the best way to handle knotweed.


Oxalis

Yellow woodsorrel (better known as oxalis and shamrock), is an annual or a weak perennial in northern regions of the United States. It is easily recognized by its three-part leaf with distinct heart-shaped leaflets and its yellow flowers with five petals. It germinates in midsummer and often becomes a problem in August.

This species can be controlled with pre-emergent herbicides, but its late germination makes it difficult to control in this manner. Selective post-emergent herbicides can control it, but these applications need to be applied carefully to prevent damage to desirable plants during the warmer part of the summer. Three to four applications of chelated iron would be needed to control it. This weed is easy to hand pull, as it does not resprout from roots left behind. Proper irrigation, fertilization, and other sound management steps that keep the lawn healthy provide the best means of preventing this weed from becoming a problem.


Black Medic

Black medic is considered an annual clover, even though it is not part of the clover

genus. It has teardrop-shaped leaves clustered in groups of three, similar to clover. The flowers are small, round, and yellow. Black medic is a species that is an indication that the lawn grasses are not as competitive as they could be with proper management. It often shows up on hillsides, where water does not readily penetrate the soil, or in compacted areas.

The adoption of sound lawn management techniques, along with pre-emergent or post-emergent weed control, will provide satisfactory control of this species. Hand weeding this weed is not difficult, since it grows from a central location. One application of chelated iron will kill this weed.


Prostrate Spurge

Prostrate spurge, as its name would indicate, grows in a prostrate manner along the surface of the ground. It has leaves that are paired opposite one another along the length of its runner. The individual leaves are asymmetrical, meaning that they are not the same on both sides of the midrib. Some varieties will have a purple/red spot on the middle of the leaf. If the stem is broken, a drop of milky sap will form at the end of the broken stem. This sap can irritate the skin, so wear gloves when hand pulling this weed. Spurge and knotweed can be mistaken for each other, but knotweed does not produce a milky sap when the stem is broken and its leaves grow in an alternating pattern. Spurge generally germinates later than goosegrass, which germinates later than crabgrass.

These three species are a difficult combination to control with pre-emergent herbicides. If the herbicide is targeting crabgrass germination, it will have lost its effectiveness before the spurge germinates. Spurge can be controlled with a number of post-emergent herbicides, such as 2,4-D and MCPP, but it is risky to use these chemicals in midseason because of damage to trees and shrubs. Spurge generally germinates into open areas in the lawn, and the best way to control it is with proper cultural techniques that prevent it from becoming established.

Winter Love for Untidy Lawns & Gardens

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A yard without leaves and a garden without dead stalks sticking up all winter long brings a sense of satisfaction. But at Organic Bob we promote a love of untidy lawns and gardens. These organic materials serve to nurture the soil and also provide shelter for pollinators.

Our friends at the Pollinator Friendly Alliance explain that most pollinators stay over winter, looking for shelter in both plants and the ground. “During cold months, dead plant stems, old bark, cane, leaves, and undisturbed soil are the secret winter homes of pollinators. Leaving piles of leaves, compost or wood help all manner of creatures including salamanders, beneficial insects, and pollinators. Many solitary bees like mason bees burrow under tree bark or wood piles. Some have gorged like bears to make it through the winter; others wait in suspended animation as larvae, pupae, or eggs.

“Something you should be aware of as you begin to tidy up your garden for winter – especially burning or removing the plant stems, you may be destroying hibernating bees or bee nurseries. So, it’s important to leave plants standing until late spring when temperatures rise and nectar and pollen is available.”

If you have a question about keeping a pollinator friendly yard, contact the experts.