Organic lawn care sounds like a great idea, right?

Do you want to be gentle to the earth? Of course!

Do you want fewer chemicals entering the  groundwater? Definitely!

Do you want green, healthy grass, hardly any weeds, and fast results?

Absolutely! But getting great results doesn't come without its own concerns.

What do we mean? Let’s take a look.

First Things First: What Is Eco-Friendly Lawn Care?

Unlike most professional lawn care, a truly organic, or eco-friendly lawn care program, doesn’t contain any added synthetic weed and insect controls or fertilizers. A main element is the use of compost or manure as fertilizer.

Fun fact: maybe the most famous organic lawn care product comes from right here in Wisconsin. If you live in Milwaukee, you’re part of it. Literally.

Manufactured by the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, Milorganite is composed of heat-dried microbes that have digested the organic matter in Milwaukee’s wastewater. Yes, by “organic matter” we mean poop.

Using large-scale processes that mimic nature, microbes digest the nutrients found in the water. The cleaned water is returned to Lake Michigan while the microbes are kiln-dried into small fertilizer pellets.

Organic Lawn Care Results: Let’s Be Honest

What’s the number one thing you want from a lawn care program? Results, right?

Are you OK with weeds in your lawn? (Usually the answer is no.)

Are you willing to wait a while for organic lawn care results? Like, several years?

Wait, what?

Does Organic Lawn Care Work? How Patient Are You? 

Organic fertilizer takes a long time to break down, much longer than traditional fertilizer. Plants absorb synthetic fertilizer much more quickly, so you get faster results — a greener, healthier lawn sooner.

Organic Weed Control? Sorry, No Such Thing

There’s no true organic weed control. Weeds are just too tough.

There are things you can do to make your lawn thicker and healthier so it resists weeds, like mow higher and aerate and overseed once or twice a year.

But there’s no organic weed killer that will get rid of your weeds.

RainMaster customers on a professional lawn care program typically start to see weeds curl up and die 7 to 14 days after we treat them.

Every weed-killing product works at a different rate, and some weeds take longer to disappear than others. Extra stubborn weeds might take a month to die back, or take multiple treatments over time.

Organic Lawn Care vs. Organic-Based: An Important Difference

RainMaster customers get an organic-based fertilizer.

That means it starts with the good qualities of organic fertilizer — organic matter — but it also includes important nutrients to help your lawn thrive, like potassium, nitrogen, and iron.

When you add these extra nutrients, you can tweak the fertilizer formula to meet different lawn needs. You can also adjust the time the fertilizer takes to release.

Types of Lawn Care Programs: Know What You're Getting

Words matter. Some lawn care companies say their fertilizer is organic-based, but they’re not quick to clarify that it isn’t totally organic. Just partially.

It’s easy for a customer to just hear the “organic” part and think they’re getting completely eco-friendly lawn care.

Don’t be misled. It’s not an organic lawn care company if it uses an organic-based product that includes synthetic control products and fertilizers.

Here’s a clue: Did they spray for weeds or apply materials for insects? Then you’re likely not getting organic lawn care. As we explained earlier, there’s no real organic versions of these products that actually work.

Why an Organic Lawn Care Program Costs More

Your lawn needs three or four times the amount of organic fertilizer to equal the same amount of synthetic fertilizer.

That means several hundred pounds of organic fertilizer for just one treatment.

So, if it’s organic and it’s done correctly, it should cost you significantly more.

If there’s not a considerable cost difference, that should be a red flag. All that material requires transportation, storage, and labor to apply it.

Lawn care trucks only hold so much, so crews have to drive back and forth several times a day to reload.

That means extra fuel and emissions. If you’re looking for eco-friendly lawn care because of environmental concerns, this is something to consider.

What Does Professional Lawn Care Include?

A great, comprehensive professional lawn care program includes everything your lawn needs to be healthy and thrive:

Food For Your Hungry Lawn

Look for a lawn care program that uses granular fertilizer. It's more expensive than the liquid stuff, but it breaks down slowly, giving you consistent benefits from fertilization.

Look for blends that also contain organic nutrients, which give your lawn that beautiful, deep green color and help your soil.

RainMaster uses premium, professional-grade formulations of granular fertilizer. Not every lawn care service in Eau Claire WI or Minneapolis MN does.

A Real War Against Weeds

What does professional lawn care include? Weed control that works. Weed killer needs to happen multiple times a year. Different weeds grow at different times throughout the seasons.

That’s why you get five visits throughout the year in our comprehensive lawn care programs.

Great lawn care in Minneapolis, MN & Eau Claire, WI means investing in a complete, proactive lawn care program that includes both weed-preventative and curative treatments from early spring to late fall.

Get Those Grubs

The key to controlling grubs is to kill them before they hatch and begin to cause damage to your lawn.

RainMaster customers get an application of Grub Guard right away in the spring during our first visit.

Then, you’re all set. Our product lasts throughout the entire growing season. And it won’t kill bees like the cheaper products most other companies use.

Bonus: You Get Great Lawn Advice

What does professional lawn care include? It should include skilled and experienced pros who share helpful lawn care tips and know how to diagnose lawn care problems before you even notice anything’s wrong.

Our technicians are trained professionals, so they catch things early — before they turn into ugly, worrisome, and expensive problems that can keep your grass from being as healthy as possible.

We Care About the Environment, Too

You want a healthy green lawn, but you care about the rest of the environment, too.

We’re in this together.

We don’t just blanket your lawn with control materials if it doesn’t really need it. Maybe all you need is a targeted spot treatment that will take care of that pesky problem area that drives you crazy.

No overkill.

And the fertilizers you get are phosphorus-free, to protect our precious waterways.

Trust Your Lawn Care to RainMaster

Does organic lawn care work?

Not well enough. So we don’t offer it.

It just doesn’t provide the results that our customers expect and that we want to deliver.

You choose from three different levels of lawn care programs, based on the results you’d like, how fast you want to see results, and your budget. 

When you’re ready to put your trust in us, we can’t wait to meet you — and help you make the best choices for your lawn.

Ready for real lawn care results? Request a quote today! We'll review your lawn care options together so you can make a great choice. Then, you can finally enjoy your lawn without the weekend work!