It is a challenge to grow a healthy lawn in MD. Perspectives are changing and you may decide to tolerate some weeds, reduce your lawn area, and consider lawn alternatives.

Lawn requires constant maintenance -- even if you choose organic lawn care. Soil testing, fertilization, mowing, aeration, and overseeding are all essential practices that must be done on a regular basis to maintain a healthy lawn. This maintenance comes with costs. https://extension.umd.edu/resource/challenge-growing-lawn-maryland

Weed control can be challenging in an organic program, especially if the goal is a turfgrass lawn with no evident weeds. You will have to be able to accept a certain percentage of weeds in an organic lawn.  However, the aim should be a thick, healthy stand of grass as this is the best defense against weed encroachment.  You will have to identify the weeds you are trying to control. There are organic herbicides on the market. They don't tend to work as well as conventional herbicides and have to be applied more often. 

Here is our guidelines for an organic lawn and included is a list of questions to ask if you want to work with an organic lawn care professional. https://extension.umd.edu/resource/organic-lawn-care

 Marian

On Monday, May 24, 2021, 12:54 PM, Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:

Thank you for the photos. We notice weeds such as annual bluegrass, clover, speedwell, etc. Here are links on conditions that favor lawn weed growth https://extension.umd.edu/resource/conditions-favoring-lawn-weed-growth and tips for weed prevention https://extension.umd.edu/resource/conditions-favoring-lawn-weed-growth

Your lawn needs thickening up to help crowd out the weeds. To reduce the weeds concentrate on the health of your lawn. Test the soil (front and back lawn) results give pH, liming, and nutrient deficiencies,  mow high, leave grass clippings on the lawn, overseed (using recommended turfgrass cultivars) and fertilize in the fall to get a thick stand of turf.  You will have to overseed most likely every fall to help thicken up the lawn.  

You will have to make some decisions and there are no easy answers. You will have to decide if you want to control the weeds.  If you are okay with some of the weeds, you can core aerate, overseed, and fertilize in the fall around September. Handpull weeds. 

 If you want to keep a lawn with no weeds, then you will have to consider total lawn renovation (killing existing vegetation & turfgrass removal methods), seed or lay sod, and fertilize in the fall. If your lawn is small, you can sod. You will have to identify and stay on top of the weeds and handpull. 

See our pages on lawn renovation and overseeding and related information including grass seed, sod, fertilizing, care and maintenance after seeding, etc. https://extension.umd.edu/resource/lawn-renovation-and-overseeding 

https://extension.umd.edu/resource/lawn-fertilizing

Also, refer to organic lawn care above. 

Marian