Whether you look out over an expansive lawn or a tiny patch of grass, it’s important to know the best methods for maintaining your green domain. And before you start the typical, ritual chemical applications — you might just want to consider making 2011 the year you go organic (if you’re not there already).

To obtain and maintain a beautiful lawn, some folks hire expert caretakers, many do the basics and hope for the best, while others may crave a small yard and limit their task to what’s called “square-foot gardening.” Whatever your pleasure, here is some lawn-care advice from local gardening expert John Deal, owner of Deal’s Landscaping Service, Inc., 3454 Dayton-Xenia Road in Beavercreek.

“Square-foot gardens are becoming very popular these days,” Deal said. “They are, basically, raised beds that are usually about 4-feet square. You build a border around it with decorative, concrete blocks that you sit on. Then you can garden sitting down and you can reach into it half-way all around, so you never have to actually get into the garden itself.”

But whichever garden path you choose — be it large or small, professionally maintained or do-it-yourself — Deal stresses the importance of starting off on the right foot. First of all, a nice, lush lawn “does not need chemicals to flourish,” he said.

“It’s been slow going until about the last two or three years,” said Deal, whose business has been organic since 1989. “Now I see it growing. The mindset is finally changing and people are starting to see all the advantages of getting off of all the harmful oil and chemical products.”

Here are the basics on how to get that gorgeous yard you’ve always wanted:

Aerate and over seed

Aerating is digging deep into the ground with machines to pull out plugs so the soil gets air and the roots can breathe better. The plug material drops back down onto the lawn, then rain “melts the soil” and you get rid of the soil compaction. Then when you seed, the new seeds drop into the holes and have a better chance this way.

The soil in this area has a lot of clay in it, so aerating it is really important, Deal says. Aerate your lawn and then over seed it; you can’t seed too much. Do this in the spring or fall. If you have a really bad lawn, you can either dig deep or start over, but if you’re starting over, do it in the fall.

When you seed, you also have to make sure you choose the proper seeds for your area, and even for your particular yard. And if you’re starting from scratch, for example, with new construction, you will want to prepare the soil - loosen it - plow or till it, get the rocks out, etcetera; and then seed it really well. The grass will germinate and you will get some weeds too for the first couple of years. But as the grass growth thickens - it will eventually crowd out the weeds.

Apply corn gluten

To have a nice lawn, it’s important to apply corn gluten. Corn gluten meal is a by-product of the milling process, and is a natural, organic way to help with weed control. It’s called a natural, pre-emergence herbicide because it prevents the weed roots from forming but has no bad effects on the rest of the lawn that’s already established. Corn gluten contains nitrogen too, so it’s a great natural fertilizer. This should really be done by the first week of April, so keep this in mind for next year.

Fertilize

Try using a certified organic, manure-based fertilizer this year. Many companies call their products “organic,” but many of these are not “certified organic,” Deal said. Deal’s uses liquid seaweed for all summer applications.

It’s not for nitrogen, but it is rich in nutrients that are needed. “We use liquid seaweed once a month, all summer.” We spray everything — lawn, shrubs, evergreens, vegetable gardens and flower gardens — with liquid seaweed. A little bit of it goes a long way, he noted.One gallon is good for about 100,000 square feet.

Mulch

For mulching around lawn and garden areas this year, try using organic mulch. If you’re worrying about smells, remember- “all mulches have an odor — organic and chemical alike.” When it first goes down, it’s generally warm and moist. Within a few hours of application, once fertilizers cool and dry out, the smell should dissipate. Organic mulch is not that bad anyway, said Deal, “it’s sort of like a stale ocean smell.”

Mow

Deal advises mowing your lawn often, especially in the spring. Mowing frequency and mower blade height can vary with the weather and grass type. And, contrary to popular belief, “leave the clippings on the lawn. Clippings help protect the grass from the hot sun of summer, control moisture loss, and return nutrients back to the soil as they break down. Deal’s web site, via the Ohio State Extension Office, offers this handy tip sheet on the best times and ways to trim your green domain: http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/1000/1190.html.

Water

If it hasn’t rained in a week or so, you’ll want to deep water your lawn, Deal said. Deep watering is watering for a couple of hours straight. If you only water for 20 minutes or so, it will evaporate. And always water early or late, never in the hottest part of the day.

Pests and weeds

There are a few organic pesticides on the market that will take care of or deter pests, such as animals and insects. But as far as true weed killers (herbicides) go — they’re all chemical, said Deal, although the landscape company does testing and keeps up with the latest research on this subject. But, organically speaking, “a well-maintained and healthy lawn is the best defense against weeds and insects.

“One of the biggest differences between using chemicals and organics,” Deal noted, is that “chemicals feed the grass, but organics feed the soil so the grass grows better. If you check a lawn that’s been treated with chemicals, you will find few or no earthworms or any of the micro-organisms that are needed in the soil. But if you swing by our place (or any organic garden center) and you run your hands through the big mounds of soil there, they are fertile and loose — full of worm castings, mushrooms, vermiculite, sand, top soil and cow manure — it’s the richest soil around.”

Christine Klinger is a Dayton freelance writer and photographer. She can be reached at christine klinger@earthlink.net.