Hi Richard, We have a 3 years old lawn over the newly developed subdivision( lots of clay underneath), and next to an empty lot. We are concerned about the safety issue over the using of chemicals, so is it advisable not to use any fertilizer with weedicide, so to speak, just to let it grow naturally? Many thanks,

Lawn establishment on very disturbed soils can be challenging. Lawn grasses can compete with weeds pretty well if the lawn is well established. There are organic based fertilizers on the market that you can use to avoid the inorganic fertilizers. Building up the grass plant health is very important. There are several management techiques that are easy to do. Mow your lawn when it needs it, not by the calendar. Mow your lawn higher rather than shorter. Longer blades of grass means deeper roots for drought tolerance in the hot summer. If you only fertilize once a year, do it in the fall. If you are applying fertilizer in the spring, wait till the lawn has been mowed 3 or 4 times. If you are able to water your lawn, run the water long enough to allow the soil to soak down to 3 - 6 inches if possible. this may mean taking all day on a weekend and going over the lawn more than once. This will encourage deep roots.

Good Luck!