Question
Hi, what do you recommend to use for grub worms?
I am interested in making my yard organic!  What is the preparation for that?
Thanks!

Answer
Well, the question "What is the preparation for that?" would take a rather large book to fully explain if you are asking for the preparation of an organic lawn. It's a pretty in-depth science. If you are truly interested, then I do encourage you to do further research on the topic, just understand that there will be a year or two of learning, and trial and error.

If you are simply asking about controlling grubs, then I'll give you Lesson 1 in the C.J. Brown School of Organic Lawn Care. Expect problems. It's that simple. If organics solved all the issues we have with lawns, we wouldn't need chemicals and those companies would be in bad shape. We're making significant progress, but there is no reliable, sure fire way to control grubs organically.

Milky Spore is the most commonly sold organic grub control product. Pretty much all the research that has been done on it shows that it really doesn't do much. The next product that I might recommend you try would be Beneficial Nematodes. This is basically freeze dried microscopic worms that are parasitic to the grubs. It's a VERY finnicky product to use though, since you are essentially regenerating millions of little organisms a la Frankenstein, and spraying them into your yard. If the conditions aren't right, you could easily kill off a huge percentage of them, thereby making the investment and effort pointless. So, if you do try them out, read the label to the T, then read it again. Do NOT deviate from the specifications at all. Timing, method, and followup of your application are critical.

Even if you do the nematodes perfectly, there's always a chance that the results won't be what you were hoping for, as you are dealing with organisms, not chemicals. You can only control them to a certain point.

Organics does not offer the same results as chemical controls no matter what anyone says. That said, I STILL encourage you to proceed with your wish to go organic, just do so with realistic expectations. Otherwise, you'll end up pulling your hair out when you're putting in 2X the effort of your neighbors with 1/2 the results. That's the tradeoff. It's up to you whether or not it's worth it. I think it is.

-C.J. Brown
www.TheLawnCoach.com