Brooklyn Bridge Park is proud to maintain all lawns organically, with no chemical herbicides or synthetic fertilizers. This is a complex and experimental process because turf lawns are an unnatural ecosystem – the grass is not native, the soil is compacted, and the plants are continuously cut to keep them low.
The turf team at Brooklyn Bridge Park succeeds in keeping lawns rich and verdant by creating a healthy soil ecosystem with stable populations of the symbiotic organisms that help grass grow. After evaluations, both the organisms and the grasses are fed with organic nutrients and compost tea.
The biggest challenge in maintaining the Park’s lawns is compaction. Pressure from foot traffic squeezes soil, making it hard for grass roots to grow. In order to keep lawns green, we periodically close lawns after heavy rain or following an event, we regularly close some lawns to allow them to rest. We regularly aerate, reseed, and top-dress the grass to keep the turf lush and healthy.