The jump point is usually May first, across the majority of the United States (including MA). While fertilization earlier than that using organics isn't going to cause a problem, there's no real reason to. The lawn doesn't need it if you winterized. If you didn't winterize, a weak fertilization when growth resumes might not be a bad idea. Half rate on Milorganite or around 7 to 8 pounds of soybean meal per thousand will do it fine. Then feed normally May 1-May 20th. But it also wouldn't be an error to just wait for May. The grass will manage. Time between fertilizations...variable. Post May, I won't feed until August again. The grass doesn't need summer fertilization. Although again, done organically, it's not a problem. It's just not strictly necessary. Fall is the season to hit it hard. I feed monthly August to October, which starts to release three weeks post feeding. After that, winterize when it's time and call it a year. Southern grasses will differ as their growth tendencies differ. Northern lawns are more cyclic. Feeding like that means you never run out of nitrogen and rarely, if ever, see signs that the lawn can use a feeding (if you do, it happens in late April when you're already thinking about it anyway).

You might try posting your question to the bog garden forum where "dendy" originally posted. You could also try searching on this forum (pond and aquatic plants)for "bog" or "bog filters". Be sure to read through all the posts and follow any links provided-- they often lead to other good info &/or photos. Not sure if my bog filter is anything like you are wanting, but I'm including the link, just in case. Good luck, Sherry Here is a link that might be useful: bog filter

I have a spot which sounds very similar to yours, without the woods behind. The mower marks, poor grass growing, weeds, puddles of water, & the consistent wetness are/were exactly the same. In my case it was a man-made depression to handle run-off from 6 houses in my subdivision to a large drain located in the corner of my back yard. There is a 2nd drain just outside my property by a few inches on the other side for the houses on that side to drain into. My yard is quite sloped side to side and front to back with a bit of extra dropoff just before the drain area. There was no possibility of raising the elevation or using the lasagna method. Here's what we did. We left the lowest part alone, except for digging out a bit here and there to direct the flow a bit. We added some gravel, some 2 inch egg rock, and a few semi-big rocks to make it more attractive, making a sort of dry creek, which isn't all that dry. This rock/gravel area also serves as a pathway through the area when it's dry enough. We added a couple of smaller sideways gravel paths so we can get in and work in the area as well. These don't actually handle water, but they look like they could & we tried to keep them as natural looking as possible by meandering the paths a bit and putting rocks at strategic points. We also have a few areas where we use large flat rocks for crossing. Any green stuff that intrudes into this area is cleared out by using Round-up once or twice a year. This area is a really small portion of the whole & we tried to keep it as small as possible (narrow paths etc.) & quite simple (Round-up) because rock hauling & weed removal from rocks is for people much younger than us! In the rest of the area we used a modified lasagna method. We used newspapers (6-8 pages dampened) and put down over it a small layer of dirt, mixed with bagged Humus and Manure, and covered it with a 2 inch layer of mulch, trying hard not to raise the elevation more than a little bit & start a war with our neighbors (all at a slightly higher elevation than us & them wanting to keep it like that). We did the work in the fall and let it go for the season. It looked neat and needed no more mowing, with only a moderate leaf cleanup off the rocks (pushed onto the mulched areas). Over the winter I developed a plan to add shrubs to the area, checking books & catalogs for things that can tolerate both wet and clay. I decided to plant only small bareroot shrubs, 12, 18, 24 inches tall, because I had no faith in anything actually being able to live in this spot. I settled on Variegated Red Twig dogwood which I bought locally as small shrubs & Itea, Clethra, a cutleaf Sambucus, & Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) that I bought as whips through a catalog. In addition, I purchased a couple of Emerald Arborvitae shrubs locally for some Evergreen color near the back center of the garden on higher ground. I also bought inexpensive (no cultivar name) starts of things like Ostrich Fern, water Iris, & Cardinal flower from a catalog and added a few plants from the pond section of the local nursery, plus moved a few astilbes (that I didn't like the color of) from another part of the garden. To my surprise most everything took quite well. Since that time (more than 5 years ago) I have tried different shrubs and perennials, pulled out a lot of things that got too big too fast, & had a great deal of fun with my "wet" garden. I have no idea if it would ever have qualified as a bog or a fen - but it was certainly wet enough. I have found that a lot of things will grow in the area and on the edges of the area. It never has to be mowed, there aren't any mower ruts anymore, it doesn't need watering, there isn't even much standing water anymore, and it's quite lovely. BTW, local landscapers, 5 of them, had been brought in to look at the yard during the summer before we did this work - none would give us an estimate (no way to get heavy equipment into the yard) and only wanted to plant River Birches or Bald Cypress trees in the corners. They said nothing else would work. A wee bit big for my small suburban lot & wouldn't my neighbors have loved the tree branches spreading all over their yards! I'm glad we did it ourselves. There are really just so many things that love this area. Here's a few: You can't tell from the picture but behind the Lady's Mantles (themselves 2 ft tall) is a dropoff and a big drain right in front of the yellow zinnias, which are further away than they look in the picture. To the left on the top ridge of the bed is Miscanthus sinensis Strictus and to the left Hibiscus moscheutos Sweet Caroline, both huge tall plants, blocking the view into the "wet" garden, except for this peek. Behind them are various water/damp loving perennials & some small shrubs, with a mixed row of damp & clay tolerant shrubs behind them along the fence. Here's the rest of the Strictus grass and Lysimachia Alexander. The entry path to the "wet" garden is just on the left of Alexander. On the left side of this narrow path is a dwarf Meadowsweet, about the same size as Alexander on its own little island. There is another path to the left of it going the other direction to higher ground. You can also see a bit of the Ostrich fern which is actually about 5 ft back and on the far edge of the drainage ditch. Trollius, an early bloomer likes damp. The dark shrubs in the background are Physocarpus Diablo on the higher back ridge, not quite filled out yet this early in spring. Bowles Golden Sedge looks great against the Diablo foliage. Japanese Primrose (Crimson Strain) sprinkled here and there in the area. Love the color. Virginia Bluebells, one of my favorite spring ephemerals. This runs along the fence side of the bed, before the Swamp Hibiscus is even out of the ground.

I think one of the reasons folks are reluctant to switch to organic lawn care is that they think it's going to be complicated. Or more expensive. It's not. Really, the only difference is that one stops using synthetic chemical products to tend to your lawn -- all other good lawn maintenance practices remain the same. 1) Focus on the soil. Aerate regularly to reduce compaction and topdress with a thin layer of compost to renew organic matter. I recommend this be done once a year, fall being my preferred season. 2) Mow high and often, removing no more than 1/3 of the blades at any time. Most cool season lawns should be maintained at about 3". This length will shade out weeds and conserve soil moisture, reducing the need for frequent irrigation. 3) Grasscycle -- use a mulching mower. Studies have shown that grasscycling or returning the clippings to the lawn does not contribute to thatch build-up....quite the opposite, it reduces it. A mulching mower (most lawn mowers can be retrofitted with a mulching blade if not present) minces up the clippings into a very fine consistency that filters down through the blades to nourish the soil and thus feed the lawn. This can reduce your fertilizing needs as much as 85%. 4) Water infrequently but deeply. Most lawns require only an inch of water a week and this should be applied in only one or two applications so reset any automatic sprinkler systems to reflect this pattern. Less frequent but longer watering periods encourages deeper water penetration into the soil profile and the grass roots will follow. Deeper roots increase drought tolerance and actually decreases the needed amount of supplemental irrigation. 5) Overseed as necessary to thicken the lawn. A dense, thick lawn will successfully outcompete weed development. Remove any existing weeds manually or exercise a bit of tolerance. A completely weed-free lawn is virtually impossible to achieve but the healthier your lawn is (by following the above practices), the less likely weeds will be an issue. 6) Fertilize when necessary with a natural product - seed meals (soy, cottonseed, corn gluten), alfalfa meal, or packaged organic lawn fertilizers. These are naturally slow release products so don't expect the immediate greening you see with the chemical products. The slow release also means they don't need to be applied often, once a season is usually sufficient. Fall is the best time, especially with cool season grasses. This helps to build nutrient reserves to take your lawn through winter and give it a good start in spring. Cool season lawns want to go dormant in summer so fertilizing much or too late in spring can be stressful and counterproductive so use a very light hand in spring. Warm season grasses can tolerate a spring fert application easier. And it may take a season or two to notice a significant difference but be patient........it will happen. And do follow the basic lawn maintenance practices followed above - if you adopt these religiously, you will find the need to apply any fertilizer to your lawn is greatly reduced. I haven't needed to apply any fertilizer in years by just adhering to these practices and grasscycling with nearly every mowing.