ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY LAWN CARE
helping people plant right, water less and garden more
Different soils and microclimates make a one-size-fits-all approach to lawn care difficult, but here are some general strategies that can help keep both your lawn and the environment healthier.
Irrigate efficiently. Cool season grasses never go dormant and require year round irrigation. Cool season choices such as Tall Fescue are popular in the west because of their ability to stay green year round. This makes correct irrigation techniques one of the most important aspects of lawn care, so it’s covered in a separate irrigation article.
Mow to the correct height. When you mow your lawn, you reduce its leaf surface area, so your lawn has to work harder to photosynthesize and take in the nutrients that it needs. Higher mowing heights and maintaining sharp mower blades helps the grass recover from the stress of mowing. Generally, cool season grasses which are green year round, should be mowed to a height of 2” – 3”. Another option is to follow the 1/3 rule – for example, if your grass is 3” tall, don’t mow more than an inch. Mowing too frequently, too closely, or mowing more than 1/3 of the height of the grass blades are all factors that contribute to lawn stress and increase the possibility of disease.
Fertilize. Lawns require nitrogen to stay green. Because nitrogen is water soluble, meaning anything not used by the grass will be washed away when you water, it must be periodically added to keep the lawn green. To minimize environmentally harmful runoff, choose a slow release fertilizer which can longer, don't over apply and avoid over-watering your lawn. For cool season grasses, nitrogen is most effectively applied when the grass is actively growing, in the spring and early fall.
An environmentally friendly alternative to a nitrogen fertilizer is to apply a thin layer of compost to the lawn in the spring and early fall.
Use a Mulching Lawnmower. Mulching mowers leave grass clippings on the lawn. Known as grass recycling, this practice returns nitrogen to the soil, reducing the need to fertilize, thereby minimizing landfill dumping. If you are following the 1/3 rule of mowing, the clippings should not be unsightly. Grass recycling allows you to do less work (no grass clippings to bag up and haul away), benefit the environment (less to the landfill) and have a healthier lawn (less fertilizer) in one easy step.
Aerate. Compacted or clay soils require aeration to stay healthy. This is done by using a coring aerator, which brings up small cores of dirt that are left on the surface. This allows air and roots down into the soil, improving the health of your lawn’s roots. Tools that simply punch holes in the soil may help with water retention, but also tend to compact the soil. Aeration can also help minimize problems with thatch.
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> DESIGN
Just getting started? The landscape Design Center has articles and advice on planning your garden, including lawn substitutes and alternatives, low water plant combinations, habitat gardening and more, plus authors' links to landscape design websites and blogs that specialize in sustainable design.
> INSTALL
Ready to turn your ideas into a garden? The Installation Center has information on irrigating your landscape and planting techniques.
> MAINTAIN
Now that the garden is in, how do you keep it looking its best? The Maintenance Center has articles on keeping your garden happy and healthy over time.
