Here are a few resources you can use to have a ‘green’ yard this summer without all of the chemicals.
12 easy tips for a healthy lawn and garden:
- Fertilize naturally. Nourish the soil with compost, manure, grass clippings and/or slow-release organic fertilizers.
- Top-dress with compost. Nourish your soil by sprinkling finished compost over your lawn.
- Recycle your clippings. Grass clippings are the perfect, safe fertilizer for lawns.
- Overseed. By overseeding once every year, your lawn will be thick, healthy, and will crowd out weeds.
- Keep lawns adequately watered but not over-watered. Two centimeters of water should be enough to water your lawn, so put a container on your grass when you water to help you measure. Water your lawn during the early morning or early evening to minimize evaporation.
- Aerate your lawn. This allows moisture and nutrients to reach the roots of the grass. Aeration relieves compaction and cultivates the soil. Best done in the spring or fall.
- Mow high. Experts recommend never cutting more than one-third of the height of your grass and leaving at least 3 inches of grass on your lawn.
- Sharpen your blades. Dull blades tear and stress grass blades, increasing the potential for disease and infestation.
- Develop strong grass roots. Cut your grass shorter in the spring and then raise the blade on your lawnmower as the summer progresses - this allows your lawn to develop strong roots.
- De-thatch your lawn if necessary by removing the tough mixture of dead grass and roots that can build up above the soil surface with a heavy rake.
- Pull weeds. Pick or dig out weeds at their root (easiest when soil is moist) and by hand.
- Use alternatives. Reduce the area of grass that needs maintenance by planting flowers, plants, or herb/vegetable gardens.
Note: Many lawn care companies promote natural, green or environmentally friendly pesticides and lawn care programs. Be sure to find out what is included in their lawn care programs. Some programs that claim to be environmentally friendly may still use chemical pesticides or other hazardous substances to control pests and weeds.
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