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Spring is in the air, and everyone’s thoughts have turned to landscaping.  Visions of a perfect green lawn float through your dreams, and on the first warm Saturday morning of the season you’re off to the big box hardware store to load up on fertilizer, weed killer, chemically enhanced grass seed, perhaps even a brand new riding lawnmower – this is the year you’ll have the best lawn in the neighborhood!  But did you know how damaging these things can be to both you and the environment?

Let’s start with garden equipment.  According to the EPA, emissions from gas mowers, weed whackers and leaf blowers account for 5% of air pollution in the US.  Americans use 800 million gallons of gasoline per year maintaining their lawns, and a single traditional gas mower emits more air pollution than 50 new cars driven 10,000 miles each.

What about chemical fertilizers?  Not only are they bad for your yard in the long run – they’re really just junk food for your lawn – but the chemicals can be absorbed through the skin and paws of your children and pets, as well as get tracked into your house.  Ditto for chemical pesticides and herbicides.  And all of them can leach into groundwater and storm water runoff – which means they can find their way into your water supply.

So what’s a homeowner to do?  Fortunately there are a lot of alternatives to chemicals and gasoline-powered equipment.  Here’s the least you need to know:

1. For starters, let’s talk about mowing the lawn.  Replacing your gas-powered mower with an electric model – or even better, a human-powered reel mower – can greatly reduce emissions from gas engines with the added bonus of getting you off the couch.  Same goes for edgers, leaf blowers and weed whackers – choose an electric one or use hand tools.
2. Cut down on weeds by making conditions favorable for the grass and unfavorable for the weeds.  One way to do this is to mow high (3-6“).  Although it might seem counterintuitive, mowing higher ultimately results in healthier grass and less mowing overall.  Here’s why: photosynthesis is the process by which plants convert nutrients and sunlight into energy.  The more surface area available to catch light, the more energy the plant can make.  By cutting your grass very short, you are greatly reducing your lawn‘s ability to convert sunlight into energy.  As a result, the grass kicks into overdrive and puts all its efforts into growing taller as quickly as possible so that it can capture more light and make enough energy to sustain itself.  You realize it’s time to mow again and the cycle begins anew.  To add insult to injury, all this rapid growth weakens the grass and makes it susceptible to disease and – you guessed it – the weeds are only too happy to take over.  Longer grass can grow slowly because there’s more than enough surface area to support a healthy rate of photosynthesis.  In the race for resources, a taller lawn shades the weeds and soil, reducing the sunlight available to the weeds and reducing evaporation from the soil – this ultimately results in less watering – another way to starve the weeds.
3. And speaking of watering, irrigating your lawn from a municipal water supply is a huge drain (pun intended) on our global resources.  Not to mention that this water is often treated with chlorine and fluoride which can be poisonous to your lawn!  Consider collecting rain water in barrels or other receptacles to use for irrigation (just make sure to seal the lid so mosquitoes don‘t use the water as a breeding ground).  Applying the right amount of water is a key factor in the success of your lawn – over-watering can result in a shallow root system ill-equipped for competing with the weeds.  An inexpensive water meter can help you determine when it’s time to water – or you can do it when the grass starts to curl, which happens before it turns brown.  By limiting the amount of water you provide, you’ll effectively starve the weeds while encouraging your grass to become stronger.
4. Here’s a tip that will save time: leave the clippings on the lawn.  This isn’t lazy – it’s called ‘Grasscycling’.  The clippings act as nutritious mulch for your grass, providing valuable nutrients and preventing moisture from evaporating from the soil.  This practice alone can reduce the need for supplemental fertilizer by 33%!  Just keep in mind the ‘mow high’ rule – cutting the grass too short may result in a thicker layer of clippings which can be detrimental if sunlight can’t get through.
5. So what about fertilizers?  The goal, of course, is to develop a lawn that sustains itself by relying on healthy soil and disease-free plants.  The best fertilizer to use while you’re developing that ecosystem is plain old compost.  A half-inch layer twice yearly will nourish the soil and provide the right balance of nutrients and organisms.  If you don’t have access to that much compost, there are several organic fertilizers available (try www.lowimpactliving.com for lots of choices).
6. If you’ve done all of the above and are still plagued with weeds, my first suggestion would be to learn to tolerate them.  Personally, as long as the lawn is green I’m happy – weeds or not.  But my husband (along with many of you, I’m sure) has a low tolerance for things like crabgrass and dandelions.  There are a few natural, non-toxic methods to control weeds that won’t wreak havoc on the environment or your family’s health – here‘s a great resource: www.gardenguides.com/organic-herbicides.  Pests can be controlled by using natural predators such as ladybugs.  A great resource for organic pest control can be found here: www.organicgardenpests.com/index.html.
7. For those of you that don’t have the time or inclination for do-it-yourself lawn care, organic landscapers are springing up all over the country.   A quick Google search will most likely turn up one in your neighborhood.

So there you have it, the least you need to know!  But there is so much more to learn – such as how to improve your soil to support a healthy lawn, what type of grass is best for your location, or how to create your own compost to nourish your lawn and garden.  The internet is full of resources – a few quick searches and you’ll easily find a lawncare plan that works for you.  Happy gardening!