April 2009

Greener Lawns and Backyard Gardens in 10 Easy Steps
Get a jump on the season with organic lawn care, backyard compost strategies, and native plants.

By Andrea Fox, Ms. Green Quick Fixes

Each spring, we go out and clean-up our winter-distraught yards, festoon the ground with grass seed, and then fertilize away—all while dreaming about the eye-popping greenery we hope to create as a backdrop for summer barbecues, long afternoons spent outdoors, and the occasional cocktail at sunset.

How we create and maintain our land is an important aspect of green living. Here’s why:

• Poor yard waste disposal choices increase landfills and pollute the atmosphere.
• Synthetic fertilizers, which are a modern convention, acidify the soil and decrease populations of flora-benefiting soil organisms, including, bacteria, fungi, insects, worms, and others.
• Improper and inconsiderate watering methods deplete precious potable water sources.
• Strong pesticides, herbicides, and growth starters are extremely dangerous to the environment, wildlife, and our families.

The pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides are the most alarming aspect of conventional yard management because these hazardous chemicals are designed to poison pests and they impact groundwater, beach, lake, and stream water quality, as well as wildlife, when they leach through soils or runoff with rain. And since these “suspecticides” can be marched indoors from your yard, rubbing off on carpets and furniture, children, adults, and pets are affected because these easily assimilate through the skin.

By following some basic principles of organic lawn care to create “greener” lawns and backyard gardens, we can improve the environment and better protect our families. And luckily, it’s easy and cost-effective!

Starting a Green Lawn

April is the time to get started upgrading your lawn!

1. Clean up leaves, old grass clippings, and thatch. Start a compost pile using three parts carbon-rich brown organic material (dry autumn leaves, newspaper, wood chips, and pine needles, etc..) to one part nitrogen-rich green matter (such as grass clippings, fruit and vegetable wastes, coffee grounds, lobster shells, and more). Then layer with fresh organic soil. More information and instructions are available on the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection Composting Program Web site. Note for excess leaves, contact a local municipal leaf compost program.

2. Test soil pH, which offers grasses and plants optimum nutrients when between six and seven, and add loam if needed to reduce acidity. The University of Massachusettstests soil, plant tissues, and now compost.

3. Douse your lawn with an endophyte-enhanced seed mixture that has a high percentage of drought tolerant, shade-loving Tall Fescue grasses and Bluegrass for sunny areas. Fescues reduce reliance on water supplies.

Maintaining a Strong Lawn

For a thick, lush lawn, deep roots are essential. Grass that is watered too much and cropped close will have small, weak roots.

4. A good rule of thumb is to water lawns to a one-inch level on a weekly basis. By placing a can next to your sprinkler, you can measure and time when one-inch is reached. Test if a lawn needs to be watered by walking across it and seeing if your footprints are still visible a few minutes later. If not, then the lawn is hydrated—enough to ensure grass blades spring back!

5. Water before 8 a.m. or after 8 p.m. because during midday, water evaporates quickly, and in high summer heat, will scald grass. Harvest rainwater for this purpose with rain barrels, rain chains, and cisterns and you’ll conserve water and mitigate runoff generated from your property.

6. Mow grass to about 3” high by raising mower blade levels. Keep mower blades sharp to avoid damaging grass and spreading plant diseases. The Ecological Landscaping Association and other experts recommend sharpening after every 10 hours of use.

7. Spread dry, untreated grass clippings on your yard as a natural fertilizer and to decrease waste. Use compost, compost tea (a solution made in five-gallon or larger buckets with aquarium pumps), and organic fertilizers.

8. Aerate lawns manually to eliminate energy usage.

9. Battle weeds the organic way with proper mowing, removing seedlings and their taproots with a weedfork, applying a vinegar-based herbicide to persistent weed spots, and for crabgrass problems, applying corn gluten meal in the early spring, though not at the same time as grass seed. Note, corn gluten contains 10% nitrogen, so be careful to avoid over-fertilization and throwing your pH off balance. For pest control, such as beetle grubs, try integrated pest management and procure nematodes to feed on the grubs!

10. Use native or low-maintenance plants adapted to regional rain conditions and you’ll also naturally attract garden pest predators. For more information, the Massachusetts Greenscapes Program and the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority list several species.