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jun 24

The Grass Can Be Greener

Americans take great pride in perfectly manicured green lawns. Billions of dollars are spent every year caring for them. Hundreds of thousands of gallons of water are used for irrigation. A surprising and chilling fact is that more pesticides are applied to lawns per acre than farmers put on their fields! According to the EPA, surveys show higher concentrations of some pesticides, particularly insecticides, in urban streams than agricultural streams. It turns out that lawns aren't so green after all.

Don't despair. You can still have an attractive lawn without using harsh chemicals.

And if you're willing to modify your definition of the ideal lawn, there are even more possibilities. Below are some general tips, but if you want more specific advice on nontoxic lawn care visit www​.grassrootsinfo​.org, http://www.safelawns.org/, and Cornell University's lawn care website, www​.gardening​.cornell​.edu/​lawn​.

Green

  • Mow high. Keep grass at about 3 to 3.5 inches long to foster deep, drought-resistant roots and to shade out unwanted weeds. Leave clippings where they fall and allow them to decompose and become nutrients for your lawn. This will not only save you time and money, but it will also keep some yard waste from going to the landfill. Keep mower blades sharp; a dull blade will tear grass and make it more susceptible to disease.

Greener

  • Choose native grasses, those that are adapted to your local area. See your local cooperative extension to find out which grasses are most suitable to your growing climate.

Reprinted from Green, Greener, Greenest by Lori Bongiorno by arrangement with Perigee, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc., Copyright © 2008 by Lori Bongiorno. Buy the book on Amazon.

MinuteMorningMonth
  • Set your mower as high as it will go and keep grass 3 to 3.5 inches long. Grass will grow healthier, deeper roots and weeds will get less sunlight.
  • Use a push mower with sharp blades to cut your grass. You'll save gas, get a workout and your lawn mower will never need to be replaced if you keep it free of rust.
  • Plant a native grass lawn -- you'll save water and won't need to use as much fertilizer. Your local cooperative extension office of the USDA can provide information on native grasses.





Comments (7)
RSS comments
1. 06/27/2008 12:15:23 PM
I was always told that if you don't rake up grass clippings, or use a mower with a bag, the clippings will actually harm your yard and cause bald spots. But, here they are saying to leave the clippings. Are you sure that's beneficial?
Written by Muscle (Guest)
2. 07/01/2008 02:18:06 PM
You need to get a mulching mower and use it often and on dry grass. It chops the blades many times before they land on the grass and they will be like dust to decompose. Of course: you need to mow more often and will use more gas-- so people here will not be happy about that. Pick your poison.
Written by mike (Guest)
3. 07/01/2008 04:53:53 PM
I agree, with a push mower, and letting my grass grow longer, the clippings left on the lawn cause it to die off in spots. I compost them. But I have a small yard so it is easy to collect them. If I had a larger yard I might invest in a mulching mower.
Written by pink (Guest)
4. 07/02/2008 10:34:11 AM
I have a mulching lawn mower and there is no need to mow more often or that it uses more gas. It's convenient, you can also mulch leaves in the fall the same way and your grass will look thick and healthy. Mulch away!
Written by Mary Ann (Guest)
5. 07/06/2008 01:13:03 PM
I've been mulching my grass with an electric mulching lawn mower (NO GAS!) for years and never have a problem with clippings left on the grass leaving dead spots. The trick is to be sure you don't leave any large clumps of cut grass in piles. These piles of grass will kill the grass below because they block out the sunlight and smother the grass.  
 
If you wait too long to cut the grass and you end up with clumps or strips of cut grass, cut the grass again but make cutting path at 90 degrees to the original path. That will disperse the clippings evenly and no grass will die!
Written by Peter (Guest)
6. 07/06/2008 01:47:32 PM
Why is there no help for people wanting to eliminate lawn areas entirely? Now that we have a new awareness of the plight of pollinators (other than honeybees) and the role of insects in the environment, it is time to reduce the amount of turfgrass wherever possible and restore habitat. Lawn reduction will also address water issues, fertilizer issues, noise issues and air pollution issues. It is imperative that we move to a society that does its utmost to keep water on the land as long as possible. We are learning (and witness) changing rainfall patterns and torrential downpours which cause the water to run off the land faster than ever. We need deep roots in the soil year round. 
Maybe you address this elsewhere?
Written by Rainbowwind (Guest)
7. 08/20/2008 03:46:49 PM
I had almost all of the above prolems when I mulched.Even worse I,d burn out the mowers secondary belt, when my grass was long. THERE IS A SOLUTION ,Gator and super gator blades by OREGON .Look it up under Oregon mower blades.I was in the hospital (Lymes disease) and didn,t mow for over 3weeks.I got some clumping but hell the grass was over 9 inches long.TRY IT YOU p.s. plant clover in your yard for the bees.
Written by dahddooski (Guest)

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