Sara Kareer

We spend lots of time, energy and money making our lawns beautiful and user-friendly.

Here are some tips for making them environmentally friendly as well.

1. Mulch Your Grass Clippings when possible - Grass clippings contain valuable
nutrients taken right out of your soil. So isn't it odd that we gather our grass
clippings in bags and ship them off to a land fill somewhere on the other side of the
county?

Did you know that mulching your grass and leaves can save you as many as two
fertilizer applications every year? Most lawn mowers come with a mulching blade
that chops grass and leaves into small pieces and deposits them right back into the
lawn.

Mulched leaves - especially sugar and red maple leaves - provide a degree of natural
weed control when mulched into the lawn. Sometimes it is not practical to mulch
your leaves because you have too many of them. But often it is - and it helps your
lawn too!


2. Plant trees, shrubs and flowers - You know that trees are good for the
environment. They help clean the air, return moisture to the air and provide shade
from the hot sun. Shrubs, flowers and bushes also have many benefits other than
just adding beauty. They help stimulate the soil, add bio-diversity to your yard, and
attract birds and other wildlife.


3. Use Fertilizer Wisely - Synthetic fertilizers almost always contain nitrogen and
phosphorous. Nitrogen is what your grass needs for healthy growth. Much of your
lawn's nitrogen requirements can be supplied by mulching your grass each time you
mow it.

Phosophorous (the second number) is usually unnecessary for healthy lawns, and it
has some negative effects on the environment. Phosphorous that ends up in our
rivers, lakes and ponds stimulates plant growth which disrupts the habitat of fish and
other water life. Look for a fertilizer than has "0" phosophorous.

Organic fertilizers may actually contain more phosophorus than synthetic ones, so
read the label carefully.