It's Easy Being Green

Didn't think it's possible to be environmentally conscious without even thinking about it? When it comes to lawn care, you can reduce your impact on the environment just by following the basics - must-do's you should be doing anyway to keep your lawn healthy. By simply maintaining your lawn properly, you can reduce emissions, conserve water and prevent dangerous run-off of chemical pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers.

Here's how you can put your environmental consciousness at ease with no extra effort:

Maintain your mower.

If you tune-up your lawn mower once a year, you can reduce emissions by up to 50 percent. A tune-up will help your mower start easier, run more efficiently and save gasoline.

Click here for easy instructions on how to do a tune-up. Also keep your blade sharp to prevent injuring grass, which makes your lawn more vulnerable to pests and disease. That will help eliminate the need to use chemical pesticides and herbicides.

Plant grass appropriate for your region.

Your lawn is more likely to thrive naturally if you use grass species specific to your area. To see what grows best where, refer to our yard care regions section.

Mow high.

The environmental benefits of mowing higher are many. Higher grass will shade the soil and promote deeper roots, which leads to less watering.

The shade of a thicker turf also discourages weeds... bye-bye herbicides! Simply follow the one-third rule: Don't cut more than 1/3 of the leaf blade in any single mowing.

Keep clippings on your lawn.

Not only can you skip raking and bagging, lawn clippings serve as a natural fertilizer for your lawn. Grass clippings are 10% nitrogen, a main component of lawn fertilizers.

In fact, lawn experts estimate that a season's worth of grass clippings will contribute almost 2 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet of soil - half of the lawn's annual fertilizer needs. The same task-eliminating tip applies to leaf litter. Instead of bagging leaves in the fall, use your lawnmower to create mulch. Over the dormant season, it will decompose and add rich organic matter to your soil.

Water conservatively.

More does not mean better. One inch per week should be plenty, depending on the weather. Let Mother Nature do the work when possible.

Use a rain gauge to keep track of your own watering along with natural rainfall. It's also best to water early in the day - no later than 9:00 a.m. - to prevent evaporation.

Fertilize organically. The good news is you'll already cover half your annual fertilizer needs by leaving your lawn clippings alone. More good news: Organic fertilizers are easy to find, with dozens on the market today. Recommendations? Try Milorganite or Clean Green. Control weeds naturally. Proper lawn care should discourage weeds from taking over. But if you want an extra edge, one of your best defenses is corn gluten meal. While it won't kill existing weeds, it will prevent new weeds from germinating. You can find this product at home and garden centers. See? Easy! Keep up with lawn care basics and you'll be right in step the green movement. More information on Organic Lawn Care.