Growing Green

By Melinda Toussaint


Spring is a time for a rebirth. People start to bring out the swim suit, rock the flip flop, and find any excuse to be outdoors. It also means leaves start to come back, flowers are blooming, and the grass becomes green again. But how green will it be? Now is the time to rethink our lawn care as well.

According to the Idiot’s Guide to Green Living, there are 27.6 million areas of turf grass in the United States, 21 million of which are household lawns. Thus the lawn care and gardening industry generates nearly $40 billion for the economy… an area of which can afford to grow a little greener.

The World Group for the Evergreen Foundation suggests that 93 percent of homeowners value their green space and 90 percent actually believe that their lawn increases the value of their property. This is why we as homeowners should be helping our lawns like they help us.

James Beard, a Ph. D. expert on turf and chief scientist at International Sports Turf Institute claims that the ecosystem benefits from a good lawn in many ways:
- lawns help cool hot air through evaporation
- grass produces oxygen and keeps dust and pollutants out of the air
- lawns and plants help control erosion, keeping soil from ending up as dust or in bodies of water
- trees, shrubs, and bushes are also great sound insulators, helping to keep traffic and street noise out of your living space

Thus Americans need to take care of their lawns, not just in upkeep, but in green, eco-responsible ways. Here are 7 ways you can help green your lawn for this Spring:

1) Instant Change:
- Stop using commercial pesticides that in some cases are leading to cancer, birth defects, reproductive complications, or problems in nervous systems for lab animals, or worse if it gets into our water supply.
- Cut your lawns before weeds go to seed therefore preventing them from spreading (cutting down use for pesticides altogether)

2) Disposing of Pesticides/Chemicals:
- Contact local waste management facilities to inquire about hazardous waste collection programs in your area to get rid of your pesticides or other chemicals on hand
- Call 1-800-CLEANUP (1-800-253-2687)

3) Soil Analyzing:
- Have your soil analyzed to test nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus levels
- It will help let you know what your lawn and soil lacks
- Find out what plants will most benefit your individual lawn and plant them

4) Grass:
- Choose grass seed that’s specifically beneficial to your region and doesn’t require much watering
-Buy seeds that are disease free and certified from a lawn center
- Add clover seed to your lawn- it resists drought, is green and flowers for a great look

5) Watering:
- Water early in the day so lawn has a chance to dry before night time
- Watering right before the hottest time of day discourages fungus from developing
- Don’t water too much – that’s wasteful

6) Mowing:
- Keep blade sharp (blunt blades are unhealthy to grass)
- Leave mower blade high- never cut below 3 or 4 inches- this will dry out your lawn
- Use lawn clippings in a compost bin or leave them where they land- they provide necessary nutrients for the soil

7) Planting an Organic Garden:
- Check out www.kitchengardeners.org
- Home food production is declining
- Average distance traveled for ingredients used is between 1,000-2,500 miles- 17 times more fossil fuels used than two decades ago
- Organically grown produce is proven tastier
- Check out www.organicgardening.com
- Learn about “companion planting” that will help your garden thrive
- Learn how to build a better composting bin as well as other tricks

No matter how you decide to take care of your lawn… remember that little green steps along the way make a big difference. The greener our grass grows, the safer we are, and the healthier the planet becomes. Spring forward and start growing green!