Have you ever been for a walk and noticed that a yard or public property has flags stuck in the ground, warning anyone to stay off due to pesticide treatments?
These chemicals may ward off bugs and weeds, but they pose health risks to humans and pets, especially curious dogs that may nibble on some of the grass.
At home, you may be wondering how you can prevent problems from affecting your lawn without relying on any toxic substances.
Good news! Taking care of your lawn doesn’t have to mean relying on chemical pesticides and fertilizers. In this guide, we’ll cover seven of the best organic lawn care tips you can put into practice today.
These solutions are all eco-friendly, affordable, and will leave your lawn healthy, strong, and beautifully green.
1. Avoid Cutting Grass Too Short
Aim to keep your grass between 3 to 4-inches tall. This helps promote natural growth, prevent dry patches, and provide shade to the soil to prevent weed growth. Over-mowing your lawn uses more power than necessary and hinders healthy grass growth.
Save yourself the time, and avoid mowing your grass under 3 inches. Grass can be grown out while keeping your lawn neat, clean, and inviting.
2. Curb Your Sprinkler Habit
Irrigation systems are widely used throughout the United States, but they may not be as necessary as you think. In addition to increasing your water bill, your sprinklers may actually be causing your lawn to suffer.
Experts recommend watering your grass no more than once a week. Use no more than 1.5 inches every time to avoid flooding and overirrigation.
Too much water can lead to fungus growth, more weeds, and worsen soil quality.
3. Don’t Throw Away Your Grass Clippings
All the bits of grass blown up by your lawn mower are actually great for the Earth! Gather them up, toss them back onto your lawn, and allow them to compost. They will break down into bio matter that nourishes the soil and grass roots beneath them.
If you have garden compost, you can also throw some of your lawn mowing clippings into the bin as well. Anything green and organic is good for your soil!
Another benefit of grass clippings is that they create a protective barrier between your grass and the soil to prevent weeds from germinating.
4. Keep Pests Away With Organic Pesticide Alternatives
You can make your own pesticides that are non-toxic and even good for the environment. This list of 10 homemade organic pesticides is the perfect place to start learning how to protect your garden risk-free.
It’s vital to the environment that you use products that won’t contaminate waterways through runoff. This means that when it rains, the traces of pesticides from your lawn won’t contain any toxic chemicals or harmful substances that are known to destroy ecosystems.
Learn more about organic pesticides and biopesticides at the Institute of Food Technologists’ (IFT) website.
5. Switch to a Battery-Operated Lawn Mower
If your mower takes gas, make the switch to battery power to cut back on your fossil fuel consumption. Gas is a precious, limited resource, so finding small ways to scale back is important.
As you explore more organic lawn care options, you’ll find that most alternatives are just as effective but save you more money, time, and energy.
6. Improve Your Landscaping
Too many flowers, shrubbery and trees can drain your soil of important nutrients. Make sure that you do not overplant or leave trees untrimmed. Cut off low-hanging branches, and prevent overgrowth on shrubs, bushes and in flower beds.
Grass needs natural sunlight and nutrient-rich soil to stay green and healthy. If you crowd a lawn with too many soil-dependent plants, it can lead to dryness, browning, and patches.
7. Test Your Soil
Use a soil testing kit, or hire a testing service near you, to find out how balanced your soil is. Most soils need a pH balance of 7 to provide the greatest value to your grass and garden.
Healthy lawns are easy to spot, but imbalanced ones may be tricker to diagnose. You might make a lot of surface-level changes only to see problems persist. A soil test will give you a definitive figure to work with, so you can apply the right solutions to start improving your lawn’s pH balance
Conclusion
Organic lawn care is sustainable for more than just the environment. Learning how to take care of your lawn without relying too heavily on chemicals and fertilizer will save you money and time, too.
As you explore more organic lawn care solutions, make sure you develop a solid lawn care schedule as well. When it comes to mowing and watering, less is more. The ultimate goal is to improve your garden’s natural health so it can thrive without too much intervention.
