Tips for Greening Your Lawn

Many homeowners want a nice green lawn - as in the color.  But, how about making your lawn greener, in terms of sustainability?  It's easy!  

Here are some tips:

Less Grass

Having a huge lawn uses a lot of water.  Lawn care equipment is also responsable for roughly 5% of air pollution in areas that don't meet federal air quality standards, according to the EPA.  Start off by cutting down on the grass in your yard and fill up your yard with a nice patio, native plants, and edible gardens.  

Pick the Right Seed

Different grasses do well in different climates.  Nature's Finest Seed has a guide to selecting the right grass type, or you can go to a local nursery and see what they suggest.  

Mowing 

Keep your grass between two and three inches.  This helps out in a few ways:  "the grass makes its own shade and refuces water evaporation from the soil; the increased lead area produces more food that helps develop more robust root systems; the taller grass and stronger roots help crowd out weeds such as dandelions; and your lawn will look more luxurious," according to the Mass Audubon Society and Massachusetts Environmental Trust.  If your lawn is small enough, stick to a small pushmower.  

Mow frequently.  Each time you mow, don't remove more than 1/3 of the height of the grass.  

Watering

Give your lawn a good soak.  Light watering has no benefits, and can even be detrimental.  Water it enough so the ground is moist at least 4 inches deep, which usually takes about an inch of rain or water from the sprinkler.  Use a 6 oz. tuna or cat food can (which is about an inch deep) to measure how much water your lawn gets.