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Five Steps for a Healthier Lawn
Dublin, New Hampshire (April 2008)--Lawn-care practices that use pesticides, herbicides, and synthetic fertilizers are hazardous, according to "A Kinder, Gentler Lawn," by Meg Mitchell Moore and Theresa Sullivan Barger, published online in [YankeeMagazine.com's "Home and Garden" section]. Organizations such as the Maine-based nonprofit SafeLawns Foundation, Vermont Public Interest Research Group (VPIRG), Connecticut-based Safelawns and Landscapes, Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA), and others encourage organic lawn care and gardening.
"Most of our nation's 50 million acres of lawn are grown with synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, which are known to pollute soil and water, and to cause health problems in both people and animals," according to SafeLawns. Paul Tukey, cofounder of SafeLawns, states, "Americans are spreading millions of tons of toxic materials and wasting enormous amounts of fossil fuels, all in the name of having a beautiful lawn."
Paul Tukey, also a NOFA instructor, organic landscaper, and author of The Organic Lawn Care Manual, and Bill Duesing, Connecticut NOFA executive director, provided Yankee Magazine with the following five steps toward a healthier lawn:
TEST: Contact your local garden extension service for a soil-test kit (about $5), which measures pH level and recommends amendments.
PLANT: Overseed spring and fall with a mixture of grasses suited to the climate. Include clover in the spring because it adds nitrogen naturally. Perennial rye grass and fescues are good for New England's climate fluctuations. Fill in bare spots with grass seed to leave less room for weeds and crabgrass.
CUT: Sharpen the lawnmower's blade annually and set it at 3 to 3½ inches, since longer grass is more weed-resistant. Leave the grass clippings on the lawn to provide about half of the lawn's annual fertilizer needs. Never cut wet grass.
FEED: Feed the soil with natural and organic products, such as well-aged manure or compost. Avoid sewage sludge, also called Milorganite; it's prohibited in organic lawn-care standards.
WATER INFREQUENTLY: If needed, water in the early morning, and water deeply (one inch) weekly to encourage root growth. The roots of organically fed grass grow deep to search for food and water, which makes the grass more drought-tolerant.
Visit the "Home and Garden" page at YankeeMagazine.com for more information on lawn care, as well as a seed-swap section, where visitors may post or search for seeds to share.
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About us: Yankee Magazine was founded in 1935 and is based in Dublin, New Hampshire, with a sales office in Boston. It is the only magazine devoted to New England through its coverage of travel, home, food, and features. With a paid circulation of over 350,000 and a total audience of 2 million, it is published by Yankee Publishing Incorporated (YPI), one of the few remaining independent magazine publishers in the United States. YPI also owns the nation's oldest continuously produced periodical, The Old Farmer's Almanac. More information about Yankee: New England's Magazine is available at: YankeeMagazine.com
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