Lawn Care Products That Help You Save Money & Help The Environment

The first thing you and your guests see before entering your home is your lawn which is one reason why you want a beautiful lawn. Keeping a lawn maintained nicely is a chore, but one that many take pleasure in doing because it’s worth the effort, time and money.

As warmer weather approaches, you’ll notice a lot of attractive lawns. People take pride in having a good looking lawn, but many people might not put the environment into consideration to get that good looking lawn. But with new advancements in lawn care products, you no longer have to sacrifice the environment in pursuit of the best looking lawn.

You can make a conscious effort to take care of your lawn without spending a fortune on it, and even more importantly, do your part in helping to protect the environment. Keep in mind that when you protect the environment from harmful chemicals you’re also protecting yourself, your family and even your pet. This even gives you more reason to choose lawn care products carefully.

So, let’s cover the most basic things you’ll want to know about.

Fertilizer: Obviously, the fertilizer you choose is perhaps the most important item to look into. You should know that runoff from lawn chemicals is a source of water pollution. When it rains, the excess chemicals runoff into streams and lakes. Phosphorus is naturally found in soil and is essential for your lawn’s root systems. Lots of fertilizers are phosphorus-based already, and adding this nutrient to the soil already saturated can have a negative effect on your local ecosystem. If you’re a new homeowner or new to taking care of a lawn, take note of the two major mistakes most beginners make concerning fertilizer:

1. Oversaturating the lawn with phosphorus and nitrogen. Excess phosphorus and nitrogen don’t get absorbed by the grass. Water sprinklers and rain runoff the excess, which ends up in your local streams, lakes, and rivers through the sewage system.

1. Fertilizing dormant grass. Like all living elements, grass has a growth cycle. During its dormant stage it will look like it’s dying, but it’s not and adding fertilization during its dormant stage does nothing to help the grass, and only adds unnecessary harm to the environment.

Most homeowners just assume their lawn needs fertilizers. But the trick is really in knowing which nutrients the soil in your lawn requires, and the best way to do this can be by soil testing. When you know what the soil needs or doesn’t need, it will save you money since you won’t be purchasing unnecessary products, plus the environment will take less of a beating. You can invest in a line of natural organic lawn and gardening products that are safe to use.

Scrap food fertilizer: Certain scraps such as eggshells, banana peels, orange peels, and garlic don’t need to be composted to help your garden grow. Simply dig a hole next to your plants and bury these food items to deliver valuable nutrients to the roots.

Mowers: You might mow your grass once a week, but leaving the grass a little longer and mowing every two weeks is better. Longer blades of grass help to shade the soil, reducing the amount of evaporation of water in the soil, which will help your grass in the hot summer months. They also improve the plant’s photosynthesis, helping it to build a stronger root system. When it comes to choosing the type of lawn mower, you need to take into consideration the size of your lawn, and even the type of grass you have since some grass blades are thicker than others.  

Gas-powered mowers do get the job done, but also release emissions like carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and nitrous oxides. Electric mowers are easier to maintain and less noisy, but might not be suitable for a big lawn. Since there are other factors to take into consideration, the Tool Report compares gas vs electric mowers which you should read and gather more information about mowers to make an informed purchasing decision.  After mowing your lawn, keep the clippings instead of removing them. According to the New York City Department of Sanitation, leaving the clippings on the lawn can provide it with up to 25% of the nitrogen that the grass needs.

Sprinklers: It’s normal to keep an automated watering schedule. But nothing wastes money and water more than watering right after a big rainfall, for instance. You can invest in a sprinkler that accesses local, real-time weather data and use that information to optimize watering for your lawn. The personalized plan is based on your location, weather patterns, and vegetation. This can save you around $300 annually.

Small changes add up

As people become aware of the facts, attitudes towards conventional fertilizers and pesticides are beginning to change. Most people have inherited understood ways of maintenance standards and procedures of a lawn. But a lot has changed over the years as companies and individuals are making an effort to go green. Starting now, you can have both a gorgeous, eco-friendly lawn.