Lawn care
Less is More
Did you know pesticides can do more harm than good to your lawn? Pesticides kill microbial life important for healthy soil and kill pests’ natural enemies. And, only 2% of pesticides reach their target!
Besides avoiding pesticides (ask your lawn service to use organic products), always be sure to do the following:
Besides avoiding pesticides (ask your lawn service to use organic products), always be sure to do the following:
- Fertilize naturally with your grass clippings - Grass clippings are a major part of New Jersey’s solid waste stream. Leave your grass clippings to return nutrients to the soil and save time by not bagging. If you use a lawn service, ask them to do this. For information on the Cut-it-and-Leave-It Program, click here.
- Leave the leaves! They return vital nutrients to your lawn. Mulch mow in the fall to avoid blowing leaves.
- Sharpen mower blades once a year in the spring and raise blade to 3 inches.
- Water sparingly so lawn can develop a deep, healthy root structure; water only when soil is dry 6” down.
- Overseed in the fall and aerate if the soil is compact (which can happen to lawns after construction projects)
- Buy a soil test kit and aim for a pH around 6.8, add soil amendments as needed.
- Hand pull weeds – a great job for kids in the neighborhood
- Consider IPM which is a sustainable approach to lawn care whereby weeds and pests are eliminated through processes and materials which cause the least impact to the environment and our health. Pesticides used are targeted to specific problems and as least toxic to humans and the planet as possible.
Start right away! Go to http://tghyp.com for easy details on how to pledge to do better for a healthy yard!
For comprehensive standards of organic lawn care, go to http://www.organiclandcare.net/sites/default/files/upload/standards2011.pdf
For links to Rutgers Cooperative Research and Extension Fact Sheets on Soil Testing and Lawn Renovation, go to https://rosenet.org/407/Soil-Testing-for-Lawn-Renovation
For comprehensive standards of organic lawn care, go to http://www.organiclandcare.net/sites/default/files/upload/standards2011.pdf
For links to Rutgers Cooperative Research and Extension Fact Sheets on Soil Testing and Lawn Renovation, go to https://rosenet.org/407/Soil-Testing-for-Lawn-Renovation
**For numerous worksheets, guides and handouts on pollinator friendly yards, natural mosquito control, mulching with leaves, native plants and more, click here or go to the Sustainable Yards tab on this website.