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Easy, Affordable, and Eco-Friendly Tips for Lawn Maintenance

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A healthy, luscious, and vibrant green lawn is very appealing for many homeowners. A green and healthy yard will not only enhance the aesthetic appeal of the property, but it can also increase its value if you ever think about selling your property in the future. Unfortunately, a green garden doesn’t always guarantee a healthy and safe environment. Your lawn may look healthy and vibrant, but it can still cause harm towards the environment. The best solution to this dilemma is to take care of your lawn the natural way.

Green gardening is a practice that improves the health and look of your lawn without emitting dangerous chemicals and other toxic gases into the environment. Doing so will help you save time, money, and help you conserve natural resources. The following are easy green gardening tips for lawn maintenance.

Alternative Natural Ground Covers

There are a lot of available ground covers aside from grass. You can use a few of these alternative ground covers, including clover, mosses, juniper, and periwinkle. If you want to lower your lawn maintenance cost and still be eco-friendly, you can use low-mow grass species or ornamental grasses. These native grass species do not need constant maintenance and can grow even without human intervention. Additionally, it still offers the same benefits of living plants, such as prevent soil erosion, absorb air pollution, and filter rainwater pollution.

Conserve Water

If you want to focus on eco-friendly landscaping, you must pay close attention to conserving your water. There are a lot of lawns that are over-watered. This will waste valuable and finite resource, and it will contribute to fertilizer runoff. This happens when the fertilizer from your garden spills over into the storm sewers, which will eventually add to the water pollution. Here are some tips to conserve the amount of water used in your lawn:

  • Spot signs of over-watering: You must check if you are over-watering your lawn. Some of the signs to look out for include: runoff after watering the lawn; pale green or yellow tint on the lawn grass; and there are moss or mushrooms growing around the area. If you spot any of these signs, make sure to cut down the frequency with which you water your lawn.
  • Avoid watering everyday: If you water your lawn infrequently, it will not only help reduce water consumption, but it can also make your grass healthier. If you avoid watering your grass often, the roots will seek water deep into the soil, and the shorter weeds will run out of water. The downside of watering too frequently is that it can lead to thatch buildup, or the dense layer of living and dead stems and roots. Thatch can prevent the grass from getting their much needed water and air.
  • Water your lawn early in the day. It is best to water your lawn between 4 am and 9 am. During this time of the day, the air is cool and the wind is very calm; thus, the water won’t evaporate easily. Additionally, consider getting a rain sensor. This device will immediately turn off your sprinklers when it is raining; hence, you won’t need to waste water.

Reduce Energy

Lawn maintenance can easily pollute the environment by increasing carbon footprint and toxic gas emission. For this reason, you have to consider using eco-friendly methods that are healthier for the environment, and are much more budget-friendly.

  • Avoid using gas- or battery-powered lawnmowers: Gas-powered lawn mowers can produce nearly as much pollution as driving a motor vehicle for 100 miles. According to studies, this type of lawnmower is responsible for 5% of the total air pollution across the country. Even battery-powered motors and electric lawn mowers leave huge carbon footprint. Thankfully, there are alternative types of lawnmowers, such as reel lawnmower which is much more affordable and easy to use.
  • Use a manual mower, rakes, and brooms: Instead of using electric and gas-powered lawnmowers and leaf blowers, get a physical work-out using manual labor. You can use traditional rakes and brooms to get rid of fallen leaves. It is also a good idea to leave the grass clippings on the lawn since it can still fertilize the soil.
Citations:
  • Gregs Landscaping.”bluestone walkway with belgium block “. Online Image. EveryStockPhoto. Nov 20, 2012
Attached Images:
  •  License: Creative Commons image source

The author, Kris Lim, is an avid gardener who offers tips and ideas for beginners on how to maintain the lawn. She also contributes her thoughts and ideas to lawn care and maintenance companies and websites, including newleafmaintenance.com.






Creating the Perfect Lawn From Seed

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The perfect lawn doesn’t just happen. Rather, it is the result of hard work, patience and common sense. However, as long as the basic rules are followed, even a novice can achieve excellent results.


One of the keys to a perfect lawn grown from seed is soil preparation. First, the site has to be dug over and cleared of any detritus, stones and weeds. Weeds fall into two categories – annual weeds and perennial weeds. Annual weeds are easy to clear as they can be got rid of by hoeing or just in the act of turning over the earth and disturbing the roots. Perennial weeds are, however, a different matter, and require more care. When digging over the site, take care to remove all traces of roots as well as obvious weeds such as dandelions. The reason for this is that if you leave just one bit of root, no matter how small, it will probably return with a vengeance a few months down  the line and spoil the look of your new lawn.

When you are satisfied the area is weed-free, you can set about ensuring that you have a level surface on which to sow the seed. If you are dealing with a large area, you may find it easier to mark it out into sections and do one at a time. However you do it, it is useful to have a spirit level that you can place wherever desired to check that you haven’t created any slopes and that any hollows or bumps have been evened out. The best tool to use for flattening and levelling is a garden rake, which can also be used to break down any lumps of earth to form the fine tilth that you require.

At this point, you can take a breather, as you need to leave the prepared bed for two to three weeks to allow any weeds to germinate. When they do, treat them with a weedkiller and rake off after a couple of days. Then, apply a base dressing comprising of a micro-granular or compound granular fertilizer and leave for a few more days.

Now it’s time to sow the seed. Sowing is a relatively simple business, provided you do it on a dry, windless day, but before you even buy your seed, bear in mind what your lawn is going to be used for. If it is a family lawn that is going to bear the brunt of any manner of indignities, you require a different type of seed to someone who is going to plant a lawn for a putting or bowling green. Make sure you get the right seed mix by going to a reputable seedsman. It may cost a little more than the local garden centre, but his advice will prove to be well worth any extra cost in years to come.

Scatter the seed in the proportions (grams per square metre) advised by your seedsman or on the box. To avoid sowing unevenly and to make sure you have sufficient seed, mark the plot out into sections of one square metre with a little sand. If you don’t do that, you may run out of seed before you’ve covered the whole site.

Finally, spray the area with water. It’s vital to keep it moist over the first ten to fifteen days, so the seeds will germinate. Depending on whether you sow in the spring or the autumn, the best sowing times, you can either rely on the weather or have to do it yourself, but don’t let it dry out. When the grass has reached a height of about five centimetres, you can cut it to about two to three centimetres with a rotary mower.

Written on behalf of the seed specialists King Seeds

3 Garden Care Tips For Novices

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Gardening may seem to be complicated for those who are just beginning the hobby. However, if you have the basic knowledge to help you maintain your garden or lawn effectively, you can do just fine. All you need is the right tools, good routine, information and enthusiasm to succeed. A major concern novices have is using chemicals or practicing eco-friendly gardening options. To some, eco-friendly ways are safer and easier to apply without straining the pockets. Healthy gardens and lawns are often a result of natural gardening care.

Natural Fertilizers

Soil requires nutrients that are provided in a proper feeding schedule in order for it to remain healthy. Applying fertilizers is easy to do, as all you need is to first rake the area, then release the organic fertilizers and then water it. These fertilizers are produced without any chemicals and additives. They can be used on their own or combined with other natural fertilizers to maintain the quality and nutrient content of the soil.

One type of natural fertilizer is alfalfa meal that can be bought in pet stores as well. It is rich in phosphorus and vitamins K and P. Chicken manure is also a favorite because of its nutrient and phosphorus content. You can either raise your own chickens or conveniently purchase the manure from local farms. Cow manure is also used as a natural fertilizer and this can be bought from local farms. Just be sure that the cows graze on open pasture and consume nutrient dense food for quality manure. You can also make your own fertilizer by making compost. When you make compost, remember that meat, fish, animal waste, dead animals, salad dressings and plastic must not be added to the compost pile.

Keep A Watering Routine

A good watering routine will ensure that your garden is always healthy and well fed. However, your routine must match the weather you are experiencing. During the summer months, you will have to water your plants more often, though in smaller volume to avoid drowning them. This is why having a sprinkler system is convenient and effective. It will save you both time and energy, from having to constantly return to the garden and keep it hydrated. You can also opt for an automated sprinkler system which features a timer for easier operating. However, you may have to move the sprinklers around in your garden from time to time to suit your garden’s development.

Weeds And Pests

All gardens will have weed and pest problems at some point or the other. Both are dangerous to a garden because weeds can eliminate nutrients resulting in weak patches, while pests can seriously damage plants. Weeding must be done routinely and pest control must be done carefully to avoid removing beneficial insects as well.

Gardening will take some effort and determination to achieve remarkable results. It will require your regular attention and not just whenever you have time. You must also be curious to learn new gardening techniques and discover new natural gardening treatments. Stick to a schedule and devote at least 30 minutes to your garden. If you are unable to provide your garden with the care and attention it needs on a regular basis, you can always hire the services of a professional to help you have beautiful and presentable garden.

Valerie Parker is a freelance writer specializing in garden care. She regularly contributes articles to websites focusing on Idaho Falls Sprinklers and gardening.

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