Organic lawn care and gardening begins with a commitment to the environment.
Habitat fragmentation is occurring all over the United States, especially
around cities, and even in farming communities. Discontinuous land use
breaks up large blocks of habitat such as forests, grasslands, and marshes.
Subdivisions, roads and fences are being built at a fast rate. The survival
of many plants and animals are threatened. Exotic plants have escaped
into the wild, threatening native species. Introduced insects such as
the imported fire ant have altered entire ecosystems by preying on native
microbes, insects, and the young of small animals. A more organic approach
to landscape design and gardening is in order. It is no longer a fad!
Private residences and other developed properties hold a great potential
for restoring quality, quantity, and richness of the plant and wildlife
habitat that has been displaced. By maintaining a healthy habitat in our
yards, we create healthier living. Plants in richly vegetated spaces absorb
carbon dioxide and give off oxygen, thus renewing our air supply. Plant
foliage captures dust and other pollutants, purifying the air we breathe.
Vegetated areas aid in erosion and soil conservation. Plant roots hold
soils in place, while plants impede water runoff.
A diverse landscape containing many species of plants not only supports
an abundance of wildlife, it is also less prone to large scale devastation
from insect pests or diseases.
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Begin your environmentally friendly yard with a plan. Sketch your yard
showing the location of existing structures, trees, shrubs, and grass.
Note which areas are in full sun, dappled sun, and shade. This is important
in making your plant selections.
Native plants are almost always the best choice for trouble-free gardening.
Once established, native plant species require only minimal attention
from the home gardener. This translates into a reduction of extensive
soil amendments, less watering, less need for the use of chemicals, and
less pampering.
A new consciousness has emerged among gardeners, both professional and
amateur. People are overcoming the desire to dominate and harness nature
in their gardens. Instead, a sensitivity to regional conditions has developed,
increasing the use of native plants and naturalistic styles such as rock,
prairie, desert, and meadow gardens. Incorporate a variety of plants.
Diverse plantings provide food and cover for a variety of living things.
Native plants aren't indestructible, but as a group they are hardier than
exotics because they are adapted to their locales. They are the most likely
to be the only survivors of "record" freezing temperatures, hail, drought,
or other climatic catastrophes that can damage your yard. Native plants,
the ones that grow around us on the roadsides and vacant lots, and those
that grow in old hay meadows and quiet woods where few of us see them,
conserve their resources because nature has spent thousands of years adapting
them to their particular soil and climate.
Properly placed trees and shrubs can save home heating and cooling costs.
Planted on the west or southwest side of a home, large deciduous shade
trees will shelter the home from the onslaught of the hot summer sun.
In the winter, the trees lose their leaves and allow the sun's rays to
warm the house. Shrubs close to the house help insulate the house from
hot and cold temperatures. Layers of plants of medium to tall size will
help eliminate street noise.
Planting or preserving vegetated slopes will slow water and wind movement,
decrease soil erosion, help replenish ground-water reserves, and reduce
runoff. Conserving soils and preventing water runoff safeguards our water
quality, and improves the overall ecosystem stability.
Much of our irrigation water and rainfall runs off the land, eroding depleted
and unprotected soils that are unable to absorb it. The excess sediment
from your lawn and many others yards can smother aquatic life in the receiving
bodies of water. Excess sediment can also increase the cost of operating
water supply reservoirs.
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Gardening.
Grass is a beautiful and enjoyable part of the garden but it is also
where most of the problems lie. Grasses should be selected according to
functional and horticultural requirements. Consider active use, sun exposure,
watering requirements, surface appearance, and winter color.
Watering lawns accounts for an incredible 40 to 60 percent of residential
water consumption during the summer months, making lawn maintenance not
only a chore but also a drain on the pocketbook and water supply.
Consider reducing the size of your lawn. Most homeowners are living with
the lawn configuration that was established by the builder, or that was
in place when they purchased the property. In the past, large lawns were
the rule in many areas. Now, because of less time and diminishing landfills,
replacing part of the lawn with a low-maintenance ground cover may be
desirable. The addition of patios, decks, or flower beds would serve to
replace lawn as well. In arid regions, a limited water supply is another
compelling reason to replace a section of lawn with a drought-resistant
planting.
Trees and shrubs grow better when the soil over their roots is covered
with a mulch or ground cover rather than lawn. Grass competes for nutrients
and water, and passing lawn mowers can injure stems and trunks. Ground
covers are especially useful for filling in areas where maneuvering a
mower is difficult or where grass doesn't thrive, such as under dense
shade trees.
Study how the rainwater flows across your yard and plant lawn grass or
dense groundcover downhill from the patio to slow down and filter runoff.
Direct rainfall from roofs onto grass or groundcover as well.
You can also learn about Alternative
Non-Grass Groundcover options.
Grass mowing is the most time-consuming and expensive part of garden
maintenance. But mowing at the
proper height (usually 1.5" - 3", depending on the type of grass)
and dispersing the small glass clippings evenly so they fall down to the
soil, can provide many benefits.
- Mowing grass too short causes stress, discourages deep root growth,
and results in rapid loss of soil moisture.
- Letting grass grow too tall causes excess grass clippings that can smother
the turf.
- Raise the mowing height during the hot and dry season. A higher setting
reduces moisture loss and encourages deep root growth.
- Keep mower blades sharp and clean, and mow when the grass is dry.
- Mow over leaves so they will decompose along with grass clippings.
- Collect leaves and grass clippings for mulching or composting if they
are too heavy or wet for grasscycling.
Grasscycling results may be improved by using a mulching mower, by replacing
a standard blade with a mulching blade, or by covering a mower's outlet
spout.
The benefits of grasscycling are many. It makes turf greener and tougher.
It prevents common turf diseases. It reduces or eliminates fertilizer
needs. Grasscycling provides about 2 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square
feet of lawn per year. It cuts down on watering needs, and eliminates
the disposal of grass clippings and leaves.
Check out our Guide To Different
Types of Grass, which includes mowing height and other detailed information.
This page helps you Choose
The Best Type of Grass For Your Lawn.
Soils are the foundation of life. They serve as an anchor for plant roots.
Plants need live, healthy, balanced soil for productive growth and protection
against pests.
Gardens have one or a combination of soil types, including clay, silt,
loam, sandy loam, sand, gravel, and rock. All soils have five major components:
organic matter, minerals, water, air, and living organisms. The seldom-discussed
living organisms and very important and consist of earthworms, insects,
plants, algae, bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms.
Healthy soils need a balance of mineral nutrients, approximately the following
percentages:
- Calcium 65 to 70 percent;
- Magnesium 12 to 22 percent;
- Potassium 4 to 5 percent and other trace minerals.
The pH should be between 6.3 and 6.8.
Sometimes the healthy balance has been negatively affected by the application
of harsh synthetic fertilizers and chemicals, and the regular removal
of dead organic matter. What many of us are left with is dry, sterile
dirt.
To best correct the soil, you may wish to determine its chemical characteristics
by having it tested. The tester should be a company that will give you
detailed information about your soil's chemical composition as well as
organic fertilizer recommendations. Local nurseries or Agricultural Extension
Offices may be able to furnish this service.
One of the best soil tests is to dig out a piece of soil measuring 12"
by 12" by 7" deep and count the earthworms. If there aren't several, you
need more air and organic matter.
The structure of the soil at depths of 12" and 24" is important for drainage
and deep root development, but the structure of the top 7" is the most
important. That's where air, organic microbes, earthworms, and feeder
roots are concentrated.
Roughly one third of all waste dumped in landfills across the United States
consists of garden clippings and kitchen waste. By following the lead
of the recycling movement, individual homeowners can reduce, reuse, and
recycle this material instead of throwing it away. With planning, you
can decrease the waste to nearly zero.
Backyard composting replicates
the natural system of breaking down organic materials on a forest floor.
The decomposition process is essentially the same whether it takes place
in the woods or a backyard compost
bin.
Compost is the end product of a complex feeding pattern involving hundreds
of different organisms, including bacteria, fungi, worms, and insects.
What remains after these organisms break down organic materials is the
rich, earthy substance that gardeners value so highly as a soil amendment.
- Compost's crumbly, fibrous nature fluffs up clay soils and helps sandy
soils hold water.
- Compost provides a slow, even release of plant nutrients and stimulates
root growth.
- Compost suppresses soil-borne plant disease and pests.
- Compost prevents erosion of our fast-depleting topsoil.
- Compost recycles tons of yard wastes.
- Compost balances both acid and alkaline soils, bringing pH levels to
the optimum range for nutrient availability.
- Beneficial insects, worms, and other organisms are plentiful in compost-enriched
soil.
Get a comprehensive guide to composting
at CompostGuide.com.
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tumblers and other types of compost
bins.
Mulch is a material spread on top of the ground to benefit soil and plant
health, and make landscape maintenance easier. It is one of the easiest,
least expensive, and most effective things you can do to improve your
yard and the environment. Mulching benefits are as follows:
- Prevents soil compaction
- Prevents erosion
- Suppresses weeds
- Captures rainwater and irrigation water and retains soil moisture
- Protects roots from the sun's heat
- Protects plant crowns from winter cold
- Protects and stimulates healthy microbal activity in the soil
- Adds nutrients to the soil as the mulch breaks down
- Mulch all areas that are not in grass or thick ground cover
- To prevent diseases and pest infestation, avoid piling mulch against
tree trunks.
- Use a layer of coarse mulch 3" or more in depth for weed control.
- Cover perennials with several inches of loose mulch to protect from
winter cold.
- Spread mulches under annuals after they are 4" to 6" tall.
- Water the ground thoroughly before and after applying a mulch cover.
Some good mulching materials are: compost, grass clippings (dried), shredded
leaves, old straw, wood shavings or bark chips. Avoid using plastics,
fabric, or gravel. They are unattractive, and don't break down into humus
for the soil.
Much of the water applied to lawns and gardens is never absorbed by plants.
The greatest waste of water results from applying it too rapidly or too
often. Water applied too rapidly is lost as runoff, which may carry polluting
fertilizers and pesticides to streams and lakes. Some water evaporates
when applied to bare, unmulched soil, or is lost into the air when applied
as a spray, especially on hot afternoons.
Apply water infrequently yet thoroughly. In the absence of rain, most
trees, shrubs, and ground covers benefit from a thorough monthly watering
during the growing season. Saturate to a depth of 8" to 10". This watering
schedule applied to lawns will create a deep, well-rooted lawn that efficiently
uses water stored in the soil. Watering early in the morning prevents
mildew diseases and minimizes evaporation.
Your soil type will determine frequency and duration of watering necessary.
Clay soils require more frequent, less thorough soaking. Sandy soils won't
hold much water without humus. All landscape needs more watering the first
three years of life, and can be put on a less intense schedule after that.
By using the natural characteristics and tendencies of your landscape,
you can reduce the required water use and expense. The word xeriscape
is often used to describe this landscaping philosophy, describing water-conserving
landscaping techniques and practices. This includes the use of native
or well-adapted plants, mulching, and efficient irrigation systems.
Use water discriminatingly and efficiently. Create watering zones to accommodate
plant groupings, and avoid watering walks, pavement, and walls. In-ground
systems that are properly installed, maintained, and monitored allow efficient
use of water resource. The water flows under low pressure through emitters,
bubblers, or spray heads placed at each plant. Use timers and/or moisture
sensors to prevent over-watering. Drip irrigation is also a water saver.
Soaker hoses deliver water directly to the base of the plant, reducing
moisture loss from evaporation.
If using sprinkler irrigation, make sure heads are properly adjusted to
direct the water towards plants, not sidewalks. A sprinkler head should
spray large droplets of water instead of a fog or fine mist, which wastes
water by evaporation and wind drift.
You can also find our Guide
to Watering Grass and learn How
to Prune Shrubs. For gardeners, there is a page about how
to correctly stake plants.
Organic gardening uses soil enhancements that really work, avoiding the
use of chemical fertilizers which poison the environment. Inorganic fertilizers
have a salt base, which causes imbalance in the pH of most soils. These
fertilizers are causing a toxic buildup of nitrates and drinking water,
wreaking havoc in streams, lakes, and even the oceans. Farmers are now
aware of the problem and are looking to alternative methods and products,
and we home gardeners should be doing the same. Chemical fertilizers also
destroy the beneficial microorganisms in the soil.
A good application of organic mulch and a little compost worked into the
top few inches of the soil should take care of the nutrients your plants
require and therefore reduce the need for fertilizers. In fact, many native
plants dislike chemical fertilizers and grow better without fertilizers
of any kind. If you decide your plants need fertilizing, one application
of an organic fertilizer to the soil before the growing season begins
should be sufficient.
The most important step in pest management is to maintain healthy soil.
Good, healthy soil produces healthy plants which are better able to withstand
plant diseases and insect damage. Practicing "green landscaping", including
efficient watering, planting, soil building, and reduction of rainfall
runoff, will significantly reduce your pest problems.
Before considering what control measure to use, identify what is harming
your plants. Insect infestations and diseases are often not the main problem,
but rather a symptom of stress caused by poor growing conditions such
as sterile or compacted soils, nutrient deficiencies, too much or too
little moisture, or a poorly adapted plant for the climate or the particular
landscape conditions. Simply correcting the stressful condition may control
the pest and prevent further infestations.
Of the millions of kinds of insects in the world, less than 2 percent
are harmful. Beneficial insects such as ground beetles, ladybugs, fireflies,
green lacewings, praying mantis, spiders, and wasps keep harmful insects
from devouring your plants. They also pollinate your plants and decompose
organic matter. Chemicals harm these beneficial insects more than the
unwanted pests.
Don't run for a can of pesticide when you could pick off a few pests by
hand. A blast of water can strip aphids from your plants. Use pruning
shears to remove tent caterpillars in the trees. Pruning and removing
diseased leaves, branches, or whole plants can stop the spread of disease.
Use the least-disruptive and least-polluting protections against a pest
before resorting to stronger controls.
Herbal pest repellants include garlic and hot-pepper sprays, which can
be made by processing these herbs with water in a blender and straining
out the pulp. You can add a few drops of soap, which is toxic to soft-bodied
insects.
Traps work by attracting a target pest into a container from which it
cannot escape. Place traps away from your garden so the pests don't eat
your plants before they are caught. Electric "bug zappers" destroy many
more beneficial insects than harmful ones. Use traps that attract only
the insects that are causing you problems.
The least-polluting chemical controls are botanical pesticides. All pesticides
are toxic to some living things and often indirectly affect other living
things. The botanicals are derived directly from plants, and a few are
even more toxic than some synthetics, but break down much faster than
synthetics, and are not known to accumulate in the food chain as synthetics
are.
Mineral pesticides are dormant and horticultural oils and powdered diatomaceous
earth, which are lox-toxicity and safe to use.
Synthetic pesticides are chemical compounds invented in a laboratory.
Some are more toxic than others, some are longer-lasting than others,
and some release compounds that are more toxic than the original pesticides
when they break down in the environment. Some accumulate in the environment
and cause harm far removed from the original site or purpose of application.
Others do not break down for long periods of time and remain in the soil
or water.
Create a haven for beneficial insects in your yard.
They will come to the landscape if they are provided the following:
- Water - this could be as small as a bowl or bird bath or as large
as a pond, just as long as it is available and filled with fresh water
all year. Be sure to keep the water fresh; stagnant water attracts mosquitoes
and other insect pests.
- Shelter - grow a variety of plants, including annual flowers,
perennial flowers, bulbs, grasses, small shrubs, large shrubs, and deciduous
and evergreen trees. The beneficial insects will find their niches.
- Food - pollen and nectar sustain some insect predators when insects
are not available to eat. Birds and squirrels enjoy fruits, grain, and
seeds, especially during the winter. Once beneficial insects, birds, and
animals get to know a particular landscape as a place to find food all
year, they will come back.
Related sites: Organic Gardening
Tips, Compost Guide, Gardening
Articles from Gardenfrog.com, Reel
Mower Guide
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