Green In The Yard
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Move non-toxic, organic and green practices into your yard with the following steps.
Water Wisely
- Water only when needed. Overwatering is as bad as underwatering, as it
can breed fungus and disease. Ask a local nursery or landscaper about your lawn’s water requirements.
- Water deeply. Frequent, shallow watering encourages weeds and stunts root
growth. Deeper watering only when needed encourages deeper root growth.
- Water early. Reduce water loss to evaporation by watering between 4 a.m. and 9 a.m.
when air is cooler and winds are calmer. Avoid watering in hot, windy conditions.
- Adjust sprinklers. Make sure sprinklers water the lawn — not the patio,
driveway, sidewalk or street. Turn off sprinklers if water begins running off grass
into the driveway or street.
- Use a rain sensor. It automatically turns off the sprinkler system when it rains.
- Use a water timer. It will set your sprinkler for a fixed amount of time.
- Hand water. Use a soaker hose or hand water problem areas.
Stop Chemical Use
Traditional pesticides and fertilizers remain on leaves, grass and flowers and come in contact
with children, pets, wild animals and birds. In addition to bad insects and weeds, they kill
good insects and can harm weaker plants. Use organic fertilizers and pest control which protect
wildlife and are better for plants, children, pets and you.
Replace Your Lawn
Lawns tend to require more water and maintenance than other landscaping options. Aerate your
lawn annually to improve its ability to absorb water and reduce runoff problems. Consider
replacing sections of lawn with xeriscaping, trees, shrubs, groundcovers or gardens.
Go Native
Plant native, drought tolerant flowers and shrubs so something is blooming year round.
This requires less water to maintain. It also attracts good insects and birds, which eat
damaging insects, slugs and snails.
Let Vegetables Flower
If you grow vegetables, let some go to flower. They will attract bumble bees,
which help pollination, and hoverflies, which prey on unwanted pests.
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Updated Thursday, December 17, 2009
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