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Reduce your lawn

9/28/2023

While lawns are ubiquitous in our suburban landscape, this monoculture of grass is of little value to the native ecosystem. It is a time and money sink due to required maintenance, especially under trees and on hills grass tends not to grow well. The way we maintain lawns also does direct harm to the environment: fertilizers and pesticides that we apply to keep it full and green kill beneficial insects and pollute waterways, and gas-powered lawn equipment emits a cocktail of pollutants. Shrink the size of your lawn to reduce the negative impacts on wildlife and replace it with landscaping filled with native plants!

Rethink the structure of your yard by making an assessment of your lawn. Ask yourself what parts you use and what parts you don’t. Are there areas where you struggle to get grass to grow well? Keep the lawn that you use for relaxing and playing outdoors, and convert the rest to landscaping, particularly where grass is already struggling to grow. You don’t have to do this all at once. Start by planting a tree or shrub. Expand areas that are already landscaped.

Also consider mowing your lawn less frequently, particularly in April and May when spring ephemerals are blooming. Or go a step further and create a flowering bee lawn to support pollinators by incorporating low-growing perennials such as clover, buckwheat, violets, and burdock into your lawn.

Leave the leaves and dried plants

9/28/2023

In the fall, leaving the leaves, old stems and dead flowers in place is actually better for the health of our yards. As the old plant debris breaks down, it returns essential nutrients to the soil. Decomposed leaves also add structure to the soil, which improves water retention and the soil’s ability to handle droughts and flooding events. When we remove leaves, we find that we need to add extra fertilizer and must purchase mulch for our plant beds. Leaf mulch also suppresses weeds, helps retain moisture, and protects plant beds during the winter. You can save time and money by raking the leaves that are already in your yard into plant beds and mulch-mowing leaves into the lawn.

Leaf litter and dead plant stems are a vital resource for both animals as well. Bird and insect populations are declining, in part due to habitat lost to development. Countless insects, including the larval and pupal stages of important pollinators, rely on leaf litter for protection over the winter. A number of native bees lay their eggs in the stems of old perennials plants. Their eggs or larvae spend the winter in this safe shelter and emerge when the weather is consistently warm in the spring. Birds rely on old flower seed heads and those leaf piles as they forage for food throughout the winter and early spring. We can provide this habitat in our yards by placing leaves under the plants these animals frequent.

To create leaf mulch for your yard, rake leaves into plant beds and mulch mow leaves directly into the lawn. To help leaves decompose faster, use a mower, leaf shredder or chipper to break leaves into smaller pieces before adding them to plant beds. If you prefer the look of bark or other mulch in your landscaping, add a 3” layer of leaf mulch and cover that with a commercial mulch of your choice. Use a regular mower or attach special mulching blades to mulch leaves into the lawn. Many mowers are already designed to mulch cut grass and can be used to mulch mow leaves as well. Put the mower on its highest setting and run it over the leaves. This is best done when leaves are dry. Sometimes a second pass is needed to shred them to a small enough size.

use organic fertilizer (compost)

10/16/2013

Most common fertilizers are made in a factory, generally by processing natural gas to create ammonia, which can be further modified to form urea. These nitrogen compounds are the base for most fertilizers, along with inorganics such as phosphates , metal salts, and other compounds.

While these fertilizers contain essential nutrients, they are in a form not generally encountered by plants in their natural environment. As a result they can often “burn” or damage plants, particularly if applied too liberally. Furthermore, runoff of excess fertilizer can change the chemical balance of rivers and streams, causing algae “blooms” and depleting oxygen levels.

Organic fertilizers, such as compost, provide nutrients in a way that the plant can easily absorb, and in the right balance. You can buy it at the garden shop, make your own from garden and kitchen waste, or let the little wiggly worms do it for you. Learn more about vermicomposting here. You can also mix left over coffee grounds with a little compost as an added boost for acid-loving plants like rhododendron and azaleas.

use leftover coffee grounds to acidify soil

10/16/2013

Coffee grounds are great for acid-loving plants like rhododendron and azaleas. Mix with a little compost for an added boost.

avoid using pesticides

10/16/2013

Broadly spraying for pests also kills beneficial insects, preventing pollinators from reaching flowers and eliminating food sources for birds and other wildlife. Instead, use targeted or non-toxic alternatives.

For specific insects, such as spotted lanternflies, use a targeted spray such as a dish soap solution or undiluted vinegar in a spray bottle. Solutions of essential oils work well as repellents for mosquitoes and ants. Mosquitoes can be physically kept away by using a box fan where you sit outdoors. Keep mosquito populations low by placing Bti dunks in water sources or in a bucket as a mosquito trap to kill larvae.

Just like humans, plants can get stressed if their basic needs aren't met. Watering trees and shrubs during extended periods of drought will keep plants healthy and more able to cope with biotic stressors like insect herbivory - it's like preventative medicine. Different plant species can sometimes be planted together to solve an insect problem. For example, planting marigolds in your vegetable garden will keep away squash beetles, Mexican bean beetles, and nematodes; peppermint repels ants; and garlic protects against fleas, Japanese beetles, and spider mites.

Welcome the presence of wildlife small and large in your yard. Spiders and wasps are predators and will assist you with pest control. Tolerate some insect damage on your plants, particularly if you have native plantings in your landscaping. The caterpillars that feed on a few leaves will become pollinating butterflies. Those same caterpillars are an important source of food for birds, particularly as they forage for their nestlings in the spring and early summer.

mulch your garden

10/16/2013

Bare ground around your plants exposes their roots to excessive dryness, cold and hot temperatures, and compacted, low-nutrient soil.

Applying mulch around your plants and trees helps maintain the health of the plants and soil and cuts back on the need for extra watering and fertilizers. Mulches can be made up of a variety of organic and inorganic material, including leaves, compost mixes, bark, and woodchips. Save a pile of leaves from the fall to use as mulch over the winter and into the next summer. A 2-4 inch layer of mulch helps retain moisture, suppresses growth of weeds, protects roots from extreme temperatures (both winter and summer), adds nutrients as the mulch decomposes, and improves soil structure and drainage. Mulch also houses beneficial micro- and macro-organisms, improving the health of the local ecosystem. Be careful not to apply mulch too deeply and not to touch the trunks of trees: pull mulch several inches back from the base.

Leaf mulch is ideal for the purpose. It’s easy to handle and has a finer texture than wood mulch. Also, wood mulch can contain artillery spore, which can deface walls and structures nearby. And leaf mulch is generally a local product: many municipalities offer residents their own recycled fall collections at an attractive price. In our own area, both Nether Providence and Swarthmore do this.

Collect water to water the garden

10/16/2013

Reduce home water use while keeping your garden watered by collecting rainwater and excess water from household use.

Harvesting rainwater using a rain barrel reduces the harmful effects of runoff, and on-site use of captured rainwater reduces water treatment needs and reduces the use of potable water for residential needs. Rain water can be easily channeled to a rain barrels by directing the downspout into the top of the barrel or installing a diverter into the downspout. Barrels can be outfitted with a spigot, allowing you to easily attach a hose for watering plants, washing your car, or other uses. Be sure to place a screen over the water entry hole to keep out mosquitoes, and empty the barrel during the winter months to prevent it from cracking when the water freezes.

Much of the water used in our daily lives is clean enough to use for watering plants in the yard. Wash vegetables and fruits over a dish tub, then use the collected water for houseplants and your yard. After steaming or boiling vegetables, potatoes, and pasta, save this nutrient rich mixture to water your plants. Avoid using any water with salt or oil added. Savings of 1-2 gallons of water can be achieved each time. While waiting for running water from the tap to warm up for your shower or to wash dishes, as much as 1 – 2 gallons of clean, usable water rushes down the drain. Catch the flow in a bucket or pitcher, and use it to water plants.

water no more than once a week

10/16/2013

... and only in the very early morning.

Overwatering not only wastes that valuable resource but can be harmful to your plants and landscaping. Lawns can be watered every four days during hot, dry summers. The best time to water is during the early morning hours to avoid greater evaporation during dry, windy days. Water flower beds only once a week while established trees and shrubs require watering every couple of weeks.

Mulch-mow lawns to 3-1/2 inches or higher

10/16/2013

Cutting grass short exposes the soil to direct sunlight, causing evaporation and making grass more likely to need watering, especially during periods of drought. Leaving the grass stalks longer shades the ground, helping to retain moisture. Grass stays healthier, reducing opportunities for weeds to sneak in.

To improve the health of your lawn, be sure to leave the grass clippings and fallen leaves in place when you mow. They act as a natural mulch, adding nutrients back to the soil as well as keeping moisture in. Many mowers are already designed to mulch cut grass and can be used to mulch mow leaves as well.

While you are at it, switch your lawn equipment from gas to electric-powered or manual. Gas-powered mowers, trimmers, and blowers emit relatively large quantities of carbon monoxide, nitrous oxides and hydrocarbons into the atmosphere and function at decibel levels that are detrimental to health of both humans and wildlife.

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