No matter how the seasons change, your lawn can remain one of the most beautiful parts of your home. It’s an American staple and an outdoor element that can do wonders for both curb appeal and your self-esteem as a homeowner. When you start seeing brown spots or grass that just doesn’t seem to grow no matter how much you water it, though? Frustration is only natural. Environmentally responsible lawn care is a happy balance between a homeowner’s vision and our responsibility to the world we live in.
An iconic feature of the American homeowner landscape is a brilliant green lawn. These are the very definition of a natural first impression and go a long way in bringing a home together. Not only are they lovely to look at when well-maintained, they have a positive environmental impact. The front lawns of just eight houses have the combined cooling effect of 70 tons of air conditioning. When you consider just how expensive air conditioning is, this is music to just about anybody’s ears.
Turfgrass is also useful for controlling pollution. A thick and healthy lawn can do wonders for trapping pollutants, contaminants and excess debris in the air to keep you and your family healthy. It’s estimated as many as 12 million tons of dust and dirt are released into the American atmosphere year after year. This feature is recognized by real estate agents the country over and a well-maintained turfgrass lawn can increase a home’s property value by up to 15%. Despite the fact a lawn is environmentally supportive, the everyday chemicals we use can actually backfire.
Many of the chemicals put into lawn care are incredibly damaging to both plant life and wild life. They can even affect your surrounding community, putting everyone from adults to children at risk. Over 70 million birds will die every year from pesticide poisoning alone. Another 40% of the nitrogen found in fertilizer either runs off or leaches away, ending up in the surface water found throughout your community. When over 70 million pounds of pesticides (as well as herbicides) are applied to American lawns, you can imagine the long-term damage happening right under your own nose.
These are just a few of the reasons contributing to the rise of environmentally responsible lawn care. A naturally healthy lawn doesn’t have to depend on damaging chemicals that kill earthworms and harm birds. There are simple steps you can take to gauge your grass’ health as well as more environmentally stable products to help everyone have the best of both worlds. It’s been recently estimated that Americans will spend over $40 billion every year on the 30 million acres of land dedicated to turfgrass.
The first step you should take to organic lawn care is measuring your soil’s pH level. This will tell you what nutrients you may be missing. Grass generally does well in soil with a pH balance between 6.5 and 7.0, but this isn’t all you need to know to cultivate lush greenery. Leaving your grass a little longer than usual will also improve your lawn’s health and give it that soft texture you’ve been looking for. Two to three inches is generally standard, made all the easier by forgoing harmful chemicals and leaving earthworms to do their job.
If you want to learn more about environmentally responsible lawn care, look into an organic lawn care service. They can help you with watering, changing your fertilizer, measuring your pH balance and finding the right chemicals to use throughout the year. With a little extra research and consideration we can all create a cleaner, happier and healthier world.