Tips & advice for going green with the grass in your yard

Now that you have filled up your Outdoor Room with Patio Furniture, Outdoor Grills, Fireplaces and other items, let’s look at ways to improve the view from your seat. For many people dead or dying grass in the yard is a huge problem, and many react in negative ways that involve harmful techniques and damaging substances. Here we will focus on the more environmentally conscious ways of dealing with your lawn than dousing it with chemicals and giving it a close shave once a week.

Maintain a height of four inches on your lawn. Four inches of grass height equals four inches of root. This will actually help control weeds, because the lack of sunlight to the soil inhibits germination.

Water thoroughly rather than frequently. This will help save water and will also prevent conditions favorable for the development of lawn disease.

Get a mulching mower. Fine grass clippings integrated into the lawn will allow you to decrease the amount of fertilizer you use by nearly 50%.

Brown grass stems and runners, also known as “thatch” will mar the look of your lawn.  The source of thatch is inorganic chemicals and inconsistent watering. Rake up the thatch, in so doing you will break up the dense layer that keeps water and nourishment from penetrating the lawn. Use the uprooted thatch to mulch your flower beds.

Use organic, natural fertilizers such as bone meal, blood meal and alfalfa meal. You will nourish your lawn and keep it safe for animals and children. Natural fertilizers take longer to deliver results than inorganic fertilizer, so you only need to fertilize once or twice a year. Natural fertilizers won’t burn plants, so you don’t have to be overly cautious about application.

Controlling undesirable pests and unsightly disease also has a green solution, which is nontoxic and simple to use. Some organic solutions for pest and disease control are insecticidal soap, horticultural oil and Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis). For the really tough characters, use Neem or Pyrethrum, but only as a last resort because these will also kill helpful insects.