Eco-Friendly Lawn Care

 

In 2008, scientists found traces of the pesticide dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, better known as DDT, in remote areas of Antarctica. This alarming discovery has researches worried because the once frozen DDT, has started to melt and is being released onto our earth once again.

DDT was synthesized in 1874 and identified as an insecticide in the 1930’s. It has been used successfully to kill mosquitoes when malaria was introduced in Africa and became the pesticide of choice during World War II. DDT has now become more of an environmental concern because of its effects on animal reproduction, making it one of the most controversial chemicals in history.

Our earth’s natural environment is being adversely affected due to humans and the growing concern for this is arising every day. You can help make a positive mark on the environment by simply changing the way you care for your lawn. Here are a few tips on how you can improve the way you look after your lawn without hurting our precious planet.

Biopesticides

DDT is a man-made chemical made to improve the quality of human life, but we don’t think about how bad it is for our environment. We also know DDT works well as an insecticide, but what does it do for animals that come in contact with it?  Research shows DDT causes reproductive problems in birds, such as thinner egg shells. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, there is also some inherent danger to humans and other living beings from chemical pesticides.

However, you can in fact control pests without harming the environment. Biopesticides are becoming more popular due to their safer properties. It is a chemical made from natural occurring elements that help control insects rather than kill them. For example, a pheromone pesticide (a chemical produced which changes the behaviour of other animals or the same species), will disrupt the mating patterns of some insects such as moths and butterflies, making sure they don’t reproduce in your lawn. These pheromones only affect the targeted insects and won’t adversely affect other animals. You can also get biopesticides that lure insects into traps or microbial pesticides that use microorganisms to kill insects. There are certain pesticides that once ingested by lawn grubs, bacteria will grow and kill them from within, without having an effect on birds and other insects.

Eco-Friendly Lawn Care Equipment

Gas-powered mowers are said to produce an estimated 10% of all air pollutants formed from portable gasoline machines. Their emissions can also be more toxic compared to gas-powered cars as they don’t adhere to the same EPA standards.

To help prevent air pollution, why not try electric lawn care equipment? You will find many corded or cordless power tools at your local home and hardware store. If you opt for a battery-operated lawn tool, remember that these are not as good for overall performance, but are great for portability. Electrical outlets will provide more consistent power over batteries and will make a bigger difference. If you have a bigger yard and more lawn to mow, you can even opt for an electric ride-on mower. Not only will you cut down on emissions, but you’ll also save money in the long run as electricity prices don’t fluctuate like gas prices.

Rainwater Irrigation

Instead of constantly watering your lawn, consider using man-made rainwater irrigation instead. Not many people take into account the fact that watering your lawns has more of an adverse effect on our environment. If everyone is watering their grass, it puts a strain on water supplies and a disruption in the Earth’s water and carbon cycles.

You can now use rainwater to offset your irrigation problems, by catching it as it flows out of your gutter downspouts and storing it for future use. Depending on your budget, you can buy intricate systems, or you can make your own rainwater collection system using food-grade plastic barrels. You’ll also need an electric pump to create enough water pressure to power an irrigation system.

Mulch and Compost

Mulch and compost are yard wastes that have been organically broken down and recycled by our Earth. You can help the environment by properly disposing your lawn waste.

You can either mulch while you mow, bag your clippings for disposal or create a compost pile. To mulch while you mow, you can use a mulching blade on your mower. This is probably the easiest option and costs less than $15 to pick one up at your local hardware store. Bagging your clippings after you mow can take a little more time and effort because you’ll have to buy yard waste bags and possibly pay for waste removal.

By creating a compost pile, it recycles organic material and spreads it back into the earth for nutritional purpose. Decomposed grass clippings add to the overall nutrition of the compost.

Mulching saves you time and energy and the grass clippings provide 25% of the fertilizer your lawn needs, giving you the best of both worlds. Lawn clippings can also be used for erosion control in flower beds and other areas prone to erosion from heavy rainfall.

No-Mow Lawns

Maintaining a yard does have its benefits like cutting down on insect diversity by limiting weed growth. But instead of having to maintain and mow your lawn, have you ever considered a creeping flower or a no-mow lawn?

A no-mow lawn means no watering or mowing is required, which positively impacts the environment. Consider planting thyme, sweet alyssum and lavender. They are not only aesthetically pleasing to look at but require no maintenance. You could also opt for hardscaping and build a desert or rock scene, which also requires no maintenance and has no erosion impact.