Conservation Gardening - Part 2

Or Healthy, Sustainable, and Cost-Saving Ways to Garden



‘Green’ Lawn Care

Our lawns have one of the biggest impacts on the environment. Water is wasted, unbelievable amounts of fertilizers are collected in streams, lakes, and the oceans and lead to algae blooms and dead zones in the water, and herbicides and pesticides known to cause cancer are used at a rate only surpassed by agricultural operations right where our children and pets are playing.

You can however have a green lawn with much less negative impact on the environment:

• Reduce it in size – less grass means less water, fertilizer, and time. See the example of a thyme / flagstone 'lawn' in Palo Alto.
• Feed your lawn responsibly: Leave grass clippings on the lawn. Clippings can supply about half of your fertilizer needs, and mowing without bagging takes less time.
• Mow frequently – cut about 1/3 of the height. Frequent cutting maintains a healthy balance of roots and leaves, and the clippings are so short they decompose quickly if left on the lawn.
• Leave grass high. An ideal mowing height for grasses used in our area is at least 2 ½”. Long grass supports deep roots and shades out weeds. No herbicides needed. And if you see a weed – use a good soil knife and just pull it out.
• Fertilizing only three times a year with a time released, low-Nitrogen and low-Phosphate organic lawn fertilizer product. (All three numbers on the package should be 9 or under.) Most important – follow the instructions on the packaging and do not over-fertilize. This harms the lawn, the environment, and the check book the most.
• Water infrequently, but deeply: Watering too frequently or not deep enough encourages shallow roots that are vulnerable to drought and pests. It also wastes water and leaches nutrients from the soil. Even in the hottest time of the year your lawn will survive beautifully if only watered every third day and much less often in the months before and after.
• Compacted soil keeps air, water, and nutrients from roots. To avoid compaction aerate your lawn in spring or fall while the soil is moist and the turf is growing vigorously. Core aeration pulls plugs of soil, leaving holes that let that air, water, and nutrients into the root zone.
• Thatch is a brown mat of dead roots and stems on the soil surface that, when over 1/2-inch deep, keeps nutrients, air and water from roots. Thatch can be removed in early spring using a power thatch rake. Since this is not a regularly occurring chore – it’s only done if needed – and it’s rather specialized, this might be a good time to get the help of a professional.
• Top-dressing with compost (spreading 1/4 to 1/2 inches of compost on the lawn) renews soil without digging it up. Top-dressing is most effective after core aeration opens up the soil.

Environmentally-friendly Controls

Avoid the application of herbicides and pesticide as much as possible – they can quickly become a problem to the environment, your health, and the garden’s health. There are other, low-impact methods to control weeds and pests:

• Pull out your weeds while they are young or at least before they go to seed – remember the old saying One year's weed - seven years' seed. And while you’re pulling the weeds try to disturb the soil as little as possible. This way you avoid more weed seeds getting into the soil where they will germinate happily and quickly. Still the best defense against weeds is however a thick cover of mulch.

• Usually nature takes care of itself – if there is a pest infestation, beneficials (predators of the pest that do not harm the plant) are attracted to the new ‘food source’ and take care of the problem. However, many pesticides will kill the pest and the beneficial and guess who rebounds faster – this time without an enemy on its heels? A good natural way of attracting beneficials is to plant companion plants. For example lavenders can protect nearby plants from insects such as whitefly, and lavender planted under and near fruit trees can deter codling moth. Dill is known to improve the health and growth of nearby cabbage. And the scented versions of Marigolds and chrysanthemums are two great pest deterrent known to discourage many insects – so plant them throughout the garden.
  
  
• An easy way to support the predators of your garden pests is too keep the ants out of the playing field. Ants love all pests that secret honey dew – scales, aphids, and whiteflies – and they will defend them against their natural predators. Keep the ants out of the way by adding a band of ‘Tanglefoot’ or similar products around the trunk of your trees and let nature take its course.

Save Water

Considering the current drought saving water is the right thing to. Consider your water bill and you will agree even if you usually don’t think about the environment.

The first thing to do when you want to save water is to check your sprinkler system. Do you overwater an area? Is there a permanently wet sport in your garden even in summer? Is there run-off onto pavement or street? Do you water every day? Do some of your plants do poorly? An evaluation of your system can be done by a professional, yourself, or – often for free – by your water district. Call them for more information.

Always a great way to save water is to reduce the size of your rather thirsty lawn and create planting areas for more drought-tolerant native and Mediterranean plants (see an example to the right.) Salvias, rosemary, and lavenders are some of the choices that will add long lasting blooms, scent, and beauty to your garden while asking for nothing in return.

Another option is to turn your lawn into a patio area – or at least part of it. Turn a corner of your backyard lawn into a Mediterranean plaza complete with permeable gravel ‘flooring’, recirculation fountain, sun protection, and citrus trees in pots. Or lay out stepping stones and interplant them with beautiful ground covers. And – if you are one of the less faint of heart – you may even consider adding an entire front yard entry court to your house and totally do away with the front lawn.

Be different – it will ‘pay back’ and not only improve your and your neighbor’s health, but also help the environment and your pocket book. Happy ‘Green’ Gardening.