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Going Green & Staying Green: Tips for Organic Lawn Care

A beautiful, green lawn can add significant curb appeal to your house. However, traditional lawn care practices can waste water, pollute the air and fill your yard with potentially dangerous chemicals.

Here are a handful of tips to keep your lawn lush, green and eco-friendly:

1 – Set your mower blade high.

Taller grass leads to stronger roots. Subsequently, keeping your grass a little longer will result in a thicker lawn. Tall grass also helps to suppress crab grass, which minimizes the need for pesticides. The ideal height is 2.5” to 3”.

2 – Leave the clippings on the lawn.

Don’t bag your grass clippings. Bagged grass is unnecessary landfill waste, and it’s also a waste of a natural fertilizer. When grass clippings break down, they feed your lawn with nitrogen.

Contrary to popular belief, grass clippings do not create thatch. The actual source of thatch is excessive fertilizer. By using grass clippings as a natural fertilizer, you’ll actually decrease the amount of thatch in your lawn.

3 –  Buy a push mower.

More than 580 million gallons of gasoline are used for lawn mowers every year in the U.S. By switching to a traditional push mower, you’ll be doing your part to keep that number down. It’s also a great workout, and it will save you a trip to the gym!

4 – Water your lawn strategically.

Given the massive rainfall that Indiana has received this summer, you hopefully won’t need to water your lawn at all this year. If you do, water it deeply but infrequently. Long watering sessions create deep, strong roots that will protect your grass against dry seasons. Additionally, invest in a lawn moisture meter to prevent over-watering.

5 – Use organic products.

If you need to use fertilizers or pesticides, read the label carefully. Make sure that it doesn’t include chemicals that could be hazardous to people, animals or the environment.

There are dozens of others eco-friendly ways to keep your lawn healthy. The key is to be intentional and strategic.

Looking for a new home with more land or to downsize to a smaller yard? Contact Ted O’Donnell, Indianapolis REALTOR, today to find real estate in Indy.

By Ted O’Donnell, talktotucker.com/ted.odonnell

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