May Meeting Recap: Natural Lawn Care 101
- Irene Hogstrom
- 15 hours ago
- 3 min read
written by Irene Hogstrom
Gardener, environmentalist and talk show host Mike Nowak, shared his insight and knowledge of natural lawn care at our May meeting. He explained some of the consequences of traditional pesticide and synthetic fertilizer use and provided tips for achieving a safe, healthy and sustainable lawn naturally.
Mike provided some staggering statistics of traditional lawn care in the United States:
- 8 billion pounds of fertilizer used annually
- 67 million pounds of pesticides applied annually
- 800 million gallons of gasoline consumed by lawn mowers each year
The heavy use of fertilizers has created a dead zone in the Gulf and contributes to algae blooms in other water bodies.
He also reminded us that if it is in your lawn, it is in your house and on all members of the family, including children and pets. According to the National Cancer Institute, dogs with malignant lymphoma were 30% more likely to come from a home where homeowners or a lawn service treated their lawn with pesticides.
There are alternatives that are healthy for people, pets and the environment. A few local municipalities, such as Skokie, are promoting natural lawns on public property. Mike described several techniques to maintain a healthy and sustainable green lawn.
Apply mulch around trees to reduce competition
Apply a circle of shredded hardwood mulch around trees instead of grass. It reduces competition for water and protects trees from damage by lawn mowers and string trimmers. The mulch ring should resemble a donut and not a volcano.
Mow to help reduce grass and weeds
Mike pointed out several mowing techniques to improve the lawn:
- Keep grass at a taller height to increase competition with weeds.
- Use a mulching lawn mower and leave clippings on the turfgrass as compost.
- Mow the grass at a lower height for the first and last mowings of the year.
Water Wisely
Proper watering techniques will help encourage a healthy lawn:
- Water infrequently but deeply. A one inch depth is recommended.
- Stop watering during a drought period and let the lawn go dormant. It will green up again once the drought is over.
- Be aware that garden hoses often contain lead and use a lead-free hose for watering.
Apply compost as fertilizer
Fertilizing is only necessary once per year. Grass naturally greens up in the spring, so fall is the best time to fertilize. Avoid fertilizing prior to a heavy rain event, as it will wash away as runoff. The best fertilizer is to add nutrients to the soil by using compost.
-Apply a ¼” to ½” of sifted compost as a top dressing to the lawn.
- Use a compost spreader or broadcast and rake.
- Apply compost tea as another option.
Learn more
Mike provided an extensive list of additional resources, available at this link: tinyurl.com/gglawncare.
Visit the links to resources specifically about pesticides used in lawn care:
Take action
Lead by example and switch to natural lawn care and adopt sustainable practices.
What You Can Do:
- Learn to tolerate some weeds and make your lawn an environmental asset.
- Replace gas powered equipment with hand or electric tools.
- Compost food scraps and leaves to use as a natural lawn and garden fertilizer.
- Share concerns with neighbors on the hazards of pesticides used in lawn care.
- Participate in the Less Lawn More Life challenge.
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