First, a little bit of history.
Lush, weed-free green lawns weren’t always the standard for homeowners in the United States. Early on, rural residences were surrounded by packed dirt and vegetable gardens.
But after the Industrial Revolution of the late 19th century, wealthy Americans traveled to England where they saw estates fronted by gorgeous green lawns. Suddenly, having a lawn that resembled the ones seen on their visits to England became a necessity for Americans of means.
As time went on, having a beautiful lawn became a staple for middle-class Americans as well. But there was a problem. Lawns like those found in England required Americans to use non-native grasses. For example, here in Maryland, lawn lovers use fescues and Kentucky bluegrass, Bermuda grass from the savannahs of Africa and zoysia from Asia.
To keep their non-native lawns looking healthy, Americans adhere to protocols that make the environment less healthy. For example, they water their lawns with mechanical or irrigation systems that waste water and may contribute to draught conditions. They also use lawn mowers that create green gas emissions and air pollution, and apply herbicides and fertilizers that can harm animals and pollute drinking water.
In addition, they spend a lot of money. In the U.S., $20 billion is spent on lawn maintenance every year.
Can’t bear to part with your lawn? Here are some tips for minimizing the environmental footprint of your lawn care.
What to do?
- Don’t water fescue lawns in July and August. Fescue goes dormant in the summer months and does not require watering.
- Keep the length of your lawn at the highest setting of the lawn mower to keep weed seeds from germinating.
- Apply lime to lawn if pH is below 6.2. This will also prevent weed germination.
- Aerate and overseed lawn in April or September to have a denser lawn.
- Herbicide used to eliminate weeds should be kept at a minimum. Instead, use spot treatment or mechanical removal.
- Consider removing areas of lawn to establish perennial and shrub borders with native plants.
- Consider grouping some native trees such as white and red oaks, red maples and dogwoods to help the environment.
Rebecca Brown began her career as a horticulturalist more than 25 years ago and studied at the New York Botanical Gardens. She has been a University of Maryland-Baltimore County master gardener for eight years and is a backyard beekeeper.
Norman Cohen is a retired chemist. He has been gardening for 39 years and has been a UMBC master gardener for 13 years. Cohen also provides gardening education to the public at local farmers markets.
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