Eco-friendly Yardwork Today Helps Make a Greener Lawn Tomorrow

Spring is just around the corner, and it will soon be time to get back outside and maintain your lawn and landscaping. Whether it’s mowing, watering, or growing, there are tips and tricks to help the environment while potentially saving you time and money. Here are four very simple and easy ways to start reusing your resources and make your yardwork a little bit easier.

-          Leave the gas mower behind. One hour of using a gas-powered lawn mower produces as much pollution as four hours of driving a car. Instead, you can use a push mower or an electric mower. With a push mower, not only can you cut the out pollution, but you also get in a great cardio workout as well.

-          The last thing you want to do after mowing is gather the clippings. A study by NASA’s Earth Observatory found that you should leave your grass clippings on your lawn to reduce the amount of fertilizer you need almost in half which will save you money over time. The grass clippings will decompose quickly and will leave their nutrients they held into your soil.

-          Your yard waste shouldn’t go to waste. Dead grass, sticks and dead leaves are great additives for your compost pile. The compost should be three parts “browns” (dead organic material) to one part “greens” (more recently-alive). Once the compost is finished you can add the materials to your garden soil or lawn later in the season to promote growth.

-          Forget the water hose. Water your lawn with rain. Rain barrels capture the rain that rolls off your roof and gets caught in your gutters and stores it for later use. Not only is this a great way to reuse rainwater but it may also reduce your water bill during the summer. Making it a win for the environment and a win for your wallet.

With these four tips, you can stop wasting time picking up your clippings and save money on the amount of water and fertilizer you use each year. Your lawn will thank you later!