Green Lawn Care for Wild Benefit

Credit: Mr. Tree and Lawn Service, LLC.

The Autumn season marks the start, in many four-season areas of our country, of a time during which yard work becomes crucial.  Often overlooked and neglected, lawn care in the fall can easily improve the condition of the grass and shrubbery, not only for the present season but for the future spring season.  So while you’re all gearing up to treat your grass and landscaping, please do try to keep in mind those four legged friends that occasionally graze the yard, both wild and domesticated.  And if you have children roaming the yards, working to improve your treatment methods is a no-brainer.

There are better options than automatically resorting to chemical fertilizers and other harmful practices.

Here are three earth-friendly tips that will promote your property’s health while maintaining your pet’s:

• Every few runs on the mower (reel mower if you’re super green), let a good portion of those grass clippings stay on the lawn to naturally breakdown.  Their nutrients will be extra, all-natural feed for your lawn.  No reason for additional phosphorus-laden fertilizers.

• There are plenty of non-conventional grass seeds to choose from, so choose one.  Don’t go with the standard, over-advertised names laced with potentially harmful herbicides and pesticides.  Read up on some other organic liquid and solid fertilizer options, find the right one for you, and go snag some to use this season.  Your dogs and cats absorb any chemicals in your lawn through the pores on their soft paws.

• Fallen leaves and twigs from trees can prove hazardous to the surrounding area, so you’ll want to remove them and tidy up a bit.  But rather than throw them in the trash, try to collect them in a separate bin to dump in a designated compost area.  I have an area in the brush far behind my backyard where I keep all collected leaves and trimmings, year-round.  The debris safely decomposes and returns to the soil, naturally.

Not all living situations lend themselves to keeping aligned with the above guidance, and that is understandable.  However, we at LiveGreenBeGreen strongly encourage all to keep these helpful hints and more in mind this season.  A simple Google search for tips like these can drastically change your outlook and ambitions surrounding your yard work.