In most neighborhoods home after home is surrounded by a carpet of emerald green grass to the point of where having a lush lawn is almost a requirement of home ownership. Lawns are excellent places to play, relax, and entertain family and friends. Last but not least; lawns, being the crowning jewel of your residential landscaping, can boost the value of your home, giving you a good return on investment (R.O.I.).

The problem with the perfect lawn is that it wreaks havoc on both your wallet and the environment. These great lawns usually are not very environmentally friendly. They often require a variety of fertilizers, various pest control additives, weed killers and pesticides, and a whole lot of water.

The majority of your hard earned money goes to products that “help” grass only in the most superficial of ways and that degrade and harm the soil, pollute any water they reach, and pose serious health threats to humans, their pets, and any wildlife in the area, including birds. As people become aware of these facts, attitudes towards conventional fertilizers and pesticides are beginning to change. For all those reasons, it makes sense to invest in a lawn that’s actually green—one that thrives without synthetic chemicals.

Here’s ten facts to consider about your lawn:

1 – Less than 2% of the insects found in your backyard are pests. Most are considered beneficial insects.

2 – Add organic matter to your lawn to build the soil — or spread an inch of compost in the fall, and water it in.

3 – Corn gluten meal is natures weed & feed! It prevents many weed seeds from germinating and benefits grasses by adding valuable nitrogen to the soil.

4 – It’s easier (and less time consuming) to control a few young weeds than it is to wage war on many large, seed-producing monsters.

5 – Increasing the organic matter in your lawn by as little as 5% will quadruple the soil’s ability to hold water.

6 – Even in the best of soils, any use of chemical lawn fertilizers can kill soil microbes, repel earthworms, and ruin soil structure.

7 – Lawns as a rule require about 1-inch of water per week to thrive. It is better to water in the morning to prevent disease.

8 – Aerate your lawn every couple of years to eliminate thatch and to allow air, nutrients, and water to penetrate deep into the root zone.

9 -To promote deep roots and a healthier lawn water longer, but less often. After watering, use a garden trowel to check soil moisture. If it isn’t wet 4 to 6 inches down — keep watering!

10 – Implement a Grub Control Program to get rid of the grubs living in your lawn and you’ll also get rid of the moles that are feeding on them.

At Lincoln Landscaping cultivating the environment is our life and livelihood. It is our number one goal to help our clients create and maintain beautiful landscapes and lawns while reducing the impact on the environment. Whether you are interested in organic turf management, a pollinator landscape garden design and build, or have some other landscaping or property management project; we can create for you an environmentally friendly, organic and beautiful eco-system within your property.