by Todd Henry, Summer on the Cuyahoga Intern

As summer kicks into full gear, many of us become preoccupied with our lawns. Not only is a great lawn perfect for summer games and cookouts, but it is also a real asset to a home. The idealized suburban lawn has become engrained in our minds as a ubiquitous part of the American landscape. However, conventional lawn care methods are often harmful to the surrounding natural environment. While many of us might not be ready for a full lawn conversion to a prairie habitat, small changes can have a big impact on the environment. More and more Cleveland residents are realizing the ecological and economic benefits to an organic approach to maintaining the urban landscape. The Nature Center supports a new ethic for the American lawn: to conserve water, minimize green waste, reduce pesticide use, prevent pollution, and promote backyard biodiversity.

While conventional lawn care produces faster, visible results, organic methods used over a period of time can create a lawn that is resistant to adverse environmental conditions and pests. What can you do in your own backyard to improve environmental quality?

1. Reduce harmful pesticide use! The average American lawn can receive over ten pounds of unnecessary pesticides and twenty pounds of fertilizers per year. The EPA recognizes that these products can be effective, but that they are not a solution for long-term pest and weed problems. These products can also be toxic to the environment. They can work their way into our groundwater systems and can pose harm to our children, pets, and wildlife. They can also kill organisms that help the ecological balance of your soil. Research has shown that fall (August or September) and late fall (October, November or December) fertilization is ideal for home lawns.

Choose to use organic fertilizers. They release nutrients more slowly while they preserve the biotic quality of the soil and encourage earthworm and microbial activity.

One easy way to fertilize and eliminate hazards is to leave grass clippings on your lawn after mowing. The clippings contain the three main fertilizer ingredients: nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Clippings decompose in one to two days (thanks to earthworms and soil micro-organisms) and do not contribute to thatch accumulation.

2. Save water! The average American uses 40 to 60 percent of their water usage outside the home. Northeast Ohio usually receives enough rain during the summer to eliminate the need for watering. Grasses naturally grow slowly during the summer. Water no more than once every five days and wet the soil to 6-8 inches. Water at least 1 inch of water over the lawn, whether it is from rain or your sprinkler. Light, frequent watering can actually hurt turf. Overwatering and/or frequent watering stimulates excessive top-growth. Lawns watered too frequently also tend to develop shallow roots, which may attract pests and cause heat-drought stress. Rain water can be collected in rain barrels, rain gardens, green roofs, bio-swales and French drains to be used for watering. For more information about these methods, visit the Laudable Lawn Care section of our website.

3. Save energy! Changing mowing habits can help create a healthier lawn and lessen the strain on your pocketbook from high gas prices. Traditional lawn mowers produce abundant amounts of pollution in exhaust. Switch to a push mower for reduced emissions and noise pollution. Also, map out the most efficient way to mow; that way, you can save time and gas and increase the time you get to enjoy your lawn. Grass should be kept at about three inches high. This keeps the soil cool, reduces water loss, promotes deep roots and dense cover, and discourages new weed seeding.

4. Grow local! Promoting an appropriate backyard habitat means that you will spend less time maintaining your lawn. Native plants will already be adapted to the Northeast Ohio environment. Locally appropriate grasses, such as turf-type tall fescue, require less maintenance, have a fast germination rate, and can survive Ohio's droughts. This approach also benefits the distinct wildlife found in and around the Doan Brook watershed.

The Nature Center encourages our community to evolve their mindscape as they improve their landscape and produce measurable environmental changes. Through sustainability programming, we hope to counter the chemical and resource-intensive yard runoff blitz that can occur each spring and summer. But your positive impact is potentially much greater. The sum of what we each do in our backyards can be a showcase for the region and beyond.