Everyone takes pride in their lawn. A lawn reflects how much you value your home and your property. If your lawn is well-cared for, people know that you care about appearances and wish to look both inviting and professional. If your lawn is yellowed or poorly-treated, then people might get the wrong impression about you. For that matter, there are practical advantages to keeping a great lawn. If you plan on putting your house on the market in the near future, a great lawn can add a lot of value to your home. Even if you don’t see yourself selling your home soon, you should keep your lawn looking good just in case. If a lawn is left to degrade, it can be difficult to rehabilitate completely. With all of this being said, there’s no point in caring for your lawn if you’re going to use a lot of pesticides and chemicals. These can have long-term negative effects not just on your lawn, but all of the plants on your property and even those on nearby properties. A naturally healthy lawn should be the goal for homeowners, and this is best accomplished through organic lawn care. Luckily, organic lawn care is now being offered by certain law care services. Below, we’ll look into what goes into organic lawn care, as well as its many advantages.
What Are The Risks Of Using Pesticides?
It can be tempting to use pesticides when caring for your lawn, and for that matter your garden. Pesticides are meant to keep insects away from your plants, and there are certainly benefits to driving away harmful bugs. The problem is that pesticides don’t just harm the bugs — they can hurt a variety of organisms that you don’t want to harm, and we aren’t just talking about plants. It’s estimated that in the U.S. alone, 60 to 70 million birds are killed each year by pesticides. These aren’t just small birds, either. Pesticides have been linked to the decline of the Peregrine falcon population; as prey animals and birds eat pesticides, they in turn are eaten by predator birds, who are just as harmed by the pesticides in turn. There has also been evidence of pesticides killing earthworms. The Virginia Cooperative Extension reported that certain fungicides and pesticides can kill 60 to 90% of earthworms where applied. Rather than saving your lawn, this can actually severely harm it. Pesticides aren’t the only issues. An estimated 40 to 60% of nitrogen from chemical fertilizers leaches away or runs off into water sources, and can even end up in wells.
How Can We Utilize Organic Lawn Care?
There are several ways in which you can care for your lawn in a more environmentally friendly manner. One of the main ways in which you can do this is by using turfgrass. Turfgrass essentially provides a cover for your lawn, and is a great way of preventing the spread of pollution. It’s believed that turfgrass traps much of the estimated 12 million tons of dirt and dust released annually in to the American atmosphere. One simple way of keeping your lawn healthier in a natural way is simply by letting it grow out a bit more. If your lawn is left between 2.5 and 3.5 inches long, its health can greatly be improved. Of course, you should also be checking up on your lawn’s pH levels. Your soil should have a pH between 6.5 and 7.0. Otherwise, it may need supplemental nutrients. Knowing whether or not these nutrients are necessary can help you cut back on unneeded interventions.
What Are The Benefits Of Organic Lawn Care?
Not only does organic lawn care help you avoid unnecessary pollution — it also has great benefits. A dense, healthy lawn absorbs rainfall and prevents runoff. They’ve also been linked to cooling effects. Therefore, a healthy lawn doesn’t just look good; it also makes everyone around it feel better. Environmentally responsible lawn care can change your life for the better.
