Landscaping Buying Guide
A quick guide to strategic product selection

Quick Tips

Watering

• Use water-efficient yet effective irrigation methods, such as drip, micro misters, and sub-surface irrigation systems.
• Use recycled graywater and/or rainwater instead of potable (drinking) water to irrigate.
• Use timers, automatic shut-off, and/or moisture sensor technologies to help your irrigation system operate strategically.
• Contour the land to direct rainwater runoff through the site to give vegetation additional water supply.

Plants & seeds

• Choose climate-tolerant plants that can survive on natural rainfall - they will save you water and money.
• Avoid planting a lot of lawn - lawns require a lot of water and gasoline-powered motors are most often used to cut them, which pollute the environment.
• To maintain plant health and to optimize moisture, mulch and use compost around your plantings and use organic fertilizer instead of using chemically-based, often toxic, fertilizers.
• Plant trees - they provide shade, CO2 absorption and reduce heat island effect.

Irrigation

Outdoor water use, primarily for the purpose of landscape management, account for 30% of the 26 billion gallons of water consumed daily in the U.S. Improved landscaping practices can dramatically reduce and even eliminate irrigation needs.

Efficient technologies

• Drip irrigation: applies water slowly and directly to the roots of the plants, using 30-50% less water than sprinkler or hose irrigation methods.
   
• Rainwater collection: significantly reduces or completely eliminates the amount of potable (drinking) water used for irrigation by harvesting rainwater from roofs, collection tanks and/or barrels (note that metal, clay or concrete-based roofing materials are ideal for rainwater harvest, as asphalt or lead-containing materials will contaminate the water).
   
• Graywater recycling: consists of the recycling and reuse of water from sinks, showers and washing machines for the purpose of irrigation (does not include water that involves human waste or food processing).

Lawn care & weed prevention

Avoid gas-powered lawn mowers

Gas-powered lawn mowers pollute the air and contribute to global warming. A typical 3.5 horsepower gas mower can emit the same amount of smog in an hour as a new car driven 340 miles. To reduce your carbon footprint, consider using electric or push mowers instead of gas-powered ones.

Avoid pesticides at all costs

According to the Pesticides Action Network (PAN), U.S. homeowners apply at least 90 million pounds of pesticides to their lawns and gardens each year. The use of pesticides at home has risen steadily since 1998, and now represents the only growth sector of the U.S. pesticide market.

If you use the traditional “weed and feed” lawn care strategy, you may be unaware that the product lines typically associated with these techniques are poisonous. Of the 30 most commonly used lawn pesticides, 19 are carcinogens, 13 are linked with birth defects, 21 with reproductive effects, 15 with neurotoxicity, 26 with liver or kidney damage; 27 are irritants, and 11 can disrupt the hormone system. Pregnant women, infants and children, the elderly and the chronically ill are at greatest risk from pesticide exposure. Pets too are regularly poisoned.

The Toxics Action Center recently reported that the largest provider of lawn care services in the U.S. - ChemLawn (now ServiceMaster who also owns TruGreen) - uses ingredients banned in other countries for over 40% of the chemicals in their consumer product range. The study also revealed that all of ChemLawn’s products pose a threat to human health, water supplies and aquatic organisms.

Quick-fix fertilizers can make your lawn grow fast and look green, but they actually damage the natural fertility of your soil. Also, pesticides that are used to treat insects and disease also kill beneficial microorganisms that work to keep your soil healthy. Over time, chemical fertilizers and pesticides damage your top soil, forcing you to spend time and money applying more chemicals, making your lawn and landscape dependant on chemicals.

Use organic herbicides and fertilizers

• Organic Herbicide: Apply an herbicide that is made from corn gluten meal. This is currently the only proven pre-emergent organic herbicide on the market. Apply 20 pounds per 1,000 square feet of lawn.
   
• Organic Fertilizer. Look for blended organic fertilizers that are made from biodegradable materials. A tip for applying Organic Fertilizer is 20 pounds per 1,000 square feet early to late spring. Check out the following brands: Bradfield Organics, Multi-Bloom, and Nutritek.

Seed with native grass

Native grasses (or drought and disease tolerant species) require less water, fertilizer, and pesticides than non-native species. Inquire about which grass type grows best in your area with your local nursery.

Leave the clippings on the lawn

As grass clippings decompose, they contribute valuable nitrogen to the soil, almost 2 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet of soil each season or about half of the lawn's annual fertilizer needs. They also add organic matter and provide a variety of other benefits to the soil and grass. Many people believe, however, that clippings left on the lawn contribute to thatch-dead or dying grass parts (such as stems, stolons, crowns, and roots) that form a layer on top of the soil and obstruct moisture and oxygen from reaching plant roots. But just the opposite is true: fresh clippings actually stimulate earthworm activity, which breaks down thatch.

Mow high and often

You'll leave no room for weeds if you mow your grass often (but not too low) with a sharp blade and grow it in soil that's rich in organic matter and biological activity. To suppress crabgrass, researchers have found that mowing cool-season turf grasses to 3 inches high works as well as or better than using herbicides. Dandelions, common purslane, and other low-growing annual weeds also do not survive in a lawn that's cut high.

Overseed

Sprinkle native grass seed throughout your lawn in the spring and fall. This will help fill in bare spots and help choke out weeds. If filling in bare areas, first loosen soil and spread peat moss, organic compost or organic top soil. Walk over lawn to help push seeds into soil, then water.

Questions? Feedback?

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