Ecological Lawn Care in Ottawa-Carleton

In nature, many kinds of plants grow together in mutual support, an ecosystem. But, if there is no possible replacement for a grass-only lawn in your heart, you can still be good to our earth. Toxin-free lawn care works. Here's how:

• Mow High. Grass doesn't drink its food through its roots, it manufactures its food in its leaves - the green parts. Grass cut an inch high is as healthy as you would be on one meal a week. Two inches (5 cm) is the absolute minimum for healthy grass, three inches (8 cm) is best. Long grass shades its roots to keep them cool, and shades out weeds so they find it harder to grow.
• Water Deeply and Seldom. Bluegrass lawns need about one inch of water once a week. (Fescues and perennial ryegrasses need only about half that much.) Put a small can on the lawn before turning the sprinkler on to measure watering accurately. Frequent light sprinklings encourage shallow weak roots.
• Mulch Clippings. Mow often enough that no more than 1/3 of the leaf length is removed at one time, and leave the clippings in the grass. This reduces the need for fertilizer by 30%.
• Aerate and Overseed. Grass roots must breathe air to work properly. A grass plant growing in soil packed tight as concrete is as healthy as you would be with your head in a plastic bag. That's tap root soil - dandelions. Rent a small aerator once each year, or ask an organic lawn care business to do it. June is best, when there are the fewest weed seeds blowing around. Then rake it all smooth, overseed with a bit of high quality red/Chewings fescue grass seed, and water it in.
• Fertilize in Fall. Use a slow-release granular fertilizer, once a year. Never over-fertilize - too much actually weakens grass. Organic fertilizers are best - they last the whole year, and prevent weak green growth that bugs love to eat.
• Enjoy It! Only the weeds and bugs that threaten a lawn's health or our's really need to be removed. A lawn is healthier when several kinds of grass cooperate to deal with differing conditions around your home. And, 90% of insects around your home actually help your lawn grow.

Three types of grasses make excellent lawns in Ottawa-Carleton - all have leaves under 6 mm wide. Your lawn will be naturally healthier with each in their best areas.

• bluegrass: V-shaped leaves with fairly blunt ends. If you buy sod, this is what you have. It needs a lot of water and sun compared to other grasses.
• Chewings fescue: very fine leaves with slightly rolled edges and visible veins. For shady areas, this is the best good-looking grass. Creeping red fescue is best for dry areas.
• perennial ryegrass: leaves with prominent veins, shinier below than above. If you regularly have insect problems, this is your grass, varieties 'Cutter' and 'Edge' in particular.

For more details on toxin-free lawn care, read "How to get your lawn & garden off drugs" by Carole Rubin.

Provided by the Health Dangers of Urban Use of Pesticides Working Group of the Region of Ottawa-Carleton, Ontario Canada. Approved by Regional government and by the Ottawa-Carleton Health Department. Please feel free to copy.