Did you know your lawn says a lot about you as a homeowner? It’s true! A vibrant green lawn, regardless of the size, shows you love making a good first impression and want to show off your Bergen County home with pride. When joined by lush landscaped grounds, it also shows discerning taste and appreciation of the natural world.
Below the surface, however, another certainty lies ready to strike: the health of your lawn. How healthy is it really? If you dump chemicals on your lawn, remove all clippings and dropped leaves, and water your lawn on a daily basis, you’re not doing your lawn – or yourself – any favors. A better solution can be summed up in three words: organic lawn care.
1. Encourages Family Activities
Your family is an extension of yourself, so, naturally, you want what is best for them. In the same manner, a backyard is an extension of your home. You look after it and keep it safe and clean for your family’s enjoyment. But what happens you don’t have a family-friendly backyard?
Instead of restricting your kids’ growing space, do the opposite: turn the backyard into the outdoor space of your dreams. Once you do, you’ll see how everyone benefits. From playing games to testing out martial arts skills, your kids will love the extra room to roam. Family activities will expand and everyone down to the pets will reap the rewards of an organic lawn-care regimen.
2. Boosts Family Health
Apart from improved family life, organic lawn care also offers improved family health. In standard lawn care, you, your kids and your pets are exposed to chemicals like herbicides, pesticides and synthetic fertilizers every time you enjoy your backyard oasis. Chemicals are often applied to the grass, the foliage and even the soil. That’s not a pretty picture!
An organic approach steers clear of these common hazards, choosing instead to return optimum health to the roots and soil as naturally as possible. Stimulating roots with nutrients and encouraging soil health through aeration are just two ways to achieve a healthy lawn. Instead of harsh chemicals, the use of natural methods serves to correct the underlying issues naturally, thus imparting a healthier lawn for all. Never again will you be fearful of children picking up toxins as they play in the yard.
3. Enriches Grass Health
What’s good for your health is good for the grass, too. Beneficial nutrients help nurture the roots, balancing soil pH and good microbes in the process. Before you look at the grass, though, look to the soil. Achieving healthy soil should be your first goal. You can collect some of your soil for testing, which will determine nutrient levels and the presence and amount of chemicals. Then, talk to your organic lawn care company about the need for organic fertilizers. According to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, one of the best ways to introduce certain nutrients like nitrogen is to leave mulched grass clippings on the lawn.
Healthy soil produces healthy grass, and thick grass helps keep weeds at bay by crowding out their growing space. It’s a win-win for all.
4. Improves the Environment
While you will see improvements with your immediate surroundings, you’ll also contribute to improvements on a broader scale. By reducing chemical usage, homeowners all over Bergen County will help lighten the stress load on the natural environment. Over time, there won’t be as many chemicals in streams and runoff, nor will there be as many wind-blown residues. The soil will be cleaner, the air will be sweeter and your home life will be grander overall.
Chemical use should only be a last resort, one that’s applied more like a spot treatment if absolutely necessary. You wouldn’t hose down your designer rug when it develops a suspicious wine stain after your weekend dinner party, so why would you hose down your lawn when a blemish crops up? The fewer the chemicals, the healthier your lawn – and the environment – will be.
5. Reduces Maintenance Costs
The final benefit is a reduction in overall costs. Maintaining an unhealthy, chemical-dependent lawn serves as a drain on your pocket book. It can’t fend for itself and needs regular outside input to look presentable. Although it looks attractive, it isn’t attractive at the ground level. That’s why switching to organic lawn care is the healthy choice.
Don’t be alarmed if you see your lawn has more weeds at first. Your lawn and soil need time to adjust. Before you know it, you’ll have a healthy, nearly maintenance-free lawn and more savings in the bank. You’re a savvy homeowner who knows how to live in harmony with nature.
A Look at Organic Lawn Care
In essence, organic lawn care turns away from chemicals and incorporates a biological approach toward a healthy lawn. Soil aeration, root stimulation, native plants and shrubs, natural grass mulch, thatch removal and integrated pest management help return the soil and grass to a healthy state.
You’ll want to retain as many natural nutrients as possible, mulching grass clippings and leaves to ensure they break down in situ. Water deeply and not too frequently and plant shrubs and trees that are appropriate for the climate zone. Bergen County is in Zones 6a and 6b.
To ensure high-quality organic lawn care, find a landscaping company that offers the following programs:
- Basic Turf Program
- Optimum Organic Program
- Tree and Shrub Care Program
- Guardian Integrated Pest Management
When you need assistance, just turn to the experts! A professional landscaper should be ready to help you achieve an organic lawn, complete with beautifully landscaped grounds.
