6788 Environmentally Sound Gardening Solutions

Going Green

Landscapers are changing due to the shift in environmental attitudes, and gardeners are standing up and taking notice of the effects that wasteful, environmentally unfriendly and energy consuming practices can have on their surroundings.

"Going Green" is the battle cry that reigns supreme, making chemical laden lawns a thing of the past and stirring interest in materials that are environmentally friendly when creating a backyard paradise.  You can go greener by following some of these steps.

  1. Look to harness the sun.
    The world is constantly looking for alternative energy sources, but thanks to solar technology, you need look no further than the sun. By utilizing fixtures that are solar powered you can harness the sun's energy during the day and enjoy the light at night.
  2. Try outdoor cooking.
    Whether you are firing up a good old fashioned charcoal grill or using the sun's energy in a solar oven; when you cook in your back yard you won't be overworking your air conditioner with that hot oven heating up the kitchen.
  3. Use ecologically friendly materials.
    When it comes to an outside patio, there is nothing quite like natural stone to bring out those rustic features. For fences, bamboo is quite popular these days and decks made out of cedar ignore rot while eventually weathering to a nice shade of silver. Using environmentally friendly materials help pave the way for going green.
  4. Employ native plants in the landscape.
    Create a beautiful garden and landscape scenario by utilizing native plants grown for our climate. At the same time your back yard becomes your backyard getaway, and it can invite a variety of butterflies and birds for your enjoyment.
  5. Use compost in place of fertilizer.
    Using compost applied a half inch deep on your existing lawn will help your lawn to flourish and help keep toxic fertilizers out of our waterways. For details contact our office.
  6. Mulch around trees to save water and cut down on weeds.
    We recommend spreading mulch to a thickness of two to four inches deep. Make sure to leave several inches of space between the mulch and the tree trunks, plants and bushes to discourage rodents and rot. Replenish mulches when decomposition thins the mulch layer. While mulch can be spread any time of the year, late spring is the best time to get started with mulching around trees.

Turf Topdressing

More and more landscape professionals are offering topdressing services to their clients.  This maintenance practice, long used by golf course superintendents, has proven to be one of the best ways to maintain a healthy lawn.  Compost is ideal for this use.

  1. For best results, core-aerate the entire area to be treated with compost.
  2. Ideally, use deep (4" minimum), wide (3/4"), hollow tines for best results.
  3. Make 4-5 passes, moving in two directions.
  4. Apply an approximately 1/4-1/2" layer of compost across the turf area to be treated.
  5. Back drag the entire area with a weighted chain link fence, rake or similar implement, to break up the cores and blend them with the compost to fill in the aeration holes.
  6. Over seed, if desired, and water well.

If topdressing in the Autumn, compost can often supply the necessary over-winter nutrients to replace fertilizer application.

Learn More About Going Green

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American Soil & Mulch

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