For a Strong Healthy Garden, Plant In The Fall
This video does a great job at reminding growers to put the right plant in the right place, at the right time. Lots of leaves falling in your yard? Don’t toss them, use them as mulch or put them in your compost.
Keep Chemicals Off Your Lawn (and out of your water!)
Lots of good tips here, but we especially like the reminder not to pollute your own water (or anyone else’s). Do you have well water? Don’t put anything on your lawn you wouldn’t want to drink.
Lawns Need To Be Watered Deeply and Infrequently
Roots need to breathe, but if the soil is constantly wet, oxygen cannot reach roots. If the weather has been dry enough that your lawn is not getting the 1.5” of water it needs per week, water your lawn deeply, but make sure to let it dry out. A drip irrigation system is a great option as less water will be lost to evaporation. Constant watering will kill your lawn and encourage fungus growth, but letting your lawn dry out will encourage deeper root growth. Plants with deeper roots are better able to take in nutrients and will be more naturally drought-resistant.
How Much Water is Your Lawn or Garden Getting?
Outside of drought conditions, New England can easily get an average of more than 1.5” inches of rainfall per week. The driest warm months tend to be August and September. A cheap and easy way to see if your lawn is getting the water it needs, naturally, is to install a rain gauge.
CLICK HERE for the Greenscapes Guide.
Let Greenscapes Guide You
The Greenscapes Coalition, which is is a regional partnership that works to promote and protect beautiful landscapes for clean and plentiful water, has compiled a guide to help residents make their yards more sustainable. It includes a gardening calendar and native plant suggestions.
Ready to Go Green?
You can take our sustainability pledge and not only go green in your yard, but encourage others to follow your amazing example!
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