Posts Tagged ‘sheet mulching’

Are Lawns Adding to Global Warming?

Sunday, January 24th, 2010

From the pro-lawn camp, I often hear the argument that lawns are good for the environment because they help remove Carbon Dioxide from the environment.

Thyme is a lovely, dog-friendly lawn alternative

Thyme is a lovely, dog-friendly lawn alternative

That they remove it may be true, but as I read today, it may turn out that the input costs in maintaining a lawn (or even worse, a turfgrass space) may actually cost the environment more than it gives back. And, really, there are other options to the traditional, water-hog, nutrient hog swath of grassy greenness that so many of us picture as an irreplaceable part of the American landscape.

I encourage you to take a moment to consider what your input of traditional lawn fertilizer might do this spring — or any other time. Perhaps this year you’ll choose to remove the lawn altogether, seed with eco-turf mixes that self-feed your meadow-like lawn or opt for truly natural, organic methods for keeping your lawn healthy. Remember, the cost of that cheap bag of weed ‘n feed type turf builder that seems to make your lawn so perfect so easily is quite likely much higher than you think when you check out at the store.

Read more about maintaining your safe lawn here.

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Garden Coach on Removing Grass with Little Effort by Sheet Mulching

Monday, October 26th, 2009

When I meet with a new garden coaching client, I always come armed with information on caring for lawns lawns in sustainable ways. However, these days I find myself pulling that information out of my client packets and exchanging it for information on how to remove lawns. Reducing lawns in favor of lower maintenance, more sustainable options has been on the increase — significantly so in 2009. Whether they’re looking for groundcover alternatives, new beds or just lower maintenance, sheet mulching makes getting there easy.

Thyme is a lovely, dog-friendly lawn alternative

Thyme is a lovely, dog-friendly lawn alternative

Fall is my favorite time to begin lawn removal programs. Why? Well, rain is abundant in the Pacific Northwest. And, we tend to spend less time lounging in the garden during the rainy season, so tearing up our lawn in fall doesn’t impact our day-to-day fun. Plus, at this time, soil microbial activity hasn’t come to a halt. So, by choosing to sheet mulch our lawns this time of year, we are able to opt for a passive removal method. We don’t break out backs with a lot of digging. We don’t run a fuel-hungry sod cutter or roto-tiller. And, we don’t have to find ways to get rid of the lawn we would otherwise dig out. Instead, the lawn nutrients are “tilled” into the soil by soil microbia, which convert this nitrogen rich organic material into forms ready for your spring plantings.

It may take a while for the garden life to complete lawn removal, but the life in the soil does the work for us during the months we’re unlikely to be using our garden. And, leaves are abundant! So, rather than putting them in yard waste or seeing them clog storm drains, collect them up and put them to use in removing your lawn and building beautiful, nutrient-rich new planting beds in time for spring.

Read more about how to remove your lawn and recycle its nutrient value into your garden here: (more…)

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