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Tips for an Eco-friendly Lawn: Steps You Can Take to Reduce Nitrogen Pollution
Tips for an Eco-friendly Lawn
It’s spring and lawn care is on the minds of many Long Islanders. Fertilizer is often thought of as a key ingredient to a healthy, vibrant lawn but fertilizer use, especially improper application, can be harmful to the environment. Excess nitrogen in fertilizer pollutes our waterways, negatively impacts aquatic life, and interferes with fishing, swimming and boating. In fact, fertilizer is the second leading source of nitrogen contamination of Long Island waters; residential wastewater is the primary source.
Most important, fertilizer should not be applied before April. Grass simply cannot efficiently absorb fertilizer at this time. Furthermore, it is illegal to fertilize your lawn in Nassau and Suffolk counties before April 1.
To be clear, lawns are not a natural landscape feature and usually require high maintenance. If having a lawn is your preferred landscape option, then follow the suggestions below to help decrease the likelihood of overapplying fertilizer and, therefore, reduce the amount of excess nitrogen that enters groundwater and surface water.
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Don’t start fertilizing! If you’re not currently using fertilizer and you are happy with how your lawn looks, then don’t start fertilizing. Many lawns can be aesthetically pleasing without any added fertilizer.
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Eliminate or shrink your lawn. Consider reducing the lawn area requiring fertilizer. One of the most effective ways Long Islanders can do their part to protect local water resources, is to replace their lawn or a portion of it with less resource-intensive landscaping, also known as sustainable landscaping. Sustainable landscaping makes use of native plants to help reduce the amount of fertilizer, pesticides, and water needed to maintain the landscape. Often, native plant species require little to no extra water and fertilizer and help to absorb and filter rainwater. For more information on sustainable landscaping, view the factsheet here.
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Test your soil quality. Before applying fertilizer, consider testing the soil to better determine if nutrients like nitrogen are needed. Testing soils can lead to better management as well as more productive soils. Visit Nassau and Suffolk County’s Cornell Cooperative Extension website to get a soil test.
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Keep grass clippings on your lawn. Mulching mowers finely chop grass into small pieces which get deposited into the lawn and decompose quickly. It is like adding a little bit of fertilizer every time you mow, and allows you to lessen, or eliminate, chemical fertilizer application. As a general rule, no more than a third of the grass blade should be removed during a single mowing. And it’s also good practice to keep the height at least three inches high, which encourages deeper, healthier roots.
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If you decide to use fertilizer, consider these tips.
- Apply less fertilizer to your lawn. If you choose to fertilize, especially on a well-established lawn, then applying one-third to one-half of the amount recommended on the fertilizer bag is sufficient.
- Use organic fertilizers. Organic fertilizers are fertilizers that have no synthetic ingredients and are made from plant and animal sources. These organic products contain lower nutrient concentrations and are absorbed more slowly by the plants, which can cause less nitrogen to leach into the groundwater.
- Use slow release fertilizers. Typically, lawn fertilizers contain quick release nitrogen where the nitrogen is immediately available to the plant. Nitrogen that the plant does not use will leach into groundwater. Using slow release fertilizers, where the nitrogen is released in small, steady amounts, allows for the plant to take up nitrogen over time. When using slow release fertilizer, nitrogen is more efficiently taken up by the plant over time and less will leach into the groundwater.
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Timing is everything. If you are going to fertilize, then apply it at the right time – close to Memorial Day and/or Labor Day. Fertilizer shouldn’t be applied before April or after mid-October. Nor should it be applied during the hottest summer months when grass is dormant. Grass simply cannot efficiently absorb fertilizer at this time so don’t bother trying – you’ll just waste fertilizer and money. On Long Island, if you fertilize once a year, it is best to do so around Labor Day.
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Sweep up the excess. Notice excess fertilizer on your driveway or sidewalk? Sweep it up. Sweeping up excess fertilizer prevents it from being carried to our storm drains and waterbodies during rainfall events.
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Lawn care practices are interconnected. Think about how your lawn care practices should work together. For example, it is important to apply fertilizer at the correct time of year, while also keeping in mind rainfall and your irrigation system. Do not apply fertilizer right before rainfall or before your sprinkler systems go off.
For more information, please visit the following resources:
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Stormwater graphic. Photo Credit: EPA.
Feeling Inspired? Commit to Personal Steps to Reduce Nitrogen Pollution!
The highly successful reimbursement program, Long Island Garden Rewards, will be opening in a few weeks! This program provides property owners reimbursements up to $500 for planting native plants, utilizing rain barrels, and/or creating a rain garden on their property. These practices play a key role in treating stormwater runoff, reducing fertilizer usage, and promoting water conservation. Visit the program webpage here to learn more about what is eligible for reimbursement and keep an eye out for the LIWP announcement when the application opens.
Take the Nitrogen Reduction Pledge today! Small steps can lead to big changes and there are plenty of actions we can take to reduce nitrogen in our waterways and create a cleaner future for our most precious resource.
The pledge outlines 11 ways you can reduce personal nitrogen pollution every day:
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Be smart – fertilize your lawn responsibly but it’s best to not use fertilizers at all!
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Keep grass clippings on the lawn.
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Replace your septic system or cesspool with an innovative and advanced treatment system.
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Sweep up any fertilizer that falls on walkways and driveways. Keep fertilizer, grass clipping and leaves out of storm drains.
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Direct downspouts into rain barrels, plant beds, or the lawn rather than onto walkways and the driveway.
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Plant native trees and other plants in your yard.
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Leave a wide strip of deep-rooted plants along the shoreline.
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Pick up pet waste and reduce “poo-lution” (even in your own backyard).
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Drive less and consolidate trips when you run errands.
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Use a commercial car wash rather than washing your vehicle at home.
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Spread the word; encourage friends and family members to take the pledge and help reduce nitrogen pollution!
Take the pledge and be recognized as a leader in your community that takes action for a cleaner and healthier environment. Click here to take the pledge!
Photo from past Long Island Garden Rewards participant with yard sign.
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