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Great American Lawns

Grass, lawns, yards, grass and turfgrass: everyone has a name for that green space, but what it really is, is your own little piece of the earth. You own it, you take care of it, you're responsible for it. Your lawn needs you! And, you need your lawn.

Our lawns have become a major player in our eco-system, after all lawns cover about 50 million acres in America (2003 estimate). That means what you do is multiplied thousands of times over. So it's important to do things right and not because that's the way you've always done it.

Our lawns are important

Besides keeping your house from sinking into some dark abyss, your lawn is an important component in our environment. Here are some tips for making your lawn better, and better for our environment.

Grass-cycling is also part of my lawn care program. This alone accounts for a 33% reduction in the amount of supplemental fertilizer needed.

Let's face it: your turf grass, lawn, yard, or whatever you call it, is pretty cool. Not only does grass smell good when you mow it, but grass feels good to walk across. My kids like playing on it, and my dogs definitely like it for entirely different reasons. Grass looks pretty in the early morning with the dew sparkling across it, or in the fall when the first frost settles in.

The only thing all that lovely lawn of green grass asks is a little care, a little patience, and to be fed and groomed occasionally. Pretty much what your kids expect, except you'll never have to set up a college fund for your grass.

Environmentally friendly lawns

A healthy lawn does more positive things for the environment besides looking good. The positive effects of a healthy lawn and garden are abundant.

• Turf grass transforms carbon dioxide into oxygen

• Lawns help reduce the heat island effect commonly found in ur urban environments

• Lawns reduce energy consumption through its cooling effects

• Lawns help reduce global warming trends by filtering out many pollutants commonly found in the air. Healthy lawns trap an estimated 12 million tons of dust and dirt from the air annually.

• Lawns help reduce soil erosion through deep roots that hold the soil in place during heavy flooding

• 2,500 square feet of lawn not only absorbs enough carbon dioxide from the air and releases enough oxygen for a family of four to breathe.

• Lawns also help reduce noise in urban areas.

The Green Industry is aware of the important position it holds in protecting our environment and is taking steps to develop new and improved varieties of grass that require less fertilizer, less water and are more resistant to diseases and insects. Their goal is to protect America's natural resources.

Major fertilizer producers are reducing amounts of phosphorus in their fertilizer products. Even some university experts believe only a small percentage of runoff originates from consumer lawns as stated in a recent study conducted by Texas A&M University:

“Evaluation of Resource-Efficient Landscape Plants to Reduce Contaminants in Urban Runoff” found that “The concentration of nitrate and orthophosphate in runoff was consistently very low, suggesting that fertilizer usage in residential landscapes poses little water quality risk.”

The Green Industry is taking steps to reduce this even more by developing better products and improved procedures. And did you know that a major lawn fertilizer component (nitrogen) is made from the waste product creating in the manufacture of some plastics?

American-Lawns.com

At American-Lawns.com you'll find tips and resources for keeping lawns in the best shape possible, using enough fertilizer, enough water, to keep lawns looking great and still stay healthy. We provide information about the types of grass, lawn mower maintenance, and fertilization requirements as well as information about weeds and insects in your lawn.

Not every recommendation fits every circumstance and if you're in doubt, contact a local professional lawn care provider for important local factors that may effect your plans. In fact, we highly recommend professional lawn care providers. They are the kings of turfgrass and have all the training, experience and know-how to put your lawn on its best footing.

You can find a local lawn care provider using our national database of lawn care providers.

Our goal is to promote an interest and appreciation of lawns across the country, not that you'll be a better person for having a better lawn, but that you'll be a better person just from making the effort at improving your environment. Everyone benefits from making our own little piece of the world better.

J. Merrill, editor
American-Lawns.com