True, you should be mindful of your water and chemical usage. Excessive watering can actually damage your lawn and you should not water during a municipal water ban. It is also important to be knowledgeable about the kinds of chemicals that you may choose to treat your lawn with and whether or not they could have damaging effects to your family’s health or environmental pollution.
The benefits of maintaining a natural lawn however, far outweigh some of the costs. Have you ever heard that keeping houseplants will help purify the air quality of your home? The same concept applies to our natural grass areas and lawns.
Turf grass and other plants help to cleanse and purify the air through the process of photosynthesis. Your lawn is absorbing environmental pollution and filtering carbon dioxide into oxygen. According to the NC Cooperative Extension, as your grass grows, it helps the environment by stabilizing soil and reducing air pollution, noise, heat, dust, and glare.
Interesting right? Now imagine the benefit that the amount of turf grass in one of our community’s neighborhoods can provide! What about golf courses? A little fresh air seems like a great excuse to get out and play a few rounds!
Our lawns also have a positive effect on the environment by helping to prevent soil erosion, as well as adding valuable and compostable nutrients back into the soil. Grass clippings from mowing your lawn will naturally decompose, eventually breaking down into dark organic matter which helps to improve soil quality. Your lawn’s healthy root system promotes water absorption instead of pooling, which can lead to runoff and erosion.
With many people opting for artificial turf surfaces in some areas of the country citing environmental factors, you have to wonder if they have really done their homework….
In warm weather areas like North Carolina and the rest of the southeastern United States, turf grasses can also help with temperature moderation. Love to feel cool blades of grass between your toes? It is no coincidence. Your lawn actually cools itself and its surroundings through a process called evapotranspiration. Learning how to predict your lawn’s evapotranspiration rate can actually help you reduce water usage, by predicting the best times to water your lawn for maximum benefit.
So, next time you are wondering whether or not your lawn maintenance is worth it or if you are being a friend or foe to the environment; simply step outside onto your cool grass, take a deep breath of fresh air and rest assured that your lawn and the environment are the perfect match!
Not sure where to begin with your lawn care or need help deciding what type of fertilization and weed control is appropriate to use? Hiring a licensed professional, like those here at Canopy is the best place to start. They will be able to educate you on when the right time to apply chemical treatment is, how much should be applied and the best frequency to reduce negative impact on the environment.
