How to Make a More Sustainable Lawn

Build your earth-friendly yard with healthy soil and a diverse plant community

Patience is the key ingredient when make sustainable landscape that include lawns . The “ flying and easy ” approach path — tilling the soil , work in amendment , rolling the soil to create a level base , and lay down greensward defy together with pliant interlock — is guaranteed to result in nonstarter over fourth dimension . These practices and products legal injury dirt structure and add overweening levels of organic matterand food . They also injure and kill soil biology . The mirage of a perfect lawn soon fades when naturebegins to repair the harm .

Instead , gardener can create full-bodied , biodiverse lawns that provide space for PET , play , and relaxation by shape with instinctive processes that protect the underlying soil . The following is a science - based coming for install and superintend a lawn that is both resilient and esthetically pleasing .

Learn why you should be happy about fungi sprouting in your lawn : Fungi Are a Sign of Soil Health

1. Select your new sustainable plant palette thoughtfully

Before you resolve what metal money to let in in your lawn mix , think about the function of your lawn . If it is a heavily traveled area , peculiarly by pets or child , select the baffling skunk coinage uncommitted . Consider tolerance not only to foot dealings but also to stressful environmental experimental condition such as warmth and drouth . impinging your state university annex situation , or check off out its web site for species recommendations relevant to your location .

For areas that will not be heavily compacted by foot traffic , you may enjoy a more curated collection of ground cover . Adding pavers to make a meandering path helps protect more - fragile specie and enhances the blueprint . For estimate , look at older , lightly defend lawns in your area . Besides grasses , what normally grow there that you wish ?

In my locating in the Pacific Northwest , we have a overplus of aboriginal mosses that happily acquire where turf grass is less vigorous . How about creeping thyme ( Thymus serpyllum , Zones 4–8 ) which can be seen above , violets ( Violaspp . and cvs . , Zones 3–9 ) , or primula ( Primulaspp . and cvs . , Zones 4–8 ) ?

All of these can bring beauty to your lawn as well as attract pollinators . Choose mintage that will remain depleted spring up ; they will tolerate mow . A multispecies mix has smashing environmental resilience — that means few weeds , fewer pests and disease , and more good grunge organism , dirt ball , and other worthy fauna . See low - upkeep alternative to lawns .

2. Preparing the soil for a sustainable lawn

Using no - till techniques for soil preparation will protect soil structure and health . It is also much less piece of work and provide much better solution . Here is my process .

Pile it on . An 8- to 12 - in level of mulch is a fortune deeper than mulch is normally applied , but it ’s the proper amount for this job . Fresh arborist chips — a mixing of wood , foliation , and twigs — tally nutrients to the ground as they break down .

Remove chipsfrom territory when you are ready to imbed , but do n’t bemuse them forth . you may reuse these chip in other areas of the garden .

3. Choose seed over sod

deliberate the lawns you see in senior estate and park . These lawn were established by seeding , with no rototillers , sod farms , or bags of buy compost involved . Why not try a sown lawn at home ? Here are the measure to follow .

A. Sow grass seed , and the seeds of other species if you care , following the provider ’s statement . If potential , avoid walk over the sow area .

B. Cover seed with a thin bed of straw(not hay ) to keep seed in place and enhance the retention of water .

C. Keep the ejaculate bottom well hydratedto optimise seed germination and seedling development . stave off walking on , mow , or otherwise agitate the lawn until the smoke is well established .

4. If you must use sod, keep it natural

If a seeded lawn is n’t hardheaded for you , or if your weed seed bank ( those seeds lurking in the grease ) is robust , there are path to dwell a sodomite lawn that avoid the problem mentioned sooner .

Now that you have a fresh establish lawn to get laid , annul all of those bakshish and soda that are in the pop gardening multiverse . They are n’t science - found , they do n’t work , and they can get genuine damage to ground , plant , and the environment . We can boil down natural lawn care to some pretty stock pattern .

kick in editor in chief Linda Chalker - Scott is a prof of horticulture and an filename extension specialist at Washington State University in Puyallup , Washington .

Photos , except where noted : Carol Collins

Fine Gardening Recommended Products

Razor - Back Potato / Refuse Hook

Fine horticulture receives a commission for particular purchased through link on this site , including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs .

SHOWA Atlas 370B Nitrile Palm Coating Gloves , Black , Medium ( Pack of 12 Pairs )

Ho - Mi Digger - Korean Triangle Blade

Green Lawn

Ground covers are pretty between pavers.Use plants suited to your growing conditions, like blue star creeper (Isotoma fluviatilis, Zones 6–9, above) for full sun. For partial shade with plenty of moisture, Oregon oxalis (Oxalis oregana, Zones 7–9) and Pink Panda strawberry (Fragaria‘Frel’, Zones 3–9, below) pair perfectly.Photo: courtesy of Linda Chalker-Scott

Get our previous tips , how - to articles , and instructional video send to your inbox .

signal you up …

Easy Ways to Make Any Lawn More Eco-Friendly

2 Native Sedges to Replace Your Grass Lawn

How to Make a Sustainable Hypertufa Container

Lawn Alternatives for the Mountain West

connect Fine Gardening for a free absorb live webinar featuring Dr. Janna Beckerman , a notable plant diagnostician as well as professor emerita at Purdue University and the ornamental proficient manager …

When I spotted a particular sand dollar cactus ( Astrophytum asterias ) at the Philadelphia Flower Show a few months ago , I knew I was in trouble . With a delicious color pattern …

When we only prioritize plants we need over plants our landscape painting demand , each time of year is filled with a never - ending list of job : pruning , pinching , watering , treating , amend , and fertilizing , with …

ground cover with lots of small white flowers

Video

Touring an Eco-friendly, Shady Backyard Retreat

You must be careful when you enter the backyard of garden room decorator Jeff Epping — not because you ’re probable to trip on something , but because you might be dive - bomb by a yoke …

4 Midsummer Favorites From a Plant Breeder’s Garden

Episode 181: Plants You Can’t Kill

Episode 180: Plants with Big, Bold Foliage

4 Steps to Remove Invasive Plants in Your Yard

All Access members get more

signalize up for afree trialand get access to ALL our regional content , plus the rest of the member - only content library .

Start Free Trial

clovers

Photo: courtesy of Linda Chalker-Scott

Get complete situation access to expert advice , regional mental object , and more , plus the photographic print magazine .

Start your FREE test

Already a member?sign in

Pile it on.An 8- to 12-inch layer of mulch is a lot deeper than mulch is normally applied, but it’s the right amount for this job. Fresh arborist chips—a mix of wood, foliage, and twigs—add nutrients to the soil as they break down.

Remove chipsfrom soil when you are ready to plant, but don’t throw them away. You can reuse these chips in other areas of the garden.

Sowing grass seed

Covering grass seed with a thin layer of straw

watering grass seed

chunk of dirt and grass removed

removing sod

Good sod is worth saving.It takes time to move a natural lawn and the soil life it supports, but the task is not difficult. Work when the soil is slightly damp but not wet, cut the sod into manageable chunks, and piece them back together in the new location.

garden pump sprayer in a lawn