Jeanine Rubert: Nothing against lawns, but … | GO | record-eagle.com – Traverse City Record Eagle

Sustainable gardening is a topic that has really impacted the way I think about gardening.

For me, its about how I can be more a part of the solution and less a part of the problem. Sustainable gardening is always forward-looking. It values the environment over aesthetics. The goal of sustainable gardening is to make as little negative impact on the earth as possible. It works with nature instead of against it.

There are some simple steps we can each take to start gardening more sustainably. One of the easiest is to limit lawn size.

First, let me say that I dont have anything against lawns, I have a small patch of lawn myself, but they are thirsty, time-consuming, and generate waste.

We have 20-40 million acres of lawn in the United States. We use 8.5 billion gallons of water per day for irrigation and as much as half of that is wasted from inefficient watering methods and systems. We use 70 million pounds of pesticides yearly just on lawns. The EPA estimates that 1 gas mower emits 88 pounds of CO2 and 34 pounds of other pollutants into the air every year. One gas mower running for an hour, emits the same amount of pollutants as 8 new cars driving 55 mph for the same amount of time. Three-fourths of yard waste is grass clippings and most of that still ends up in landfills. Lawns have less than 10 percent of the water absorption capacity of natural woodland.

Set your mower height to the highest setting, or at 3.5 inches. Michigan State University research has shown that grub damage can be eliminated simply by adopting this practice. Lawns need about an inch of water per week to stay green and it doesnt matter if it falls from the sky or comes from a hose. Use a rain gauge to determine how often you need to water. Half an inch of water twice a week is better than all at once and no lawn needs multiple waterings a day. The deeper, less frequent watering along with higher mowing heights will result in deeper roots, less weed and insect problems, and a more drought tolerant lawn.

If you have a sprinkler system, set the heads to water your lawn, not the driveway or sidewalks; last I checked, they dont grow. You can also invest in rain sensors that will turn the irrigation off if it is raining. Leave your grass clippings on the lawn as they are 85 percent water, break down quickly and can supply about 25 percent of your lawns total fertilizer needs. If you choose to fertilize, use an organic fertilizer with low or, better yet, no phosphorus. Foregoing the use of chemical fertilizer and pesticides on your lawn will make it a safer place for your family and pets.

As I said earlier, I dont have anything against lawns. My lawn never gets watered or fertilized. Some of the green in my lawn is from clover and violets and thats fine with me. I live on Elk River, so I have made a conscious choice that the rivers health is more important than a perfect lawn. The start of a new gardening season always has both excitement and challenges. Lets take a deep breath before we get too far ahead of ourselves and take a minute to think about what well plant and how we will garden this season.

There are many ways we can garden more sustainably, limiting lawn size is just one.

I hope you find ways that work for you and the planet this year.

Jeanine Rubert is co-owner of Pine Hill Nursery and Pine Hill Village Gardens, recipient of the 2015 TC Chamber of Commerce, Hagerty Insurance Small Business of the Year Award. She has lived and gardened in northern Michigan for 38 years. Reach her at jrubert@pinehill-nursery.com.

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Jeanine Rubert: Nothing against lawns, but ... | GO | record-eagle.com - Traverse City Record Eagle