Muskoka Watershed Council

CLEAN AND GREEN 13

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#7 Reduce my use of chemical fertilizers and eliminate my use of pesticides

There are several reasons to wean your lawn off drugs. Chemical pesticides and fertilizers contaminate surface and groundwater resources, diminishing the quality of our drinking water, aquatic habitats, and health of aquatic organisms. Many fish and aquatic insect species are highly sensitive to substances such as pesticides and fertilizers.

Not only do these chemicals affect aquatic organisms, but also terrestrial species such as robins, geese, squirrels, pets and humans can become ill when coming into contact with pesticides and fertilizers. Children are most affected by these chemicals, mainly due to their elevated chances of exposure from playing outdoors on contaminated grass.

Another reason to stop using chemical fertilizers and pesticides on your lawn is that chemicals actually degrade the over-all long-term health of your lawn. Long-term use of chemicals on your property can lead to pesticide-tolerant pests and fertilizer-dependent grasses, both of which require ever-increasing amounts of chemicals to remain effective.

So how do you maintain a beautiful lawn without resorting to chemicals? It's easy! And the result will be a more healthy, beautiful and lush looking lawn than you ever thought possible, and with less time and effort, too!

The primary principle behind maintaining a healthy lawn without chemicals is that you need to nourish the soil. Natural fertilizers that accomplish this include compost, manure, grass clippings, and slow-release organic fertilizers.

To fertilize with compost, simply sprinkle or rake it evenly over your lawn. To fertilize your lawn with grass clippings, simply spread them out on your lawn after mowing or use a mulching lawnmower. Grass clippings are an ideal fertilizer because they are full of nutrients and organic matter that can help to boost soil fertility by up to 30%. Grass clippings will also return moisture to your soil and shade it from the sun's drying rays.

Aerating your soil relieves compaction and cultivates the soil. Natural aerators such as earthworms perform an important job by increasing air and water penetration and movement in the soil, keeping your lawn healthy. In addition to attracting and maintaining natural aerators, you can manually aerate your soil in the spring or fall prior to fertilization.

Overseeding your lawn once a year with a mixture of grass species will help keep your lawn thick and healthy. A lawn composed of many different grass species is better able to deal with and recover from stresses such as drought and disease. A dense lawn will crowd out weeds, and overseeding allows bare spots to become covered and prevents weed species from becoming established. If do you notice weeds starting to sprout up, sprinkling corn-gluten meal on them will kill new seedlings and provide nitrogen for your lawn.

The way you mow your lawn is an important factor in determining its health. It is necessary to keep you mower blades sharp. Dull blades tear at grass, giving it a frayed look and making it more susceptible to disease. You should never cut off more than 1/3 of the grass blade at once, as this will send the plant into shock and result in longer grass clippings that will take longer to decompose.

When you do cut your grass, you should set your mower on the highest setting. Leaving your grass at least three inches long will encourage strong roots, shade out weeds, shade the soil to reduce water loss, and make your lawn appear thicker.

One final tip that will help you maintain a healthy lawn naturally is to water wisely. Your lawn needs no more than one inch of water a week. This requirement can usually be fulfilled with rain. However, in drier seasons, it may be necessary for you to provide the water. You should deeply water your lawn once a week during the early morning or early evening. Watering your lawn more often will promote shallow roots and unhealthy soil.

Getting your lawn off drugs is easy and will leave you with more time to enjoy your watershed. Make the choice to promote a healthy environment by starting with a healthy lawn.

#8 Preserve the natural vegetation and trees on my property

The basis of a natural ecosystem is a complex combination of vegetation that forms canopy, understory, and herbaceous layers. It is easier to maintain this complexity than to restore it after most of the vegetation has been removed.

The native species present on your property have many benefits over the horticultural or exotic species you may wish to replace them with, including traditional non-native turf species.

Plant species native to the Muskoka area are adapted to the diverse weather and soil conditions found here. They are more resistant to pests and diseases, and are more likely able to tolerate droughts.

In addition, native vegetation requires little maintenance, provides excellent wildlife habitat, and allows us to reconnect with our natural heritage.

The best thing to do is to not remove the native vegetation from your property in the first place. However, if it is too late to preserve this vegetation, it is not too late to restore it.

Fall is an excellent time to plant native trees and shrubs on your property. During their dormant period when the weather turns cold, they grow vigorously to establish roots in their new location before spring rains and warm weather stimulate top growth.

Trees and shrubs offer many benefits for our environment and for us. As few as three trees around your home can reduce air conditioning bills by half, and offer protection from wind, snow, rain and solar rays. They contribute to clean ground water by trapping nutrients and pollutants in their hair-like root fibres, and their roots and leaves help clean the air and water by removing particulate matter.

Trees and shrubs are important in retaining and cycling nutrients and minerals. They tie up mineral and nutrients from the air, water and soil through growth and transpiration, and upon death they return nutrients to the soil through decomposition. They are also important for erosion control by anchoring soil in place so it cannot easily be washed away by wind or water, and runoff is slowed, allowing more time for absorption into the soil.

The beauty and usefulness of trees and shrubs make them an important part of our watershed, and they should be an important part of your property.

#9 Handle fuel, oil and other chemicals with great care and have an action plan to deal with any spills that occur

Some products are more toxic than others are, and some products pose a greater threat than others, due to their use and possibility for contamination due to spills. Some of the chemicals found around your property that have a high possibility of contaminating your water sources include fuel, oil, and pesticides. These products are generally used outdoors and are easily spilled.

When spilled, gasoline quickly evaporates and pollutes the air. The only action to take is to prevent spilling the gasoline in the first place. When pouring gasoline, pour slowly and smoothly and avoid overfilling the tank. It is important to keep the spout and the vent hole on gasoline containers closed tightly in order to minimize air pollution due to evaporation.

Oil is another chemical frequently spilled and not cleaned up properly. Oil is toxic to plants, fish and other animals. A very small amount of oil is capable of contaminating thousands of litres of water.

Work on vehicles and machinery should be confined to a paved area where drips and spills can be quickly cleaned up without contaminating the soil. If soil is contaminated, then it should be collected and delivered to a hazardous waste depot for disposal.

It is wise to have an action plan in place to quickly deal with any chemical spills that may occur. If you spill a hazardous chemical on yourself, you should immediately wash well with water (no soap) and change your clothes immediately. The clothes should then be washed separately.

If you get a chemical in your eye, you should immediately rinse the injured eye from the nose outward with lukewarm water, taking care to keep the good eye above the injured eye. Seek medical attention as soon as possible.

If you spill a chemical on the ground, contain and cover the spill with an absorbent material such as kitty litter or sawdust, sweep and scoop the absorbent material and chemical into a plastic bag, and take to a hazardous waste depot for disposal.

By taking quick action in the event of a spill, you can minimize any impacts on your health and on your watershed.