askhrgreen.org » Lawn & Garden Care

Lawn & Garden Care

Work smarter, not harder, in your yard!

Your yard can be one of the greatest defenses against water pollution. Every plant, flower, tree and shrub plays a critical role.

Our leafy friends are super heroes in disguise. Trees and plants stabilize soil and prevent erosion with their intricate root structure. They also slow down and filter runoff as it travels over land. Trees embrace the rain by storing it on its leaves and in its branches and trunks, all the while reducing the impact of rain and absorbing pollutants that would otherwise go into the storm drain then into our waterways.

Know your grass.
In areas that get full sun, use warm season grass - such as zoysiagrass, centipedegrass or Bermuda grass - and seed in early spring. If your soil test says you need more nutrients, fertilize warm season grass in the spring.

For areas that get light shade, use cool season grass - such as tall fescue, fine fescue or ryegrass - and seed in the late summer. If your soil test says you need more nutrients, fertilize cool season grass in the fall.

Seed bare areas during the appropriate time of year to reduce erosion potential.
Have your soil tested before you decide to fertilize.
A soil test provides a list of recommendations for soil amendments to help you make the right decisions for your lawn. However, it is important to understand the information it is providing and the limitations of such a tool.

Fertilizers are described by 3 numbers, such as 12-4-8 or 46-0-0. These 3 numbers indicate, respectively, the percent by weight of nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), and potassium (K) in the fertilizer. The test also indicates the acidity (pH) of your soil and whether lime is needed. The results from a basic soil test will provide you with a nitrogen recommendation, but does not actually measure the nitrogen in your soil. You can often use much less than is recommended to get successful results and may not need to use any if you are mulching your grass clippings back onto your lawn. In Tidewater, our soil is naturally rich in phosphorus so, with the exception of new plantings, an addition of phosphorus is often not necessary. Visit the soil testing page for more information.
Leave grass clippings on the lawn.
After mowing, leave grass clippings on your lawn to help break down and return nitrogen to the soil, greatly satisfying your lawn’s nitrogen needs.
Choose more plants, less lawn.
Trees, shrubs and hardy perennials can beautify your home and help reduce the negative effects of stormwater runoff better than a lawn. Use plants that are native to Hampton Roads and adjusted to local growing conditions. Native plants typically are more resistant to insects and disease and also require less water and fertilizer. Visit Plant More Plants for a list of nurseries that carry native plants in your area.
Mulch, mulch, mulch.
Mulch helps to control erosion, retain moisture and stabilize soil temperature. A two-inch layer of mulch material, such as fir bark, pine needles or wood chips, will reduce water loss and maintain uniform soil moisture around roots. Mulch also can reduce or eliminate weeds that compete with landscape plants for moisture, nutrients and sunlight.
Irrigate only as needed.
Unneeded irrigation promotes disease, weed infestation, and wastes valuable water. Install a rain sensor on your automatic sprinkler system. Morning is the best time to water, because watering in the evening can invite fungus to grown on your plants at night.
Mow your grass.
Proper mowing is important for a well-kept lawn. Newly-seeded lawns should be mowed early and often, leaving 1.5 to 2.0 inches of grass height. Once your lawn is established, set the mower blade at the highest setting, leaving 2 to 3.5 inches of grass. Tall grass encourages deep roots and shades out some weeds.
Sweep it up.
Clean up anything that is lying on pavement. Fertilizer spill? Sweep or blow it into the lawn, not into the street.
Seed bare spots.
If you have bare areas, something must be wrong, and it is preventing the establishment of a turf. This is a problem because you can continually lose your soil. First test your soil testing to see if it needs any soil amendments and then look into different ground covers to stabilize the soil.
Clean Up Your Leaves and Yard Debris.
Know your locality's collection schedule. Only place leaves and yard debris out at the designated time and know the collection requirements (ex. bagging, placement, etc.). Keep loose leaves and yard debris out of the street so that they don't get washed or blown into the storm drain, which will cause flooding.