For those who think spending a day in their yard is an unpleasant chore, hiring a lawn care company is the likely solution. But are you confident your crew is keeping your lawn healthy? How about our local waterways? Check out the list below to find out if your lawn care crew is doing the right things.
1. Does your lawn get a buzz cut? If so, they’re doing it wrong. Grass should be kept at 2-3 inches in height to promote strong root growth. Taller grass needs deeper roots to grow leading to an overall stronger lawn. Strong lawns are great at soaking up stormwater and keeping pollutants out of waterways.
2. What happens to your grass clippings? Are they left on the lawn, bagged up, blown down a storm drain? Never let your lawn care crew put anything into storm drains! These drains lead directly to local waterways without any treatment and introduce pollutants into our waterways. The best answer here is to leave grass clippings on the lawn although it’s ok to compost them or bag them up for trash day. When left on the lawn, grass clippings serve as natural fertilizer and chances are you won’t even notice they’re there.
3. Is your soil being tested? – If your crew is applying fertilizer, they should first show you the results of a soil test. Inexpensive soil tests can tell if your lawn needs fertilizer and if so, how much. If you do need fertilizer, discuss organic options like compost, grass clippings and seaweed before applying water polluting chemical fertilizers.
4. Are they certified? Virginia’s Water Quality Agreement Program trains lawn care companies how to balance the needs of lawns with the safety of local waterways. Companies certified through this program have committed to protecting local water resources by following proper fertilization practices and helping homeowners create landscapes that won’t damage local waterways. Find a certified company in Hampton Roads now.
While these are the big ones when it comes to protecting local waterways, there are more ways to encourage your lawn care provider to be green. Check out these additional questions to see if your lawn care provider is doing ALL the right things to keep waterways healthy.