HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2004-05-12, Page 8S -T141 HURON EXPOSITOR, MAY 12, 2004
Lawn and Garden
Having an environmentally -friendly lawn is a lot
easier then you think, says local landscaper
By Jason Middleton
Expositor Staff
Keeping a healthy
environmentally friendly
yard is not as tough as you
might think.
Paul Vandermolen,
owner of the Lawn Master
landscaping, says you
don't need a lot of
pesticides, chemicals and
fertilizers to keep a healthy
lawn.
Vandermolen says that
adding fertilizers to your
lawn is unhealthy because
it promotes unequal
growth of the plant.
"When you put on
chemical fertilizers your
lawn turns blue or darker
green and grows quicker.
As it grows quicker it
tends to out grow itself and
the roots become
unhealthy and the top is
healthy," says
Vandermolen.
He suggests that instead
of fertilizing your lawn
throughout the season that
you allow natural
processes to take over.
"What people don't
realize is when you cut
your lawn the clippings are
full of nutrients. As they
rot they supply fertilizer to
the plant," he says.
Jason Middleton photo
Bob Kistner, of Seaforth, stands in front of his natural front yard at 60 North St. that has no lawn. For the project Kistner and his
wife Linda got local landscaper Paul Vandermolen to help shape the front yard.
Rotting grass clipping
supply more nitrogen to
the plant and because of
this it requires less
external nitrogen from
fertilizers.
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He suggest that
homeowners apply
fertilizer throughout the
year and use a compound
of two parts nitrogen to
one part phosphorous and
one part potash. The mix
should be spread one
pound per 1,000 square
feet.
The use of fertilizers
will also increase the
amount of thatch layer that
exists. Thatch is a layer of
dead and living matter
located between the soil
surface and the green
layer. ,
"The thatch becomes a
stress to the plant and
becomes a harbor for
insects," says
Vandermolen.
The insects then kill the
grass in the area and create
an opportunity for weeds to
grow.
"As soon as you create
an opening for a weed for
a weed to start growing
it'll start to grow in the
holes throughout the
lawn," says Vandermolen.
He suggests only
spraying for weeds only
once a year after the
middle of September when
the spray does not have a
chance to evaporate.
He also recommends
aerating your lawn to
allow oxygen to penetrate
the soil.
"That puts the air down
into the soil, gets oxygen
into the soil and once the
oxygen's down in the soil
you get a lot more
movement of nutrients to
the plant," says
Vandermolen.
When it comes time to
cut your lawn he suggest
that each week you
alternate which direction
you mow. Vandermolen
says you should cut your
lawn leaving the grass at
3.5 inches.
Seaforth homeowners
Bob and Linda Kistner, of
60 North St., choose a
more natural approach for
their front yard.
With the help of
Vandermolen the couple
decided to have a front
yard with no front lawn.
The yard requires less
maintenance than a yard
with a lawn.
"I may do some weeding
of dandelions and pulling
the grass until everything
comes up. So I probably
spend six hours in the
spring (fixing my yard). If
I had this all in lawn that
would take some care
probably 45 minutes to an
hour a week," said Bob.
The area to the rear of
the Kistner's property is a
bush that lends the front
yard to being more natural
and unkempt.
"I don't think it's for
every place. I think it
would bug the neighbors,"
says Bob.
Rain harden inexpensive way
to reduce stormwater runoff
Whether it's melting
snow in the spring or
heavy rainfall all year
round, stormwater runoff
from your roof,
driveway and other hard
surfaces in your yard
can tax municipal sewer
systems, pollute lakes
and streams, and even
harm water quality and
aquatic habitats.
One relatively easy
and inexpensive way to
reduce runoff is with a
rain garden - a planted
or stone -covered bed
specifically designed to
trap stormwater, and
allow it to be absorbed
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into the soil.
To help you better use
your stormwater runoff,
Canada Mortgage and
Housing Corporation
(CMHC) has a series of
tips on how to design
and build an attractive
rain garden for your
yard, including:
*First, find a suitable
location. Observe the
paths along which the
stormwater normally
runs in your yard, and
place your rain garden at
a low point along that
natural flow.
• Make sure your rain
garden is as level as
possible, to prevent
water from simply
flowing over the lower
edge. If possible, avoid
slopes great1than
12 per. cent.
• To avoid moisture
problems, place your
rain garden at least 4
metres away from
vulnerable areas, such as
your foundation, septic
beds or neighbouring
homes.
• Look for soil that is
sandy, gravelly, loam or
a mix. Avoid clay soil,
because it can
substantially slow the
drainage process.
• Before digging, call
your local service
providers to locate any
buried pipes or wires.
• Loosen compacted
soils to a depth of
between 0.6-1.2 metres,
to ensure that the soil is
permeable to water.
• Make certain the
surface of the depression
is at least one metre
above the seasonally
high shallow
groundwater table.
• Consider locating your
rain garden in a sunny or
partially shady area. to
allow you the greatest
selection of plant
varieties and species.
• Make sure the rain
garden is at least 1.5
times longer than it is
wide, to capture as much
stormwater as possible.
• Finally, select plants
that can tolerate both
wet and dry conditions,
such as perennials.
shrubs, grasses or ferns.
Or, for an attractive
alternative, line the
bottom of the rain
garden with loose, hard
materials such as
pebbles or river stone.
For more information
or a free copy of the
"About Your House" fact
sheet on Rain Gardens:
Improve Stormwater
Management in Your
Yard or other fact sheets
on virtually every facet
of owning, maintaining
or renovating your
home, ask CMHC at 1
800 668-2642 or visit
our website at
www.cmhc.ca. Canada
Mortgage and Housing
Corporation (CMHC) is
Canada's national
housing agency and a
source of objective,
reliable housing
expertise,
By News Canada