Plants & Garden

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General
  • Use a soil test kit to determine what nutrients are needed
  • Grass grows best in pH 6.5-7
  • Water deeply and less often, but not to where it runs off
  • A soaker hose may be best (100 feet max); can run with a timer
  • Reuse water bottles or earth-friendly detergent bottles for watering and dripping. Make holes or 1 hole in the lid.
  • Most lawns only need water once a week
  • Use the Runtime Scheduler to plan your lawn irrigation in the summer
  • Use tuna cans or small containers placed through out the lawn and water as long as it takes them to get about an inch of water.
  • Water in the early or late part of the day to decrease evaporation
  • If your house is not connected to a municipal water supply you can have a rain catchment system in Colorado
  • Aeration is important for healthy lawns
  • When buying seeds or small plants look for "organic" or "heirloom" (best because they have natural resistance and no genetic modification)
Mowing
  • Mow high to shade the roots and prevent evaporation and prevent weeds
  • Consider grass that is adapted to local conditions, even if it's not the greenest and softest variety
  • Consider a reel mower is good for exercise and reduces emissions and noise.
  • May not work on steep large or uneven lawns
  • Electric lawn mowers produce less than 1% of the emissions of a gas powered 1
  • Gas mowers emit in 1 hour as much as a car would over a 20-mile drive
  • Lawn mowers contribute about 5% of the total emissions in an average city
  • Mow in the early evening when the heat is not as strong to damage the blades
  • Sharpen the blades of the mower as much as possible
  • Plant native plants that are adapted to the environment and will require less care
  • Check the National Wildlife Federation link for examples of plants native to the Rocky Mountains
  • Learn about Xeriscaping to reduce your need for irrigation
  • Look out for invasive species which must be either not planted or properly managed in some cases
  • National Arboretum site provides generation information
  • Colorado Department of Agriculture provides a list of invasive species in Colorado
  • Conventional flower bouquets are often grown with heavy pesticide use. Try to find a local organic alternative either from a farmer or a natural foods store.
  • Instead of chemical fertilizers which cause the grass to grow faster and therefore deplete the soil of nutrients, use compost or organic fertilizer.
  • Grasscycle by not collecting clippings to increase nutrients
  • Compost with a pile, container, or worms and use the compost as fertilizer
  • Do not compost dairy or meat products or anything fatty or oily
  • More information on worm composting.
  • Information from Colorado State Extension on yard composting.
  • Avoid chemical pesticides, most have very adverse effects on human health
  • Introduce natural predators (bats, wasps, lady bugs)
  • Attract lady bugs by planting dill, cilantro, tansy, or fennel
  • Attract birds by building a birdhouse and a birdbath
  • Change the water in the birdbath frequently
  • Build the birdhouse out of redwood or cedar
  • Avoid 2, 4-D, dicamba, and glyphosate (round-up) in herbicides. They kill plants indiscriminately, increase plants' resistance to herbicide, and are toxic to people.
  • Pull weeds and add them to your compost. The heat will destroy the seeds.
  • Dandelions indicate high acidity in soil and you should add basic elements such as egg shells or garden lime.
  • Add mulch to your garden to prevent weeds
  • Instead of herbicide, spray weeds with a mixture of vinegar with at least 5% acetic acid or more concentrated for older weeds.
  • Pour hot water over the infestation weed
  • Spread black plastic on top of the infested area
  • Buy recycled plastic or aluminum lawn furniture to save trees and lower maintenance costs
  • Reuse wood or buy wood labeled "sustainable" by the Forest Stewardship Council
  • Recycled plastic lumber can also be used for fences
Decks
  • Avoid CCA-treated wood and look for ACQ, borate or copper azole treated, which are all less toxic
  • Use low or no-VOC sealants
  • Pools can be created to mimic natural ecosystems without the use of chemicals using fish, waterfalls, and other natural ecosystem aspects
  • A saltwater pool is another alternative that may be less irritating to the skin and more environmentally friendly