LAWNS FOR LAKES

Many people think lawns are bad for water quality when in reality lawns can actually help improve water quality. A healthy lawn properly managed needs fewer nutrients, herbicides and water.  A dense lawn has fewer weeds and it helps slow run-off and erosion, allowing the water to soak into the soil and providing water for the grass as well as nearby shrubs, trees, and flowers.  

WHERE TO START

By making a few adjustments to your lawn care practices, you can have a healthy, thick lawn that reduces run-off and keeps our lakes (and streams, creeks and rivers) cleaner.

• Raise your mower to 3-3.5" and mow when your lawn is about 4-4.5" tall. This increases your shoot-to-root ratio (more blade blade = more grass root) resulting in healthier grass plants. Longer grass blades also reduce weed seed germination  by shading weed seeds that need sun to germinate (think crabgrass).

• Aerate your lawn in the fall to reduce compacted soil. Compacted soil is hard and reduces grass root growth resulting in a thinner, sparse lawn (and more weeds). A thin lawn leads to more run-off because the water can't be absorbed into the compacted soil.

• Fertilize based on lawn needs. Not sure how or what to feed your lawn? Send a soil sample to the University of Minnesota Soil testing Lab. The results will give you fertilizer recommendations. Minnesota lawn grass species are cool season grasses. They grow vigorously in spring and fall when temperatures are cool, making spring and fall the best time to fertilize. Our lawns naturally go dormant in mid-summer when temperatures are warmest. Fertilizing when grass plants are dormant will prompt them to actively grow and stress the plants. 

• Water wisely.  Lawns don't need as much water as you may think, especially if you grow some of the drought-tolerant fine fescue grass species. Water when you can see your footprints in the grass. Save water by turning off your automatic irrigation system. Use a smart phone app to turn it on as needed or install a moisture sensor to automatically turn on the system when it detects dry soil.