4 Tips For Sustainable Lawn Care

Now is the time of the year when your yard is your everything – from backyard cookouts to gardens and games. This is truer now, with many people relying on this space to become their gym, summer camp, and beach now that many areas and activities closed for the summer.

Caring for your yard as it handles this increased activity is important, and here at Rachio, we’re always thinking of ways to promote sustainable lawn care. Check out our 4 tips below on how to mow and care for your lawn this summer.

Find an energy efficient lawn mower. 

Though we’re lucky enough to have found a way to water your lawn more efficiently, there is still a lot of work to do to mow your lawn more efficiently. Consider checking out an electric mower to help decrease your carbon footpring. This article from Popular Mechanic gives some top picks for this years’ best electric lawn mowers. The best part? They’re quieter too, so they won’t disturb your neighbors. Want to explore even more energy efficient lawn mowing options? Check out reel mowers, which are human-power and require zero electric or gas inputs!

Use the best mowing strategy for your lawn. 

This article may just be the most in-depth study on the most efficient way to mow your lawn. The conclusion? Assuming your lawn is a regular shape, AKA a rectangular or square, the best way to mow your lawn is to pull the lawn mower back if your rows are less than about 16 feet, and turn around if they’re longer than this. Additionally, plan to mow mid-morning, or between the hours of 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. The sun is higher in the sky and at this time grass has dried out a bit from the early morning dew and any irrigation. Using this method, you’re saving the most time and energy for your new sustainable lawn.

Treat your lawn with natural products. 

Synthetic fertilizers can be damaging to your lawn in more ways than one. While these fertilizers tend to be the norm, the underlying damage they cause to human health and the planet can be severe. Make sure you’re using the safest treatment for your lawn with natural products. Our natural soil treatment goes deeper – literally – by improving your lawn from the soil and roots up to your lawn. Natural products like Rachio Thrive don’t harm waterways like synthetic fertilizers do, so no need to worry about pollution or harm to the wildlife in your area. Sustainable lawn care products not only help your yard, but your entire neighborhood and community.

Be economical with your weeds. 

Yes, you heard that right: not all weeds are bad, and some are even worth saving. Though weeds get a bad reputation, they do a lot of good to our lawns and the creatures on them. They can provide shade and absorb pollutants, while also serving as living mulch, increasing the moisture in your soil. Did you know they can also repel pests and even attract insects and bugs that your lawn can take advantage of? So, before you go about pulling weeds from your garden, do some research on the types of weed you find around your yard and see if any may be worth keeping.

Summer is a time to enjoy your lawn as much as you can. However, while we fully enjoy all our lawns have to offer, consider how your lawn care routine may be contributing (for better or worse) to the overall environment and think about dedicating time to more sustainable lawn care practices.