The greenest lawn in town - for less money

Spring has arrived as confirmed by our senses: the warmth, the smells, and of course the noise - of landscaping equipment....but this column is not about noise pollution.

Keeping a lawn green and healthy requires copious amounts of water, fertilizer, and chemicals, all of which are expensive and threats to our health and water supply, but there is one simple change you (or your landscaper) can make to cut the need of these by up to 50%: leave grass clippings on your lawn rather than bagging them.

Grass clippings are about 75% water so they are very heavy which causes the truck that takes them away to burn more fuel. They are also high in nitrogen and other nutrients, so leaving them on the grass reduces the need for both water and fertilizer. To maximize both effectiveness and appearance, set the mower a few clicks higher which will enable your lawn to better absorb the clippings, and higher grass shades itself which reduces evaporation. Most homeowners find that between keeping the grass higher and leaving the clippings on the lawn, they can reduce both watering and fertilization by 50%! T Higher grass is also less prone to disease and insect infestation, both of which are normally treated with chemicals - which of course are hazardous to humans and pets alike, before and after they enter the water table.

If you are not already convinced, if you keep the grass higher you won't need to mow as often, also great for the environment as lawn mower engine emissions are much dirtier than a car.

If you use a landscaping service, you should be able to negotiate a lower rate due to reduced labor, reduction of fertilizer and chemicals, and the landscaper will no longer have to pay to dispose of the clippings.

Sure, the appearance may not be as perfect, and you will sometimes have clippings stick to your feet and shoes. Trust me, you can deal with it....and the payback to the environment is exponential.