Going green can be for your lawn, too.

I have been in my yard working away for more than a few weeks now. I tried some experiments to see how well natural lawn care measured up to the traditional, sometimes not so eco-friendly options. I learned that managing your lawn does not have to include pesticides and harsh chemicals. You can go green in lawn care. Here are a few tips to help you manage your lawn so that you feel safe.

Where do we begin? Killing those unwanted green things (commonly called weeds) in our flower beds and garden space. I began with vinegar. I compared it to some traditional weed killer by using the vinegar where my food is going to go and the other as far away from my family and food that I can. I found that the vinegar worked just as well at killing the weeds; it just took a few more applications. As cheap as vinegar is, I feel like that works for me.

OK, so now we are ready to prep. For my garden this year, I decided to do a few organic herbs, strawberries, lettuce, tomatoes and arugula. To prep my area, I hand pulled any left over weeds and grass. I chose a soil conditioner with organic matter and worm castings to break up the dirt and get ready for my plants.

For a pre-emergent on my garden (to KEEP the weeds out) I used an organic remedy. It is actually corn gluten that has been used to stop weeds. We will see how it works over time, but I feel confident after doing some research. Espoma Organic Weed Preventer and Lawn Feeder is what we used, but there are other options. Most lawn and garden centers will carry many organic options that you can choose from.

Last year I applied Cyan Pepper to my tomatoes and kept squirrels off them. For pest, bug and animal control, check out as many options as you can. It may get expensive to try out every one, so make sure to do your research and look for user reviews, if online, or ask your garden center professional how well the options work. The most important thing to remember is that you feel comfortable with the ingredients of the product and it has proven effect-ability.

Try setting your mower on higher levels. The idea is to allow the grass to shade the weeds in an attempt to keep the grass nurtured and the weeds not. Only water your grass when it is very clearly showing signs of stress or drought. To measure how much water your grass is getting place a cup in the zone of the sprinkler and look to make sure it gets at least an inch of water.

To help keep your plants alive, opt for local or regional plant options. This helps to ensure that the plants will have optimal weather and water needs in your area.

These are just a few options. There are multiple services that can provide you with what you need if you choose not to do it yourself.

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