A Smart Look Forward to Lawn Care

For many people, April is time to start your lawn care. And while achieving a lush green lawn is a great way to improve your curb appeal, some lawn care practices can have detrimental effects on our local water resources. In keeping with Ayer’s efforts to reduce the effects of stormwater pollution, here are a few tips that will minimize the impact on our local waters:

• Fertilize sparingly, be careful near storm drains and water bodies and be sure to use slow-release fertilizer.
• Aerate your lawn before you fertilize. Aeration involves perforating the soil with small holes to allow air, water and nutrients to penetrate the grass roots. This helps the roots grow deeply and produce a stronger, more vigorous lawn.
• If you must fertilize more than once, don’t fertilize in the spring until you have mowed the lawn three times.
• Use the "mulch" setting on your mower so that the clippings will return the nutrients to the lawn.
• Check the weather forecast before fertilizer or pesticide applications, and don’t apply lawn chemicals when there is rain predicted. It increases the chances of those chemicals washing right into local waters.
• If any lawn chemicals or yard debris get on the sidewalk or driveway, sweep them back onto the lawn to prevent them from washing into storm drains. Even grass clippings and excess leaves don’t belong in our streams and rivers.