The grass is back, thanks to sunshine and spring rains, and the lawn-care season in officially under way. But before community members reach for that water hose, they should consider more environmentally friendly ways to care for their lawns and gardens, according to experts at Fort Belvoir.
One of the worst things lawn owners can do is water their grass during the hottest part of the day, according to Brice Bartley, natural resource specialist with the Fort Belvoir Directorate of Public Works Environmental and Natural Resource Division.
"People tend to think that their turf is thirsty and would appreciate having a nice sprinkler on at about the hottest part of the day, but that's actually the worst part of the day for watering, because of evaporation," he said. "You're not efficiently using your water, and that evaporation leads to more salts from the municipal water supply collecting in your turf, which can be harmful to your turf and landscape. It's best to water right at the crack of dawn.
"If you water at night, you run the risk of fungus attacking your plants," he added.
Another water-saving strategy is to purchase an irrigation system with a moisture sensor, instead of setting the sprinklers on a timer.
"The moisture sensor will tell you how much moisture you actually need, rather than just hazarding a guess or just going off automatically. So, you're saving money that way and it will be better for your grass," Bartley said.
Thinking about the environment is especially important in the area surrounding Fort Belvoir "especially because we live in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed," Bartley said. "We don't want to pollute the bay.
Even buying the right type of grass seed and mowing at the right length can make a positive difference, Bartley added.
He recommended staying away from "invasive" grass seed -- which grows too rapidly into unwanted areas -- and not cutting grass too short.
"During stress periods, such as summer drought, you should leave the grass a few inches tall," Bartley said. "You'll improve the turf's chances of survival."
Another way to save on fertilizer is to use grass clippings, Bartley said.
"If you're not bagging your clippings, then sweep them back onto your lawn, because they actually are useful for the lawn. It returns some of the nutrients. But if you allow those clippings to go away with the storm-water, then those nutrients get into our surface waters," he said.
When fertilizer is needed, local residents should first test their soil to see what kind of fertilizer they need before buying more, Bartley said.
"Many areas have plenty of phosphorous in the soil and adding additional phosphorous just goes right into the bay," he added.
On Fort Belvoir, the new base operations contractor, Aleut, does not use pesticides to maintain lawns on post.
"That's huge," Bartley said. "You go out to neighborhoods in the area and a lot of homeowners and landscapers are spreading fertilizers (with pesticides) that end up in the Chesapeake Bay. Our BASOPS contractors typically don't use them in established turf area. So, when you're talking about the hundreds of acres that they maintain, it really does make a big difference."
It also saves the installation money, he added.
As a state-certified Nutrient Management Planner, Bartley also created a plan for fertilizing the golf course, which does not require a great amount of fertilizer to maintain its standards.
"The plan makes the golf course more environmentally friendly by detailing more efficient ways to fertilize the grass, so that it does not get over-fertilized," Bartley said
Additionally, Fort Belvoir has a compost yard where yard waste is converted into mulch and reused, according to Fred David, solid waste and qualified recycling program manager with DPW's Environmental and Natural Resources Division.
"This saves money from having to buy mulch or leaf-grow," David said. "It also saves us money from having to pay for disposal cost for yard waste."
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