MN Fertilizing Services | MN Lawn Care Services
Now that spring is in the air, many home owners start thinking about lawn care. It’s an almost impossible urge in Minnesota—as soon as the weather warms up we all want to get out into the yard and start working on something. After all, the season is short and we all want to make the most of it! As you head out with shovel and rake in hand, remember that how we care for our yards affects the health of our rivers, lakes, and wetlands. It’s true—rainwater running off of our property into street storm drains—the metal grates in street curbs—can carry soil, nutrients, bacteria and other harmful materials into the waters we love. Be storm drain savvy and follow these yard care tips for cleaner water:
Keep Our Lakes and Rivers Clean!
The storm drain in your street is a link to our lakes and rivers. The choices you make when caring for your lawn directly affect water quality. A common cause of lake and river pollution is phosphorus runoff. In response to this, Minnesota has a law restricting the use of phosphorus lawn fertilizer. Although phosphorus is important for grass growth, many lawns have adequate soil phosphorus and do not need further phosphorus fertilization.
You May Be Fertilizing More Than Your Grass
If you suspect your lawn is in need of phosphorus, soil test first to make sure before using a phosphorus lawn fertilizer.
Phosphorus turns lakes and rivers green. Phosphorus stimulates the growth of algae in lakes and rivers. This crowds out other water plants and reduces oxygen available to fish. The result is unattractive, foul-smelling water that is bad for fish, wildlife, and humans. Nitrogen, not phosphorus, greens up grass.
Do you know you live on waterfront property? You do if there is a storm drain nearby! Storm drains carry runoff water to local lakes and rivers. Whatever washes off your yard and street can pollute these waters. That includes lawn fertilizer, grass clippings, pet waste, and tree leaves and seeds–all sources of phosphorus, the plant nutrient that turns lakes and rivers green with algae.
Keep Your Runoff Clean!
Phosphorus-free lawn fertilizer still contains nitrogen, the plant nutrient that greens up grass. To keep our lakes and rivers healthy, we need to manage phosphorus carefully. Read on to learn how you can reduce phosphorus runoff from lawn fertilizers and other sources!
REMOVE LEAVES FROM THE STREET
You can reduce the phosphorus run off from your lawn by up to 40% by simply cleaning up the leaves and grass clippings from the street.
- Rake leaves, seeds and grass clippings out of the street and gutter.
- Compost on site, bag for collection, or take to community compost program.
PREVENT EROSION
- Phosphorus attaches to soil. Keep soil from washing into the street.
FERTILIZE THE LAWN, NOT THE LAKES AND RIVERS
- Choose a zero-phosphorus fertilizer. Many lawns have adequate soil phosphorus and will remain healthy without adding more.
- If you think your lawn needs phosphorus, test your soil first.
- Sweep spilled fertilizer off paved surfaces.
- Remember, compost and manure contain phosphorus too.
CLEAN UP AFTER PETS
- Scoop up the poop. Pet waste contains phosphorus as well as harmful bacteria.
- Don’t feed the geese.
KEEP THE PAVEMENT CLEAN
- Sweep up grass clippings, soil and fertilizer from driveways, sidewalks, and streets.
Minnesota Fertilizing Services
Managing the environment is everyone’s responsibility. Professional care of your landscape is one way you can help the environment. From regularly scheduled mowing, edging, trimming and leaf raking to custom fertilization, aeration, weed and dandelion control, a professional Minnesota lawn care service can constantly monitor your property for diseases, insects, or other problem that might arise, and make recommendations to you on how to best deal with them.
If you have no idea what fertilizer to use on or how to apply it. Or, if your just do not have the time to care for your lawn the way you would like to, a fertilizer specialists will examine your lawn and gardens, assess the health of your plants, measure thatch depth, note any weeds, insects or diseases that might be present, and do a soil analysis. Based on their findings, they will create a fertilization program to provide the nutrients necessary for your lawn and gardens to flourish.