Is the grass always greener?

How to have a healthy, beautiful and eco-friendly lawn this summer
Jun 11, 2010 | By: Alison Dunn

You might be burning with envy when you see a neighbour's stunning lawn, but is what goes into making that lush weed-free lawn really good for us – and the environment?

"People have this perceived notion that grass should look lush and green and beautiful all the time," says Carson Arthur, principal designer for Toronto-based Carson Arthur Designs and host of HGTV's Green Force. "But the reality is that grass uses more water than anything else we have in our space. Half of the cold water we use in Canadian homes goes to lawn and gardens – something that's mostly for show!"

Instead of focusing on the quickest and easiest way to get a beautiful lawn, Arthur says it's far more important to focus on making it healthy and environmentally friendly. With many Canadian municipalities now banning the use of pesticides and a growing awareness of the need to conserve water, it's more important than ever to go "green" when you're gardening.

But are you lost without your weed-killer spray and mountains of fertilizer? Worried that going green means you'll have to spend eight hours a day gardening? Don't be, says Arthur. There are a number of ways you can make the most of your outdoor space without being overwhelmed.

The green, green grass of home

The majority of Canadian homes have lawns that are just plain grass – and the problem is that we expect that grass to look like a putting green. That's not what grass in a Canadian backyard should look like, says Arthur. Here are a few of his tips to help make your grass healthy:

Remember greener doesn't mean better. Forget the putting green, Arthur says. Grass doesn't need to be vivid green to be healthy, and, given the climate in Canada, it's a pretty unrealistic vision. Grass will go brown in July and August as part of its natural growth cycle – and far too many people panic and use an excessive amount of water to stop that from happening.

Choose the right grass. One of the most popular types of grass in Canada is Kentucky Bluegrass, which has a thick blade (think of the lawn you see on those fertilizer bags.) But Arthur says it is not right for our Canadian climate and requires more water than other varieties. If you're laying down grass seed, he recommends using a rye grass instead, which will grow better in most areas of Canada (and require less water, too!)

Rake and thatch it. The first thing you should do in spring is give it a good rake. Remove the old clippings from around the roots of the grass – even if you use a bag on your lawnmower. There are plenty of other things that could be clumped around the roots, including petals, dandelions, leaves and more. By raking the grass and removing the thatch, you expose the new shoots to more light and allow more water to penetrate.

Don't cut it short. It's tempting to cut your grass short so you won't have to cut it as often, but it's far worse for the grass. Arthur recommends a lawnmower height of two to 2 ½ inches to give the new growth more protection. The older growth at the top also needs less watering and fertilizer.

Do it the old-fashioned way. It's tempting to want to spray those dandelions into submission, but with so many municipalities banning pesticides and so many people wanting green lawns, Arthur admits there's only one good way to rid your lawn of weeds: pulling them by hand. Want to save some time? Make sure you pull the dandelions out by the root while they're still yellow. If they turn into white puffballs, they have gone to seed and have already started populating your lawn with even more dandelions to pull.