Green Yard Care Tips & Ideas

Go Green in 2014: Week 26

Green yard care is about keeping our outdoor space clean and free of pollutants - or, to the best of our abilities, at least. Since this is our first full summer living in our own home, with our own yard, my husband and I have had a lot of yard work to take care of, from mowing the lawn to planting flowers and removing weeds.

Grooming your lawn the green way

When our gas lawnmower stopped working this spring, we needed to quickly buy a new one. My husband mentioned getting a push reel mower (affiliate link), and I was all for it; they are cheap, but they are also green because they don't need gas or electricity to cut the grass.

The good: It actually works, and it's light and easy for me to use. It's a good way to get exercise in the summer. Plus, you don't have to worry about gas and oil, or about having to make sure it's charged up.

The bad: While it does an excellent job of cutting the grass, it isn't quite able to cut all the weeds and dandelions. And every time a twig gets caught in the blades, you have to stop and pull it out. It's good for smaller yards, but I'm not sure I would want to use it on a larger yard.

To be honest, we will probably eventually buy a new gas or electric mower for my husband to use every once in a while. We will still use the reel mower on occasion, and I will probably still use it anytime I mow the grass (which, I'll admit, isn't very often!).

Homemade weed killer recipe

Our yard is filled with weeds, and we finally got around to making a batch of homemade weed killer this weekend. The weeds in the area we tested it on already look like they are starting to wilt. Here's how to make homemade weed killer.

Ingredients:

• 1 gallon vinegar/apple cider vinegar (the higher the acidity, the better*)
• 1 cup salt
• 1 teaspoon liquid soap

*Note: If you use vinegar with a lower acidity (like the kind you would have in the pantry), the weeds might start to wilt then come back to life, so you might need to buy vinegar with a higher acidity than 5-6%.

Directions:

1. Avoid spraying weeds when the ground is wet; if it has rained recently, wait until it has had a few days to dry up. Check the forecast to make sure it's not supposed to rain; otherwise, the weed killer won't stick and will wash into the ground.
2. Mix up the ingredients in a glass spray bottle, adjusting the amounts to fit your bottle. If you use a plastic bottle, only make enough for one use, since the acid could eat away at the plastic.
3. Spray the weed killer liberally all over the weeds, being careful not to get it on the surrounding grass. If it gets on the grass, it may die and not grow back in that area.
4. Watch for results, and repeat as needed.

More ways to go green with yard care

• In the winter, shovel the snow instead of using a snowblower. Doing so will reduce pollution and give you a great workout. If this isn't always possible, consider shoveling rather than snowblowing anytime you are able.
• Cut back on watering the grass as much as possible to avoid wasting water. Use a watering can to water flowers and plants (instead of a hose) to reduce water usage.
• Plant flowers, trees, and shrubs in your yard. Plants provide us with clean air; plus, trees can help shade the house, reducing cooling costs in the summer.

These are just a few ideas for going green with your yard care; what are some ways you have gone green in the outdoors, whether during the summer or another season?

~ ~ ~

*Disclaimer: I bought all of these products with my own money, and have not received compensation of any kind to review them.

**Disclosure: Although this post may contain affiliate links, all opinions are my own.

Your challenge: This week, consider the ways you can go green with your yard care and try to implement them into your routine.

______________________________________________________

**This post is part of a weekly challenge {Go Green in 2014}, during which the author has challenged herself - and you - to find 52 ways to lead a greener life in 2014. You can follow the weekly posts on this page.**