Spring is here and we've prepared a special Gardener’s Spring Training Regimen. Now a word of caution …before you begin our training, you may want to warm up by watching a little TV, taking a few swings with the putter or reading the newspaper, preferably with your legs up in a sunny window and a tall glass of lemonade within easy reach. You see our regimen pampers the gardener, not the garden. But it benefits all of us!
Note to Web Designer: Can we do this so you can click on one, two or 3 and it will scroll to that point.?
Spring Training Exercise #1: Take the Weekend Off!
Spring Training Exercise #2: Compost Envy Among Neighbors
Spring Training Exercise #3: Don't Pick Up After Yourself Neighbors
Spring Training Exercise #1: Take the Weekend Off!
Yes, that's right. Take the weekend off! It’ll do your lawn (and you) good!
Longer grass can reduce the need for fertilizer and pesticides.
Longer grass has more leaf surface to take in sunlight, which promotes thicker growth and enhances the development of a deep root system. This helps your lawn survive drought, tolerate insect damage and fend off disease.
Longer grass also helps shade the surface, helping retain moisture and making it difficult for weeds to germinate and grow.
So, don't mow this weekend. And if your neighbor, spouse or best friend asks why...show them this article and smile. Bragging ... we mean educating others about your environmentally friendly practices ... is all part of the training.
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Spring Training Exercise #2: Compost Envy Among Neighbors
Last fall you saw your neighbors raking their leaves and placing them in their new compost bin. At the time, it seemed like too much of a hassle, so you pushed your leaves onto the street. But now, spring is here and as you haul heavy bags of mulch from the back of your truck…you see your neighbors shoveling moist, dark and nutrient-rich compost from their bin.
Okay, maybe you'll give it a try for the sake of the environment, for the cost savings of not having to buy mulch, to avoid having to haul those heavy store-bought bags of mulch and, of course, to have a greener garden than your neighbor. It's good to be green!
To get started, get your free copy of “Home Composting Made Easy,” which retails for $2.95. The 31-page pamphlet includes simple step-by-step instructions, illustrations and answers to frequently asked questions on composting. Yamhill County residents may pick up booklets at the solid waste management office or email
info@ycsw.org to request your copy.
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Spring Training Exercise #3: Don't Pick Up After Yourself
From the time you were a toddler playing with toy building blocks, your parents may have encouraged you to "pick up after yourself." Your training didn't stop there. Since then teachers, roommates and spouses have all encouraged (Dare we say "nagged"?) you to "pick up after yourself."
When it comes to mowing your lawn, we are turning that conventional wisdom on its head … don't pick up after yourself, please!
That's right. We are asking you to leave your grass clippings right where they are…on your lawn. Why? The concept is called "grasscycling."
Grasscycling Has Many Benefits
• Since grass clippings are 75-85 percent water, they decompose quickly and release nitrogen and other nutrients back into the lawn…a natural fertilizer.
• Using less store-bought fertilizer saves you money and saves the groundwater from being contaminated.
• It makes cutting the lawn easier because you don't have to empty the grass catcher bag or rake the clippings into plastic bags.
• Since you are not bagging those clippings and sending them to the landfill, the practice of grasscycling helps extend the life of the landfill.
So please, go into "spring training" and train yourself not to pick up after yourself. To request a free grasscycling pamphlet, email
info@ycsw.org.
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