Lake Management Best Practices: Lawn Maintenance

By D.Ernes – Lake Management Committee

We are slowly transitioning from winter to spring. Our lawns are also transitioning from the dormant state, where it is an off shade of brown, into the lush green we all want to enjoy. The important thing we each need to realize is that if we are not careful, our efforts to get a green lawn will contribute to us experiencing a green lake.

Grass, and blue-green algae, both need phosphorus to grow. For our lawns, phosphorous may be introduced as a component of fertilizers. But is it necessary? An inexpensive soil test will be a good idea before you apply any fertilizer. It is possible that if the pH of the soil is out of balance, it can inhibit the grasses’ ability to absorb nutrients. If this is the case, it could lead to over fertilizing and the excess nutrient will just end up in the lake after rain events.

Luckily, over time, most commercial fertilizers have reduced or eliminated the level of phosphorous that is in their products. If one looks at the bags, the three numbers appearing on each bag is the level of Nitrogen-Phosphorous-Potassium. So, it is best to select products where the middle number is zero.

There have been a lot of articles stating that, for established lawns, it is not always necessary to add phosphorous to our lawns. This is especially true if one mulches the grass clippings, which returns the phosphorous the grass already contains back into the soil.

There may be a need to use phosphorous when first establishing a lawn. In this case, the use of Starter Fertilizers may come into play. Make sure that you do NOT select this type of product for an established lawn. Even when using Starter Fertilizers, an inexpensive soil test will let you know if it is even necessary. Also, when applying this or any fertilizer, proper application techniques (avoiding over spraying on impervious surfaces, and not applying it up to the waters edge) will help to reduce the likelihood of excess phosphorous in the lake.

When mowing your lawn, the best option is to mulch the grass clipping back into the lawn. If this is not desired, do not blow the clippings into the street or, more importantly, into the lake. The latter can incur a fine. If you see your neighbor or a lawn service employee discharging clippings (or debris for that matter) into the lake, talk to them and encourage them to use another approach. Use the compost site which is the best location for your yard waste.

These suggestions are valid whether you live on the lake or off. Our community is roughly 1500 acres. And we are the closest part of the watershed to the lake. If we all do our part, it will have an impact of the lake. Remember that every ounce of phosphorous that you add to the lake can cost hundreds or thousands of dollars to eliminate. If you use a commercial company to handle the lawn treatments or maintenance, make sure that they follow practices to reduce their impact on our lake.

BE LAKE RESPONSIBLE