Take care with Lawn Care

Consumers concerned about the noise and air pollution generated by gas-powered lawn mowers are increasingly turning to several low-energy, high- quality alternatives:

• Rotary mowers. Those "old fashioned" hand-powered mowers your grandparents used are making a comeback! Homeowners with smaller lawns find rotary mowers particularly appealing for their maneuverability, low maintenance costs, and minimal environmental impact.
  
• Electric mowers. Electric mowers emit far fewer pollutants than gasoline-powered machines, are much quieter, and are often easier to push than their gas-guzzling counterparts.
  
• Battery-powered mowers. Some mowers and other garden equipment operate with battery packs that can be electrically recharged. Though these mowers offer many of the same benefits as electric mowers, they do contain batteries that generally last only about 5 years. Because the batteries contain heavy metals, they must be disposed of in a hazardous waste facility.
  

Regardless of the lawn mower you use, consider these other tips for low-impact mowing:

• Mow only as often as you need to keep your lawn in good shape. For most lawns, that means cutting your grass no lower than 2.5 inches; keeping many grasses as long as 3.5 inches is ideal for crowding out crab grass and other weeds.
  
• Minimize the amount of pesticides and herbicides you apply to your lawn, and use organic fertilizers.
  
• If you're in the market for a lawn care company, seek out one that uses "natural" management practices as opposed to heavy chemical treatments.
  
• Leave grass clippings on the lawn after you mow to provide your lawn with a natural (and free) source of nutrients, or compost the clippings for use in your garden.