[DMT29]

https://www.yahoo.com/news/leaf-blowers-lawn-mowers-and-fertilizer-how-lawns-contribute-to-climate-change-190726545.html

 

[grass4gas]

Gotta love that just about EVERYONE is trying to save the planet. The planet will do just fine once these idiots realize that. The planet isn’t going anywhere, but we humans are. Once you’re gone from this here, does it really matter? Yea, they say that they want to make it better for the next generation. Tell me again…HOW IS THAT WORKING OUT?

 

[sidemouse]

We've always been in a business that does not ultimately serve a truly essential purpose, in fact the more we get into class-A lawns the more wasteful an enterprise it likely becomes. I realized this quite some years ago, the entire "lawn" industry revolves around work that is absolutely non-essential, we do not need "lawn," it is not necessary for our survival... I dare say the entire concept of even having a lawn was created simply for the purpose of generating more work as industrialization and mass production took over.

I do, however disagree with this part of the article:

* Likewise, short, regularly cut grass does not absorb much water — an increasingly important task as climate change leads to more flooding from heavier storms *

And then this next part states:

* Grass is the most prevalent irrigated crop in the U.S., and lawns use 3 trillion gallons of water per year. *

So which is it, do lawns absorb water or not?

Also I don't think I want a ton of trees near the house, that can fall over during heavier storms and cause all sorts of destruction...

This however is particularly frustrating to me:
* Due to the warmer temperatures and more severe droughts associated with climate change, water scarcity has become a crisis in much of the West, forcing local governments to limit the amount of water residents can use outdoors, although many homeowners are reportedly ignoring the rules. *

Yeah, see...

Also the unmitigated and careless use of fertilizers and herbicide...
* runoff can funnel fertilizer and herbicide into lakes, rivers and oceans, potentially poisoning fish and harming swimmers. *

I am actually more concerned with forever chemicals, but ok.

 

[Iced]

This is a large part while I am researching and will start doing installs for rain gardens, butterfly garden etc. The landscape of the whole industry is changing and we all need to be prepared for it. Start looking into organic fert. options..... soil health.... and so on...

 

[sidemouse]

This is a large part while I am researching and will start doing installs for rain gardens, butterfly garden etc. The landscape of the whole industry is changing and we all need to be prepared for it. Start looking into organic fert. options..... soil health.... and so on...

I tell you, we can still have lawn but it takes research...
Irrigation systems need to be inspected, tuned and repaired.
So many timers are simply set to factory default, then the homeowner sets it to water daily, sometimes twice daily...
Some people water mid-afternoon, like literally during the hottest part of the day.
It's ridiculous and outrageous, to waste our drinking water like that.

A lot has to do with mow frequency, too many blindfolds exist, some intentional.
Cut less, water less but longer...
I try and educate my customers into watering no more than 2 or 3 days a week.
Water longer, but less often.

And the lawn looks better because it's not about the frequency, it's about the duration, longer water timers means better soil penetration... So it's able to reach the roots.

Lets take a quick math course:
Assume 10 zones set to 15 minutes each, waters once a day seven days a week, equals: 1,050 minutes.
Same system, set to 3 days a week, tuned zones means less water in shade and more in the sunny zones...
I've even had customers completely turn zones off that water just flowerbeds, it's not necessary, shrubs survive dandy with no irrigation and then they only need less pruning... The heck, save money, conserve water.
But to make the math simple, double the timers, 30 minutes each zone x 3 days x 10 zones = 900 minutes.
Already saved 10% on the water, now cut back on the timers in shady areas, especially where it's always damp...
In the above example I usually try to shoot for 600-750 minutes total, of course every yard is different and it takes time to set up each zone individually.

Because we're watering less we want to use less fertilizer too, and mow only bi-weekly...
Wow, we just cut the greenhouse gases from the equipment down by half!

I could go on...

 

[Stihl4lyfe]

I always get ticked off when people get mad about the equipment thousands of guys use to put food on their families tables. In my neck of the woods, I know of multiple cities around me that have banned gas blowers, not to mention my entire state banning the sale of them. I have seen people argue that we should just use brooms, but I wish so bad I could throw them on a yard in the middle of the day when it is 90 degrees out and have them clean up with a broom and rake. There… I’ve said it.