Hastings' Healthy Landscape Initiative

WHAT DOES HEALTHY MEAN?

A healthy landscape is a vibrant and varied ecosystem. Healthy land is pesticide-free, includes some native plants, and is teeming with a diverse community of insects and soil micro-organisms. Health-minded landowners minimize the use of leaf blowers and return accumulated yard "waste" back to the soil. Add your patch of ground to the growing number of ecologically healthy landscapes, and together we will benefit the greater ecosystem. Following healthy landscaping techniques also helps mitigate climate change - see this useful synopsis from the Princeton Student Climate Initiative.

Diversify your plantings and go native!

Why are native plants important? Because they provide food and nesting sites for native animals and insects. An ecosystem is complex and interconnected. A lawn offers few services to wildlife. By planting native, you also save on water and soil amendments, as native plants survive here naturally! 

Join the Hastings Pollinator Pathway Project
When you commit to an area of your land that is pesticide-free and contains native, pollinator-friendly plants, you can proudly display the pathway project medallion. Signs are 6" rounds, can be ordered online from the Village for $10, and are mailed to you ($2 service fee).

Stop Using Pesticides

Despite known dangers, people in Hastings, and most commercial landscapers, still use pesticides. The use of pesticides (a term that includes herbicides) can pose significant health and environmental threats: cancer, lower male fertility, ADHD, autism and developmental delays in children, endocrine disruption, miscarriages and birth defects, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson's disease, asthma and diabetes. For more information, visit the Pesticide-Induced Diseases Database from Beyond Pesticides, a non-profit environmental organization committed to ending reliance on pesticides. Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine conducted a six-year study and found that the use of lawn pesticides was associated with a 70% greater risk of canine malignant lymphoma (CML) in dogs, a model for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) in humans. Dogs are exposed to neighbors' pesticide use, not just their homeowner's. And what about wild rabbits, squirrels, chipmunks, birds, bees, etc.?

From an environmental perspective, pesticide use contaminates soil, water, turf, and non-target vegetation, and poisons a host of non-target organisms. Applying chemicals is in fact the worst thing homeowners can do if the objective is a beautiful yard filled with vibrant plants, trees and a lush green lawn, as synthetic pesticides and herbicides are indiscriminate and kill or disrupt the beneficial soil organisms and micro-organisms that sustain healthy plants, not just targeted "pests." 

Organic land-care practices protect public health. The chemical industry benefits economically from our use of pesticides, but individuals pay the burden of health impacts, particularly children, pregnant mothers, pets, the chemically sensitive and those with compromised immune or nervous systems. 

A Healthy Lawn-scape Means a Cost-Effective Lawn-scape

First, reduce the acreage of lawn on your property by adding low-maintenance native planting beds. For the lawn you keep, transition to safer maintenance methods to save money: once established, an organic lawn uses less water and fertilizer and requires less labor for mowing and maintenance. Harvard University's lawn care program eliminated pesticide/fertilizer use over a decade ago, and:

• Harvard was able to reduce irrigation needs by 30%, saving two million gallons of water per year
• The school saved $35,000 per year by eliminating the need to truck yard "waste" off-site
• Harvard now composts that yard "waste" and saves an additional $10,000 per year by eliminating the need to purchase fertilizers from off-campus sources

If your lawn is currently chemically dependent, it may initially cost you money to restore a healthy grass ecosystem. However, in the long term, an organic lawn will save you money. See Beyond Pesticides' Organic Lawn Care 101 sheet: "Healthy soil contains high organic content... Healthy soil supports the development of healthy grass that is naturally resistant to weeds and pests. In a healthy, fertile and well maintained lawn, diseases and pest problems are rare."

Ditch the Blower and Mulch Your Leaves

What is leaf mulching?

Mulching means chopping your leaves into small pieces, which can be done with a lawn mower or a leaf shredder. These pieces can be left on your lawn (they fall between the grass blades) or piled on garden beds and around shrubs. Mulch acts as a protective layer in the winter, and prevents weed growth and conserves water during the growing season. Leaf mulch gradually decomposes, adding nutrients and humus to the soil. To learn more and learn how, visit Irvington's Love 'Em and Leave 'Em website.

Meanwhile, leaf blowers' two-stroke engines are serious air polluters and greenhouse gas emitting villains. According to NY DEC, a typical backpack leaf blower used for one hour emits as much carbon dioxide as an average automobile operating for eight hours. Eight percent of benzene and 1,3 butadiene emissions in the United States, from all sources, are generated by gas-powered lawn and garden equipment; these pollutants are both classified as carcinogens. Leaf blowers also kick up mold spores, feces, dust and small particles, including pesticides, all of which worsen our air quality and exacerbate asthma, in addition to causing stress from noise. Their use is forbidden in Hastings during certain times of the year. Click here for background info on leaf blowers and Hastings' Leaf Blower Law.

General Tips for a Healthy Lawn

Reproduced in part from Beyond Pesticides' Organic Lawn Care 101

1. Mow High Until the Season Ends – Bad mowing practices cause more problems than any other cultural practice. Mowing with a dull blade makes the turf susceptible to disease, and mowing too close invites sunlight for weeds to take hold. Keep your blades sharp, or ask your service provider to sharpen their blades frequently. For the last and first mowing, mow down to 2 inches to prevent fungal problems. For the rest of the year, keep it at 3‐3.5 to shade out weeds and foster deep, drought‐resistant roots.

2. Aerate – Compaction is an invitation for weeds. If your lawn is hard, compacted, and full of weeds or bare spots, aerate to help air, water and fertilizer to enter. If you can’t stick a screwdriver easily into your soil, it is too compacted. Get together with your neighbors and rent an aerator. Once you have an established, healthy lawn, worms and birds pecking at your soil will aerate it for free!

3. Fertilize, but go easy and go organic! – Fertilizing in early fall ensures good growth and root development for your grass. Nitrogen, the most abundant nutrient in lawn fertilizers promotes color and growth. Adding too much nitrogen, or quick release synthetic fertilizers, will result in quicker growth and the need for more mowing. Too much nitrogen can also weaken the grass, alter the pH, and promote disease, insect, and thatch build‐up. If applied too late, nutrients can leach directly into nearby surface waters. Be aware of local phosphorus or nitrogen loading concerns. Your soil test results will ensure that you apply only what you need.

4. Overseed With the Right Grass Seed – Once again, fall is the best time to seed your lawn. Grass varieties differ enormously in their resistance to certain pests, tolerance to climatic conditions, growth habit and appearance. Endophytic grass seed provides natural protection against some insects and fungal diseases ‐ major benefits for managing a lawn organically. Talk to your local nursery about the best seed for your area. Check to see the weed content of the grass seed and that there are no pesticide coatings.

5. Or better yet, Un-Lawn your land.

Soil Testing

Soil testing is simple to do and provides you with a profile of your soil upon which to build the foundation of your natural lawn. For a modest fee, you can get your soil pH tested and analyzed through Cornell Cooperative Extension of Westchester County.