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To: Bluedot Living
From: Vineyard Conservation Society
Subject: ‘Vineyard Lawns’ Protect Water Quality and Support Biodiversity
The ubiquitous suburban lawn – that emerald green, weed-free monoculture – has never been the ideal here on the Vineyard. In fact, for many of us, it’s not even desirable. Instead of seeing a safe and inviting extension of our homes, we’re thinking of downstream consequences of chemical perfection. The fertilizers used for monoculture turf contribute significantly to the nitrogen pollution that has our coastal ponds frequently closed to swimming and shellfishing. The pesticides and herbicides used to kill bugs and weeds also kill native biodiversity and threaten our drinking water. Even the watering needed to keep a lawn artificially green in summer is a sad waste of groundwater during the most droughty season.
Luckily there’s a better alternative: the Vineyard Lawn, which uses no pesticides, no chemical fertilizers, and only occasional watering if truly necessary. Mixed grass varieties and native plantings are hardier, better adapted to local conditions, and require less time and attention. And a Vineyard Lawn will always be safe for kids, pets, and wildlife – no need to check product labels and Google for the latest news on potential health effects.
In contrast to the ecological dead zone of an artificially maintained monoculture lawn, your Vineyard Lawn will be a host to a wide diversity of grasses and wildflowers. Have you ever looked closely at the flowers of so-called weeds? Their shapes, colors, and textures are beautiful — and left alone to flower and set seed naturally, they’ll provide habitat and forage for butterflies, bees, and other pollinators. The Island wildlife will thank you for sharing your Vineyard Lawn!
Check out the new Vineyard Lawns Brochure.
Seed Selection
- Choose a grass seed blend that is compatible with the Vineyard’s natural environment. Perennial ryegrass and fine or tall fescues are good; avoid bluegrass, which is fussy to grow, requiring more nitrogen and water.
- One good option available locally is Jonathan Greene Black Beauty, Heavy Traffic mix, carried by S.B.S. and possibly other retailers.
- Another good choice, actually developed for Cape Cod, is the Harmony mix from Colonial Seed, available online at Agway Cape Cod and Lavoie Horticulture (and probably elsewhere).
Lawn Care Tips
- Use the highest deck setting on your lawnmower, never removing more than a third of the shoot growth per mowing.
- Don’t bag grass clippings. Set the mower to “mulch” and leave them where they fall; the clippings are a natural source of slow-acting nitrogen fertilizer and protect against drought.
- Topdress the lawn each spring by adding 1⁄4 inch to 1⁄2 inch of loam, until soil is 6 inches deep. This will help reduce nitrogen leaching into the groundwater.
- Once the topsoil is well established, consider adding another 1⁄4 inch of compost each spring.
- Test your soil’s acidity and add lime if you need to bring the pH up to 6.5. This will help the grass make better use of the nitrogen that is naturally in the soil.
- Don’t overwater — it’s unhealthy for the grass, but also increases nutrient runoff.
- Pull weeds by hand instead of using chemical herbicides.
- Finally, the simplest but most important of all: Reduce the amount of lawn area in favor of low-maintenance plantings, gardens, and native vegetation.
Attention Neighborhood and Road Associations!
Are you interested in having VCS bring the Vineyard Lawns message directly to your neighborhood/road/homeowners association? If so, please contact us. We are happy to work on setting up a presentation for your members, and we have flyers and other materials to share if we can’t be there in person.
