Well-kept landscaping is a great way to increase your rental property’s curb appeal. But maintaining your lawn and garden in an eco-friendly manner is even better. Landlords and tenants can both contribute to a healthier environment by making wise choices about lawn and garden care. In many cases, ecological maintenance is easier and less expensive than more harmful types, and they produce lusher, healthier, and more abundant greenery.
Here are eight eco-friendly ways to maintain your lawn and garden while controlling weeds.
1. Leave Grass Cuttings on the Lawn
Rather than raking the lawn or using a leaf blower after mowing, let the grass cuttings remain on the lawn where they are. They quickly decompose into the soil, providing nutrients and eliminating the need to add chemical fertilizers. Because fertilizer production creates atmospheric pollutants, this is a great way to be eco-friendly. Many commercial fertilizers also end up in the groundwater, eventually damaging lakes and streams. Grass cuttings benefit the soil by adding nitrogen and acting as a moisturize barrier. Leaving cuttings on the lawn is a win-win for the lawn, the environment, and whomever cuts the grass.
2. Avoid Gas-Powered Lawn and Garden Equipment
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, a gas-powered lawnmower creates as many atmospheric pollutants as 11 vehicles in one hour, and a riding mower emits as many pollutants as 34 vehicles. This doesn’t mean that you have to cut the grass with a push mower (or hire someone to do so). That’s an option, of course, but the market is full of electric and battery-powered lawn care equipment. Take advantage of innovations in electric technology and cut your fossil fuel consumption in the process.
3. Grow Grass Suitable for Your Climate
Grass types differ based on where they grow. For instance, Kentucky bluegrass obviously grows best in Kentucky. But in warm, arid parts of the country like Arizona and California, this type of grass takes extra care and water; and even then, it may not thrive. Fescue, however, should handle this climate much better. Be sure to do thorough research before planting grass seed or laying sod on your rental property to save yourself resources and time.
4. Fertilize Your Garden with Yard Waste and Kitchen Compost
If you have a garden in your rental property, your tenants can potentially grow their own fruits and vegetables — a perk for many. Your tenants can easily keep a compost bin in the kitchen, throw in their food scraps, and add them to an outdoor compost pile when the bin is full. The compost needs to be turned every few days to keep it mixed, and soon they’ll have high quality fertilizer that’s completely free. If your tenants aren’t interested in keeping up with this, you can do so in your own home and bring the fertilizer to your rental property.
5. Make Use of Insects and Worms
Because soil is alive, it needs oxygen to thrive. You can aerate your lawn and garden manually every season to make sure the soil gets the air it needs, but there’s an easier way. Spread worms throughout the lawn and garden, water it thoroughly, and allow them to work their way into the soil. Ants also do a great job of aerating the soil, so unless you’re having problems with an indoor infestation, leave them alone to their thing. Ants also feed on harmful insects, pollinate flowers, and distribute seeds.
6. Water Deeply but Less Frequently
Your lawn needs plenty of water to survive. If a sprinkler system waters your lawn, much of it evaporates before it even hits the ground. To minimize wasted water, program your system to come on after midnight. The air is cooler at night and less capable of absorbing moisture. To ensure the roots get enough water, leave the sprinkler on for an extra five to 10 minutes. Offset this water use by watering three times a week instead of every day. If there is rain in the forecast, turn off the system until the rain is gone. If you’re unable to physically go to your rental property to do this, you can either install a smart watering system you can operate by app or have your tenant deal with the sprinkler system for you if your rental is occupied.
To keep your garden thriving while being cautious about your water use, install a drip system. Drip systems maximize water efficiency and they’re easy and inexpensive to set up. Devote one or two sprinkler zones to the drip system and run them late at night when the sprinklers aren’t running.
7. Grow Clover in the Lawn
Although white clover is now considered a weed, it’s a friendly one that adds lush green coloration to the lawn. It grows well in poor soil and it’s easy to plant. Just sow the seeds directly on top of the existing lawn and water well. Sow two ounces per 1,000 square feet of lawn for a moderate ground cover. Keep in mind that if your rental is in an HOA complex or community, you need to make sure growing clover is allowed.
8. Create a Buffer Between Lawn and Waterways
If your property borders a body of water, such as a lake, river, or stream, try to leave a 10-foot buffer between the lawn and garden area and the waterway. Allow whatever vegetation is in the buffer zone to grow naturally. The buffer zone creates a space that prevents whatever fertilizers you might use from entering the water. The natural vegetation also binds the soil and helps protect against erosion.
The Benefits of an Eco-Friendly Lawn and Garden
A well-cared-for lawn or garden not only enhances the aesthetic appeal of your rental property and the surrounding community but offers other benefits as well. Exposed soil, even when covered with grass or foliage, absorbs excess water and can help mitigate damage from flooding. Maintaining an eco-friendly lawn and garden is a great way to contribute to a healthier environment, and we hope you’ll find that it’s just as doable as basic lawn care but even more rewarding.
Who Is Responsible for Lawn and Garden Maintenance?
If you prefer to maintain the lawn and garden yourself, DIY maintenance is a great way to save money and personalize your landscaping. If you’re short on time and lack a green thumb, hiring a professional landscaper may be the best route for you. This will cut into your funds, but a well-maintained yard and garden is one the best ways to increase your rental property’s curb appeal. Should you decide to take responsibility for yard maintenance, make sure your renters have an easy way to submit maintenance requests online. With Apartments.com, you get notified when a request is submitted, and you can update your renters as the repair progresses. If you don’t have the time to handle the maintenance yourself, and you’d prefer to decrease your overhead, you can require tenants to maintain the lawn and garden as a part of the lease agreement. However, not all tenants will be interested in this workload, so be flexible with this policy if you find the right tenant. If your tenant does want to take care of the lawn and garden themselves, it will save you time, money, and effort. Just make sure they know your expectations when it comes to eco-friendly lawn and garden maintenance and clearly state those expectations in the lease.
