Borough of Rumson, NJ - Environmental Commission

Borough of Rumson

Environmental Commission

Educate • Facilitate • Motivate

TEL 732.842.3300

LAWN CARE

Grass clippings are a natural fertilizer for your lawn. Not only do clippings have a heavy moisture content, which adds water to your turf, but they decompose quickly and provide nutrients that will nourish the soil and root system.

SCOOP THE POOP

Dogs are adorable, but their waste can wreak havoc on the environment. Pet waste is teeming with bacteria and parasites that are toxic to our ecosystem, especially our waterways. When we put the waste into the storm drains, nearby streams or even onto leaf piles, this waste finds its way to our rivers where it leads to degraded water quality and promotes algae blooms which rob the rivers of oxygen. This reduced-oxygen environment kills off fish and other aquatic animals… But jellyfish survive and even flourish with less predators and less competition for resources.

Once established, you only need to fertilize your lawn in the fall if you “cut it and leave it!” According to Rutgers Cooperative Research Extension “fertilizing your lawn late in the season (September through November) the previous year reduces or eliminates the need for fertilizer in the spring, reduces frequency of mowing, and improves drought resistance.” Fertilizing in the fall allows the roots system to establish while spring fertilizing promotes top growth, which requires more frequent mowing and can actually stunt root growth. Be careful not to fertilize your lawn if heavy rain is in the forecast. Instead of soaking into the soil where it can nourish your lawn, the fertilizer is likely to simply wash away with the stormwater and find its way to local waters causing algae blooms and leading to proliferation of jelly fish.

Maintaining a mowing height of 2½ to 3½ inches will help increase drought resistance and will decrease insects and disease damage. Turf that is kept at a height of 2 inches or less decreases drought and heat resistance and increases the incidence of insect and disease damage as well as weed invasion. (“Your Lawn and its Care”, Rutgers Cooperative extension FS102, https://njaes.rutgers.edu/fs102/)

Download the Lawn Care Flyer here.
Download the Rumson "Cut It & Leave It" flyer poster here.
Download the RUTGERS Native Plant flyer here.

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