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Caring for your lawn properly can help conserve water and improve water quality. Have a great lawn and protect the Great Lakes with these easy tips:

1. Water less often. Established lawns generally need about 1 inch of water per week. Measure rainfall with a rain gauge. Or check the soil — if it's moist 3-4 inches down then you don't need to water.
2. If you need to water, the best time is early in the morning. Water easily evaporates in the mid-day and afternoon. Watering at night can cause fungus and other diseases.
3. Set your mower to its highest setting. Taller grass shades the soil, prevents weed seed germination, and requires less water and fertilizer than short grass.
4. Use a mulching mower to return grass clippings to the soil where they break down and recycle nutrients.
5. In the fall, mulch leaves using your lawnmower.
6. For mature lawns, choose a fertilizer that is low in phosphorus or phosphorus-free, unless a soil test shows a need for more. Generally, only new lawns require additional phosphorus.
7. The best time to fertilize is in the spring and fall. Never fertilize when the ground is frozen.
8. Avoid applying fertilizer when rain is in the forecast. Heavy rainfall can cause fertilizers to be washed into waterways.
9. Clean up after you work. Sweep grass clippings and fertilizer off of sidewalks, driveways, and other hard pavement and back onto the lawn.

Want to learn more?

Download Lawns, Lakes and Your Community.  

Want to make a contribution to the Alliance and take even greater steps to protect the Great Lakes?...click here.