How America got addicted to Lawns

[jayboogieman]

 

[toldozer]

I have an acre behind my pool that I refuse to cut. Anyone need some hay?

[Brooklyn 3.0]

I've never understood the appeal, and that's with 36 years living on them before I moved to the concrete jungle. Sure, they can look pretty ... but be real, how often do you actually "use" your front lawn? Back lawn, maybe a BBQ here and there. Kids birthday party if you have a pool. Soccer/baseball training for a teen. But really ... what's the point of some massive lawn?

[thefuzz]

On 9/4/2023 at 12:12 PM, Brooklyn 3.0 said:

I've never understood the appeal, and that's with 36 years living on them before I moved to the concrete jungle. Sure, they can look pretty ... but be real, how often do you actually "use" your front lawn? Back lawn, maybe a BBQ here and there. Kids birthday party if you have a pool. Soccer/baseball training for a teen. But really ... what's the point of some massive lawn?

I use my yard every single day of the year. 

Grow blueberries, raspberries, tomatoes, herb garden.  My son has a swingset, and he "mows" along side of me, or rides with me on my Deere.  Have raised veggie garden as well.

We have a huge deck with multiple seating and dining locations as well as a built in kitchen with flat top, Kamado, and bayou deep fryer.

So...yea....there is a point to them, and they do get used by folks who don't like to be inside.

[LinvilleGorge]

When I bought my current house I was mowing about six acres. After one summer of spending an entire day of every weekend slaving away to maintain it I was like fug this poo. I fenced it in. Now we have haired sheep,a pony, and two miniature horses "maintaining" it and I'm mowing maybe an acre.

[ladypanther]

7 hours ago, LinvilleGorge said:

When I bought my current house I was mowing about six acres. After one summer of spending an entire day of every weekend slaving away to maintain it I was like fug this poo. I fenced it in. Now we have haired sheep,a pony, and two miniature horses "maintaining" it and I'm mowing maybe an acre.

If you ever get haired sheep babies, let me know...I might be interested.

[jayboogieman]

Get some  you hippies

[Cullenator]

https://deq.utah.gov/air-quality/no-mow-days-trim-grass-emissions

 

Quote

But most of us don’t think about air pollution when we’re mowing our yards or shopping for new lawn and garden tools. Did you know that lawnmowers, leaf blowers, trimmers, and other gasoline-powered lawn equipment produce a lot of air pollution? According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), gas-powered lawnmowers account for five percent of the air pollution in the United States and contribute even more pollution in urban areas. Five percent!

That number starts to make sense when you look at the statistics:

• Each weekend, about 54 million Americans mow their lawns, amounting to 800 million gallons of gas per year.
• The emissions from one four-stroke lawnmower operating for one hour are equivalent to an average vehicle traveling 500 miles.
• Using a gas-powered mower for one hour produces the same amount of emissions as 11 new cars also running for an hour.
•  At least 17 million gallons of gasoline are spilled annually just filling these lawnmowers.

The good news? Small changes in your choices in lawn equipment and mowing practices can make a big difference.

Go Electric

Trading your gas-powered mower for an electric mower is an easy way to reduce your emissions. Electric mowers have come a long way in recent years. Most models use long-lasting lithium-ion batteries, so you don’t have to fiddle with a cord — or worse, worry about running it! Unlike gas mowers, you don’t have to the change spark plugs, fuel filters, or oil.  Electric mowers are light, easy to use, and quiet. And they don’t emit the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen oxides (NO_x) that contribute to ozone. And if you want a good workout, an old-fashioned reel mower gets the job done with zero emissions.

Let It Grow

The taller your grass, the healthier your lawn. There is a direct correlation between the height of the grass and the depth of the roots. If you mow your lawn down to two inches, you will have two inches of roots. If you mow at four inches, you will have four inches of roots. That added root mass will make your lawn more drought- and disease-resistant, provide natural weed control, and reduce the amount of water you need to keep your lawn healthy.

 

[thefuzz]

LOL

[Captroop]

Fifth of an acre here in the burbs, and frankly I don't know what lawns are for except constantly wondering what I'm doing wrong.

We did a vegetable patch the first summer after we moved in. Now we're just thinking about ways we can have less grass.

Frankly I think Southern Pines has it right. Pine Straw yards 4 life!