Sustainable Fall Yard Management

Small steps that make a big environmental impact and lower maintenance needs.

Last month, our homeowners association’s community manager asked me to write a community email on sustainable yard care. Specifically, she wanted me to share how our community can align the usual autumn yard maintenance with sustainability goals. I was thrilled and overwhelmed with the amount of information I could potentially send. But as I shared at the latest Maryland Native Plant Society meeting, I’m so very grateful that our homeowner’s association is walking their talk about transitioning to sustainable landscaping.

These tips can work for anyone, though they’re written with the Maryland/Virginia Northern Piedmont ecoregion in mind. You may need to do research on your specific ecoregion and native plants in place of some links I share.

Find your ecoregion here:

https://nativegardendesigns.wildones.org/whats-my-ecoregion/

Leave the Leaves

Leaves are considered nature’s litter, but did you know leaves are important fertilizer for your yard and critical winter habitat for pollinators? High in the nitrogen they gleaned from your yard this year, leaves are meant to decay back into the soil to return the nitrogen for next spring. This process reduces soil compaction, lessening the need for core aeration in low-impact areas.

Additionally, your leaves are full of future life—butterflies, moths, and other invertebrates rely on leaves to overwinter their eggs. Avoid shredding your leaves if possible, but shredding them for mulch is still a more climate-conscious option than bagging and sending them off.

If you absolutely must clear your lawn of leaves, consider raking them into your garden beds. Decaying leaves behave as organic mulch, suppressing weeds and retaining moisture. Their high nitrogen content makes them a naturally-slow-release fertilizer that is especially good for new plantings.

Wherever you put your leaves, you’re improving the soil quality and providing critical habitat.

Read more: https://xerces.org/blog/leave-the-leaves

Fall is Great for Planting Native

For many native plants (plants that evolved to be compatible with our ecoregion’s weather, soil, and wildlife), fall is the perfect time to get plugs in the ground. In many cases, they’ll establish deeper, healthier roots than they would in spring when they need to split energy between roots and shoots.

If you want to save money by starting from seeds, now is the time to direct-sow. Many native perennials require at least 60 days cool winter soil before they germinate in warmer spring soil. Without tapping into the natural cycle, these seeds would require months of refrigeration to stimulate germination.

More info:

An overview of manually germinating native seeds. https://www.prairiemoon.com/how-to-germinate-native-seeds.html

Great selection of $4 plant plugs native to our ecoregion. Sold by the tray. https://www.thepollennation.com/native-perennials/

What is a native plant? https://extension.umd.edu/resource/what-native-plant/

Integrated Pest Management for Weeds

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) for weeds is an environmentally friendly approach to controlling unwanted plants in your yard or garden. Instead of relying solely on chemical herbicides, IPM progresses through planned actions from least to greatest potential environmental impact:

• Identify Your Weeds: A weed is generally considered an unwanted plant in an undesirable location. Identify your weeds early and monitor their behavior. Consider the benefits of plants like clover, which pull nitrogen from deeper in the soil and provide it for turfgrass. Weeds can also inform you about your soil health, like Yellow Nutsedge; it grows in poorly-draining soil where turf struggles to thrive.

• Block Weeds Through Soil and Plant Health: Improve soil quality through living mulch or organic amendments, mow at least 4” high, and choose the right plants to naturally suppress weeds.

• Remove Weeds Physically: Pull weeds by hand or use tools to remove them when possible. This is especially helpful before seed heads begin to show, as with Crabgrass and Japanese Stiltgrass in the fall.

• Selective Use of Chemicals: Use targeted herbicides sparingly and only when necessary, as a last resort.

If your lawn is over 50% weeds, consider an overhaul. This time of year (Sept-Oct) many of our most annoying weeds are dormant, having just produced seed heads. Get a head start on outgrowing next spring’s weeds by mowing as low as possible, raking the clippings into the soil, and reseeding with a cool-weather grass mix. Cover the seeds with natural burlap landscape fabric (available cheaply at Lowes) and water every morning for three weeks, or until the grass is at least 1” tall. The burlap will protect seeds from wildlife and erosion, and will help hold in moisture. It can be left to biodegrade over several months, or removed after the grass is established.

If you have autumn leaves, arranging a loose layer over the burlap after the grass germinates completely will help boost the growth. As they decay over winter, your grass will receive a natural feed of nitrogen.

See more:

How to manage weeds without chemicals: https://extension.umd.edu/resource/manage-weeds-without-chemicals-maryland/

Common lawn weeds and IPM steps to address them: https://www.wildflowerfarm.com/common-lawn-weeds.html

Ways to Reduce Your Lawn and Plant an Alternative

Lawns are usually desired for children’s play areas, pet runs, sports activities, and framing an entryway to a home or garden. In many cases, however, lawns go largely unused. Even though lawns have been a part of American culture for generations, we are now in an era in which dramatic declines in pollinators (loss of natural habitat) and climate change (more extreme weather events) make a compelling case to think differently about lawns and how to manage our land more sustainably.

Turfgrasses are challenging to grow in Maryland’s climate. Removing grass and reducing the size of your lawn may be desirable if you:

• Cannot grow turfgrass in certain locations because of a steep slope, unsuitable soil conditions, or too much shade;

• Have a lawn that is largely unused and would like to devote your time and resources to other purposes;

• Want to manage stormwater runoff on your property and contribute to improving water quality;

• Wish to add more biodiversity, beauty, and ecological value to your landscape. Even small changes in private yards can make a difference for birds, insects, and other wildlife.

source: https://extension.umd.edu/resource/lawn-alternatives/

Avoid and Replace Invasive Plantings

Remember that lawn removal doesn’t mean “no mowing”. You will still need to manage invasive or unwanted species; a lawn full of unmanaged invasive species can be as ecologically damaging as chemically-maintained turf.

“Invasive” is a legally-defined term for non-native organisms that cause harm to the environment, economy, or human health, with damages costing the United States approximately $120 billion every year. Don’t confuse “invasive” with “aggressive”! Aggressive species may be annoying, but they do not cause the documented damage of invasive species. Remember that many species can be aggressive when grown in a monoculture, without the plants and wildlife that evolved alongside to keep them in check. The best defense against aggressive species is biodiversity.

Some common invasive plant species in Maryland include Japanese Barberry, Butterfly Bush, Tree of Heaven, English Ivy, and non-native Bamboo.

More info:

In-depth resource for understanding and removing invasive plants: https://extension.umd.edu/resource/removing-invasive-plants-and-planting-natives-maryland/

Invasive Species of Concern in Maryland: https://mdinvasives.org/species-of-concern/terrestrial-plants/

Plant This, Not That: https://directnativeplants.com/plant-this-not-that/

Native Substitutes for Invasive Species: https://northamericanlandtrust.org/plant-this-not-that-native-plant-substitutes-for-invasive-species/