Yards are a fine example of mankind's caretaker nature. Many Americans take meticulous care of their yards. Sometimes this yard-pride develops into an acute neurosis. There are many cases of old men who develop yard-fever or yard-lust. These men stand, rake in hand, at the edge of their lawn, waiting to chase children, small pets and dopey teenagers away from their freshly manicured grass.
Most of us don't have this problem. We just want to maintain our yard and keep it pleasing to look at. We don't want our yard to be the eyesore of the block. One way to keep it pleasant looking, a way that just happens to be as green as the lawn itself, is to conserve topsoil.
We are losing 1 percent of our topsoil per year, due to agriculture. Large-scale farming is changing drastically to decrease the amount of erosion that occurs, but many of us have erosion problems in our front yard.
One of the ways that you can stop your yard from eroding is by planting native plants with sturdy root structures. In an episode of Renovation Nation, a Seattle man planted moss in his yard in order to soak up the rainwater that the Pacific Northwest is famous for.
Building terraces can lower the erosion levels in your yard. If that kind of dramatic reconstruction is too expensive for you, you can always just build a few bracings in the places where the erosion is the worst.
Another way to conserve soil is by leaving your soil untilled. Tilling the soil will break up valuable root structures that keep the topsoil intact. If your lawn needs aerated, try using common earthworms. They are better for the environment than a gas-powered aerator.
Mulch is also helpful. It thickens the dirt and brings valuable microorganisms into the your lawn's ecosystem.
Take care of your soil, and the soil will keep your yard looking and feeling green.
This post was inspired by Renovation Nation
