Welcome fall! There are so many ways to celebrate this special time of year, but one big one is preparing our green spaces for winter. Parking that lawn mower and putting away the garden gloves for a few months might feel like a welcome break. But before you do, we are here to help you think of ways to make your yard more Ohio River-friendly!
Ohio River Foundation (ORF) is committed to protecting and restoring the Ohio River and its watershed. A huge part of that is considering how everything we do, near or far from the river’s edge, impacts water quality. Consider that whatever is happening on the land all around you is also happening to the water. Water runoff from ALL the surfaces around us transports all kinds of good and bad things into our waterways and therefore our drinking water. To learn more check out: What is a Watershed? And What’s Land Got To Do With It?
What we do with our lawns and how we manage them has a huge impact on the Ohio River and the many streams and rivers that feed into it. Here are a few helpful tips for ways you can help the Ohio River and make your lawn life a little easier.
Grass Lawn Alternatives: Consider reducing the amount of turf grass in your yard and plant more native flowers, grasses, shrubs and trees. Turf grass is everywhere and has become the dominant trend for parks, residential areas, schools, etc. But it’s not ideal when it comes to supporting native wildlife and absorbing and slowing down water. Plus turf grass requires costly and time-intensive inputs like frequent mowing and watering, pesticides, and fertilizers. Turf grass roots are shallow, with a root depth of only a few inches, and the soil underneath is more compacted, causing more water to run off into sewers and waterways instead of soaking into the ground. Many native plants, trees, and shrubs send roots deeper into the ground. Native perennial flowers and grasses easily exceed root depths of 5 or more feet making the soil healthier and more permeable to water. These deep root systems make them more drought tolerant allowing them access to water deeper in the ground. Natives can absorb more harmful runoff keeping chemicals and excess nutrients from reaching our waterways. These deep root systems also store more carbon within the ground, helping to address climate change. If you enjoy having grass, as many of us do, consider letting the grass grow a little longer – set your mower blade to at least 3” and encourage the grass to grow slightly deeper roots. Letting the grass grow a little taller also allows the grass to become more drought and heat-tolerant because you are removing less of the leaf blade, causing less stress on the grass.
Plant Natives in the Fall: Fall is a great time to establish or expand garden beds and plant! No dig methods can make replacing grass with new gardens super easy. Lay down a layer of cardboard and a layer of mulch and/or compost now and by spring you’ll have a new bed to start growing natives. No dig is easier and improves soil health in a more natural way similar to what happens in the forest where old leaves and wood materials decay on top of the ground. In established garden beds, fall is a great time to spread native seeds as many species begin the germination process when soil temperatures drop below 50 degrees. The natural stratification process of many native seeds requires the seasonal temperature fluctuations of the winter. Plus you won’t have to water at this time of year! Fall is also a great time to plant trees! Planting a tree in the fall gives trees extra time to become established before the stress of the summer. Fall offers cooler temperatures and typically more rainfall giving newly planted trees a little extra growing season because the extremes of summer set in. Of course native trees are the species to focus on if you want to support native wildlife and plant something that is well adapted to our climate. There are so many wonderful native tree species to select from but one of our current favorites is the Kentucky Coffee Tree. This super hardy, pest resistant native tree can grow in all kinds of soil conditions and is good choice for urban or rural settings and even used for soil reclamation and stabilization in heavily disturbed environments. Coolest of all the Kentucky Coffee Tree has a neat ethnobotany story! Native Americans would use the trees pulp, leaves and seeds for various medicinal purposes and the story goes that early settlers used the roasted seeds as a coffee substitute, hence the name Kentucky Coffee Tree. Warning parts of this plant are poisonous so we suggest all people and animals refrain from ingesting any parts of the tree. As ORF gears up for our largest annual fundraiser, the Cincinnati Coffee Festival, we are excited to share some of the neat local connections our region has to coffee and ways we can all get involved in protecting and restoring our watershed. Planting local trees like the Kentucky Coffee tree is one easy and fun way to do just that! Or come out and join us at the Cincinnati Coffee Festival support the work we do everyday.
Leave the Leaves: Did you know a thin layer of leaves can actually be healthy for your grass? Leaving the leaves provides a vital habitat for pollinators and bugs preparing for the winter. Leaves left on your lawn through fall and winter help retain moisture provide nutrients and as they break down, reducing the need to fertilize. You can also rake some or all of your leaves into flower beds or around the base of your trees, helping with weed suppression and insulating perennial plants throughout the winter. Grass lawns are huge contributors to nutrient pollution in our waterways. If we can reduce or eliminate excess fertilizers and herbicide treatments in our yards by using natural alternatives, everyone benefits, including the Ohio River and its watershed!
Enjoy the fall season and join us in making moves that are easier on you and the environment!