The perfect lawn keeps rainfall at home

This is the third part of a series on handling stormwater in the home landscape.

Lawns account for the largest portion of most yards. We should all strive for one that can absorb maximum rainfall and allow for runoff that isn’t laden with chemicals, which will eventually make their way into our waterways.

Previous articles on stormwater management have encouraged the use of permeable surfaces to keep water on site and have offered suggestions for plants that can tolerate flooding. A healthy lawn is the third component and has the biggest role.

Perhaps no other landscape feature is more evocative of suburban bliss than a velvet green, precisely clipped lawn. Not just a place where kids can play and dogs can run, the lawn is deeply embedded in the psyche of our culture. We love the perfection of a golf course. A neighbor whose lawn is a sea of bright yellow dandelions, followed by their sputnik puffs of seeds, elicits grumbles from those who pay a premium to chemically treat their yards from spring through fall.

Consider the time, money and potential environmental and chemical safety issues that come with a perfect lawn. For some, a utilitarian lawn with a mix of common weeds is perfectly acceptable, while others strive for perfection and are willing to put in the effort to get it. Beyond the use of chemicals, you can optimize your lawn’s vigor with these steps:

• Set mower height at 3 inches or higher: Taller grass slows the rate of runoff and will produce a deeper and denser root system. Healthy roots absorb more water and reduce erosion and runoff. Deeper roots can also reduce the need for irrigation and higher grass and dense roots suppress weeds. Three inches is ideal in bright sun; 4 inches is suitable for shade.

• Use a mulching lawn mower: A mulching mower retains grass clippings on site where they decompose, providing important nutrients for your lawn. They create an organic layer of mulch which reduces the need for fertilizer.

• Follow the one-third rule to determine mowing frequency: Remove no more than one-third of the grass’s length when you mow. If the grass is to be maintained at 3 inches, it should be cut when it is about 4 inches. Don’t mow on a set schedule. When grass is growing most rapidly, you may need to mow more than once a week, especially in spring and fall. If you