After Anne-Marie inherited her mother's home in Mt. Pleasant, the golf green-style lawns that surrounded the front and back of the renovated heritage building seemed like a no-brainer. She had watched her mother care for the lawns by mowing and sprinkling fertilizer over the years. But keeping those greens in the same condition as her mother proved to be a larger challenge than she had imagined.

Ann-Marie found that in her local community there was regular workshops that covered tips on how to maintain her lawn using natural lawn care methods. The benefits of natural lawn care choices resulted in less harm to soil, streams and other run-off areas that birds and animals use for drinking in the hotter times of the year. Natural lawn care also proved to be easier on the pocket book and required less effort in storing and disposal.

Ten tips for natural lawn care

1. Mow grass when it reaches 5 to 6 centimeters. Cutting a lawn when the grass is too short weakens the grass, making it more vulnerable to weeds and disease. Longer grass stores more moisture and enables roots to grow deeper.

2. Choose a mower that mulches. Electric mulching mowers break down clippings into nutrients fasters. The best environmental option is the push mower because it mulches and conserves power, cuts down on noise and air pollution.

3. Recycle lawn clippings. Rather than sweep or remove lawn clippings, leaving them on the lawn - grass-cycling - provides natural fertilizer. Composed mostly of water, grass clippings will quickly decompose rather than turn into dried, dead grass. However, during the wet season this practice should be avoided as it can over-saturate your lawn with water.

4. Avoid over-watering. Heavily-watered lawn has shallow roots and is prone to draw more pests. When the weather is warm, water 2-3 times each week which is the equivalent of watering for a solid hour.

5. Conserve rain water for your lawn. Store rain water in a rain barrel to use on your lawn. Your municipality may provide rain barrels at a reduced price.

6. Stick to daytime watering. To reduce evaporation, water in the early morning or late afternoon. Avoid watering in the evening because a lawn that is wet overnight can attract more mosquitoes and disease.

7. Go organic. When it comes to using fertilizers, organic slow-release fertilizers offer several advantages. Fertilize in early to mid-May and in early September. What colour is a healthy lawn? Look for a light green instead of the dark green turf that you see in ads and brochures.

8. Weed without store-bought chemicals. When it comes to weeds, hand-weeding is a safer alternative to applying pesticides across your lawn. Pesticides should be a last resort to lawn problems.

9. Create your own fertilizer. Your yard trimmings can turn into a nutrient-rich soil conditioner if you store them in a compost. You can build a backyard bin or buy one at a reduced rate through your municipality.

10. Keep it legal. Be aware of city bylaws that limit the pesticides you can use. Pesticide bylaws specify which active ingredients are legal, and they apply to home owner, renters, landscape professionals and lawn care companies.